Life, 1925-02-19 · page 22 of 37
Life — February 19, 1925 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several pieces of political and social humor from Life's satirical tradition: **"Famous Non-Historical Places"** mocks historical mythology by listing well-known sites while debunking legends associated with them—Benjamin Franklin's kite, Washington's cherry tree, the Liberty Bell's Fourth of July ringing, etc. The joke undercuts American historical narratives we're taught in school. **"Parking Space"** jokes about golf obsession during Prohibition—parents miss church pickup because they're golfing, suggesting the leisure class prioritizes golf over family obligations. **"The Saddest Thing"** critiques political rhetoric, arguing the worst aspect of politicians isn't their dishonesty, but that they *wouldn't* share truth even if they knew it, because an informed public is harder to control. **The colonial cartoon** shows young Washington throwing money across the Potomac—another debunked legend, but the caption ironically treats it as real misbehavior. The overall theme: American myths are fabrications used to shape public behavior and belief.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* LIFE * Famous Non-Historical Places The DeBunk Tours—One Starts Every Minute “FOR TH’ LOVE OF PETE, MARY, WHERE'S THE CUE-BALL?” 'M SORRY, DEAR, BUT 1 LENT IT TO OLD MRS. JONES FOK A NEST-EGG. CAN'T YOU JUST PRETEND THERE'S A CUR-BALL?” Parking Space CERTAIN church in a Middle Western town maintains a nursery where members of the congregation who have young children may leave them in care of a young woman of the parish while they are attending the morning service. When church was over, one fine day last summer, a little boy and a little girl remained unclaimed long after all the other children had taken home, Finally, a man and a woman came rushing in breathlessly. As the children ran to their arms, the mother explained apologetically to the young woman in charge: “We're so sorry to have kept you after hours, but we simply couldn't get around the course any sooner.” been The Wiseacre HEAD bowed with not a glance aside, He passes by—stern-faced, un- winking. What keeps him so preoccupied? He thinks he makes you think he's thinking. “PRACTICE makes perfect” doesn't seem to apply to Prohibition. Colonial (on bank of Potomac): oucn! STON—Native city of Benjamin Franklin, who was not shocked by a key and a kite in a thunderstorm. Philadelphia—City in which the Liberty Bell did not ring out on the Fourth of July. Fredericksburg—Boyhood home of George Washington, who did not cut down the cherry tree. Stratford-on-Avon—English village where the author of Shakespeare's p! did not live. North Pole—Famous flagstaff not discovered by Dr. Cook Bunker Hill—Famous monument erected to commemorate a battle on another hill. Waterloo—Ground erroneously credited with a won on the playing fields of Eton: The Capitol—Large marble building in Washington where the Senate does not meet Flanders—Low country where the army did not swear terribly The Sun—Well-known heavenly body first halted in its journey around the earth by Joshua. Still standing still WL. Werner victory The Saddest Thing HE saddest thing about the average political spellbinder is not that he rants and raves and doesn’t tell you any thing worth while. Nor even is it the saddest thing that he doesn’t know anything worth while to tell you. No, the saddest thing by all odds is that if he did know something worth while, he wouldn't tell it—because he wouldn't consider it advisable for you to know anything that was worth much whi The less the public knows the easier it is to deal with it. Such is the law and the gospel of the politician. Ellis O. Jones. THAT CUSSED YOUNG WASHINGTON KID IS THROWING DOLLARS ACROSS HERE AGAIN! comicbooks.com