Life — July 22, 1926 — page 35: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is primarily a **Gillette razor advertisement**, not political satire. It uses aspirational marketing targeting young men. The "cartoon" element consists of illustrations of Yale undergraduates and businessmen in formal attire, depicted as sophisticated "men of tomorrow." The ad claims that 70 out of 100 Yale students use Gillette razors, positioning the product as endorsed by elite, educated men with refined taste. The key appeal: by purchasing a Gillette, ordinary men could adopt the grooming standards of privileged Yale students. The price range ($5–$6.75, substantial in this era) emphasizes quality and exclusivity. The text's rhetoric about young men knowing "what they want" and bowing to "no one else's judgment" attempts to flatter readers as independent thinkers, while the Yale statistic functions as social proof—implying that success-bound men choose Gillette. This is **consumer advertising dressed in the language of sophistication and aspiration**, not editorial commentary.