Life, 1925-12-25 · page 23 of 37
Life — December 25, 1925 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces mocking American business culture and entrepreneurship. **"The Business Cycle"** (main story) critiques corporate hypocrisy through ironic repetition. A greedy, aggressive businessman builds a company through ruthlessness, then—once successful—becomes "beneficent" and fires anyone showing the same ambition that made him rich. After his death, the company fails until another aggressive young man takes over and repeats the cycle. The satire suggests that companies require cutthroat ambition to succeed, yet successful leaders paradoxically reject those qualities in others, creating inevitable decline. **"Qualified"** (bottom) is a brief joke mocking incompetence in new media. Two men admit knowing nothing about newspapers, then decide to start a tabloid anyway—ridiculing both the low barriers to entry in sensationalist journalism and the unqualified people launching publications. The top cartoon appears unrelated, showing figures in conversation, likely another separate humorous piece.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- LIFE - \ WINN A MUNA AQ, WAY \ \ > g 21 “LAND SAKES! AIN'T THIS SOMETHIN’ AWFUL!” “OH, 1 DUNNO! 1 KINDA LIKE IT. NCE there was a business man who was greedy and aggressive. He insisted upon having his own way and made things hot for any one who op- posed him. He became President of the Com- any. After twenty years of success in to feel beneficent, and every one looked upon him as the Builder of the Business. Be became so benefi- cent that he discharged every young man who showed any signs of being greedy and aggressive, or insisted upon having his own way. The Company would employ only nice young fellows who were Nordic and clean-cut. In fact, it was a most polite and respect- able Company with a polite and re- spectable President. But he died. And the Company lost money and lost money and lost money. When there was very little money left, it happened that a young man AN’ PLACES LIKE THAT!” The Business Cycle SOME ONE SENDS SANTA CLAUS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT IT MAKES ME THINK OF FLORIDY, AN’ PAM BEACH, was employed who was greedy and aggressive. He insisted upon having his own way and made things hot for any one who opposed him. In due course this young man became Presi- dent of the Company. Prosperity came again, money flowed in, and after a time the President acquired beneficence and discharged every one except nice young college fellows who were Nordic, clean-cut and polite. You never saw such a respectable Company. This is what is known as the Busi- ness Cycle Henry Beetle Hough. Qualified RAFTER: Do you know anything about the newspaper business? Suarter: No, not a thing. Rarter: Neither do I. Let's start a new tabloid newspaper. comicbooks.com