Life, 1928-11-16 · page 18 of 44
Life — November 16, 1928 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features a cartoon and accompanying dialogue about workplace dynamics. The cartoon depicts an office scene where a boss addresses an employee named Columbia, questioning why she's not leaving. The boss states: "I is, boss; dey tells me you is one of dem 'ghost' writers." The satire concerns **ghostwriting**—the practice of writing work credited to someone else, typically a high-profile figure. The joke plays on the boss's broken dialect (suggesting a working-class character) and Columbia's role as an uncredited writer. The surrounding text discusses various workplace complaints and business practices, including mentions of Graham McNamee and issues about employee contributions going unrecognized. The humor targets both exploitation of ghostwriters and class-based power dynamics in publishing and media industries of that era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Why, Columbia, you are not leaving?” “I is, boss; dey tells me you is one of dem ghos’ writers.” ing on someone half their size. Very brave, I must say. Seventy-five big, beefy cops chasing one poor little Freshman who isn’t doing anything to anybody. This is getting to be a fine world, all right! Tue Announcer: One minute to play and I guess it is all over. The Grasshill boys put up a game fight, but they were outclassed all the time. Tue Cueerinc Section: Yah! Is that so? What do you mean ‘outclassed’? That first touchdown was a fluke, wasn't it? There is some doubt whether it ought to count, isn’t there? You said so at the time, didn’t you? And that second touch- down was just a lucky break, wasn't it? Those were your very words, weren't they? At the time you said, “That was a lucky break.” But now you're playing Mr. Know-It-All, Mr. I-Told-You-So. Do you know what kind of man you are? Well, you're the kind of man that kicks a fel- low when he’s down. Good afternoon to you! I hope you're in a train wreck on the way home. There are several complaints that may legitimately be leveled against Graham McNamee. But we don’t think he ought to be saddled with the entire responsibility for the fumbles and bonehead plays in the games that he reports. ‘he Big Business Man’s Infant| | Saturday, and I'll ask Mother if she can’t Sons Go into Conference “J. W., what's your reaction to our new nurse?” “Thumbs down, “She doesn’t seem to click.” “Check.” “There’s no room in an organization like ours for a girl like that, J. W.” “Absolutely none. We want a nurse with vision.” “Keeping her on the payroll is an eco- nomic waste. “Exactly, E. J.” “T understand she’s supporting half a dozen brothers and sisters.” “We can’t let sentiment interfere with sound, business-like judgment.” “She's a pretty little thing, though. | rather hate to see her dropped from our organization.” “Tell you what, E. J. We'll let her go give her part-time work wheeling me | around for an hour or so cach day.” “Like thunder you will, J. W.! I sw her first!’ Chet Johnson. Brown: I'm a self-made man. Jones: That's what comes of employ- ing cheap labor. comicbooks.com