Life, 1925-09-24 · page 25 of 41
Life — September 24, 1925 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes returning American vacationers of the early 20th century through two visual jokes and a poem. **The cartoon** (top) shows chaotic scenes of tourists arriving back home with excessive luggage, souvenirs, and belongings crammed everywhere—a visual joke about overconsumption and poor packing. **The "Ballade of Returning Vacationists"** is a humorous poem mocking tourists who endlessly brag about their trips while contradicting themselves. The recurring refrain "We simply lived in our bathing-suits" becomes ironic—they claim simple living yet complain about roads, collect junk antiques, get seasick, and have various mishaps (poison ivy, sunburn). The poem ridicules their pretentious storytelling and the gap between their vacation fantasy and reality. **The social satire** targets the newly wealthy middle class of the era who could afford European tours and vacations, portraying them as materialistic, tactless bores obsessed with souvenirs and one-upmanship. The joke is that despite vacationing sophisticatedly abroad, they remain fundamentally provincial and self-absorbed.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Aut - : Wo A STROKE OF GENIUS Ballade of Returning Vacationists “THIS Europe stuff is a lot of bunk; We did their ruins from A to Z.” “Say, Bill, did I tell ya the putt I sunk { want you to look at these views. one who's holding the fish—that's me! Id you ever believe, on a farm—canned fruits!” w what did we do with the back-door key?” “We simply lived in our bathing-suits.” “Gosh, but the roads in that State are punk!" ‘Look at my nose where it's peeling: ! “Well, it wasn't the worst that I've drunk.” “We both had friends in Schenectady. “Yes, Junior sat on a bumble-bee.” “That Sea-weed Inn is a place for plut I told ‘em that only the air was free. “We simply lived in our bathing-suits. “The wife was great on collecting junk rom places that peddle antiques and tea.” “['m tired of dressing out of a trunk.” she'd two men always, and sometimes three.” Now who in the world could expect that we Should know they were poison-ivy roots?” “Come, show Aunt Jane where you hurt your knee.” “We simply lived in our bathing-suits.” LEnvor “Prince, was I seasick? No-siree! It wasn’t the ship, you can bet your boots. T just ate something that didn’t agree.” “We simply lived in our bathing-suits.” Kenneth Allan Robinson, TOOLS rush into a dance club, whether there is any room for them to tread or not. comicbooks.com