Life, 1924-02-21 · page 34 of 36
Life — February 21, 1924 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page announces Life's "War Prize Contest" using extended military metaphor—the magazine will deploy "howitzers of hilarity" and "machine-guns of mirth" against "legions of gloom." This satirical framing reflects the WWI-era context (references to "war prize," specific upcoming issues like "The Oil Number" and "The Baseball Number"). The cartoon below depicts a couple at a train station. The woman tells her male companion to "run ahead and hold the train," then asks what "particular hold" he'd like her to use—"the head lock, scissors or half-nelson?" The joke mocks contemporary gender role expectations: she's sarcastically suggesting wrestling holds in response to his presumption that she'll passively follow his lead. It's gentle satire on male-female relationship dynamics and masculine authority. The shoe advertisement above advocates for "lacing hooks"—a consumer product emphasis typical of Life's advertising content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
common-sense evidence —on quality A footwear—that the shoes are made for ience—Shoe Lacing Hooks Your retailer can sell you s s with lacing hooks. ie ot; | O t S Insist on having what you want! ITH the announcement of the big WAR PRIZE CONTEST in this issue, LIFE steps out on a vigorous campaign—in which it will concentrate all its forces of merri- ment. With its howitzers of hilarity its machine-guns of mirth and_ its satirical shrapnel, LIFE will lay down a barrage which will flatten the legions of gloom from coast to coast Our regular troops will be assisted in this drive by the following heavy siege guns THE OIL NUMBER (March 6) THE ST. PATRICK'S NUMBER (Goes into action on March 13) THE BIG BUSINESS NUMBER (Another rousin, Jesque which opens fire on March 20 THE EASTER NUMBER THE BASEBALL NUMBER (April 179 Obey That Impulse! Join the Army and See ye (An enlistment blank will be found below.) Special Offer Enclosed find One Dollar (Canadian, $1.20; Foreign, $1 40) Send LIFE for ten weeks to She: YOU RUN AHEAD, DEAR, AND HOLD THE TRAIN. “ines ae AND WHAT PARTICULAR HOLD WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO LIFE, 598 Madison Avenue, New York City Gan oxite HeLa oceNciciees ea naan One Year, $5.00 (Canadian, $5.80; Foreign, $6.60) comicbooks.com