Life, 1927-03-17 · page 27 of 43
Life — March 17, 1927 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Main Cartoon (Top Left):** Two women read a confessional magazine, breathlessly exchanging lurid story titles: "Scarlet Woman," "I Trusted Him," "Kidnapped," tales of infidelity and scandal. The satire targets *pulp confession magazines*—cheap publications featuring sensationalized stories of moral transgression that were enormously popular in the 1920s-30s. The joke: these readers treat trash literature as entertainment while ironically noting the stories carry endorsements from a "Committee of Thinking Clergymen," suggesting moral hypocrisy. **Secondary Cartoons:** - **"Wonderful":** A salesman markets a phonograph designed to resemble a radio—mocking how manufacturers adapt outdated products to modern tastes. - **"Red Mike":** An ethnic caricature warns against mixing cash—likely an Irish stereotype joke about St. Patrick's Day. - **"Speaking of Character":** A couple discusses Greta Garbo; he dismisses her as lacking character while fixating on her legs—satirizing shallow male criticism of actresses. The page lampoons popular entertainment, consumerism, and gender attitudes of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Two Confessional Maga- zine Readers Look Over a Copy “‘O! my dear, look! It says here, I YAS A SCARLET WOMAN.” “And here it says, I TRUSTED HIM BUT READ WHAT HAP- inly shall. And look at TOLD ME HE WAS MOTHER OR LOVER OULD I BELIEVE? IN THE CLUTCHES OF THE KID- NAPERS, THE PRICE I PAID, and WHAT WIVES WILL TELL.” “Yes, and ALMOST MARRIED, A WIFE IN ALL BUT NAME, I MARRIED FOR MONEY, MY UNWILLING BRIDEGROOM, DID MY HUSBAND BELONG TO ANOTHER? MIDNIGHT KISSES, WAS I TO BLAME? and CAN St SH LOVE BRING HAPPIN “And my — dear, RIAGE NIGHT, ¢ NING OF HORROR, MY HUSBAND, and ROMANCE IN MIAM “And look, LOVE'S SLAVERY, IHATE MY BEAUTIFUL LEGS, I HAVE LIVED A LIE, MY ESCAPE, FROM THE DRUG RING. FORBIDDEN THRILLS, GIRL’S EV I HATED MY MAD Wonderful She: BUT PHONOGRAPHS ARE GETTING TO BE SO OLD-FASIIIONED, Salesman: we’vE MADE THIS MODEL AS MUCH LIKE A RADIO SET AS POS- SIBLE, MADAM. ENABLES YOU TO PLAY RECORDS AT ONCE. A WOMAN THEY CALLED BAD, MY LIFE WITH TWELVE MEN, and CAN A WOMAN COME BACK? Isn't it all excit- ing?” “And so moral, too. Look, it says, EVERY STORY ENDORSED BY COMMITTEE OF THINKING CLERGYMEN. I must take it home to the children. They'll love it. Good-by.” W.W. Scott. Sacrifice “ HAT are you giving up for Lent?” “TI think I shall give up listening to the sermons over the radio.” Red Mike: THAT’LL TACHE YEZ NOT TO CARRY YELLOWBACKS AND GREEN- BACKS TOGETHER ON ST. PATHRICK’s DAY! IT HAS A DEVICE THAT ALL THE Speaking of Character GHE: What do you think of Greta “ Garbo? He: Not ooking. Sue: But she’s fascinating, don’t you think? He: Oh, yes—but no character. Sue: What do you mean, char- acter? He: Well, I don’t think there's much in her face. Sue: But what a figure! He: She has good legs, all right. Sue: You might know you'd look at her legs—no wonder you don't think there’s much in her face. He: Well, she has got pretty legs. Sue: I wish I had legs like Greta Garbo. He: Why, I think yours are just as pretty as hers, Sue: Don't be ridiculous, but it’s awfully sweet of you to say so. Lloyd Mayer. much—she's sort of weal Our Own Dictionary REATIVE WORK: Filling out an expense account. comicbooks.com