Life — March 8, 1929 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is primarily **advertising and contest announcement**, not political satire. The left column announces Life magazine's "$5000 in PRIZES" short story contest, with judges including editor **Ray Long** and **Merle Crowell** (American Magazine editor) and **Robert Benchley** (humorist/associate editor). Below are three brief jokes typical of Life's humor style: - A quip about a new musical instrument - A joke about a bald sibling - A doctor's sleeping-drought pun The main content is a **Canadian National Railway advertisement** promoting Alaska travel, featuring romanticized imagery of mountains, glaciers, and gold rush imagery. The bottom cartoon depicts travelers requesting to see a driver's license—a mundane domestic joke unrelated to the Alaska promotion. This is a commercial magazine page mixing editorial contests with travel advertising and light humor.