Life, 1924-04-24 · page 22 of 36
Life — April 24, 1924 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains satirical commentary on 1920s American society: **Top Section:** A romantic poem "Song for an April Dusk" by Dorothy Parker contrasts idealistic nature imagery with her cynical closing: "And, boy, will I be bored!" This mocks sentimental literature through Parker's trademark wit. **Police/Bobbed Hair Reference:** A brief text snippet notes New York police claimed to "control of the bobbed-hair wave"—referencing 1920s moral panic over women's short hairstyles as symbols of female liberation and changing social norms. **Bottom Cartoon:** Two anthropomorphized animals (a pelican and ostrich) joke about a hippopotamus baby born "with a silver spoon in its mouth" (meaning wealthy privilege). The ostrich retorts it must have been "a steam shovel"—a working-class tool, implying the baby is actually crude or lowborn despite appearances. This satirizes either false pretense or class anxiety. **Top Illustration:** Shows people at what appears to be a social gathering, with one character (Emma) wanting to start a fight—capturing Jazz Age social disorder and violence.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Song for an April Dusk ELL me tales of a lilied pool Asleep beneath the sun deep and cool Who sing their am as dreams. Tell of the doomed butterfly That flings his hour away ive and k Before the death of day Tell me of the moon-pale sprites Whose beauty none may know Tell me of secret, silver ni When great red stars are low Tell of the virgin Spring. the fair Who roams the circling years, Rain-drops strung in her fragrant hair, ‘ ‘ Her eyes a-mist with te “SAY, EMMA, CAN I HAVE TH’ NENT DANCE? 1 GOTTA GRUDGE AGAINST Tell ‘ell me : , eB of elves who leap te BILL OTOOLE, AN" I WANTA SMASH INTA HIM. Who trip the velvet sward our — Tell me stories ngs like this And, boy, will I be bored! Dorothy Parker. "THE New York police authori ‘ E isols t argues that it become taminated sert that they are in complete con- trol of the bobbed-hair wave ' \ Ranrrsen-Caoy . 2 Mr, Pelican: WA, HA, THAT LI'L HIPPO BABY WAS BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN ITS MOUTH. Mr. Ostrich: SEEMS TO ME IT MUST HAVE BEEN A STEAM SHOVEL. comicbooks.com