Life, 1927-01-27 · page 28 of 35
Life — January 27, 1927 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"Uncle Shylock"** (top left): This cartoon satirizes American lending practices by contrasting them with European attitudes. A Parisian quips that while he knows a French lender, an American lender is worse—because Americans actually expect repayment. The ethnic slur in the title reflects antisemitic stereotypes about Jewish moneylenders prevalent in the 1920s, suggesting Americans are aggressively capitalistic. **"Prohibition" section**: This mocks Prohibition-era drinking culture. Despite the alcohol ban, Americans continued drinking anything available—even poisoned liquor—demonstrating the law's ineffectiveness and public disregard for it. **Other jokes** target contemporary absurdities: a man claiming a "mad knee" as an excuse, optical incompetence, and absent-minded professors. The humor relies on wordplay and situational comedy typical of 1920s satirical magazines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life Our Foolishg$pit-<Contemporaries “Uncle Shylock” “po YOU KNOW A CILAP WIIO CAN LEND Two ne Yes. AN AMERICAN | AMERICAN, “AN 1 SHOULD SAY NOT; HE WOULD WANT IT BACK. —Le Rire (Paris). Prohibition (A One-Act Comedy from Life) A Fetiow reo Mixsxrarous: Say, fel- lows, I think it’s time we all had an- other little drink. Another drink wouldn't hurt a baby. A Host Nauen Jor: How do you know there ain't poison in this licker? \ Fetrow rrom Mixsearot I don't care, Poison us, Joe! Poison ust (Glug, glug.) (The scene is repeated every five min- utes till 3a. M., when Joe goes to sleep under the bed.) —Chicago Evening Post. Eye and Ear Oceuisr (handing sight-testing card): I want you to read this, please. Ow Lay: Would you be so kind as to read it for me? My sight is not very good.—Punch. Tue new premier of capable man...wasn't he? —Northwestern Purple Parrot. ance is a very Hey, Hey, Charleston! “you’RE NOT AT THE OFFICE TO-DAY?” NO—1’vE GOT A MAD KNEE.” —Le Canard Enchainé (Paris). Aut Scissors aut Nullus” Full Steam Ahead Two rival colored colleges in the South were fighting their annual football bat- tle. The teams were even and the play got pretty hot. At length one quarter- back tossed his helmet aside. “Hey there, you,” the referee advised him. “You'd better put your headgear back on. “No, suh; no, suh,” returned the col- ored lad, “It ain't my fault if I injure any of ‘em."—College Humor. A New Approach “I say, old chap, didn't I borrow five dollars of you last week?" ua didn’t.” careless of me. Could you let me have it now?"—Boston Transcript. Sue: This green is as smooth as a ball- room floor. He: May I have the next stance? —Rutgers Chanticleer. Prospective Father-in-Law: 1 YOU SMOKE A LOT, Mm, SMITHS DR AS WELL? Prospective Son-in-Law: Gavat scort, Yes! RATHER RETTER, IN FACT! —Bystander (London). bo you Spotlight A NoN-paoressionaL gentleman who had been baffled by the stage directions in a manuscript he had chanced upon recently asked an actor what “the center of the stage” might be. “The center of the stage,” declared the actor, who was cynical and old, “is where all good actors go when they di New Yorker. Add Campus Mythology Yesteavay we heard positively the last one on our friend, the absent-minded professor. He slammed his wife and kissed the door.—Denison Flamingo. “I want—er—some—er—face powder for—er—a present for a young lady.” “Yes, sir. Would you care to taste some?"—Windsor Magazine (London). A ruxpamentatist is a besieged Chris- tian anxious to dictate terms of surrender to Science.—Forum, The Jimtown Weekly Sasiety and Pursonals Miss Pavvexce Puxixs’ poodle dog went to sleep in the clothes basket and she sent him to the laundry by mistake. She got back a spaniel with his tail off and one ear split. Si Garfield's stock of nickel cigars was threatened by fire last week but the blaze was extinguished before it could do any real good. Young Ned Farley returned to college last week and is playing left end on the ukulele orchestra. see Mr. and Mrs. Jock MacGregor saved money on their honeymoon by staying at home and hearing the roar of Ni- agara Falls broadcast over the radio. see Last week the town of Goose Ankle made a great contribution to the cultural development and artistic progress of America by lynching a bill poster. ee © The Perkins family has moved so often that their chickens, every time they sce a wagon, cross their feet and wait to be tied. Hank Abbott, who went to Hollywood to break into the movies, reports fair progress. Last week they offered him a job doubling for the dummy that is thrown over the cliff. Frank Tatum, who has been working at the canning factory all summer, has now settled down with his mother for the winter. She gets a pension. —Barrie Payne, Associated Editors (Chicago). Exzasperated Visitor: mavz You No cox- TROL OVER YOUR CHILDREN? LOOK, THERE'S YOUR LITTLE ARDUL LOOPING THE LooP ON MY BEST MAGIC CARPET. —Passing Show, (London). comicbooks.com