Life, 1927-03-03 · page 5 of 35
Life — March 3, 1927 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces from an early 20th-century Life magazine: 1. **Top cartoon**: A woman lies in the street after being hit by a car. The joke plays on the phrase "traffic cop"—the driver blames a "traffic cop" for the accident rather than himself, a humorous deflection of responsibility. 2. **"Meeting Mrs. Frosbie"**: A social commentary story mocking pretentious wealthy people. The narrator describes visiting Frosbie's home and encountering absurd affectations—a bound book used as a gin flask, a waxen figure in the parlor. The satire targets nouveau riche pretension and ostentatious displays of culture. 3. **"The Limit!"**: A brief joke about a taxi driver cursing while playing golf—the humor derives from incongruous professions colliding. The page reflects early 20th-century American satire targeting class pretension and modern urban life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“sorry, OL’ BOY—’TAIN’T ME THAT’S KEEPING YOU THERE—IT’s THAT TRAFFIC COP.” Meeting Mrs. Frosbie He avoids me; he is my enemy and I suppose he always will be, after what happened about a month ago, when he invited me to his home for dinner. He said he wanted me to meet his wife. Well, he was at the door when I arrived that night, and after a warm handshake, I followed him down a short hall to a small tree. He hung ny hat on one of the branches. “Clever, don’t you think?” he said. “It does look like a tree, but it’s all wrought iron—even the leaves.” He led me into the parlor, and excused himself for a moment. I picked up a handsomely bound book that lay on the piano, It turned out tobe a gin flask—quite empty. When he returned, saying that his wife would be with us in a few min- utes, I asked him if I might put a record on the victrola, Frosbie laughed. ‘That's not a victrola over there, old boy. That's 4 cast-iron oil stove.” We walked into the solarium. I was not surprised when an auto- matic pistol lying on a dainty desk turned out to be an inkwell; nor when a Sixteenth Century blunder- buss turned out to be a smoking- stand; nor when— But let me tell you what happened when we walked back into the parlor. T saw an almost life-like waxen I DON'T see Frosbie any more. doll standing near a corner. I had not seen it earlier and I was curious. “What's inside of that?” I asked. Do I have to go on? Tupper Greenwald. WE suppose in Italy timetables read, “Stops only for Musso- Uncensored Report of the Actions and Remarks of a Girl Receiving a Caller QETTLES wrigglingly into large armchair. Says, “I can’t BEAR it, my dear!” Requests a cigarette. Pulls down skirt. Squirms in chair, sitting on right leg. Pulls down skirt. Requests cigarette. Says “How SIMply FAScinating, my dear!” Squirms in chair, sits on left leg. Pulls down skirt. Yawns. Says, “I'm THRILLED to DEATH!” Pulls down skirt. Requests cigarette. Powders nose apologetically. Squirms in chair, sits on right leg. Pulls down skirt. Says, “I can’t BEAR it, my dear!” Yawns, Requests cigarette. Lloyd Mayer. The Limit! ILLIS: What was the worst cursing ? Gitus: A taxi-driver playing golf. Manager: wiere’s THE OTHER MODEL? sile’s NOT IN ANY OF THESE WRAPPERS, Assistant: sur’s IN A SEPARATE ENVELOPE. comicbooks.com