Life — February 26, 1925 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Worm Turns" — Life Magazine Satire This page satirizes California tourism and boosterism. The poem mocks visitors to California — describing them as having "ridiculous fangles," rushing about, and engaging in excessive tourism. It attacks California's self-promotional claims about climate and natural resources. The main cartoon depicts a crowded, chaotic dining scene labeled "San Francisco (loyally)" with the caption "Don't worry, dear—it's just another of those fires," darkly joking about San Francisco's devastating 1906 earthquake and fires, suggesting tourists casually accept disaster as part of the city's character. The accompanying sections ("Seeing Doubles," "Made, Not Born") continue mocking Californians and Eastern tourists' mutual incomprehension. The satire suggests California's promotion of itself as a paradise is exaggerated and that its boosters and visitors are equally ridiculous.