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Life, 1927-10-20 · page 37 of 48

Life — October 20, 1927 — page 37: what you’re looking at

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Life — October 20, 1927 — page 37: Life, 1927-10-20

What you’re looking at

This page combines satirical humor with advertising. The main content features three pieces: **"Is Civilization a Failure?"** by Robert Lord satirizes the exhausting social ritual of guests overstaying their welcome while hosts insist they must leave. The repetitive back-and-forth dialogue mocks the politeness conventions of the era, suggesting both parties are trapped in an absurd performance that continues "until one or both contestants become insane." **"Just a Few Words"** lampoons the rambling, incoherent after-dinner speech—a speaker digresses from topic to topic (Listerine, history, Irish anecdotes) in one long, meaningless monologue. **"Open Season"** is a brief joke about college boys pursuing young women, using animal metaphor. The page's dominant feature is an **Arrow Collar advertisement** showing an elegantly dressed couple. It argues that wearing starched Arrow collars signals competence and success—appeals to masculine vanity and social aspiration. The ad promises appearance improvements require no discomfort or cost. Together, the satirical pieces and advertisement reflect 1920s concerns with social performance, etiquette, and the commercialization of respectability.

📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Is Civilization a Failure? “Tid NEVER realized how late it is. | imply must be going.’ | “Oh, not very late. You don't have to go.” “But, my dear, we ought to trot along.” “But you just came a little while a D. “But, really, we ought to be go- f ing.” “Do you really have to go now?” “Yes, I think we'd better go.” “Stay for just a little while longer.” “We'd adore to, dear — but we really must be going now.” “Really can't you stay “I'm afraid not, darli such a long drive home.” “I wish you'd stay for just a lit- 4 tle while longer. “I wish we could, too. But we really must be running along.” “Must you go just this minute “T hate to, dear. But honestly we must, ete., etc., ete.” (This continues until one or both contestants become insane.) Robert Lord. Just a Few Words ? “YVILL you be so kind as to say a few words, Mr. New?” “With pleasure. Gentlemen: As this is the greatest moment of my life, I am delighted to take this op- portunity to state from the bottom of my heart that there is nothing on the face of the earth to compare with | Listerine for fallen arches. Four- { score and seven years ago there were no bloodthirsty savages or Whisper- ing Baritone to step on the gas or tell us where we got off. But to- ] day this little old world of ours j makes a complete revolution every twenty-four hours, and when I was a lad knee-high to a grasshopper I remember as if it were yesterday | that I replied to yours of recent | date. And when I look at you men present to-night and see your school- q girl complexions, I know at once that 7 you've got the stuff in you to make good, and I am reminded of a story in which an Irishman named Pat said to his friend Mike, ‘I come to bury ] Cesar, not to praise—’ “That will be enough, Mr. New. You have my assurance of a perfect print. Allow me to thank you for the privilege of filming | a for the next release of Pathé News.” 4 Harry Epstein. | Open Season “Now, remember, my ind Mother Raccoon to her children, aid must always watch your step, because you have the skin the college boys love to touch!” —Louisville Times, Wuen you see your husband or your boy off in the morning seem, somehow or other, just dressed as he should be if he intended to do a good job? shoes shined, his tie nicely tied? jobs in life are generally neat and that means Starched Collars to business. in to put on an and note the i improvement in his appearance. cost if you select his right size and style and patronize a good collar laundry. Did it ever occur to you that he did not Were his clothes clean and pressed, his Did he have on a soft, mussy collar? The kind of men who succeed in the big Just get the man that you are interested ARROW COLLAR It need mean nothing in discomfort or comicbooks.com