Life, 1925-03-19 · page 25 of 36
Life — March 19, 1925 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page mocks early 20th-century American business culture through several comic pieces: **"The Business Primer"** parodies corporate life—executives believe expensive business lunches solve all problems, and filing cabinets secretly function as liquor cabinets (Prohibition-era joke). **"The Big One"** cartoon shows a wealthy couple where the wife asks her husband for "Chinese tongs" for decoration, completely oblivious to their cost or purpose. The satire targets nouveau riche materialism and conspicuous consumption among the wealthy. **"Success Story"** mocks self-made millionaires with a quick joke about interruptions. **"Touching Bottom"** features a man declaring bankruptcy cheerfully because he's "there"—already at rock bottom, so financial ruin no longer threatens him. The Coogan stamp reference appears to be a satirical aside about celebrity culture (likely Jackie Coogan, the child actor). Overall, the page satirizes 1920s business excess, wealth obsession, and economic anxiety through humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Business Primer THE BUSI-NESS LUNCH ZE on this hale and heart-y bunch, A-eat-ing of a Busi-ness Lunch; Big Busi-ness Men are they, and so ‘Tis this that makes Big Busi-ness go; They think it is the only way To solve the prob-lems of the day, Such as—of this you may be sure— The problems of the carte du jour! THE FIL-ING CAB-IN-ET A er fil-ing cab-in-et No busi-ness man would e’er re-gret; It give-s an of-fice just that touch That make-s a lit-tle seem like much; Each draw-er is long, and plenty wide Your golf balls and odd shoes to hide— But its great point you've not heard yet: It makes a won-d'rous cel-lar-ette! A.C. M. Azoy, Jr. Success Story [ WANT you to understand, sir, that I'm a self-made man. \Who interrupted you?” The Big One: “GEORGE!” “YES, Love?” “I WISH YOU WOULD GET ME SOME OF THOSE CHINESE TONGS I READ SO MUCH ABOUT. 1 THINK THEY WOULD GO WELL WITH THE BIG FIREPLACE.’ SINCE France issued a new postage stamp on the 400th anniversary of the birth of a national hero, Ronsard, American philatelists have been plac- ing orders for the Coogan stamp, to be brought out in 2316. Touching Bottom R. HIC (returning Well, my I don’t have to worry any more about going into bank- home): dear, ruptey. I'm there, ATTABOY, BILL, GIVE "FR A Coop SPIN! comicbooks.com