Life, 1927-07-21 · page 26 of 38
Life — July 21, 1927 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate humorous pieces satirizing early 20th-century American social life: **"Mrs. Pep's Diary"** mocks college alumni reunions—specifically Princeton—where nostalgic graduates swap increasingly absurd anecdotes. The satire targets pompous storytelling and elaborate pranks (like a professor making boiled eggs appear in someone's beard). **"Mr. and Mrs. Brigham Young Drop It"** jokes about a couple forgetting their apartment key upon returning from vacation. The punchline—that they forgot to tell their boy to stop leaving Sunday newspapers—suggests the newspapers were piling up visibly, embarrassing them before neighbors. **"No Change, Please"** depicts a grocer and young customer haggling over coffee prices that fluctuate by mere cents, with the boy adjusting his order based on tiny price differences—satirizing penny-pinching during economically uncertain times. The cartoons collectively mock class pretension, domestic anxiety, and economic anxiety among middle-class Americans.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MR. ‘ ; It Used Be Milk Mes Reps Di ry “ ‘is aunhs wait vet into AND MRS. BRIGHAM YOUNG pRop their apartment after they re- June ‘The loyal sons of various much ay no member of the club turned from their vacation.” 27th Alma Maters are now ree w here it was perpetrated will go be- “What's the matter? Lose their turned to town from their yond the first line in my presence. — key? reunions, which does mean that a ‘The anticks there most amusing, ap- “No, ‘They forgot to tell the boy 5 number of good anecdotes are again parently, and I do hear that a Mr. to stop leaving the Sunday papers.” in cireulation, and I do hear that a | Arthur Samuels lectured hilariously song was sung at Princeton which to his cronies all day long and per- is literally nobody's business, foras- formed such feats of magic as to cause three hard- boiled eggs to ap- pear in the trough of a confederate’s bristling beard, un- til he finally grew so hungry that he was obliged to eat two of the eggs. Poor Jim Mitchell does not remember having been to Cambridge at all, albeit. Sam reports that he was the gz spirit of every conclave and managed to get out of town without movi ng any dam- or giving bail. luncheon at an inn with a Ty = “ crew. and there was Vilfred: wito’s Guapys ENGAGED TO much talk of the THIS WEEK? Alfred: TUeRe’s NO WAY TO BE SURE, BUT THERE'S A RUMOR AROUND THAT vandalization of the Lihme apartment by employees of the TES ME: building who felt F > Ss they had been un- No Change, Please | : = h derfeed, and Char- YROCER: What will you have | ih — S zi ley Towne said that to-day, Bobby ° ERSTE. C. Geren —— : the minute he fin Bonny: Tf coffee’s fifty-two cents | The Prospect: wuxt! 1 wounny’r muy THAT BOOK — ished reading about 1 want a pound of coffee and some FOR ANYTIUNG! IT SOUNDS LIKE THE DULLEST, pRI- it he went out and gum drops. If it’s fifty-five cents EST, WORDIEST, STUPIDEST TRASH THAT was EVER gave his doorman a | want a pound of coffee. Wiurten. fine orange which a The Agent: tTueEN Mayne you'y Like ar vor THE he had been che T'S a long lane that somebody GUEST ROOM. (Cont. on page hasn't written a song about. comicbooks.con