Life, 1928-07-05 · page 12 of 50
Life — July 5, 1928 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains political and social satire from an era when radio was a major medium for political campaigns. The top cartoon mocks swimming attire's unflattering effect on body contours. The main article criticizes how political conventions and campaign rhetoric have invaded American homes via radio broadcasts. The author (Agnes Smith) expresses frustration that even personal entertainment spaces are now saturated with political speeches from both Democratic and Republican candidates, mentioning Mr. Hoover specifically—likely Herbert Hoover's 1928 or 1932 presidential campaign. The lower cartoon jokes about a "round-table conference" requiring a literal round table, satirizing bureaucratic inefficiency. The "Great American Habit" section presents humorous dialogue about pie preferences, unrelated to politics.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Sue: I think swimming’s a perfectly ghastly bore, but it does do wonders for one's to these speeches on the radio. Into mil- lions of homes poured the most irri- tating rush of rhetoric the world ever has known. From the rockbound coast of Maine to the Golden Gate of California (there I go!), thousands of God-fearing, wholesome Americans were thrust into an arena of carnage unprecedented in all the annals of the American people. contours. I have always thought of Mr. Hoover as a simple and direct gentleman. But when John McNab got facugh describ- ing him as an Iowan, a Californian, a University man, a blacksmith’s son, an engineer, a Quaker, a workingman with a pick over his shoulder, a food admin- istrator, a lover of agriculturists, and a wholesome human being, I began to think of Mr. Hoover as the Lon C} Lof politics. As for poor Senator Goff, he emerged from his nominating sounding like a Denishawn dancer. Yes, and some women made specches, And as they talked I regretted every step that I took in Suffrage Parades. Aside from the oratory, these conven tions raise havoc in pure American homes. All the Democrats listen to the Republican Convention and razz the speakers. And all the Republicans listen to the Democrats and give them the bird, And you have no idea how much ginger ale and ice can be consumed by men who try to convince you that a “wet” candidate never can be elected. All this is none of my business. I am hired to write about the radio, not about politics. But what can I do when politics invades the sacredness of the home? As I write this, I still have the entire political campaign ahead of me—and | understand that the oratory is even more terrible in a campaign than it is in a con- vention. Whither are we drifting? Will I ever hear the sweet strains of “Ramona” or “Constantinople” again? Agnes Smith. The Great American Habit “Gonna have some pic, mister?” “Yeah. Gimme some apple.....1 dunno, what other kind yuh got?” “Got some nice blueberry today.” “Naw, I don’t like blueberries.” “Peach? Appercot? Lemon? “Lemon! Izzat it over there? Naw; too mucha that fluffy stuff on top.” “We got some awful nice blackberry.” “That sounds jake. Gimme some of ...-Say, who ever heard of an open-face blackberry pie! What other kind yuh got?” “Some nice razzburry.”” “Naw. Razzburries kinda make my mouth pucker up like persimmons.” “Well, lemme sce Say, we got some fine appul pie today!” “Have yuh? Gimme some of that ap- ple, then.” Chet Johnson. POORLY First Muctimictionare: I'm feeling rotten lately. Do I look bad? Seconp Mutrimiczionarre: Terrible, old top, terrible! You look like a million dollars. AccorpiNc to some automobile manufacturers, the shortest distance be- tween two points is a straight cight. “What's holding up the round-table conference?” “They had to send out for a round table.” comicbooks.com