Life, 1926-12-02 · page 23 of 81
Life — December 2, 1926 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate satirical pieces: **"I'm Getting Tired, O Lord!"** (by Franklin P. Adams) is a parody of African American spirituals—religious folk songs with repetitive, emotional lyrics. Adams mocks the overwrought sentimentality of the form by having a speaker express exhaustion with spirituals themselves, using the spirituals' own repetitive structure ironically to convey fatigue. **"Hero Worship"** depicts children playing grown-up roles (fighter, baseball player, society lady, actress). The joke: when asked what they're doing with pencils and paper, they reveal they're "writin' testimonials"—satirizing how celebrities and public figures of the era were expected to endorse products through written endorsements, even when the endorsement was fabricated. **The cartoon "No Wonder"** shows a grandmother puzzled about why her granddaughter Ethel is "conceited," with the grandmother noting Ethel has been reading "what month were you born in?" books—likely referring to astrology or personality guides that were popular fads, blamed here for encouraging vanity. These pieces reflect 1920s-era American humor and social commentary about popular culture, celebrity culture, and passing fads.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Ctristms T, 7 (°e@ Numer q’m Getting Gired, O Lord! cAn Unspiritual Spiritual (To be sung with more expression than anything ever had, and incredibly slowly.) uals, I'm getting spirituals, I'm getting tired of Negro spirituals, I'm getting tired of Negro spirit- uals— Yes, O Lord, I am. I" getting tired of Negro spirit- tired of Negro I'm getting sick of Negro spirituals, I'm getting sick of Negro spirit- uals, I'm getting sick of Negro spirituals, I'm getting sick of Negro spirit- uals— Y , O Lord, I am. I'm getting weary of Negro spirit- uals, I'm getting weary of Negro spirit- uals, I'm getting weary of Negro spirit- uals, poo I'm getting weary of Negro spirit- uals— Yes, O Lord, I am. I'm getting tired of Negro spirituals, I'm getting sick of Negro spirit- uals, I'm getting weary of Negro spirit- uals, Tired, sick and weary of Negro spirituals— Yes, O Lord, I am. Franklin P. Adams. Not Unreasonable OSS: Why do you wish to get your salary monthly instead of week? . Nuwepp: My wife and I quarrel only on payday, sir. DVICE on entering politics: “Go Wet, Young Man, Go Wet. 80 CO; No Wonder Grandpa: WHAT IN THE WORLD HAS MADE OUR ETHEL Grandma; ou, sie’s BEEN SELF IN ONE OF THOSE “WHAT MONTH WERE YOU BORN in?” 21 Hero Worship HE old gentleman paused to beam upon a group of youngsters seated on a doorstep scribbling busily upon scraps of paper. “Happy, innocent childhood,” he murmured. “And are you preten ing that you are authors, little ones “Naw, we're playin’ bein’ grown up,” explained the oldest boy. “I’m a world champeen fighter an’. ee “I'm a big leaguer,” volunteered another. “An’ I’m a haughty s’ciety lady, ary’s an actress an’ Pauline’s a id a golden-haired girl. neither! I'm th’ “You're both queens,” decided the society lady. The old gentleman was puzzled. “But what are you doing with the pencils and paper?” he asked. “Writin’ testimonials, of course!” they chorused. E. B.C. AS any taxi driver will tell you, this has been a bumper year for pedestrians, Ae | RITED? DING ALL ABOUT HER- BOOKS. comicbooks.com