Life — May 17, 1928 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "They're Off!" - Horse Racing Satire This page satirizes the British horse racing season, specifically the Grand National and Derby races mentioned in the text. The tall building illustration on the left depicts spectators crammed into windows and packed structures watching a race—a visual joke about the crush of crowds at these events. The accompanying article by Robert Benchley humorously describes the chaos of race day: people losing their glasses, shouting confusingly about horse positions, and the general pandemonium. The small cartoon at bottom right shows a man telling a boy to "Button me, big boy"—likely a visual gag playing on racing terminology or class-based awkwardness. The satire mocks both the pretension of English racing culture and the human confusion it generates among spectators.