Life, 1927-11-17 · page 44 of 48
Life — November 17, 1927 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains satirical humor and period advertising rather than political cartoons. **"Two Testimonial Writers Get Together"**: This is satire mocking the ubiquitous patent medicine advertisements of the era. Two men swap identical health complaints (weakness, indigestion, spots before eyes, insomnia, etc.)—the standard ailments advertised in early-1900s magazines—then discover they were both mysteriously "cured" by the same unnamed "product." The joke exposes how these testimonials were formulaic and suspiciously identical, suggesting they were fabricated marketing copy rather than genuine accounts. Patent medicines were largely unregulated snake oil at this time. **Other content**: "The Jimtown Weekly" appears to be rural humor; advertisements promote *Life* magazine's upcoming issues and The Roosevelt Hotel's amenities. The satire targets the advertising industry's deceptive practices and consumers' gullibility regarding bogus health cures.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CARON CORP,, 389 FIFTH AVE., NEW YORK. The Jimtown Weekly Tur. storm in Skunk County last Sat- urday was very disastrous, according to Lohere. the turned a well inside out, a cellar upsi down, me reports re cyelone da township boundary line, blew the staves out of a cider barrel left nothing but the bung hole, changed the day of the week, blew a mort mit drove a w an oak t 1 out of a pol a far p of straw cl and knocked the un, Chris Lucas was having some trouble with his stomach last week, so he went to see Dr. Fillmore Graves. ‘the Doe is rather absent-minded at times. After the customary examination and discus- sion Doe stared at Chris with a far look in his eye and spoke as follows “Young man, I want you to fast ¢ pletely for three weeks and pills to take after each Payne, re’s some L"—Rarrie (Chicago). Publishers’ Syndicat Zhe TROPICAL NUMBER *+* ows Te CHRISTMAS NUMBER e ernat No CORPORATION. BADONL New vou Two Testimonial Writers | Get Together “FH OWDY, Joe, how's business?” retty fine, Jim. How's your racket?” “Oh, pretty good. I was tired, weak, bilious, and badly ran down,” “And were you continually half- sick s, and I was troubled with in- digestion and lack of energy.” “So was I. And I was weight, I had spots before my eyes, and my losing friends were leaving me. Did you have recur- ring fits of dizziness?” “Oh, yes. And fain nervous’ depression, insomnia, and Same here. ng spells and loss of appetite. wreck.” “Me, too. I thought would cure my skin.” I was a physical nothing everything?” “Yes, but nothing seemed to help. I thought I would always be ill.” “But you were you?” cured, weren't Yes. Almost by accident I tried a certain product. It did for me. I wrote to the Company. » did 1. wonders It’s a great game, isn't Iris undoubtedly true that its in- gratiating service and superlative cuisine are responsible in large measure for the popularity of THE ROOSEVELT among discerning folk. It is equally true that THE ROOSEVELT dispenses such hos- pitality without the penalty of excessive cost. 1100 Rooms - Single or En Suites BEN BERNIE and his Roosevelt Orchestra Write for a complimentary copy of poseveltiana, comtaining intevest= lores in ‘story and picture, life of the great American. The ROOSEVELT Fpwarp Cunton FocG Managing Director comicbooks.com “Did you try medicines, dieting,