Life, 1927-12-15 · page 27 of 40
Life — December 15, 1927 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the absurdity of overly technical product demonstrations. In the main sketch "Q.E.D.," a department store demonstrator tries selling an electric iron to a woman by explaining its thermostat mechanism—a disk that expands with heat, breaking the electrical circuit to prevent overheating. The joke is that the woman completely misses the point. Rather than appreciating the innovation, she fixates on irrelevant details: she compares the iron's temperature regulation to sitting in a hot house and wearing a light overcoat. She then insists the unnamed inventor at "Universal" deserve credit, missing that such technical improvements are simply corporate work. The satire targets both the demonstrator's over-explanation and the consumer's inability to grasp modern technology. The small comic exchanges at bottom (about blush roses and running out of gas) are unrelated vignettes. Overall, the page mocks the gap between manufacturers' technical innovation and average consumers' comprehension of how modern conveniences actually work.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Q. E. D. A Demonstrator’s Booth in a Department Store. HE DEMONSTRATOR Madam, can I interest you in an electric iron? Scene: (coyly): Why, 1 don't know. You might, at that. Tur Demonstrator: Well, first of all, you know how an electric iron gets hot.... Tur Woman (brightly): Why, surely. It's the electric current.” Tur Demonstrator: 1 most electric get And that’s bad Tur Woman: Indeed it is. As I say to my husband constantly, you sit in a hot and get heated, and then you go out in the street with a light overcoat Tite But in the interior of this iron is a disk, which, when the iron arrives at the correct temperature for i thus breaking the matically turning off the heat.. Tur Woman: Not really! that’s very clever, isn’t it? Tur Demonstrator: When the iron starts to cool, the disk contracts ind the current is turned on again and in that way you constantly have your iron at the correct temperature Tur Woman: Do you know, that sounds like a very good idea. Tur Desonstrator: It is a very good idea, madam mean, irons overheated. house over Demonstrator: ning, expands, circuit and auto- Now HAROLD: What did you do when you ran out of gas? Oh, we came in on the hip- flask. HANK: DEB DAD: Why DEB: T never would have Who do you suppose Fe it? Demonstrator: in the laboratories of the tric, madam, Tue Woman: Tur Woman thought of it. at of It experimental Elee was out Universal Well, IT do think You sort of know, I'm th it’s too clever! at that can appreciate t of it? Demonstrator: no myself, Who did but I you say th Tur in the Universal employ, madar don't exactly know his’ name Turk Won I do think that’s too bad. As I tell my husband, if a does for his le ought to know about it that electrical di is, is really do think at should figure Some firm, Now 1s, or whatever it and I name of man something in amazing idea, least the in it, somewhere understand, I'm It's. really And clever idea—quite the best idea [ve man’s course, not blaming you the fault of theeompany, it’s evidently a you very heard in a long time. Tur Desoxstrator: I'm gratified to hear vou say se, Now where shall I iron? Woman: Demonstrator » this one Woman: madam. send the Tuy Tie why Ti »y sell me What iron? Why Are you try- an electric iron, young man? Tie Demonstrator: Why, Yes, of course I know a ros: CLARA (indignantly): What's a blush rose, daddy? ¢r—you know n ordinary rose. ; but what's a blush? » interested—yor How want vou were saic Wotan as. J don't Dermonstaaton Tu perfectly an ¢ iron one Tue like this hiel which But his iron contains Tike Woman d heavens! electric t? TL don't care I told you I ides Vm j iron is an electric iron what's in tlready have one ast wai sround f ing quarter to five Henry William Hanen ent—not even fit for a bridge prize! 4 a disk, An isn't and be Just look at that pres- comicbooks.com