Life, 1928-02-16 · page 30 of 38
Life — February 16, 1928 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising and literary content** rather than political satire. The main elements are: **Advertisements:** - Hamburg-American Line cruise ships offering transatlantic and pleasure voyages - Absorbine Jr. liniment for sprains and bruises - "Short-Cut to Standard Auction Bridge"—a card game instruction set **Literary Content:** The "Rhymed Reviews" section features John Erskine's *Adam and Eve*, a comedic poem retelling Genesis. The satire here targets **gender dynamics and female influence**: Eve is portrayed as the villain who introduces civilization's burdens (marriage, conventions, domestic quarrels) to mankind, whereas the earlier figure Lilith represented carefree pleasure. The joke is that Adam "fell for female domination"—a play on the Fall of Man. **Humor:** The "Too Many Per Cents" joke mocks advertising's mathematical absurdity: competing toothpaste brands each claim endorsement by implausibly high percentages of dentists, making the statistics logically impossible. The page reflects 1920s-era concerns about gender roles and advertising credibility.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ENGLAND FRANCE HAMBURG-AMERICAN LINE omFoRrt is the first consideration on the ships of C this line. Pleasant surroundings—attractive fur- nishings—expert yet unobtrusive service—an unex- celled cuisine—all contribute to the refined and con- genial atmosphere so essential to travel comfort. Accommodations available in all classes and comfort in every class PLEASURE CRUISES Gio the West Indies Cio ‘Northern and the Spanish Main Wonderlands S. S. RELIANCE S. S. RELIANCE March 28 . . . . 16days From New York, June 30— With Easter in Havana 35 days to Iceland, Spitzbergen, RATES $200 UP Norway and the North Cape. HAMBURG-AMERICAN LINE United American Lines, Inc., General Agents 28 BROADWAY, NEW YORK Branches in Boston, Chicago, Piiiladelphia, San Francisco, Montreal, Winnipeg, or Local Steamship or Tourist Agents. Jor Sprains and bruises relieve bain \ cick /- Anyway .. the “Short-Cut to Standard Auction Bridge” will give you all the bridge in- surance you'll ever need! Anew idea, easy to learn—not a book. . .a complete set of questions and answers, endors- ed by Work, Firestone, Coffin, and other authorities: includes synopsis of contract bridge. Obtainable at your specialty or department store or write to . EDWARD F. WOODS ——_—_— y 40 Broad Street, Boston, Mass. At all DRUGGISTS =$1.25 7 Send for free trial bottle W.F.YOUNG. Inc., Springfield, Mass $1.50 per set Rhymed Reviews | Adam and Eve By John Erskine. ‘The Bobbs-Merrill Co, HEN Adam _ found himself awake Upon the earth we now inhabit, He met the cow, the horse, the snake, The cat, the dog, the bull, the rabbit. He slept in haymows, loafed and strayed, The sport of darkness, sun and shower, Till Lilith came, a pleasant jade Who gathered fruit and built a bower. Grave Adam argued thus and hence, la i Lilith knew her He learned through slow experience What Lilith grasped by intuition. A pearl she was beyond all price, Delightful, tender, sweet and hearty ; And now, when earth was Paradise, Eve butted in and spoiled the party. Pronouncing Lilith most depraved, She worked on Adam; frail and pretty, Her utter helplessness enslaved The simple man, beguiled through pity. Then Eve invented marriage, clothes, Conventions, manners, duty, mor- als And things that everybody loathes, Especially domestic quarrels. And Adam meekly owned her spell, Resigned to rule and regulation; So that's the way that Adam fell,— He fell for female domination. Though Adam still repeats his fall— For Eve through all the ages lands him,— Yet now and then he goes to call On Lilith; — Lilith understands him. Arthur Guiterman. Too Many Per Cents QYRIEND: Did you ever run up against a mathematical problem that stumped you? Famovs Matnematictan: Yes, indeed. I could never figure out how, according to the magazine ads, eighty-eight per cent of the dentists recommend one brand of toothpaste, ninety-two per cent recommend another brand, and ninety-five rec- ommend still another brand. comicbooks.com