Life, 1927-03-17 · page 39 of 43
Life — March 17, 1927 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous short story (not a political cartoon) playing on racial stereotypes common to 1920s American humor. A late manager instructs his Black bellhop, "Mose," to call his boss and claim he's ill with dizziness. The joke's punchline relies on a dialect-heavy misunderstanding: when the boss asks Mose who he is, Mose replies he's "de doctah" (the doctor)—apparently mishearing or misunderstanding the manager's instructions. The humor derives from the stereotype of African American speech patterns and the ironic failure of the alibi scheme. The satirical target appears to be workplace hypocrisy: a strict manager who demands punctuality from employees while himself being chronically late. However, the execution relies entirely on racist caricature rather than clever social commentary. The piece reflects the casual racial mockery that was normalized in early 20th-century American magazines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
better thi ngs An Alibi Upset Exrr a stickler for promptness, the president of a large New York manufac- turing and sales corporation insists that his department managers be as much on time in the morning as their em- ployees, Tardiness rouses him to i wrath. Well knowing. the vnerasy of “the chief,” a manager who had experimented with the night- club curfew awoke in his bachelor hotel the other morning to face a clock that foretold disaster. His chances of getting in under the barrier were equal to those of the celluloid rat pursued through hades by the asbestos cat, so he be- thought him of an alibi, Summoning Mose, trusted and reliable Negro bellhop, he issued instructions. “Go down to a booth telephone,” he ordered, “and call my office, and after you get Mr. Blank on the wire tell him that I am very ill. Tell him that when I arose this morning I was taken with a spell of dizziness, and after trying to dress I was forced to return to bed, but that in a few hours I may be able to get to the office.” After a time Mose returned to the apartment and reported he had carried out his orders, “I done told him all you done told ne to tell him, boss,” stated Mose. “And what did he say to you?” in- quired the tardy one. “He done asked me who I was,” re- plied the bellhop. “And what did you tell him?” the manager. “Why, I done said to him, ‘I doctah, boss.’” —Philadelphia Public Ledger. asked "se de Fairy Story Once upon a time a prominent person had a reporter write a series of per- sonal articles for a syndicate, and he didn't say a word in them about what he thought constituted the secrets of suc- cess.—New Orleans Times-Picayune. 37 Golfer's Measure Wire: Was the sermon long, dear? Hus: Three or four holes, anyway. —Boston Transcript. Wuo has been teaching the young idea to shoot itself?—Arkansas Gazette, FOR YOURS 10 DAYS “VERSATILE” ABSOLUTELY FREE (A) Secret pocket, clererty hidden: for ratwabie papers, bonds, Teports, contracts, precious manuscripts, money, Cte. (B) Pocket’ contatning removadle Totlet Kt. (C) Pold-up Totter Kt, deary Fabricold. Folds fat: moy carried to Pultman or hotel weskroom. — Usehul Sharing Cheam, Ulustration over Brief Case.) D Semt-sttf partition: for sketches, drawings. catalogues, (D) magazines, stationery. order books, layouts, ete (E) Loop for Pencil or Pountatn Pon. Patented, dtsappearing fap — when meswd down (F) spreads bottom 0 that cate CANNOT tp over! Ti Hands up as PINMLY as suittase. This fap also c= tends pocket (P) to great wtdih for shirts, collars, socks, tes, extra trousers, underwear, bathing full, ete 6 Utility pocket for odds and ends—s ‘hets tn all! You simply MUST see “VERS/ rave 9 a> (8) MUST VERSATILE” C preciate tf Sold DIRECT! Send NO Money! WE upeby the VERSATIL teachers, traveling men, accountants, secretaries, sales: men, clergymen, architects, attorneys, students, ete. Iti smart looking, “nobby" Englis, tailored ‘atyle it importance. A real $20 Brie? Jaden BINT: $ | 4.93 $4.00 MONTHLY 138 or, gee wtah to pay aah ot $1.20 a1 nee Momey Oraee tor 313.73 ULL SETTLEMENT. Others retore it, Order NOW! rr | SEAVER - WILLIAMS co. | importer, Exporters. Notional Mejl-Order 465 WASHINGTON ST. BO ‘Sole Distr ovate fereatile’” Brief Gentiomen—Send me $14.95 “Ver for 10 Day¥ FREE TRIAL on the abor Color desired. . ing cboud yourscty. We will appre Fespect the information, THANK YOU. Lit SALES MANAGERS - (27, 0rineo%c9 wee and premium to sales force. Write for quantity prices. comicbooks.com