Life, 1925-08-13 · page 5 of 36
Life — August 13, 1925 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical piece where Alice (from *Alice in Wonderland*) encounters the White Rabbit and Mad Hatter at a magazine stand. The satire targets popular magazine genres and their editorial strategies of the era. The White Rabbit promotes magazines with sensationalist content—"Sloppy Stories," "Racy Stories," "Snippy Stories"—designed to attract readers through lurid covers featuring "pretty girls in a one-piece bathing suit." When Alice asks what distinguishes these magazines, the characters reveal the satire: magazines stimulate circulation through provocative imagery and questionable fiction rather than literary merit. The piece mocks both the magazine industry's cynical marketing tactics and readers' shallow preferences, using the familiar Carroll characters to frame critiques of American popular culture's descent into sensationalism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
OW eAlice at the Wy CE gare 7g Noews- Stand By Newman Levy ERE’S a news-stand,” said the White Rabbit. “You have just time to buy a magazine before your train leaves.” “Christmas Number just out!" said the Mad Hatter, who was standing behind the counter. “Why do they have the Christmas Number in August?” Alice asked. “So they can get out the Fourth of July Number in December, of course,” the Mad Hatter explained. “Now what would you like? If I knew your taste in literature——" “She doesn’t want literature; she wants a magazine,” said the White Rabbit abruptly. “How about fiction?” “I adore fiction,” said Alice. “Then try one of the true story magazines,” said the Mad Hatter, “We have Truthful Tales, Stories from Real Life, True Yarns, True—” “They contain some of the worst fiction ever written,” said the White Rabbit. “And their circulation is something frightful. That's why they all have pictures of pretty girls ‘on the covers.” “Why?” asked Alice innocently. “To stimulate circulation,” said the White Rabbit. “Any doctor will tell you that there’s nothing like a picture of a Pretty girl in a one-piece bathing suit to stimulate circula- tion.” “Then there are the popular fiction magazines,” suggested the Mad Hatter. “We have Snoopy Stories, Snippy Stories, Racy Stories, Sloppy Stories——” “What's the difference ?” asked Alice. “It's sex of one, half a dozen of the other,” said the White Rabbit. “How about one of the higher-class magazines?” said the Mad Hatter. “For thirty-five cents you can learn why a prominent novelist eats three eggs for breakfast; how a minor league poet was cured by his wife of being a bore; how it feels to be seven feet eight inches tall, by a famous editor; why another poet is getting a divorce from his wife——" “I don't understand,” said Alice. “Why do they print such drool?” “Circulation,” said the White Rabbit. “Any doctor will tell you there’s nothing like continuous exposure to stimulate circulation,” “Here's something you may like,” said the Mad Hatter, offering Alice a large, bulky magazine. On the cover was the portrait of a beautiful young lady clad in skating cos- tume. “This is our most popular weekly advertising cata- logue. It's not quite so large as the Sears-Roebuck catalogue, but it contains a greater variety of ads.” “You might try one of the highbrow monthlies,” sug- gested the White Rabbit. “They're not strong on entertain- ment, but it’s considered quite classy to be seen with one of them under your arm. It's worth fifty cents as an invest- ment.” “There doesn’t seem to be anything I want,” said Alice impatiently. “I was only looking for a magazine that might amuse me and I don’t seem to be able to find one.” “Such is Life,” said the White Rabbit ambiguously. comicbooks.com