Life, 1926-06-17 · page 15 of 44
Life — June 17, 1926 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon:** A young woman is embarrassed by a man in formal wear dramatically gesturing. The caption reads: "Modern Young Lady: MATER, YOU DO EMBARRASS ME SO! I WISH YOU WOULD TRY TO OVERCOME YOUR HABIT OF BLUSHING." The satire inverts expectations: rather than the daughter blushing at her mother's outdated behavior, the mother blushes at her daughter's modern conduct. This reflects 1920s generational conflict, mocking the "Modern Young Lady" lifestyle—her scandalous attire and behavior that shocked Victorian-era parents. The joke targets both the bold younger generation and their flustered elders struggling to adapt. **Below:** A questionnaire mocking tourists visiting New York, with humorous illustrations depicting city stereotypes and con artists preying on visitors unfamiliar with urban life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Modern Young Lady: Mater, you do EMBARRASS ME So! HAVE you ever been in New York * before? 2. Is it bravado or revenge that leads you to come again? 3. Can you speak fluently the fol- lowing languages: Brooklyn; Yiddish; Profane? 4. Do you expect to see at least one holdup a day—or don’t you read the newspapers ? 5. Indicate by check (or money or- der) the type of vehicle you prefer to be run over by. (a) Fifth Avenue Bus. (b) Taxicab (state color pre- ferred). (c) Street Car. (d) Baby Carriage (Upper Broadway type). (e) Elevated.* 6. How much money are you willing to spend? 7. Is that all you have? 8 Can you distinguish at a glance between (a) a bootlegger and a Pro- hibition agent? (b) a ticket speculator and a highwayman? (c) a camouflaged prizefighter and a ditto tea-fighter? *Note—This is the least harmful provided you are on the street level. I wish YOU WOULD TRY TO OVERCOME YOUR HABIT OF BLUSHING. Questionnaire For Prospective New York Visitors (d) a chorus girl from the Follies and a ribbon counter girl from Hillsendales’ when both are in street attire? 9. Will you buy pencils, shoe strings, jumping jacks, fur coats, office build- ings and bridges from any and all street vendors just because they have “that look” that grips your heart? 10. (a) Do you intend to make busi- ness or amusement your chief interest? (b) What type of amusement? Richard S. Wallace. -Seeing-New-York Lec- turer: BOSS, CAN TI HAVE MY OLD JOB BACK ON THE BUS? Owner of Tourist wHat! Wy, you. pon’t KNOW THE TOWN. YOU'VE BEEN AWAY A MONTH. Line: comicbooks.com