Life, 1928-10-05 · page 12 of 48
Life — October 5, 1928 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon depicts a woman on a bicycle confronting two men, illustrating crude slang: "Oh, hello, Mae, darling—I've got some hot dirt about Gladys" / "All right, come clean with it!" This satirizes colloquial American speech patterns. Below, the accompanying article criticizes a presidential candidate (appears to be Herbert Hoover, mentioned by name) for exhibiting himself like a museum display rather than maintaining presidential dignity. The author complains the candidate is traveling the country wearing Derby hats and seeking publicity stunts—"free shows"—rather than conducting serious campaigning. The bottom cartoon shows a man on a beach labeled "Rum Runner," joking about chasing after alcohol, likely referencing Prohibition-era smuggling. The page satirizes both lowbrow American vernacular and undignified campaign behavior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Tue American Lancuace “Oh, hello, Mae, darling—I've got some hot dirt about Gladys.” “AIL right, come clean with it.” speak to the South, and there wasn’t a Southener who had influence enough to get a ticket to get in, The slick Northen- ers had gobbled up everything. So as far as meeting different types of ‘ople, he could just as well have spoke in Brooklyn. But he had to go west just to show the people that his brown derby isn’t just a “myth,” like Coolidge Pros- perity. And it’s the same with Herbert, He come into Newark the other day marked “exhibit A.” Now there is no dignity to that, We want a President not a exhibit. The White House isn’t a Museum, with glass cases. I am carrying my campaign along dig- nified lines, I am not running around wearing Derby hats in the summer time or putting wreaths on every ex-President’s birthplace I can find. I don’t care where the ex-Presidents were born, I don’t even know where they were born, It’s the future my party is looking into not the past. So I hope there is some sane people in this country who will appreciate dignity and not showmanship in their choice for the Presidency. Being a Candidate dident give me a chance to see the country. I had seen it before. I have no free shows to give around the country, and no one to pay my way to them, in return for cabinet positions afterwards. So if your town wants to have a holiday wait till Ringling Circus comes along and see a good show. (Nore: We're running short of cam- paign buttons, but while the supply lasts they're yours for the asking. Address al requests to Rogers Campaign Headguay. ters, 598 Madison Ave., New York City And watch this space every week for On Candidate's speeches. eS THE UNINTERESTING MAN Gee, how I hate that man! Each time] say, “Here is a view I took the other day When I was overseas,” what does he do But pull some pictures from Ais pocket, too, And start to show me something that can be Of not the slightest interest to me! And scarcely can I start to tell him what My two-year genius said, but, like as not, When I’m not half-way through, he will begin Relating, with a wide and fatuous grin, Some drool about the brightness ek brats— It makes me yearn to kick him in the slats! And one day when I'd opened up the case Of my old watch, to show him Tom and Grace Beside the Little Woman, didn’t he Dig for his own gold ticker and show me His family? There ought to be a law! He is the dumbest egg I ever saw. Strickland Gillilan. One Hunprep Per Cent Auer tcanisM: Condemning gambling on the editorial page and printing racing tips on the sporting page. comicbooks.com