Life, 1928-11-09 · page 8 of 52
Life — November 9, 1928 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main illustration depicts a zeppelin hovering over a European church and street scene, with the caption about treating "poor old mother" poorly. This references **World War I-era anti-German sentiment**, likely satirizing Germany's aerial bombing campaigns against civilian populations in Britain and France. The text article "Money Isn't Everything" features J.V. Dobble, described as a multi-millionaire who financed kingdoms and revolutions. The dialogue with African natives mocking his wealth suggests **satire of colonial exploitation and imperialism**—the joke being that despite massive financial power, the wealthy man commands no genuine respect from those outside his system. The additional poems ("The Flappers' Farewell," "R.I.P.") mock 1920s social trends and fashions, typical of Life's contemporary satirical commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Yeah, an’ that’s tha way ’e treats 'is poor old mother—not even a wave o’ tha hand, mind ye.” Jit He had financed a kingdom and run ja revolution. He had founded a city and J. V. Dosere, multi-millionaire and mas-' shaken a capital. He had ruined a town ter of half a million men, sat under the and restored a dynasty. He had dyspepsia. scanty shade of an African palm tree ina) The Zulu Chief sat beside him, while a Zulu kraal. Behind him his secretary, un-! dozen dusky maidens, naked to the waist, der-secretary, valet, two stenographers and| brought home-brewed native beer in large chauffeurs grouped themselves in order of | pots ‘ precedence. An interpreter stood at his elbow. Two big cars waited at the gate and his steam yacht waited at the coast, twenty miles away. | “hey are the Chief's wives,” said the J. V. was on a world tour. Kings and | interpreter. Emperors had welcomed him, statesmen| “How many has he? had acclaimed him, newspapers had inter-| “A dozen, so far.” viewed him, the proletariat had gaped at} “How do they all live?” him. He was fifty and famous. He had| The interpreter indicated the country- taken all that life could offer and doubled | side. “They grow their own crops, make Money Isn’t Everything trious stranger. “Tell me,” said J. V., “who are these : 4 | pots and laid them at the feet of the illus- their own meal, kill their own cattle, brew their own beer.” “Who does all the work?” “His wives do all the work.” “What does he do?” “He sleeps in the sun when it is hot. Hunts a little when it is cool. Eats, drinks dances when the moon is at the full, and sleeps.” “That all?” The interpreter smiled. “That is all he does. The women do the work.” “Has he any money?” said J. V. “He does not know what mo: | needs none.” | J. V. Dobble sipped his beer reflectively, “Boy,” he said at length. “I've been was. ing my time.” is, He ]. S. Bettle. The Flappers’ Farewell (Skirts Will Be Longer’*—Fushion Note.) Society pans us, propriety bans us, The highbrows raise eyebrows in re us, The bawlers and bluffers and bald-headed duffers Unite, and delightedly flay us! | They dub us Dumb Doras, they snub and ignore us, Our simplest exertions excite ‘em, | We're viewed as pariahs by mewing Marias— And so we'll reform—just to spite ‘em! No slickers and zippers, no liquors in dippers, No wheezes on kneeses and undies, No gay little frolics with stray To Frighten the lives of the Grundys! We'll bleat for a chaperon, ne'er meet a chap alone, Blench at the mention of highballs, We'll spurn all excesses, and turn out in dresses That reach from our feet to our eye balls! R.1. P. Here lyeth ye dapper Remains of ye Flapper, Her Ways were too Racie and Rough; Ye World will forget her—and Mayte Grow Better— But Gosh! How ye Kidde knew her Stuffel R. Jere Black, Jr. Banxinc Prostem—How to get all the vice-presidents into a bank for 2 | directors’ meeting without giving the | public the impression that there is a run jon the institution? comicbooks.com