Life, 1927-12-01 · page 52 of 80
Life — December 1, 1927 — page 52: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several humorous sketches mocking Christmas customs and urban life: **The Eskimo joke** plays on literal interpretation—Eskimos eating Christmas tree candles as food, treating decorative items as sustenance. **"How to Park a Car"** satirizes aggressive urban driving behavior, describing deliberate bumping and ramming of other vehicles as normal procedure. It's social commentary on inconsiderate drivers and traffic congestion in American cities. **The gift-exchange dialogue** between Dorothy and Estelle mocks marital dynamics—wives hoping husbands give them meaningful gifts rather than receiving gifts from their spouses, suggesting limited romantic sentiment in marriage. **The postman cartoon** humorously contrasts the postman's exhaustion during Christmas (busiest mail season) with Santa's reindeer, suggesting he could use supernatural help managing holiday workload. **"What to Do with a Package"** satirizes gift-opening anticipation, particularly the running joke about receiving unwanted smoking jackets repeatedly—likely referencing stereotypical, impersonal men's gifts of that era. All sketches employ gentle, relatable humor about holiday frustrations and social conventions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PNA a pan rey MeL Catwos tape tt oeitestie aan Se * % ate te SS te MERE AAs sryendb Age RAAT ex SRA ee = meres PO — pecs. IOS os a SSS SRS rere FIRST ESKIMO: How did you like your Christmas tree? It was swell. Those were the best candles I ever ate. SECOND ESKIMO: How to Park a Car I URE car. Have bumpers tested. Circle block until you find a four-foot space at curb. Ram car in front of space hard enough to knock it forward two feet. Don’t mind the rear fender that you smashed. Back forcefully into car parked behind space. If first im- pact does not move it sufficiently, disregard its broken front light and hit it again. Repeat until you are 108 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove key from transmission lock and wipe perspiration from face. In- sert key and try to get out, as your thirty minutes of parking are up. R. OW. turally STEL I wish I could think of something really worthwhile to get for a Christ- mas gift. Dorotny: You mean for your husband ? Estette: No— from him. OFLA aaa BIE SEES BEL WEARY POSTMAN: Gosh! What couldn't I do with a couple of reindeer! Sitios RAS What to Do with a Pack- age Marked ‘‘Don’t Open Till Christmas”’ MAKE general survey of the size and shape of the package. Ascertain name of sender 1. Try to think if you dropped hints to that person about what you wanted. 4. “Ask family if they dropped hints about what you wanted. shake it to see if it gurgles. Feel the package for weight. vay it aside for two minutes. 8. Come back and tear the wrapper and box at one corner and try to peek in. 9. Hope it isn’t a smoking jack- et; you have nine of them already. 10. Fumble with the string. 11. Turn package upside down. urn it ain. . Open it. 14. Throw the damn smoking jacket away. any comicbooks.com L. P. z _ J — Pe ~ Christmas Cm i €¢ ~9O Number? RTS _ ee; i) = 6 NY atta = eet os t f 4 4 x .. * tk 4a SEES