Life, 1927-12-22 · page 25 of 36
Life — December 22, 1927 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several satirical pieces typical of 1920s-era Life magazine humor: **Top cartoon** ("It Was the Greatest Surprise"): A deadpan joke about a piano-moving school advertisement. The humor lies in the absurd contrast—the narrator builds suspense as if about to demonstrate piano-playing skill, then reveals he simply used a pulley system to lower a piano out a window. It mocks both overly elaborate advertising copy and the gap between expectations and reality. **Middle section** ("Afterthought"): A jab at wealthy society women's frivolousness. The unnamed female speaker breathlessly recounts her chaotic day in exaggerated capitalization and run-on sentences, mixing trivial social drama (Junior League rehearsals) with absurd situations (a woman falling on a piano stool, a drunken long-distance marriage proposal). The satire targets their self-absorption and performative dramatics. **Bottom cartoons**: Brief joke exchanges—one comparing political leaders unfavorably, another playing on ironic timing (a beggar asking for money from a pickpocketed man). The satire reflects 1920s class anxieties and mockery of upper-class pretension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life B It Was the Greatest Surprise UST PEIWEEN US CIPL© | of Their Lives z es TTP HEY all laughed when I stepped up to the piano, for none of them had ever seen me touch a piano before; but their laughter soon turned to amazement. Without a moment's hesitation, I pulled the tackle in from the window, strapped it to the piano, and in a few moments it was safely lowered into the street. too, can learn piano-moving — in your spare time. Write to the Ajax Piano Mov- ing School for free dem- onstration. - “M* dear, I've had the most HECtic DAY! IT meat Afterthought * I'm ACtually on the VERGE of colLAPSE b FLOW. mvc isthe cause I simply HAVEn't had a MINute, do you know * what I mean?) Well, ANYways, I had to simply DRAG “Two hundred dollars.” myself out of BED WELVE because all these *How:moch time:do I have‘to pay: the balan GIRLS in the Junior LEAGUE show inSISTed on com “Eighteen months.” a ing over to reHEARSE and abs‘lutely EV’rything went What will you allow me for my old car?” WRONG, my dear, because I had to sort of sit “Thirty-seven dollars.” : VAGUEly holding the CRYPT or whatever you call it “That's fair enough. By the way, what is the make of this odd MUsical comedy which we're VIolently at atthe car you handle?” , te TEMPTing to proDUCE, my dear, and sort of . SORES: FRANtically trying to PROMPT and that LYDia *“SWALL NEARIy drove me FRANtic, my dear, because THE difference between Mussolini and the ex-Kaiser she TRIPPED HEAVily over the piANo stool and is that Wilhelm, at least, gave God some of the credit. went FLAT on her STERN amid the BRIC-a-brac and WHATnots and MOTHer deSCENDed upon the proceedings screaming impliCd tions and actually BURSTir into TEARS. So everybody sort of FLED hither and YON practicably OSsified with TERror and the TELephone — started RINGing MADly at this point and, my dear, it was a long-DIStance call from New YORK for ME from this BOY who used to be CRAzy about me, wy dear, but who I hadn't laid EYES on in YEARS and he must have been TERribly TIGHT because he wanted me to come to New YORK and MARry him imMFdiately and go LION-shooting in AFrica or something can you BEAR it, my dear? I mean it was ALL terribly VAGUE, sort of, and I was honestly reDUCED to a PULP by the time the MANicurist and the HAIR dresser arrived and IT had FIVE COCK tails, no less, before DINner and if SOME. one doesn’t PLY -ne with cham PAGNE at this DANCE to-night I simply KNOW I'm goi to DIE the death of a rag DOLL—I mean I ACtually DO! Lloyd Mayer She Wirked at the Law. first payment?” Complications EGGAR: Can you spare me a dime, sir, for a cup of coffee? Proestaian: No, I'm broke. T haven't “My dear, I never have been so embarrassed in my life. Just as I was about to a penny to my name and Great heavens! cut her so beautifully...1 sneezed.” My pockets have been picked !! comicbooks.com