Life, 1925-03-05 · page 25 of 36
Life — March 5, 1925 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece imagines a future where a woman, Emma Seitz, becomes U.S. President, and her husband Hugo becomes "First Gentleman." The satire works on multiple levels: **The central joke:** It reverses traditional gender roles by depicting the husband as a decorative, domestically-focused spouse—roles women historically occupied. He speaks of homemaking, serving coffee, and being "the master of my household" with gentle self-deprecation. **Contemporary references:** The 1936 date and Kansas farm background suggest this responds to actual female political figures gaining prominence in the New Deal era. The "Louie Stone League" reference appears to satirize women's rights organizations. **Subsidiary humor:** The cartoon showing a woman with "two chauffeurs—one for driving and the other for court" mocks nouveau-riche pretension. The phone company joke depicts marital conflict over bills. The piece uses gentle irony rather than outrage, presenting the scenario as almost charming—yet the very need for such satire reveals how unthinkable female political leadership still was in 1936.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The First Gentleman of the Land (By Our Special Correspondent) WASHINGTON, March 5, 1936.— Hardly had the telegraph wires ceased clicking their story of the in- auguration of Emma Seitz as President of the United States than-I sought out Mr. Hugo Seitz, né Fitzgerald, our new First Gentleman of the Land. I found him modest, even diffident, and in no way affected by the honor that had come to him through the stateswomanship of his wife. “‘An Intimate View of President Seitz from One Who Knows,’” he said musingly, when I mentioned my errand. “Ah—that is difficult. “Let me assure you, however,” he continued, “that your new executive is more than the red-blooded, two-fisted she-woman the world knows. To such as myself, to whom she is not the President, but Emma, she can unbend and become at times almost tender. Yes, almost tender.” His fingertips caressed is left eye delicately. é ,” I insisted; “tell us “HERE'S A LETTER FROM THE PHONE COMPANY SAYING THAT IF WE DON’T BILLS THEY WILL CUT OUR SERVICE OFF.” “T HAVE A RECEIPT FOR THAT PAY T, AND IF THEY CUT OFF OUR SERVICE, I'LL SUE THEM—IF I NOTICE 17.” men’s page in your great journal care about poor little me?” replied Mr. Seitz deprecatingly. “I was just a simple boy on our Kansas farm when Emma, then but a humble Alderwoman, came Ethlyn: pip SHE MARRY WELL? Methlyn: LISTEN, DEARIE! SHE HAS TWO CHAUFFEURS—ONE FOR DRIVING AND THE OTHER FOR COURT. to pass the summer. She wooed me, ah, so tempestuously, and in a month I was hers. Need I say I have never regretted it? “Several years ago,” he went on winningly, “a representative of the Louie Stone League came to me and urged that I retain my maiden name of Fitzgerald. ‘No,’ I told him. Perhaps I am not one of your so-called modern men. I am of the plain, home-loving sort, and my wife's name is good enough for me. “Tell the American people I believe Emma Seitz will make them the love- liest President they have ever had. Of course, I know nothing of such matters. But I do know the art of home-making, and your executive shall never lack a cup of hot coffee after an arduous day. You see.” he concluded, smiling dis- armingly, hope to be the master of my household.” And so I left him—the most unas- suming, charming and (shall I add?) the handsomest First Gentleman of the Land that ever lent his gracious pres- ence to the White House tea-table. Tip Bliss. No Kidding OFFICE GIRL: You can't see Mr. Blodgett. Cater: Is he in conference? “No, he's busy.” comicbooks.com