Life, 1927-03-17 · page 26 of 43
Life — March 17, 1927 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces typical of Life magazine's humor: **"A Bit of an Anecdote"** (left): An Irish-inflected tall tale about the biblical Samson encountering a boastful Irish giant claiming to have destroyed Tara's Halls. The humor derives from the absurdist setup and ethnic dialect comedy popular in early 20th-century American humor. **"Another of Those Fairy Stories"** (center/right): Sharp social satire on a recent Georgia Supreme Court ruling granting husbands exclusive control of the car while driving. The sketch shows Mr. Smith recklessly driving while Mrs. Smith pleads for safety, then ironically accepts the court's authority. The satire mocks both male arrogance and blind deference to legal rulings, exposing how absurd legal logic can justify dangerous behavior. **"A Fatal Blunder"** (bottom): A coroner's sketch where a man struck by a car wasn't helped because he was mistakenly taken to a drug store instead of medical care—dark humor playing on the era's limited emergency services. The page satirizes male privilege, legal absurdity, and Irish-American stereotypes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
24 A Bit of an Anecdote O ’twas Samson himself, him that caused the temple at Gaza to fall upon the Philistines, that was wan- dering about the strange land of the Beyond and maybe flinging an idle curse or two at the memory of her that had shorn him of his locks. All to once did he see coming towards him a broth of a man with little red whiskers around his chin and the two arms of him like two great oaks and the legs of him like two more oaks, still greater. “I know you, I do, Samson,” said the big whiskery man. “Will yez wrassle with me?” “Have yez a reputation?” asked Samson, for the sin of pride was still in him. * not for the likes of me to fight a man with no reputation. Do yez know what I did to the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass?” “The jawbone of an ass has done worse than that be itself, Samson,” said the whiskery man. “Will yez wrassle with me or will yez feel the weight of me fist on the end of “I'll wrass “But tell me whi what ye've done. “Ye don’t know me?” the whiskery man. id Samson. “Och,” said the whiskery man, “I’m the Harp that once threw Tara's Halls... .” Whurroo, me darlings, and the fight was on! H.W. H. d Samson. ye are and said OUBTL when a radio broadcaster feels old age creeping on he gets his voice lifted. THE KILKENNY CATS Another of Those Fairy Stories “The Supreme Court of Georgia has ruled that a wife has no right to control her husband's movements when he is driving the family car."—News item. MR. JOHN SMITH and Mrs. Smith are out riding 7 in their car—in Georgia. Mr. Smith is driving; Mrs. Smith is seated on the back seat. Mrs. Samiti: Don't drive so fast, John. Mr. Situ: I'11 drive as fast as I darn please. The Supreme Court of this State has ruled that I’m the boss | of this flivver when at its wheel. Mrs. Smitu: Look out, look out, John! You came within an inch of side-swiping that other car we just passed! Mr. Smitu: Well, suppose I did, what of it? The Supreme Court says I don’t have to pay any attention to you about how I shall drive. Mrs. Smitu: I heard you say something about the Supreme Court the first time, but I thought you were only fooling, John. Did it actually say you didn’t have to listen to me when you are driving. Mr. Situ: It certainly did, Well, I'm awfully y that I disobeyed the law, John, and I'll never try to control your movements in future while you're driving the car. Just go along what- ever way you wish; I know the Su- preme Court is always right. Fred B. Mann. A Fatal Blunder (CORONER: You saw the deceased struck by a southbound street Grace: AND YOU SAY HE DORSN’T KNOW Beryl: 1 saw ur didn’t KNOW HOW TO KISS, Corone! Did he receive medical attention? Witness: No; he was carried by mistake into a drug store. HOw TO any kiss? comicbooks.com