Life, 1927-05-19 · page 7 of 42
Life — May 19, 1927 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes **gender roles and prehistoric "fashion"** through humor about cavemen. The top cartoon mocks paternal disapproval of women's dress, with a "Caveman Father" scolding his daughter for immodesty—anachronistically importing Victorian prudishness into prehistoric times. The joke suggests fashion controversies are timeless. Below, two separate comic dialogues depict cavemen discussing **insurance** and **physical ailments** in modern bureaucratic language. The humor derives from applying contemporary concerns (health insurance, headaches requiring doctors) to primitive humans, creating absurdist comedy. The cartoons satirize how humans obsess over the same trivial problems across eras—suggesting modernity hasn't fundamentally changed human nature or preoccupations, just dressed them in different clothing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
B ooze. Careman Father: YOU CAN TALK ALL YOU WANT ABOUT rasuioN—net J THINK 17'S INDECENT FOR A GIRL TO OVERDRESS HE His Daughter: ou, PREMISTORIC. COME, DAD—DON’T BE 80 HORRIBLY It Seems There Were a Couple of Cells The scene isa plateau of primeval Things are in terrible shape. Nobody knows what to do because there is nobody. The Earth is prac- tically neve and nothing is alive ex- cept a lot of—zhat shall we say? Two of these emerge from the mud together and sit down on a dry spot. There seems to be some idea of I talking things over. VI RST UNICELLULAR UNIT: How are you fixed for insurance? Secoxn Unit: I don’t know, P How are you First Us That reminds me, T saw Lilith the other day and she has put on weight. Seconp Unit: Where? First Unit: Where has she put on weight? Seconp Unit: where did you No, no— see her? I phrased my question clumsily. First Unit: I should say you did! oxy Unit: Oh, well, what's the diff? Nobody is perfect. First Unit: Is that any reason why we shoulc h one of us try just as hard a can to make this little old world a happier place to live in? I, for one, am sick and tired of living a lie. Seconn Unit: I know what you The Emperor Sr (to his heads- man): KE YOURLEFT RIGID, CHIANG, AND DON’T FORGET THE FOLLOW THRovon! ARM mean, of course, but I really think that is a little too harsh a word. rst Unit: You certainly are a stickler, Phil, but darned if I don’t feel better just for having talked to you. If I could only get rid of this old headache! <p Unit: Where does it ache —here in front? First Unit: No, right here, from the top of my head right over back. Sreconn Unit: I know all about that kind. Mine usually turn into a regular sick head- ache and I have to go to bed. First Unit: My, my, that's no fun. sp Unir: Well, I sup- pose it’s back to the old grind. p I'd like to take the afternoon off, First Unit: such luck! (They slip back into the ooze and disappear.) Robert Benchlew Heigh-ho! No comicbooks.com