Life, 1927-05-05 · page 18 of 46
Life — May 5, 1927 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct pieces of satirical humor: 1. **Top cartoon**: Shows a woman perched atop buildings, apparently distressed about consumer decisions. The caption criticizes women's frivolous spending habits regarding luxury purchases like automobiles and cosmetic procedures—a common 1920s-era stereotype about women's financial irresponsibility. 2. **"A Certainty" section**: A joke about graduation gifts, with the punchline suggesting garters as an appropriate gift for a woman—likely sexual innuendo typical of the era's humor. 3. **Bottom cartoon**: Titled "If we are to have any modesty left in America," depicts what appears to be a social commentary on declining moral standards, showing figures in a somewhat indecorous situation. The overall tone reflects 1920s anxieties about changing gender roles and social propriety.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“so 1 SAYS TO I1IM, ‘NO, NOT FOR A MILLION DOLLARS WOULD I MARRY A TRAP-DRUMM ',» WHAT KIND OF A HOME LIFE WOULD I LEAD, 1 ASK you?’” A Certainty 'M trying to think of a graduation gift for a girl; something that will really hold her interest. you suggest?” Have you thought of a pair of garters?” W venture the prediction that “Marching Through Georgia” will never be played in an Earl Carroll revue. What IF WE ARF TO HAVE ANY MODESTY LEFT IN AMERICA, He Pept Diary April Merge Boothby announced before I was out wth °f bed, she, having spent this year’s income so recklessly that she must now apply the se- lective principle to her whims, seeking counsel as to whether she should buy a Buick or haveher face lifted, and I did urge her to get the motor car, for- asmuch as it would be difficult even with micro- scopic inspection to find a wrinkle on her counte- nance, and I do think she was somewhat — disap- pointed. Lord! what a splendid ancient Athenian Marge would have made, being con- stantly alert to hear or sce or do some new thing. Then I did make her tell me about the Coppers’ party The Girl: wey, orricer! 1F you see AN ATTRACTIVE-LOOKING YOUNG MAN WITH DARK CURLY HAIR DRIVE PAST HERE IN A MULBERRY-COLORED MAR- last night, even MON WITH BURNT-ORANGE TRIM down to what had) PLEASE TELL WIM 1 CAN’T MEET HDL been served for AT THE RITZ UNTIL A QUARTER PAST dinner, for re- cently I have de- veloped a keen interest in what people have to eat, so that I do often inquire of the most casual acquaintances what viands they have consumed or proffered on this or that occasion. To luncheon at Dora Southgate’s, and she tells me that Ted has gone to live at the club because she did imply that in similar cir- cumstances his conduct would have been the same as that of Chester Gillette in“ An Amer- ican Tragedy,” but methinks he chose to take seriously whatever piece of her chat- ter would afford him an ex- cuse for a few uninterrupted evenings of bridge, nor do I blame him much, neither, for not only does Dora's dis- course take an_ incredible time to pass a given point, but she recovers her terri- tory. To the Bannings’ for dinner, whereat a great com- pany, and afterwards we fell to the simple nursery games which are having such draw- (Continued on page 36) comicbooks.com