Life, 1927-06-30 · page 24 of 35
Life — June 30, 1927 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains two distinct satirical pieces: **Top Cartoon**: "The Gay Nineties" mocks 1890s social hypocrisy. The caption explains that men caught drinking needed alibis—the "favorite plea" being they went into a saloon "to telephone." This satirizes the contradiction between Victorian propriety and actual behavior: men were supposedly respectable but frequented bars, requiring convenient excuses to cover their actions. **Bottom Story**: A comedic serialized narrative about Catherine the Great seeking romantic companionship after her former suitors have disappeared from Russia. The humor relies on treating a historical figure casually and anachronistically (she consults "Gus," a former newspaperman, as an advisor). The subplot joke with "Gus" refusing to help because he's married adds mild marital humor typical of era comedy. **Small "Signs" Section**: Two short joke items playing on words—tourists confused about a "petrified forest" and meeting an appropriately "petrified" ranger. All represent typical *Life* magazine humor: social observation, historical irreverence, and wordplay.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Gay Nineties BACK IN THE VICE-VERSA NINETIES YOU HAD TO HAVE AN ALIBI For taking A DRINK, VORITE PLEA OF THE LUCKLESS INDIVIDUAL NOT FOR REFU CAUGHT EMERGID ATHERINE the Great was on the horns of a dilemma. On the one hand, she realized clearly her position in history, which was to render literary material in future years for gentlemen with dustcloths. On the other, most of the boy friends in Russia had come, seen, conquered and gone about their private busi- ness. It was extraordinary how much private business there was in Russia at that time. “Well,” sang Catherine blithely, “this is a helluva note.” Any piano tuner would have agreed with her. “What to do? What to do?” FROM A SALOON WA To Be Continued So she summoned her chief of ad- visers, whom we shall call Gus, history not stating his real name, and laid her troubles before him. “Listen,” said Catherine, “prac- tically everybody is out of the pic- ture by now. There don’t seem to be any more males in Russia than there are among the entrants of an At- lantic City beauty contest, but a girl’s got to have a petting party once in a while. Advise.” “Not me,” said Gus; “I’m mar- ried.” “I wouldn't date you up if you were the last man on earth,” said the 8, “OH, 1 JUST WENT IN THERE TO TELEPHONE.” great empress coyly, “but I’ve had flirtations with all the grand dukes and some dukes who weren't so grand, with all the courtiers and even with forty-one of the pages in the court. Now, what?” “Well,” said Gus, who used to be a newspaper man himself: (“Please turn to Page Forty-two.”) Tip Bliss. Signs IRST TOURIST: Is this the way to the petrified forest? Srconp Tovrist: I think so. I just met a petrified forest ranger. comicbooks.com