Life, 1924-11-13 · page 2 of 42
Life — November 13, 1924 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **Listerine advertisement disguised as satirical humor**. The cartoon depicts two well-dressed businessmen (a senior and junior partner at what appears to be a law firm) discussing a colleague named Barclay who "doesn't seem to get on with customers." The junior partner suggests they discuss the problem privately "some day." The implicit joke: Barclay's problem is **halitosis** (bad breath)—a social liability that prevents business success. The advertisement below explicitly states that Listerine mouthwash "quickly overcomes Halitosis." This exemplifies early 20th-century advertising strategy: wrapping product messaging in relatable social anxiety. The cartoon frames bad breath as a serious professional handicap, positioning Listerine as essential for career advancement and social acceptability.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
becrigt vel, repber 13. 1924. Entered a0 agter, Jone 8. PRES ier eat POR pevtlsCasaaes” Uoparigtts Tetes LIVE tate Ur Bs Ketand ant Getlas Peers” SENIOR PARTNER: HOW IS IT THAT BARCLAY DOESN’T SEEM TO GET ON WITH CUSTOMERS? JUNIOR PARTNER: LET’S TALK THAT OVER ALONE SOME DAY. [ Listerine used as a mouth wash quickly overcomes Halitosis (unpleasant breath) } cerns comicbooks.com