Life, 1927-01-20 · page 23 of 34
Life — January 20, 1927 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This piece mocks young men who adopt affected intellectual pretensions to appear cultured. The protagonist delivers earnest speeches about loving "the classics," valuing "companionship" with literary people, and wishing to become a writer and gentleman—all the fashionable markers of refinement. The joke's punchline: the manager, unimpressed by this posturing, offers him a job as a **boxer**—"we're going to make a champion out of you." The satire suggests that despite all his talk of culture and self-expression, the young man's actual value lies in physical brutishness, not intellect. The cartoon ridicules both pretentious youths who perform learned sophistication and the superficiality of judging character by such affectations. The title "All the Earmarks" emphasizes how easily one can mimic—but not genuinely possess—cultured refinement. The page's other brief humorous items ("Persistence," "Temporary") are unrelated joke snippets typical of *Life* magazine's format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Youth (to kindly old gentleman who had know, to offer the little chap a lift"): “V7OU'RE on time,” said the man- ras the tall, athletic-looking young man entered the office. “Draw up a chair.” “Thank you.” “T like your manner,” said the manager. ‘‘You look like an intelli- gent man.” “Thank you.” Now, I want to ask you a few i and then—well, we'll see. , do you care for books? ‘y much,” answered the y: man carnestl ‘I particular nire the classics—all of them aim is to imme: literature until it is second with me, for in my opinion “Fine,” approved the manager. “Now, do you care for the company of literary people?” “I value such companionship highly. I believe that ideas mark the difference between man and brute. I recognize my deficiencies in intellect, but I hope to elevate my- self through my reading and through contact with men of brains and culture.” “You would like to write?” = All the Earmarks “Yes,” replied the young man, blushing. “I have a ed myself to the best of my ability, and I think I have a strong desire to cre- ate. Without full self-expression happiness is an impossibility, I be- lieve.” “How about acting?” “I consider it a splendid avenue MISS PRINTS thought it would be “only decent, don’t you AW RIGHT, POP—STEP ON ’ER! of self-expression, though I am aware that the stage has its sordid aspects. Above all I wish to be a gentleman.” The manager rose, smiling, and nded his hand. ‘You're all right,” he cried. “Step into the gym and I'll intro- duce you to your sparring partners. We're going to make a champion out of you.” Tupper Greenwald. Persistence “TTOW are you coming along with your courting of the banker's daughter? Pretty tough going, e! “Not so bad! I'm getting some encouragement.” “She's beginning to smile on you, Not yet, but last night she s she had told me no for the last time.” Temporary ILL; Did you swear off any- thing on the first of the year? Dut: I don’t remember now. comicbooks.com