Life, 1928-09-21 · page 31 of 36
Life — September 21, 1928 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the editorial judgment of *Life* magazine itself. Humorist Bide Dudley submitted a joke to *Life*'s editors, who rejected it. The joke plays on Commander Byrd's South Pole expedition: the dogs won't be "bird-dogs, nor airedales"—a pun suggesting uncertainty that Byrd will reach his destination. *Life*'s editors rejected the submission, but when Dudley published it in his newspaper column, eighteen readers praised it as hilarious. *Life* now invites readers to judge whether they made the right call—while defensively asserting they still think their own editorial judgment was sound. The satire targets editorial pretension and the subjective nature of humor. The accompanying illustration shows a pipe-smoking man with books, representing the literary world's self-importance. This is partly advertising copy for Sir Walter Raleigh pipe tobacco, which frames smoking as compatible with intellectual pursuits.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
O wife can complain of your cruel and sousual pipe smoking if you stick to Sir Waker Raleigh. It’s milder — much. It’s fragrant a she will discover. It’s fresh; a wrapping of leary gold foil inside the tin preserves the tobacco in pofect condition. Choice tobaccos properly blended. You'll like it, she'll like it—and peace and con- featment will reign. LIMITED OFFER (for the United States only ) If your favorite tobacconist docs not carry Sir Walter Raleigh, send us his name and address. Is return for this courtesy, we'll be delighted tosead you without charge a full-size tin of this milder pipe mixture. Dept. X, Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. Winston-Salem, N.C. SIR WALTER RALEIGH Whodiscovered how good a pipe can be LIFeE MAYBE WE’RE WRONG Tue following frightful squawk was ut- tered recently by Bide Dudley (originator of the famous ‘Goin’ some place, Bide?” gag) in his column in the New York Evening World (Dem.): “Wuar'’s the matter with Lire? I mean the humorous (no quotes, please) weekly. The other day I read an issue and wept. Then 1 decided to make an effort to help the periodical out. Working myself into a light state of mind, I sat down and wrote a ‘saying’ especially intended to brighten the columns of the good old jester, It was: “However, the dogs Commander Byrd will take to the South Pole won't be bird-dogs, nor airedales.” “That was the very quip I wrote. And with- out delay I sent it to the editor of Lire. Before I tell you the rest, read it again. Are you through? All right—now for the sur- prise. Lire sent it back with a neatly printed fejection slip saying it just wouldn't do, but suggesting that maybe future thoughts of mine might be woe of its columns. “I was dumfounded. I couldn't understand. So I read my copy of Lire again and finished more puzzled than ever. I studied my ‘saying’ closely and decided maybe 1 should have made it ‘will try to take.’ The idea was that there is no certainty that Byrd will ever reach the South Pole. And of course, if he doesn't, neither will the dogs. “‘However, I didn’t send the line back to Lire corrected. Instead, I printed it in this column and cightcen people, that very day, stopped me to say the line was so bright I should be writing for Lire. “Oh, well, these are the days of changing humor. Twenty years ago they would have shot Bob Benchley for his essay on ‘The Life of the Polye.! Today we have the Sullivan law which enables a lot of us humorists (advisedly used) to go right ahead pounding out words, as in. the case of this story you're reading. But that’s that. Will the public kindly look at that funny line of mine again and drop me a few notes explaining why Lire sent it back? So you won't have to search through your serap-book for it, dear reader, the line is: ** “Flowever, the dogs Commander Byrd takes to the South Pole won't be bird-dogs, nor aire- dales.* “Let's get to the bottom of this matter."* Since publication of the above bit of beefing, Mr. Dudley has received many letters from his readers. Of course he has printed only those that agreed with him that the joke is funny. We should now like to hear from the readers of Lire on this sore subject. Were we right or wrong in rejecting Mr. Dudley's wheeze about the bird-dogs and the airedales? If we were wrong, we'll send Mr. Dud- ley the sum of five dollars, and an apology. Personally, the more we think about that joke, the better we like our own editorial judgment. Lire. A YOUNG PSYCHOLOGIST Berry came running into the house in a state of great excitement. “*Bobby Smith kissed me!"* she announced at the top of her shrill voice. “Why, Betty,"’ cried her mother, ‘‘what did he do that for?" **Well—I'm not sure—but I think I have the stronger will.""—American Legion Monthl. You know how an appetizer tickles your palate and puts zest in a meal. Here's a new kind of appetizer— one that gives added flavor to your favorite smoke—Squibb’s Dental Cream. Squibb’s spruces up your mouth and sweetens your breath. It fights acids and is particularly soothing to irritated tissues. The minute, clinging grains of Milk of Magnesia it contains act as an antacid long after the actual brushing,and coun- teract the cause of furry, bitter smoking tastes. Make Squibb’s Dental Cream a daily habit and you will be taking a lease on a lot of unsuspected smoking enjoyment. 4oc at any druggist. Copyright 1938 by E. R. Squibb & Sons DANGER LINI comicbooks.com