Life, 1927-08-18 · page 20 of 36
Life — August 18, 1927 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This single-panel cartoon satirizes American tourists' complaints about Europe after World War I. The setup features a traveler describing disappointing conditions abroad to listeners at home. The joke targets wealthy Americans' entitled expectations: they were so disappointed that despite traveling "all over the continent," they couldn't even find a proper bouillabaisse sauce or cook lobster to their standards. The punchline—"we actually had to motor all over the continent for a real bouillabaisse"—mocks the absurdity of complaining about minor culinary inconveniences while traveling extensively across post-war Europe. The satire reflects 1920s American attitudes: post-war tourism was booming among the wealthy, yet many returned with complaints rather than cultural appreciation. The cartoon suggests these travelers' priorities were superficial (food quality) rather than understanding European recovery or cultural exchange. It's gentle mockery of American tourists' provincial attitudes and excessive expectations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
More or Less Serious meee | Blood Money. Iudson—A lodrama nea: Gue i} Ph i The Spider, The Squall. Fort Comedy and A\Gnfidentia Owing to the time it takes to print Lave, readers shonld verify from the « to Rome. lu | Saturday's Children. Hibbard, Witham I Things Like That a ee Allez-Oopt Parl Carrolt—R Republic—Ment : i prpel Eye and Ear Entertainment Abie’s Irish Rose. din We The Circus Princess. 11" Broadway. fir It looks lik co ltehte ane : is 1 Cc ™ chuser hooey Returned Traveler (describing conditions in Europe): wevty vt was vis- COURAGING. WE PRENCIL SIMPLY ALL WERE SO DISAPPOINTED IN THE HOLLA CANNOT COOK LOBSTER—AND WE ACTUALLY HAD ER THE CONTINENT POR A RFAL ROUVILLABAISSE. SDAISE SAUCE—THE To MoToR Grand Street mitation Hit the Deck. Kelasco—Good music, comic and Louise Gr Charles King and Stella The Manh: Sdtwyn—A Psi he Gr ' to be reviewed f Merry-Go-Round. — A/ tin proximately your . A Night in Spain. Forty-Fourth St—P Baker for one t Healy for another Padlocks of 1927. Si) Sister Texa: na: Peggy-Ann. Vasderbilt—Srill_« fi MeCon Rang Tang. Royule—R Rio Rita, Zieefeld—O- May and Bert A Couple of Nature-Lovers Get Together “GOOD MORNING. — Kind of F nice day. Makes a fellow feel like getting gut in the open with the birds.” “You bet it does. Wish I could he looking over a flock of ducks right now.” "And ine. Say, what kind of gun do you use on them?” “Oh. I guess a twelve-gauge double-barreled is good cnough. Say, that’s sure a killer, all right.” “Yes, it’s gauge automatic. That brings them too. What do vou use, chilled I use a sixteen- down she sir, [use standard soft. Had the best results with that.” “Well, maybe. But’ the chilled shot gets through the feathers bet- I'm not denying it. But it’s the soft shot that kills them. Sort of flattens out inside. Sure does make a pretty kill.” “Perhaps you're right. I'll give it a try. But, boy, wouldn't I like to be out knocking them over to- day! “Me toa $ great to be alive. S. I feel great. It’s wow, Scott. comicbooks.co m