Life, 1927-01-20 · page 28 of 34
Life — January 20, 1927 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humor page collecting short jokes and satirical observations from various American and foreign publications. Key content includes: **"Spiritism"**: Mocks belief in communicating with the dead through séances—a popular fad of the era. **"A Bad Actor"**: References baseball scandal figure Bugs Raymond, satirizing athletes who pretend knowledge they lack. The joke: when told a pitcher is "ambidextrous," Raymond supposedly answered he'd "shoot you in a minute"—misunderstanding the word entirely. **"They're Better Off Dead"**: Dark humor about Prohibition's impact—saloons closing, but barbershops supposedly taken over by women (suggesting women's increasing public presence was unwelcome). **Various one-liners** mock contemporary absurdities: people confusing author names, drunk men creating wall art, children's innocent observations, and police incompetence. The page reflects 1910s-20s American anxieties: Prohibition, changing gender roles, Prohibition-era crime, and satirizes pretension across social classes. The tone is lighthearted but reflects period attitudes toward women, drinking, and class divisions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Our Foolis “Aut Scissors aut Nullus” Spiritism “YOUR GAY YET DEFUNCT FATHER HAS NOT CHANG! ) MY CHILD, eRE HE 18 ALREADY PRESSING TILE FOOT OF attss cLaIRE.”-—Le Rire (Paris). Plural Ir may have been a by-product of col- lege entrance examinations, We ove heard the following fragment in an el vator: “He asked me who wrote ‘The Virginian’ and I said, ‘Owen Wister’; then he asked me who wrote ‘The. ginians’ and I said, ‘Owen Wisters. —New Yorker. Catching On Apveatisina Manacen: Our new slo- gan is a success. Genera Manacer: Why so sure? Apvertisinao Manacer: The college magazines are writing jokes on it. —Alabama Rammer-Jammer, They're Better Off Dead Svrpose the saloons had not gone. Do you know what would have happened to ‘them? They would have suffered the same fate as the barbershops. ‘The women would have taken them over. —Lamar (Mo.) Democrat. “Vor YOU DOINK, ABI “Yt DRUNK.” VM DRUNK PICTURES ON DE VALL.” —Columbia Jester. Explained “Teri me this,” stormed his wife. “Why does a man go on a spree?” “Well, he gets behind with his drink- ing.”"—Louisville Courier-Journal, “ILAS MADAME NOTICED TITE GREAT REDUCTION IN LIQuoRS?’ —Le Canard Enchainé (Paris). The Growth of Grandmas Buty, four, was on his way to visit his grandmother, whom he had not seen for more than a year. “Gosh!” he remarked. “I'll bet Gram- ma has grown so I won't know her.” —Charleston News and Courier. It’s an Outrage! Porsce at Lansing, Mich, recovered five cars over the last week-end, although only two were stolen. We may hear a protest from the thieves about these un- fair tactics.—Detroit News. “A single-track mind has its draw- backs, but I prefer it t’ one like th’ freight yards at Harrisburg, Pa.” —Abe Martin, in Indianapolis News. Roosacate (at 7a. x.): Yup? Roomate (yawning): Yup! —Hamilton Chaperon, mtemporaries A Bad Actor We read all the testimony in the base- ball scandal....Evidently pitchers love high-sounding words. They used to tell about Bugs Raymond, who pretended that he understood all the stylish words his comrades used to spring in his hear- ing. One day they were talking about a Kansas City pitcher who threw with either hand. “Do you know, Bugs,” Matty is said to have said, “that guy is ambidextrous?” “Sure,” Raymond is al- leged to have answered, “he'd shoot you in a minute.”"—New York World, Answer: A Glass of Wine Te orator was at the top of his fori. He was, he considered, always at his best proposing a toast. This was an im- portant one, and so he felt it his dut treat his audience to a little rhetoric. “Life,” he exclaimed, raising his glass of rich Tarragona, “is like a glass of wine. You blows off the froth and what has you left?”—Tit-Bits (London). The Glove-Fitting Monicker, in Reverse English (From the Frederic, Wis., Star) DR. C. H,. FUNNE Dentist Office over Love's Drug Store Luck Wisconsin —Detroit Free Press. “Wrat makes you say Mabel is dis- agreeable? I never found her so.” “She always sticks up for some one I want to talk about.” Boston Transcript. Women of an uncertain age who per- sist in trying to look younger and younger should be sent to the nursery to play at being mothers.—Punch. Client (to artist): 1 T11N« 1’p PRE- FER TO HAVE MY PORTRAIT A SORT OP CARICATURE. Artist: ExceLeNt! 1 so HAPPENS THAT THIS GENTLEMAN 18 A PIO- ‘TOGRAPHER. —Le Petit Bleu (Paris). comicbooks.com