Life, 1927-09-22 · page 24 of 40
Life — September 22, 1927 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page showcases Life magazine's "Alibi Contest"—a humor competition where readers submit clever excuses for embarrassing situations. The contest reflects 1920s-30s American culture fascinated by quick wit and social awkwardness. **The main cartoon (Alibi #41)** depicts a domestic scene where a father—who has publicly denounced radio as a wasteful nuisance—is caught secretly tuning the family radio set. His embarrassed family confronts him, and he must produce an alibi to save face. **The humor** relies on several period details: the novelty and controversy of home radios (still relatively new), traditional patriarchal authority being undermined, and the gap between public posturing and private behavior. The father's predicament—needing to explain his hypocrisy—was relatable to contemporary readers. The surrounding text and prize-winning alibis (like the barber wanting to be called "sir" instead of "miss") show how the contest tapped into everyday social embarrassments and gender-related anxieties of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
22 PRIZE WINNERS NUMBER THIRTY-SIX ALIBI Barber: tRvixG To RAISE A MUS- TACHE, ARE You, SONNY? Willie: weii.—en—you see, t's ris way... After cuttin’ my hair T want you barbers to say,‘ Thank you, sir,”’ instead of “Thank you, Miss.” This Alibi, which wins the first prize of $50.00, was submitted by INGrip Jonassen, Somerset House, Washington, D.C. Five second prizes of $10.00 each have been awarded to the following contestants: am P. Havwen, Passaic, New Jersey, for the Alibi: “I'm en- tering college soon, and I want to avoid as many cuts as T can.” May Kenwenty, Astoria, Long Island, for the Alibi: “I’m undecided myself. Even my best friends won't tell me.” Beatrice M. Lorn, Norfolk, Vir ginia, for the Alibi: “It's the answer to my maiden’s prayer.” Frank Mana, New York City, for the Alibi: “I'm a student in a New York barber's college and that’s my fraternity emblem.” C. OW. Stikeceatiern, Florence, South Carolina, for the Alibi: “I want ta stop my girl from) saying that my kisses don’t even scratch the surface.” Life ALIBI CONTEST Conditions of the Contest on page 30 $100.00 Weekly in Prizes IFE for some people on this planet is just one embarrassing moment after another. And for such moments, of course, there is nothing quite like an Alibi. An Alibi in need is a friend indeed. Never has this profound truth been more aptly illustrated than by the overwhelming response that our readers have made to the Alibi Con- test. Alibi-making has now. becom literally a national pastime. The touching situation that our artist has pictured below is one that might well happen in any up-to-date household. Since the day the new radio arrived from the dealer's, Father has been its declared bitter enemy. A waste of time, he called it, and always retired to another room when it was turned on. But now the family have surprised him in the act of fiddling with the dials. He is embarrassed, as who wouldn't be? How can he explain his change of heart? If you can help him to put together a clever and ingenious Alibi ke this moment less embarrassing, and can do it’ in ive words or less, you will for one of the cash prizes, which are as follows: First Prize, $50.00 Five Second Prizes of $10.00 each ALIBI NUMBER FORTY-TWO will be published in Lire next week, with a new set of prizes offered. Read the conditions on page 30 carefully—and go to it! ALIBI NUMBER FORTY-ONE | | The Family: waves ’T YOU ALWAYS SAID YOU COULDN'T BE BRIBED TO TOUCH THAT MACHINE? AND NOW HERE YOU ARE TUNING IN. HOW DOES IT ILAPPEN? Father: wei, you see, it’s THIS WAY... comicbooks.com '