Life, 1927-07-21 · page 3 of 38
Life — July 21, 1927 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1927 *Life* magazine page contains two satirical pieces about American consumer culture and advertising influence. **"The Effect of Five Years of 'Abie's Irish Rose'"** (top left): A comedic dialogue mocking how Irish and Jewish families, depicted through stereotypical dialect, have become intertwined through popular entertainment. The humor targets how mass media shapes real life. **"It Makes Me Mad"** (bottom): A husband complains that his wife mindlessly imitates celebrities' product endorsements—using the same face powder as Gloria Swanson, stockings because Corinne Griffith wore them, etc. He's frustrated that she has "no mind of her own" and will use anything a movie star recommends. Both pieces satirize 1920s consumer culture's dependence on celebrity marketing and Hollywood's outsized influence on ordinary Americans' purchasing decisions and lifestyles.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ey The Effect of Five Years of ‘‘Abie’s Irish Rose’’ on a Typical American Family PATHER: Oi, oi, oi, vere is mine daughter? Daveuter: Faith, and here Tam, my faither. I'm after coming in from outside. Fatuer: Vell, vere have you been? Daventer: Glory be, I've been out. Motier: Sure now, we're after wondering where you've been kap- ing verself all the time Daveurer: Faith, Ive been out with my feller Fairer: For vy should you go mit him? Daveuter: Father, T love him. Fatuer: Vell, vill dere be a ved- ding? Daveuter: You should esk! Fatner: Und vill you be raising cin vamily for vance? Daveuter: Faith, I'll have twins. Fatier: Oi, oi! Davewter: Und vy not? Fatuen: By St. Patrick, you're that Trish Motier: Oi, oi, such a foolish- ness. The hem is cold for supper vunece. You should be after ating it already. Faturr: Are you spaking fer yer- self that you make blarney? Motuer: Vell, it dun’t cost nut- tings. Tie Coox: Come, come. We are o Heaven by different routes. Let us not quarrel over creeds. Fatuer: Oi, of. Vot a relief! Daveurter: Positivel! W. W. Scott. It Makes Me Mad— Y wife uses "s Face Pow- der because Gloria Swanson recommends it. She wears "s silk steckings because Corinne Griffith dons them. She washes her hair with ‘5 Shampoo since Clara Bow said there was none better. She uses ——'s Pomade because Gilda Gray declares it is She drives a Six since ty Bronson drives one, too. She bought me a when she saw a picture of xophone Thomas Meighan playing one of the same brand. It makes me mad. My wife has no mind of her own. She'd use any- thing a movie star recommended. By the way, I've found the best make of golf clubs. Hagen uses them exclusively. G. LIFE: Published Weekly by Life Ofer, under act of Mareb 3, 1879. In punctures and on that left front, toc “No, because your other three tires a comicbooks.com