Life, 1927-08-11 · page 28 of 36
Life — August 11, 1927 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page collects brief humorous observations on contemporary society circa the 1920s-30s. The cartoons mock: **"The Silver-Tongued Realtor"**: A real estate agent exaggerates commute times, claiming residents can "step into a train at Grand Central" and arrive home in "an hour and fifty minutes"—satirizing salesmen's deceptive marketing. **"The Dempsey-Sharkey Breed"**: A young man reports seeing two rats fighting with **boxing gloves**, suggesting modern youth have become desensitized to absurdity through media coverage of celebrity boxing matches (likely referencing Jack Dempsey, famous boxer). **"Astronomy Under Difficulties"**: A poem mocking educated people who abandon scientific knowledge in favor of childhood nursery rhymes ("Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star") when attempting stargazing—critique of shallow education. **"Our Trying Relatives"**: A mother disapproves of modern dancing and cocktails while daughters try to suppress her complaints. The overall theme: contemporary society is foolish—obsessed with modern conveniences, boxing, and trends while abandoning genuine knowledge and restraint.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Our Foolishg$jii-<c Contemporaries — EVERYBODY'S FLYING NOWADAYS. “Aut Scissors aut Nullus welt, WE'LL WALK, —Lustige Blatter (Berlin) ALL RIGHT—FROM Now ON The Silver-Tongued Realtor Reviseo Maxin—Pride goeth before Chest: Rather a distance to. com- the photograph is taken for the passport. | mate, Tin afraid, Detroit Rrat-Estare Device: Commute? ' Why, my friend, you can. step doout here ino an hour and minutes!—Vew Yorker, ss has just remarried | It must have been | high-powered plane.” } Comive: Relatives A society woman has “po YOU HAVE THE Lop SPEAKER AT THE — written in disapproval of TARLE wit vou?" cigarettes, cocktails and “VPS, OLD PELIOW; IT'S 4 CHARMING Gerst the new dances, Her ENTERTAINING, YOU KNOW, AND Cosy daughters are trying to Optimistic Little Wife: iss’ ie LeeKy THe NEIartmORs NOTHING IN THE Way or Sorwisitrst.” hush the matter up. SAW OMY NEW UAT UEPORE THIS HAPPENED, DEAR? —Le Rive sing Show (London). handits escaped ina Detroit Pree Press. JONES. THAT'S 4 uerrer cue you'r “TELLo, Neat WEARING.” Gaiety (Landon). Sharkey Breed an telling a young The Dempse We heard a young lady the other night that he believed he should a doctor about the liquor “when "he ny ree explained, wT saw two rats over walked into in a corner fighting.” “But.” she soothed him, “there's nothing strange about secing two rats fighting.” “No,” be these had boxing gloves New York Evening Post. on.” Our Trying (Paris). Boston Transcript, Astronomy Under Difficulties for that I, s age the scion, Pray do not chid Though me, f a stuc summer sky T would be happy, if 1 knew The names of all the constellations, But when the firmament [ vie I yield to ancient incantations. Star light, star bright, First star Vere seeu to-night, Wish I may, wish I might Have the wish 1 wish to-night. It is not that I underprize Astronomy’s sweet boon and blessing; I wish T knew the teeming skies By rote, for | am tired of guessi But alw and book I sit. After one sidereal look Some strain starts running through my head. s, when with chart a truant from my bed, Stars of the summer night, a azure deeps, le your golden light; sleeps, my lady sleeps! or to the times, is in shreds and tatters, lot of scurvy rhymes J my mind for higher mat- But plays the silliest childish: gases Whenever 1 observe the stars. Twinkle, twinkle, little How 1 wonder what Up at Like a diamond in the sky! S.K..in Spokane Spokesman-Review. A Perfect Gentleman Panes (af doctor's office): Lam al- . doet was ill most ashamed to call on ye » long since I M it is such last !—Cassell’s that sounds d. 1 off is, if Ohio State Journal, Nowuise it is -Tit-Bits (London), comicbooks.co