Life, 1924-12-25 · page 22 of 37
Life — December 25, 1924 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces: **"Ulysses and the Sirens"** (main story with illustration): A classical mythology retelling updated with 1920s jazz culture. The Sirens sing blues numbers with lyrics about homesickness and romance ("Mama loves papa"). Ulysses, described with dated racial language as experiencing "negroid ecstasy," is overcome by jazz music rather than mythological enchantment. The satire appears to mock both the romanticization of classical literature and perhaps contemporary attitudes toward jazz as seductive/dangerous. **"Equal Rights for Women"** (top cartoon): A barber tells a female customer her hair is "a bit thin on top"—the joke's caption reads "Hair's a bit thin on top, madam," satirizing the mechanical politeness of professional service roles, with possible gendered implications about appearance standards. **"Look! A Man Has Broken Through the Ice!"** (bottom): A joke about clichéd humor—a "professional humorist" mentions he already sold this joke last week, mocking recycled comedy material.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Ulysses and the Sirens FTER Ulysses had directed his crew to fill their ears with wax, he allowed himself to be bound to the mast as the island of the Sirens hove in sight. The ship drawing nearer, the first strains of the Sirens came languorously over the still water. Ulysses listened enthralled. The Sirens, rolling their eyes and snapping their fingers, sang: “T've got those homesick, Foam-sick, Never-want-to-roam-sick Blues—— Those Ithacan blues?” ysses writhed with negroid ecstasy. The Sirens were stamping their feet on the rocks and weaving imaginary ropes in the air, with wriggling movements. The helpless hero whistled in accom- paniment to the ravishing jazz. The Sirens whipped themselves into renewed frenzy, their skirts of rushes swirling about them: “Mama loves papa, es mama,— y don't you come Ulysses strained at his cords till the blood ran. The sweat wes on his brow and his eye fired with passion. He pat- ted with his right foot. EQUAL RIGHTS FOR WOMEN The ship wi leaving the island be ‘ a eeicaily) « ; S Gieadon! INADA hind. The Sirens held out their arms The Barber (mechanically): HAIR'S A BIT THIN OD 3 3 ia last fond appeal. ‘Their’ subdued voices came faintly over the waters: “What will we do When we are wondering who Is luring you—— What will we do?” Ulysses sobbed to be back with them; he cocked his ear to catch their con- cluding tempered notes. They came like a haunting breath of wind: “What will we do, At last, With just the vast, Wide sea to beckon to?” The music ceasing altogether, Ulys- ses signalled to his men to unseal their ears and set him free. “If I can only remember those tunes for my boy Telemachus,” he mumbled, and fell in a humming, unconscious heap at the foot of the mast. Edmund J. Kiefer. WIFE: George, wake up! There's a burglar in the house! ‘Look! A MAN HAS BROKEN THROUGH THE ICE!” ProressionaL Humorist (sleepily) : “YROBABLY JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE CUCKOO WINTER BATHERS.” I sold that joke last week. comicbooks.com