Life, 1929-01-18 · page 24 of 44
Life — January 18, 1929 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the awkwardness of social encounters between people who attended the same college at different times. The top dialogue shows a man and woman ("He" and "Sue") attempting to establish common ground through Yale alumni connections. Sue confidently names classmates she believes he should know—Dick Thwump, Larry Twink, Ronald Woof—but he repeatedly claims not to remember them, claiming their names sound "sort of familiar." The humor lies in the absurdity: either these people didn't actually exist, or the man is being evasive/forgetful about his own classmates. The satirical point critiques the social pretense of appearing well-connected and the awkward performance of shared memories among alumni. The bottom cartoon shows a child's bedtime prayer emphasizing family ("God bless, mama, and my last papa"), likely mocking sentimental period attitudes toward children's piety. Both pieces gently mock social conventions and the gap between appearance and reality in 1920s American society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Look, Mom—a Movie!” then you find out there's lots of ‘em you don’t know. Sue: Well, it’s awfully funny you don't know Ronald because he was something on the crew. He: Yeah, I remember the name now, I think. Sue: Oh, I tell you—of course you know Dick Thwump! I went to the Prom with him. He was chairman of the Prom Committee and a terribly big man in his class and all. He’s awfully sweet! He: Was he in '25? Sue: Yes, I'm certain he was. Do you mean to say you didn’t know him? How perfectly extraordinary. I thought every- y knew Dick—he was so famous and all! He: Well, the name sounds sort of familiar, but I can’t just place him this minute. Sue: Gosh, I think it’s fun finding mutual acquaintances! Lloyd Mayer. “So long, old man. And, er, did I tell you that I'm thinking of entering the ministry.” “You don’t mean it? Well, so long. See you in church.” “Is she amusing to spend an evening with? “Yeah—she has a lot of pet theories.” “Do You Know. ?” Sue: You went to Yale, didn’t you? He: Yeah—I was Yale. Sue: I think Yale is simply marvelous. I know heaps of boys who went there. He: Yeah? | Sue: Yes—did you ever know Larry Twink? I think he was something on the football team one year or something. | He: What class? Sue: Oh, I don't know. Around 17, I | Suess. | He: I guess that was before my time. T was '25. Sue: Well, it’s funny you don’t remem- ber him because he was quite famous at college. He's really a terribly sweet boy. | -He: Well, you know how it is—you sort of forget ‘em. | Sue: I s’pose you do, don’t you? Well, | anyways, I think Ronald Woof was about your time, wasn’t he? He: The name sounds sort of familiar, but I can’t exactly recall him this minute. Sue: I'm almost certain he was in your class. He: Yeah? Well, it’s funny—you think you know everybody in your class and “God bless, mama, and my last papa.” i audie sight 10 D jences less), jand | Ou |ducti Over the ¢ Iw. it any : acting comicbooks.com