Life, 1927-03-03 · page 13 of 35
Life — March 3, 1927 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features Life's "Alibi Contest," a recurring humor feature where readers submit clever excuses for everyday situations. **Alibi Number Twelve** depicts a radio salesman and customer at a large radio set. The customer complains he was told the radio would "bring in the coast" but can't even get local stations. The salesman's response—"Well, you see, it's this way..."—suggests he's about to deliver a dubious excuse. The satire targets 1920s radio technology's unreliable performance and salesmen's exaggerated marketing claims. Customers expected radios to receive distant broadcasts, but reception was inconsistent. The joke mocks both the product's limitations and the seller's predictable evasiveness when confronted with disappointed buyers—a timeless consumer complaint about overpromised technology.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PRIZE WINNERS ALIBI CONTEST Conditions of the Contest on page 29 $100.00 Weekly in Prizes ALIBI NUMBER SEVEN Tudiqnant Shopper: you pescripep THAT BIRD AS A SUITABLE P YOUNG GIRL—AND JUST Lis ni! Salesman: WELL, you SEE, 17's tis wav...We believe this bird has something in common with a young girl. Both are shocking but casy to pet. This Alibi, which wins the first prize of $50.00, was submitted by Frorence Tits, 4842 Kossuth Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri. Five second prizes have been awarded to the following: Victor Anverson, Brooklyn, New York, for the Alibi: “He's indignant because you paid only $10 for him while you spent $50 on a lark.” Mavrine Baxer Barcat, Los An- geles, California, for the Alibi: “It's the perfect substitute for a man around the house and he’s less ex- pensive than a son-in-law.” Vepa Huppteston, Vernon, Tezas, for the Alibi: “The last owner left the bird with her grandmother for a week-end and the old lady gave out of cigarettes.” Lawrence McCracke Cleve- land, Ohio, for the Alibi: “The young girl who owned it before recom- mended it highly just because of the gentleness of its language. She was a telephone operator.” H. L. Topp, Hendersonville, North Carolina, for the Alibi: “We com- pared this bird with some of the birds girls pet. Therefore we know that it will be a suitable pet for girls.” (Please turn to page 29) IFE’S Great Alibi Contest is now n its twelfth week. It has proved vastly popular—so popular, in fact, that we feel it our duty to urge those of Live’s readers who have not par- ticipated to do so without further delay. the situation depicted be- low; place yourself in the radio deal- er's position for the moment—and then decide what you would say to the impatient customer who took you at your word. Remember—the _ twenty-five-word limit applies only to your Alibi and does not include the printed caption beneath the picture. Even though you may have missed the previous pictures you can enter the Contest now and be cligible for this week's Each contestant may send as y answers to this Contest as he or she desires, but all answers to ALIBI NUMBER TWELVE must reach Lire’s office not later than twelve noon on March 17, 1927. Prizes are as follows: First Prize, $50.00 Five Second Prizes of $10.00 each ALIBI NUMBER THIRTEEN will be published in Lire next week, with a new set of prizes offered. Read the conditions carefully— and go to it. GET LOCAL STUFF. 17s THIS WA comicbooks.com