Life, 1928-01-19 · page 25 of 38
Life — January 19, 1928 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1920s Life magazine page satirizes contemporary social trends and emerging psychological discourse: **"Ode to Psychology"** mocks the era's fascination with Freudian psychology and psychoanalysis—treating the pseudoscience with mock-reverence while poking fun at concepts like "repressed desires" and "symbolic dreams" that were becoming popular. **"Conscientious Objections"** features a Dr. Straton (a real anti-vice crusader of the period) condemning modern vices: smoking, drinking, petting, and gum-chewing. The joke is that even gum-chewing earns moral disapproval. **"Just Between Us Girls"** satirizes upper-class women's affected speech patterns—excessive capitalization mimics their breathless, affected manner—boasting about Palm Beach socializing, gambling losses, and romantic encounters. **The cartoon** shows a man promoting "Whoopless Cigarettes" in a tobacco factory—ironic advertising claiming health benefits while depicting tobacco processing, likely mocking fraudulent health claims common in cigarette marketing of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Ode to Psychology SCIENCE inexact and incom- plete, Psychology, to thy fair name we raise Occult anthropomorphic hymns of praise; We lay our inhibitions at thy feet. Before thy shrine, see how our sup- pliant fires Gleam through the dim psychoses of the night! Interpret our symbolic dreams aright; Decode the desires! static of repressed John R. Swain. Conscientious Objections “T SEE by the paper that Dr. Straton lists among our modern vices: cigarette smoking, drinking, petting and chewing gum.” “I never could see any sense in chewing gum either.” Dr.scomtems COUGH SYRUP Life SUST BETWEEN US GIRLD | “NAY dear, I'm all-of-a-JOT-and- 4"2 TITtle at this point because I've been to Palm BEACH, my deer, and I HONestly had a PERfect WHIRL because, my dear, it's the MOST divine place you've ever KNOWN and TERribly atTRAC- tive PEOple and all, do you know what I mean? Well, ANYways, MOTHer inSISTed on DRAGging = | HOME OF WHOOPLESS CIGARETTES NOT A HACK, DECOUGHING TOBACCO IN A CIGARETTE TACTORY Behind the Scenes of a Great Industry me down there for a REST because I mean she said I looked like NOTHing HUman after all the PARties and all, so I mean I prac- ticably wasn’t alLOWED to STIR my STUMPS the entire time we were THERE, my dear, only I did a little light FISHing with the MOST adorable - looking FISH guide you've ever beHELD, my dear, and I was ACtually THRILLED to DEATH with him, my dear, because he was so_pri- MORdial, sort of—I mean he was half SEMinary or whatever the name of those odd INdians in FLORida is, my dear—can you BEAR it? Well, ANYways, my dear, there’s the most FAScinating caSIno_ effect where everybody GAMbles frantically and this TER- ribly attractive MAN I met in- SISTed I'd bring him good LUCK if I played his CHIPS for him, my dear, and I hadn't the VAguest iDEA how to PLAY this odd game or anything but, nothing LOATH, I began FRANtically scattering these CHIPS all over the PLACE, my dear, and LOST TWO THOUsand DOLlars for this MAN! ACtually, my dear, wouldn’t it SLAY you? Well, ANYways, of course it was TERribly QUIet and all down there but I think it REALly does you GOOD to get aWAY from all ex- CITEment, sort of, for a while and have a comPLETE RE or some- thing, my dear—I mean I ACtually bor Lloyd Mayer. Suspicious ETTY: Why did Ted kiss you last night? Frances: It might have been be- cause I sat on his lap and put my arms around his neck! comicbooks.com