Life, 1925-06-18 · page 27 of 43
Life — June 18, 1925 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: **"The Perpetual Tennis Dub"** (poem): Mocks amateur tennis players who eternally promise themselves they'll improve their backhand, never accepting their mediocrity. The repetition satirizes self-deluding optimism. **"The Unpardonable Crime"**: A brief joke about a man being run out of town for "minding his own business"—satirizing small-town conformity and intolerance of individuality. **"Through the Mist of Years"**: The sharpest satire here. It contrasts 1925 with a imagined 2025, where a mother explains "rum-runners" to her child exactly as pirates were once explained—as romantic, daring outlaws. This directly mocks Prohibition enforcement, suggesting alcohol smugglers are becoming folk heroes equivalent to historical pirates. The parallel implies Prohibition is creating a new criminal class society romanticizes. **"The Golfer" cartoon**: Shows a man distracted mid-thought while brushing teeth—simple domestic humor about overthinking golf technique.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Perpetual Tennis Dub HEN that the summer is well under way, Sun in the heavens, all settled to shine, Comes to my lips almost any nice day One optimistic, unperishing line, Sentiment such as a god might design, Uttering which I'm a recognized crack hand, Broadcast to each super-heterodyne : “This year I'll work up a regular back-hand.” _ Thus does the tennis dub govern his play, Over his rating he does not repine; Hope shines for him with perpetual ray Bubbling ambition he brews like a wine. Upward and onward he still would incline, Never convinced that he hasn't the knack-hand; Every defeat simply strengthens the spine, “This year I'll work up a regular back-hand.” Life to the end may be cheerful and gay, Aided by Nature's and Sport's anodyne; Thus on the courts let my few hairs turn gray, Slogan of optimists, ever be mine! Speed may still baffle me, why should I whine? None shall accuse me of playing a slack hand. Things past our knowledge we still may divine, “This year Vil work up a regular back-hand.” L'Envor Prince, keep your eye on this white service-line, Grant me applause with tumultuous claque-hand. Doggedly doddering, I'll not resign, “This year Vl work up a regular back-hand.” Sigmund Spaeth. The Unpardonable Crime NEW ARRIVAL: Here, here! what's the trouble? Bystanver: They're running Jones out of town; he was caught minding his own business. “THERE WAS A TIME, BILL, WHEN ONLY GOLFERS WORE THEM CLOTHES, BUT NOWADAYS ANYBODY CAN WEAR 'EM.” THE UOLFER WHO GOT TO THINKING ABOUT HIS STROKE WHILE BRUSHING HIS TEETH Through the Mist of Years A.D. 1925 “C)H, Mother, look! Who are those men in this big book? Look how fierce they are! And they're on boats, and they've got swords in their hands and——” “Those are pirates, dear, They were big brave men, very daring and reckless. All the kings and queens tried to catch them and have them beheaded, but they couldn't do it. You see, the pirates were such good sailors and so very bold that they could whip almost everybody, and it was almost impossible to catch them. The story of the pirates is very romantic and thrilling—buried treasure, and walking the plank, and things like that. You ask Daddy to tell you more about it when he comes home to-night.” A. D. 2025 “C)H, Mother, look! Who are these men in this big book? Look how fierce they are! And they're on boats, and they've got guns in their hands and. ” “Those are rum-runners, dear, They were big brave men, very daring and reckless. All the prohibition men and the coast guard tried to catch them and have them imprisoned, but they couldn't do it. You sce, the rum-runners were such good sailors and so very bold that they could outwit almost anybody, and it was almost impossible to catch them. The story of the rum-runners is very romantic and thrilling—cases of Scotch, and taking a bribe, and things like that. You ask Daddy to tell you more about it when he comes home to-night.” Carl Shoup. RETTY soon the census-taker will simply count the parked cars. comicbooks.com