Life, 1926-10-28 · page 24 of 36
Life — October 28, 1926 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three unrelated satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century Life magazine: **"Our College Team"** mocks college football's commercialization. Players discuss their salaries and endorsement deals rather than school loyalty, revealing that athletes are mercenaries changing names to hide previous contracts—a critique of professionalism corrupting amateur sports. **"The Kitchen Exhibit"** is a brief joke: a husband wants his wife merely to *see* a cooking range, not buy one—implying he has no intention of upgrading their kitchen. **"Ye Olde Crime Wave"** satirizes Puritanical moral enforcement. A sheriff boasts of catching gang members whose crime is kissing their wives on Sunday—violating strict religious codes. The absurdity is that these "criminals" keep reoffending despite parole, mocking both excessive religious regulation and ineffective punishment systems. All three pieces use humor to critique American social institutions: commercial athletics, domestic consumerism, and religious extremism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE PARDON CAME TOO LATE. Our College Team ‘'T was the final game of the season. Cheer after cheer thundered across the field. Hats were lifted, voices grew hus nd eyes were dimmed as our “Alma Mater’? rang out from a thousand throats. Every man of us in the stands was ready to lay down his life for Oshkosh. Down on the gridiron stood the loyal men who were to fight for the fame of our dear old college. Filled with grim determination they looked as they lined up for the preliminary signal drill. Some of those boys were playing their last’ game for Oshkosh, As the plays were run off in perfect unison, the right guard conversed in low, 1ined tones with the right tackle. “How much are they gonna give yuh here next r. bo? ‘Only three grand, an’ if IM take i v'll hand me the s at Podunk, an’ o gotta swell chanct there of pickin’ up coin playin’ on Sundays. Besides, that last suit of clothes they bought me here was a washout, an’ they even kicked when I sent ‘em the bill for me kid’s bi- cycle. I'm through wid dis place.” “I'm through here, too. I'm goin’ tuh Paloma onna_ three-year contrack. I gotta change me name, though, ‘cause I've y d three s under this ’un now. don’t this dam’ cheerin’ get yer goat?” Austin Wright. OD: What was her name before she married Ton: Before she married whom? The Kitchen Exhibit H” SBAND (to clerk): Will you show my wife a cooking range, please? Cu Pleased to, sir. kind would you want? Hussanp: Oh, we don’t want to buy. I just want her to see what one is like. What SAD the literary hopeful as he paid’ his Jandlad from Greenwich Villa on I shall follow the narrative path.” and departed : “From now straight and > Ye Olde Crime Wave Puritan Sheriff: weit, squire, we’vE ROUNDED UP FOUR MEMBERS OF THE GANG THAT'S BEEN KISSING THEIR WIVES ON SUNDAY—AND EVERY DERNED ONE OF TILES WAS OUT ON PAROLE FOR TH’ SAME OFFENSE! comicbooks.com