Life, 1926-12-16 · page 24 of 34
Life — December 16, 1926 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon mocks wealthy 1890s parlor life, depicting a mounted animal-head rug—a status symbol of affluence. The caption sardonically notes this taxidermied trophy, with its "tattered ears, busted eyes and missing teeth" from years of contact with "grandpa's boot," killed more through daily abuse than it did in life. The joke targets the pretentiousness of the wealthy and their careless treatment of luxury goods meant to display refinement. Below, Robert Lord's piece parodies sentimental Christmas stories popular in magazines. He catalogs the clichéd tropes: the poor newsboy in the snow, the happy family, the hardened criminal's redemption, the frontier saloon—stacking absurdities to mock the formulaic sentimentality of holiday fiction. The satire suggests such stories are overwrought and manipulative. The brief "Feminine Traits" section uses ironic contrast: girls who close their eyes kissing versus shooting, implying modern women are tough or dangerous.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
BACK IN THE MOUNTED HEAD LAY IN WAIT FoR THE ) MORE VICTIMS IN DEATIL THAN IT EVER DID PROBABLY CLAIM HALLOWED CUT-GLASS ERA THE The Gay Nineties WILy NWARY IN EF ANIMAL-8KIN RUG RY HOME OF AFFLUENCE AND. WITH THE LIFE. ITS TATTERED FEARS, BUSTED EYES AND MISSING TEETIL TESTIFIED TO MANY YEARS OF DAILY CONTACT WITIL GRANDPA’S BOOT, AND IF MEMBERS OF TITE HOUSEHOLD COULDN'T SEEM TO AVOID IT—WHAT CHANC HAD THE LAPLESS STRANGER WITHIN TILENt GATES? The Christmas-Story Writer Goes Crazy Np the wind blew a gale as the little newsboy crouched against the side of the building from the lighted window through the snow- flakes she could see the happy smil- ing family grouped about the Christ- mas tree “Oh, Mamma, why doesn’t Santa Claus bring me the machine- gun I asked him for?” and over the dark city the joyful peal of bells was heard but in faraway South Bend it was Christmas too while the tears dripped down his hardened face as he murmured, “Little goil, I may be a boiglar but I can't steab your dolly to-night” the cruel wind cut through her thin ermine coat and their happiness would have been complete if only Oscar were there “Wal, it happened in Bad Billy's loon up in Alaska nigh onto fu’ty y'ars ago come this Christmas” and at last the dawn came a_ bright clear happy Christmas day so, kid- dies, take heed and remember that Santa Claus loves you one and all and that this magazine is published regularly once a month. Robert Lord. Feminine Traits URT: Some girls close their eyes when they kiss you. Cunisty: Yes, and close their eyes when they shoot you. some girls comicbooks.com