Life, 1925-09-17 · page 22 of 36
Life — September 17, 1925 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This *Life* magazine page contains two satirical pieces: **"The Poor Fisherman and the Good Djinn"** is a mock-Arabian Nights tale by Morris Bishop that parodies consumer culture. The "Gor-Don Djinn" appears to reference a real product (likely Gordon's gin), satirizing advertising claims. The joke: a poor fisherman finds a "non-refillable" bottle—a contemporary complaint about planned obsolescence and disposable goods. He then creates a substitute product (mixing alcohol with water), mocking how manufacturers trap consumers into replacement purchases. **"Tragedy"** is a brief satirical vignette about women's lib. The "Lucy Stone League" was a real 1920s feminist organization advocating women keep their maiden names after marriage. The joke: a League member ironically loses her identity anyway by marrying someone with the identical surname, defeating the purpose of the protest. The accompanying cartoon about the "Steerless Twelve" (a car model) shows unrelated gender commentary. Both pieces mock contemporary social anxieties: corporate manipulation and feminist identity politics.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* LIFE The Story of the Poor Fisherman and the Good Djinn HERE was once a Poor Fisherman who lived near Babylon, on an island called Long Island because it is a long island. When the Poor Fisherman was young he had caught sca-lions and killer whales, but now he was so old and weak he could catch only weakfish. To keep from starving he spent his winters planting poison ivy on the country places of the rich Pashas of Babylon, and in the summer he would dig up that poison ivy for a piastre an hour, rendering praise to Allah. One day the Poor Fisherman went down to the beach, and, having first prayed to Allah, he cast his nets. The first time he took naught but a canned salmon; the second time only a straw hat and a pair of water-wings; but the third time, what was his amazement to discover in his nets a small, square bottle. The Poor Fisherman, overcome with curiosity, broke the seal, which bore the mark of the Grand Vizier of the Baha-Ma Islands, and pried open the stopper. Instantly a mighty smoke and a peculiar smell arose, and there issued from the bottle a fearsome Djinn, “What Djinn are you?” said the Poor Fisherman, “I am Gor-Don Djinn!” said the figure in a fierce and hiccuppy sort of voice, The Poor Fisherman fortunately had read the Arabian Nights in the Babylon Grammar School. “Verily, Djinn,” he cried, “I cannot believe that a genuine Gor-Don Djinn did ever reside in that little bottle. Return, I prithee, BOY HOOD Gentleman to Right: 1'b SAY SHE'S GOLD-DIGGING. His Companion: W'M, THIS PROPOSITION SEEMS TO REQUIRE BLASTING, into thy bottle, that I may see that great wonder, a genuine Gor-Don Djinn in a Gor-Don Djinn bottle.” But the Djinn only smiled wearily. “Well dost thou know the writings of the prophets. Of a truth it was even thus that the first: Poor Fisherman persuaded the first Djinn to return into his bottle. But latterly hy command of the great Gor-Don, whom Allah preserve. the Gor-Don Djinn bottles are non-refillable. None the less, for thy learning, I will give thee a. spell which will summon my very distant relative, the -Thetik Djinn, and thou mayest have thy will of him.” Thereupon the Gor-Don Djinn uttered the magic spell and vanished. The Poor Fisherman, according to diree- tions, summoned up the Demon Al-Kohol. He then poured upon the Demon Al-Kohol a sufficient quantity of water flavored with poison He thus produced the Thetik Djinn, which willingly entered the bottle of the Gor-Don Djinn. He then sold the bottle in the bazaar of Babylon for many pieces of silver. Here endeth the tale of that good Djinn, and other than he has never been seen a good Djinn in Babylon, since the hegira of the Great Gor-Don, on whom be peace. Morris Bishop Tragedy NCE upon a time there was a prominent member of the Lucy Stone League who had the misfortune to fall in love and marry a chap whose last name was the same as hers. “LJOW do you like the new Stéerless Twelve?” ‘ve been nearly hit by lots nicer cars than that.” comicbooks.com