Life, 1927-07-28 · page 28 of 36
Life — July 28, 1927 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page collects brief humorous observations and satirical anecdotes from contemporary American newspapers and magazines, organized under the heading "Our Foolish Contemporaries." The cartoons and jokes mock everyday social absurdities: - **Relationship humor**: A wife complains her editor-husband discusses work at home; a man questions how long romantic love will last. - **Racial stereotypes**: Period-typical depictions of Black characters (a boy eating lipstick, a farm worker) that reflect the era's casual prejudice. - **Class commentary**: A burglar stealing an author's suit suggests his writing is worthless; parents' hypocrisy about Sunday observance. - **Modern anxieties**: Traffic concerns, theatrical pretense, worried encounters between old acquaintances. The satire targets human folly generally—vanity, dishonesty, inconsistency—rather than specific political events. The format allowed Life to curate amusing snippets from newspapers nationwide, presenting itself as a sophisticated observer of American culture's minor contradictions and absurdities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life _ . Our Foolish spire Contemporaries “Aut Scissors aut Nullus” Retrospection A sataui boy was seen sitting moodily on the front porch of his home. “What downcast?” a makes you so friendly bor inquired. 1,” replied the “if I had it to do in I wouldn't eat *s lipstick for spite.” —Youngstown Telegram. even “Well, You See, It's This Way..."* Tue sad plight of the the x magazines has reported tous, other night she said to him wistfully: “Henry, love to off with: don't like at home.” » talk shop New Yorker. A Question of Time “Deanest, I will love you perpet LOAN SMELL CLOTHES BURNING. ly. I'S ONLY MY FAG-END. Girls were ‘ow SHOULD E KNOW WHERE IT WENT? Punch (London), by permission, sure is itt Youth you love m —Louisville Satyr. Literary Criticism A nvactar broke into the home of an Still in Their Infancy Tu and generally puritanic influence Mr. Will Hays on Indiana author and after reading over 1s glimpsable ina a number of his manuscripts selected one of his suits of clothes. —Detroit News. ascetic, monastic the American movie New Y terpiece entitled: rk cinema ad neing a mas- Chicago Evening Post. Twin Complaints Eowarv, a colored boy, had recom- mended his mother for the position of cook, but when she ne the farmer's isked doubtfully: “Do you suy will be able to do. the healthy.” Tis able. 1 ain't nuv- ver been noways sickly in my life—ain't navyver had nothin’ but smallpox an’ Ed- wife work? look very mavam, Sabbath Observance w: I don't think, darling, that wld play cards on Sun But, Mummy, we're not play- ing properly, we" ¥ cheat Boston Transcript : =e = Jones (all in one breath): Wwe1s0, nrows, 01D stax! Acconpixe to the greatest pessimist of YEARS SINCE 1 Saw Vor ours ntance, life isn’t worth leaving New York World. How are you? Emotional Réles Mesure ov rir Crones (in the wings): Vhe leading lady . actress. She's won every she's gone in for. Smith's Weekly (Sydney) must be a wonderful divorce case Is a nervous town it's a pretty good idea to ste ur motor when you stop in front of a bank.—Detroit Free Press “A WOMAN COULD MAKE OUT OF YOU LN TEN MINUTES.” A MONKEY “MAVHE, BUT THINK OF THOSE TEN MINUTES, Penn State Froth. A Telling Line Iv all the passenger automobiles in the United States are placed end to end— you may know that it’s Sunday after- noon.—Saturday Evening Post. Iv’s certainly a pleasure to see flying youth crowd flaming youth out of the headlines.—Chicago Daily News. 77 MUST BE QUITE TEN WELL, 1 MUST BE GETTING ALONG Now HOPE TO SEE YOU LOOKING AS WELL IN \NOTICER TEN Years’ TIME! Windsor Magazine (London). comicbooks.com