Life, 1925-07-02 · page 9 of 47
Life — July 2, 1925 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate satirical pieces mocking wastefulness and pretense. **"The Soft Spot"** ridicules a man claiming to practice economy while actually squandering money—he boasts of thrift but wastes wealth on luxuries (avoiding subways, buying expensive items, maintaining expensive hobbies like collecting elephant pictures). The joke: his professed values contradict his behavior. **"Economy"** satirizes false frugality in purchasing—buying a cheap suit where only the outer layers wear well, while hidden layers deteriorate quickly. It's false economy. **"The Imperfect Lover"** and **"If Poets Went in for Economy"** are brief humor pieces mocking romantic and poetic pretension. The illustrated scene at bottom (captioned about "Mr. Gonnick") appears to mock political hypocrisy regarding thrift and living simply—likely satirizing politicians preaching austerity while appearing surrounded by luxury and excess.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Soft Spot E was a Profligate and he was proud of it. He scorned the petty restrictions of economy, and his family despaired of ever teaching him the lesson of thrift. “Save, save, save!” they pleaded ; and he lit his pipe with a five-dollar bill and blew the smoke in their eyes. He wasted his weaith in needless lux- uries; he spent gold like water. He would never take the subway when he could hire a taxi; he would never hire a taxi when he could buy it. He bought peanuts and then squandered them on elephants. He even had his picture taken. Moncy simply flowed in one pocket and out the other, “Have you no sense of economy?” they asked. “Don't you know the meaning of thrift?” And he only Mr. Livr Gonnick: 1 STAND BEHIND THE PRESIDENT, GENTLEMEN, THERE'S WHAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS, laughed easily by way of reply, and took out his pouch to refill his pipe and blow smoke in their eyes again. But even as he laughed, three shreds of tobacco dropped out of the pouch onto the floor, Like a flash he was down on his hands and knees, prowling under the table and peering along the seams of the rug. Between his thumb and forehager he carefully lifted each shred of tobacco and put it back into his pouch again, glancing minutely over the rug once more for stray articles be- fore he arose. Even Achilles had his heel. Corey Ford. E,CONOMY— Buying a suit with two pairs of trousers, only to have the first pair outwear the coat and vest. SIMPLICITY, ECONOMY, CATALOGED If Poets Went in for Economy NSTEAD of “Bright Phoebus leaped from out his briny bed And shook his locks athwart the shades of night; When lo! Along his course a flare of red Seemed like a beacon showing realms of light”— They would simply say: “The sun rose” And let it go at that, The Imperfect Lover Moevte ACTRESS: vorce Cyril. Frienp: What was the trouble? “Too cold and calculating. Before he kissed me in any State he always made a point of inquiring what was the foot- age limit of the local board of censors.” I had to di- MODEST comicbooks.com