Life — June 3, 1926 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# College Dance Chatter in the Gay Nineties This page satirizes 1890s college social conventions, specifically debates about appropriate dance etiquette. The main cartoon ("Find the Girl Who Flunked!") depicts a college building surrounded by formally dressed students, with a car below—likely mocking the absurdity of modern automobiles intruding on traditional campus life. The text presents a dialogue where a student (Miss Tsump) refuses to waltz, citing concerns about propriety and the two-step being "too far." The humor lies in the excessive prudishness of 1890s social standards—characters fret that dancing might compromise morality. The "Snappy in 1899" byline indicates this is nostalgic satire about outdated attitudes toward young people's social behavior and courtship rituals.