Life, 1927-10-06 · page 30 of 40
Life — October 6, 1927 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes early 20th-century American social pretensions and foolish behavior through multiple short jokes and cartoons. The banner cartoon depicts "polite conversation in America as imagined by a diligent reader of advertisement sections"—showing people earnestly discussing absurdities (appears to mock how advertising creates false sophistication). Individual items mock various targets: an impatient boxing spectator with confused strategy; a woman unable to understand that polo uses mallets, not wickets; stenographers disappointed that sunset clouds don't resemble cash vouchers; and a professor claiming to be "first" at something trivial. The final cartoon depicts Australian parental indifference—a mother casually tells her child "don't come home" if he drowns while swimming. Throughout, the satire targets American materialism, false erudition, and general foolishness—using international sources (Australian Herald, London Chronicle, Paris Journal) to suggest this American foolishness was internationally recognized and mocked.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Our Foolish g{jijteContemporaries thy TARRER Te TAT aos rears Y ws ian TART TT ae Sach DANAOWAE | anGit Tagay || PeiLEes i a ere! wTEmae, // anne’ 4 | hvea, i) RITE \) ig Seats age J H POLITE CONVERSATION IN In the Ring Impatient Srcoxn (to battered middle- weight): after him Barteaeo Mipptewriout: 7B me. Wot you've got to do is go won't let "E comes after me. London Daily Chronicle Srest flying is apt to stunt flying. ville Courier-Journal, WHATEVER wren.” ne Journal (Paris) UBS AS Are “Aut Scissors aut Nullus” {0 WAL Lana) wey.) 7 Race Wa | og ets Lorn aR fag 48) Gato Sul 5 BSS Boe) PE poatsl.de, fq roonnen| ba ow, Pave RAD a act We staan WH, day fain tN | hp tna [{ batuine L cae er tar |) ARE a a P| Gas aw.) sa || war" Povdee | Sane so, rare poe verictaal co pumen 7 Bess NL Ag, |) 154 saemee,/ foo VALE On wna} Fp |) Lae comeasr) Yom vaca) RA WOH | faut CRP! Ava tnas Te | Wr Chom, corns ress | wa ( RC 7/ ta gam \/ PL. ay |) ar gay at TD ( teatkie 2) Stu v00 AMERICA AS IMAGINED BY A DILIGENT READER OF TILE ADVERTISEMENT SECTIONS OF AMERICAN MAGAZINES. —Melbourne (Australia) Herald. Trey tell of a in the not be pr prominent engineer, to. accompa to a polo match. Si it seems, that the hors killed. Her son laughir that she must be thinkin and that the only we was a mallet frequently sured her of bull fights 1 used in polo is,” he told her, “very The dear old 1 couldn't: b the poor horses trip on the wickets."—New Yorker. The First of All Dr. Cenvix H. Gixericn, professor of given the distinction of American Mercury. Srexocrarnen (back from her vace- clouds wasn't as pink as a petty cash voucher!—New York World. Pourricar. Maxim: Many called but only a few do n Detroit News. ue idea, As Burgess Might Comment “Scientists say cows laugh."—News item I Never heard a laugh! I never hope to hear But this I'll say this v I'd rather hear than rear one. —New York Sun, Tur most difficult intelligence test is to be a popular hero. —Hartford Times. “WHERE'RE you Orr To?” “DOWN THE CRERK POR A swin.” “WELL, MIND, IP YOU GET pROWNDED, pox'T yor Go comIN’ © To Me.” Bulletin (Sydney). comicbooks.com