Life, 1924-07-10 · page 22 of 36
Life — July 10, 1924 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This *Life* magazine page contains satirical humor about early 20th-century American social customs and attitudes. **"Use and Abuse of Silk Hats"** is a mock-etiquette guide listing absurd rules for formal wear—poking fun at rigid class conventions. The joke is that silk hats were outdated yet still signaled social status. References to "movie actors" on Long Island and the note about hats purchased before 1870 needing a "steam roller" or hairdresser treatment satirize both newfound wealth (movie industry) and the pretension of maintaining ancient formal dress. **"Touring Thinking"** mocks American provincialism: travelers visiting Rome or the Colosseum are unimpressed because they're comparing everything to American attractions (Bear Mountain, Forest Hills tennis bowl). It's satire on American insularity and the belief that American accomplishments rival European landmarks. The brief "Franco-German difficulties" joke references World War I tensions, suggesting Frank Munsey (a real publisher/magnate) should manage both countries—implying he'd mismanage them as badly as he ran his business. **"On Locution"** jokes about class distinctions between "language" (proper speech) and "slang" (working-class speech).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
« LLPE « Use and Abuse of Silk Hats ILK hats are coming back. They have been out so long that very few understand their use. The following directions should be carefully observed. A silk hat should not be worn— When driving a Ford motor. On the beach at summer resorts. In upper berths of sleeping cars. In drawing-rooms of Long Island houses (movie actors please note). At golf tournaments. el silk hat may be At the funeral of a rich relative. (Do not, however, deem it essential to festoon the hat with flowers.) At afternoon receptions. (Always leave the hat in hat box on the piazza, or in a limousine, before entering.) At receptions to foreign ambassadors. At church services. (If hat is placed in aisle, it should first be secured in barbed wire ca At all weddings, afternoon or evening, including your own, (Hat, howe’ should be removed when approaching altar.) Note: If your hat is a comparatively new one, that is, one bought since 1870, before being worn it should be sent to a competent landscape architect or city contractor to be gone over with a steam roller. If purchased before 1870. ssend to a good hairdresser for permanent wave. Thomas L. Masson. NE way of settling the Franco-German difficulties would be to turn both countries over to Frank Munsey and let him change their name to Sweden. “watcu it, pat!” Touring Thinking ALF the joy of visiting Rome for the first time is in running across somebody who knows Ed Jones, of Zanesville. The Colosseum is some arena, but it doesn’t mean much to a citizen of Forest Hills since they built that new tennis bowl. There is a thrill in London Bridge, of course, but what do you think of that one they are throwing across the Hudson at Bear Mountain? The Leaning Tower of Pisa is all right, but we wouldn't stand for it in America. The contractor would have to make it good or we'd sue on his bond. After hearing these foreign street songs, I know where the phonograph people get the music they put on the other side of a record. McCready Huston. On Locution ITTY: I should think you'd be ashamed to use such awful language. Harotp: That's not language. That's slang. Mas” men desire the return of the saloon to give them He: CONFOUND IT! EVERYTHING'S AT SIXES AND SE an excuse to stop drinking She; STILL TALKING ABOUT YOUR GOLF GAME, DEAR? comicbooks.com