Life, 1927-04-07 · page 54 of 59
Life — April 7, 1927 — page 54: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains **satirical dialogue about consumer spending habits** (the "Spend It Now" column) alongside period advertisements. The cartoon satirizes arguments made by **Blintz**, an apparent financier or economist character, who advocates aggressive consumer spending and production. He argues that people should buy goods (particularly automobiles) on installment plans rather than save money—claiming this stimulates the economy and keeps workers employed. His logic is circular: he'd hire advertisers to convince poor people to buy cars they can't afford, believing this cycle benefits production. **Fishbein** (presumably another character) represents the opposing view, questioning the logic of spending money borrowed from manufacturers rather than using savings. The satire critiques **1920s consumer capitalism and installment-plan economics**, mocking the idea that spending beyond one's means benefits society. This reflects genuine debates about consumer credit's role in the pre-1929 economic boom. The surrounding advertisements (Milano pipes, Forhan's toothpaste, cruise lines) are typical period marketing, offering context for the satirical critique of consumer culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life No, 1447 No. 1739 When the cool, mild smoke comes out of Milano's stem, your tongue will tell you, "Here's a pipe with a sweet disposition. I know we'll pull well together.” Hand-fashioned from century-old Italian briar, Milano's bowl is as mellow as a master’s violin—and it plays the sweetest accompani- ment to tobacco you ever puffed, Scores of shapes. Smooth finish, $3.50 up—rustic finish, $4.00 up. “INSURED” Each Milano is ured” for your pro- tection by a special “policy”, and the policy is “unde: en” by the litle ‘White Triangle on the stem. WM. DEMUTH & CO. 230 Fifth Ave., N. Y. World’s Largest Makers of Fine Pipes Jiawne’ Spend It Now (Continued from page 15) “That's an awful selfish view to take of it, Fishbein,” Blintz com- mented. “If everybody felt the same way and wouldn’t buy headache rem- edies simply because once in a while somebody's heart goes back on him on account of taking too much head- ache remedy, y’understand, what is going to become of the manufactur- ers of headache remedies and the people who work for such manufac- turers? Even if it don’t cure the headache, Fishbein, it’s a great satis- faction to know that every time you pay ten cents for a bottle of head- ache medicine, eight cents goes into the pocket of the advertising man, the bottle manufacturer, the cork manufacturer and the label printer, one and a half cents goes to the manufacturer of the medicine for profit and the other half-cent repre- sents the remedy itself. And that’s the difference between America and Europe, Fishbein: when one person gets a headache in America, Fish- bein, more money is put into circu- lation than when two people gets married in Europe.” “Still, if people didn’t save when they had it,” Fishbein retorted, “what are they going to do for a reserve?” “Nothing takes the ambition out of a man like having a reserve—any- how, in America, Fishbein,” Blintz said, “which I leave it to you, Fish- bein: who has got the more reason for hustling on the job—the man with the reserve or the man with the in- stalments to pay off on a touring car? Why, if I would be, Gawd forbid, a big financier, instead I would recom- mend people to cut out the things they enjoy and go in exclusively for production and _ thrift, hbein, I would go to work and hire a_ first- class advertising man to write for me some good snappy brogans like: SPEND IT NOW Then I would organize with a lot of other big financiers and get up a Na- tional Automobile Day, like Mothers’ y or Clean Up Day, and see that body who couldn’t afford it bought himself an automobile, on the instalment plan, and right away you would see production jump in all lines until the last instalment was paid.” “But if people couldn’t buy the goods they produce with the money they soak away with a savings bank, Blintz, how could they do it with the money they soak away with an auto- mobile manufacturer?” Fishbein asked. “The automobile manufacturer would attend to that part,” replied (Continued on next page) Are Victims of Neglect Four persons out of five past 40, and thousands younger, ignore this truth. Pyorrhea strikes | them. And its poison sweeps through tem, often causing neuritis, anemia, rheu and facial disfigurement. Take simple preventive measures to safeguard your health, your dentist once months and start using Forhan’s for the Gums, today. When used regularly this dentifrice wh tains Forhan’s Pyorthea Liquid used b: everywhere, thwarts Pyorrhea or che course. It firms the gums and keeps tect | and free from acids which cause decay. |” Don’t sacrifice your health. Use Forhao’s, Teach your children to use it, They'll like its taste. k is sound health insurance. Ac all drug- Bists—35¢ and boc, Formula of R. J. Forban, D. D.S. Forhan Company, New York Forhans for the gums MORE THAN A TOOTH PASTE IT CHECKS PYORRHEA Clark’s Famous Cruises OY CUNARD LINE M19 NEW OlL-AURNERS at rates including hotels, guides, drives, fees. N ORWAY AND WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN 52 DAYS, $600 to $1300 Third Cruise ss ‘*LANCASTRIA”’ July 2 to the sunny Mediterranean—visiting its lands so replete with history, ro- mance and legend, and to Norway, |the scenic wonderland of the earth. (Itinerary includes Lisbon, (Madrid), |Spain, (Granada), Tangier, Algiers, |Italy, the Riviera, Sweden, Norway, Scotland, (Paris-London), Germany. European stop-overs. Jan. 16, '28; Around the World 8th Cruise; 125 days; $1250 to $3000. Jan.25,’28; To the Mediterranean 24th Cruise; 65 days; $600 to $1700. South Africa—India Cruise; Jan. 25, '28 FRANK C. CLARK, Times Bldg., N.Y: comicbooks.com