Life, 1928-03-01 · page 26 of 42
Life — March 1, 1928 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes early 1920s American culture through several pieces: **"The Man That Writes Little Newspaper-Fillers Has an Off-Day"** mocks the absurd filler content newspapers published—random facts mixing trivial statistics with oddly specific names and dates. The piece parodies the formulaic, nonsensical "factoids" editors used to pad space, combining meaningless comparisons (lion's paw strength vs. onions grown) with fabricated biographical details. **"My Own Story"** plays on contemporary dating anxieties. A shy woman receives a proposal to "neck" (kiss/make out), wrestling with social pressure to participate in modern courtship rituals. Her punchline—worrying about fur collar tickling—deflates the romantic tension by treating it as a grooming problem, satirizing both female reluctance and the era's emerging sexual frankness. **The marriage and politics jokes** mock institutional hypocrisy and political discourse, suggesting clergy and politicians are equally insincere. The page overall satirizes 1920s modernity: newspaper superficiality, changing dating norms, and institutional phoniness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
aa > nnn nanan! Yd 1 Sue: And I'm not really happy unless I have a man to dominate me. The Man That Writes the Little Newspaper-Fillers Has an Off-Day NEW type of motor truck wheel which is said to require no tires has been made of 24,000,000,000 sturgeon eggs found last year in the presence of Frank P. Klotzenbrink, Representative of the Eighth Min- nesota District, born fifty-three years ago to-day. Latvia plans to spend $39,000,000 annually on the building and upkeep of machines that train animals to perform tricks and record the prog- ress of their training. According to naturalists the blow from a lion’s paw is stronger than 95,000,000 onions grown last year in Wanokokee County, Wis. There is as much eloquence in the tone of voice, in the eyes, and in the air of a speaker as in his choice of a way to uncork a bottle without ruining the cork. South Australia is estimated to contain 8,000,000 sheep for wool production.—La Rochefoucauld. Workmen dredging in the Bay of Naples have brought up a Roman sarcophagus containing Dr. F. P. B. Foonspey, President of Whitewater Normal Institute, Whitewater (Ga.), born sixty-nine years ago to-day. Tupper Greenwald. A Hint EACHER: Now, Jimmy, what happened when the cow jumped over the moon? Jimsy: Somebody got an idea for vanishing cream. My Own Story “J ECK?"” he asked in a low, se- ductive voice. I did not know what to answer, I am a girl shy by nature and slow to affect what other girls eagerly and openly rush to take up. As a result I did not have the experience with which to cope with his proposal. | was perplexed as to what to reply, I could do nothing but remain frig- idly seated in embarrassed silence. Again he asked, “Neck?” Though his tone was as soft and alluring as before, it had an added throb of imperiousness that could not be overlooked. I was keenly aware now that I could not delay much longer. He looked at me question- ingly. There was no way out other than to make a hasty decision. “Yes,” I replied recklessly. “Only you must be careful not to shave it too close. If you do it’s bound to tickle unbearably when I put on my coat with the fur collar.” Confessed to Harry Epstein. Companionate Marriage LERGYMAN: Wilt thou love... and keep her in sickness and in health. ..so long as ye both do live? Fatuer or Brive (bitterly): | will! COLLEGE yell of the School of Experience—Silence. “Why don’t you go into politics?” “I can't. I have too many opinions.” comicbooks.com