Life, 1927-04-14 · page 5 of 38
Life — April 14, 1927 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several satirical pieces targeting early 20th-century social conventions: **"Two Men of Culture"** mocks pretentious intellectuals discussing history and literature superficially—referencing Goethe, Shakespeare, and historical figures like Frederick of Prussia while dropping French phrases ("Bon jour"). The humor lies in their shallow, name-dropping conversation. **"Miss Ballibuntl"** by Tupper Greenwald satirizes readers obsessed with society pages and foreign ambassadors, describing an unnamed woman's striking beauty in overwrought, ridiculous terms—mocking both the subject and society magazine culture. **"How to Interest the Girl You Love"** and **"An Opportunist"** offer absurdist dating/courtship advice, characteristic of Life's humorous advice-column parodies. **"No Hooks and Eyes"** appears to joke about dress fasteners and practicality. The overall tone ridicules upper-class pretension and social rituals.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Lif’e Two Men of Culture Have a Little Chat “H ELLO. Good morning.” “Hello, yourself. Bon jour to you, as the French say. How's every little thing?” “Oh, pretty fair. But Rome wasn't built in a day, you know.” GOING-AWAY OUTFIT FOR A SCOTCH BRIDE AND GROOM. Miss Ballibuntl I DON’T know how you feel, but I find that the inter- esting people in the rotogravure section are always ous. Every Sunday I gaze through the pages at the usual wives of foreign ambassadors, at President Coolide surrounded by the usual delegations, at familiar Senators, at Babe Ruth congratulating Krishnamurti, at the cu ary Parisian actress with the most beautiful left ear in the world, etc. It all falls a little short of being thrilling and I begin to doze, when suddenly I see a most striking female face. The curve of the cheek is infinitely fine and there is poetry in those eyes. I marvel at the nose, so wonderfully delicate, and at the lips, so spirituelle. Who is this divine lady? My eyes leap to the text: “Of navy ballibuntl is this Reboux chapeau, with brim and appliqué of parchment reptile kid.” Tupper Greenwald. anony How to Interest the Girl You Love in You ULTIVATE a studied indifference. Praise your rivals. Do not concentrate your atten- tions upon her. Pay attention to other girls. Let her know you are firm in your resolve to remain a bache- lor, widower or divorcé, as the case may be. Marry somebody else. Experience! ADGE: Have you ever felt, suddenly, that the thrill of a lifetime was about to come to you? Hortense: of times! | Oh, yes, dozens THE welcome on the mat has been replaced in New York by the sign: “Padlocked—Come in.” “That's right, I guess. And it fell when the barbarians came.” “Yes, they came from what is now France and Germany.” “So they did. And Germany became a nation under Frederick of Prussia.” “Yes, and Goethe is considered Germany's greatest poet.” “And Shakespeare was Eng- land's greatest man of letters.” “He flourished in Elizabethan times, as I remember it.” “Yes, and Victorian times came shortly afterward. Well, I got to get going. So long, old horse.” “So long. Be good. Adios, as the Spanish say. Don’t take any wooden nickels,” Ww. s. An Opportunist “Your daughter seems to be devoted to tennis.” “No, she detests it. But she has such wonderful legs for jump- ing over the net.” Don’t Ask Me Another! No.1 Inquisitive Clara: WHAT IS THE NEXT LINE AFTER, “HERE COMES THE BRIDE”? (Answer on page Dressmaker: YouR DRESS WILL BE DONE JUST AS SOON ASI SEW THE FASTENER. Flapper: aLt RIGHT, MAKE IT SNAPPY. comicbooks.com