Life — January 17, 1924 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 5 This page contains three satirical pieces about economic hardship, likely from the post-WWI period. **"So Goes the Dollar"** by Albert Cook satirizes inflation through absurdist humor—a cup of coffee costing $25,000, eventually requiring million-dollar meals. It mocks currency depreciation and the impossibility of budgeting. **The main cartoon** depicts a street encounter with the caption "Crime Wave, Lady! Bless yer heart, no! It's nothin' but an epidemic—like smallpox er cholera er somethin'." This appears to reference actual crime waves (possibly during Prohibition), presenting crime as a widespread social disease rather than isolated criminal acts. **"This Is National Safety Day"** proposes tongue-in-cheek solutions for January 16th safety observance—including temporary jails to control dangerous elements (reckless drivers, "quack doctors," football fans, etc.), satirizing society's inability to maintain order.