Life, 1924-09-04 · page 7 of 36
Life — September 4, 1924 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon mocks "White Indians"—apparently recent arrivals to America who, the text suggests, need "civilization" through Republican Party programs. The joke plays on their unfamiliarity with American customs (the rider's disheveled appearance, the caption about a haircut). Below, the photograph shows acrobatic performers, with a caption about a wife complaining her husband has been "hold[ing] up gags on her too often"—a domestic humor piece about repetitive joke-telling. The page satirizes both political efforts to "uplift" foreign-born Americans and critiques Republican versus Democratic approaches to assimilation. The humor relies on ethnic/immigrant stereotypes common to early 20th-century American satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“TAKE ONE LOOK AT THAT TAIL, MURIEL MURPHY, AN’ THEN TELL ME YOU AIN’T SORRY YOU GOT YOUR HAIK BoBRED!” ‘AL samples of the “White Indian” have recently been im- ported for our cdificatic And as it seems no more than fair that they should be permitted a comprehensive return look at us—at the glories of real hundred-per-cent. civilization—the following program is suggested for their entertainment : Welcoming shot of wood alcohol, followed by short trip up Avenue A; amusement to be limited—if possible— to three gang murders. Ku Klux demonstration for the Honor of a Free America and the Nordic Race; consisting of the meri- torious flogging of a Negro who has seditiously beaten a Klansman out of a bootlegging contract. Grand parade of flappers, cake- aters, finale-hoppers, dancing-men and respondents—in short, a representa- tive selection of high society; said se- lection being left to the rotogravure- section editors. Matinee at the Winter Garden, to prove conclusively that the Arts—with the exception of the million-franc pair of the star—flourish nowhere so effec- tively as in America. Mail-truck robbery and running fight with the Law—in which the latter, Uplifting the White Indians is not overtaken, (Note— At this point, to make our visitors feel perfectly at home, one of them should —in his rdle of innocent bystander—be shot.) Impassioned Republican speeches to prove the Republican Party alone capa- ble of upholding the People. Impas- sioned Democratic speeches to prove the Democratic Party alone capable of upholding the People. Final dual however, The Victim: coop Lorp, MAN! WHAT'LL 1 TELL MY WIFE? I'VE PULLED THIS HOLD-UP GAG ON HER TOO OFTEN, demonstration in which the people are held up to the satisfaction of both parties. Parting salvo of pre-war stuff, fol- lowed almost immediately by burial with military honors Gardner Rea. Why Doctors Die Young T is two o'clock in the morning Dr. Blank has just returned from a case which he has been working on since seven. Just as he gets into a sound sleep, the telephone rings. He wakes with a start, rubs his eyes and mechan- ically leans over and takes the phone. “Is this Dr. Blan! “Doctor, could you tell me a word of eight letters, the third letter of which is ‘I’ and the fifth ‘d’, the word meaning a disease prevalent among the house mice of Zanzibar?” B. B. Lynx, of Course LLA: It's quite cold on the golf course to-day, Nella Netta: Then I'd better wear plus-furs. my comicbooks.com