Life, 1929-05-24 · page 30 of 36
Life — May 24, 1929 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains a poem and several brief humorous quips typical of 1920s-30s satirical journalism. The main feature, "Song of the South" by Stoddard King, ironically celebrates Southern rivers flooding during spring—praising their chaotic, muddy behavior as preferable to "well-behaved" rivers. It's gentle social satire celebrating natural exuberance over civilized restraint. The cartoon vignettes below mock everyday absurdities: a golfer instructing an inattentive caddy; a woman complaining a purchased dog won't grow into the promised Russian wolfhound; a child's malapropism; a witness unable to distinguish which fender was damaged; and quips about talking movies, mistletoe romance, and an alarm clock that prevents Monday hangovers. These are slice-of-life jokes reflecting middle-class American concerns—automobile culture, pet purchases, trivial legal confusion, technological novelty. The humor relies on obvious wordplay and situational irony rather than political commentary. The illustrations are simple pen-and-ink sketches typical of the era's magazine design.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Song of the South I’m glad I’m not in Georgia, Now that spring is there; I'm thankful that my mammy Dwells not in Alabammy, Where flooded rivers tear, And turbid torrents dash along— My gladness bubbles into song: Roll on, Tallapoosa, Tombigbee and Coosa, Be floody And muddy While having your fling, For well-behaved rivers With dull, torpid livers Are quite out of place when the sea- son is spring! O noble Ozmulgee, Your banks may be bulgy, As splashing And _ dashing Your leap from your bed, The gentle Oconee Is somewhat more tony, But equally joyous when winter is dead, Fair streams of the southland, play boisterous games, And try to live up to your glorious names! —Stoddard King in the Spokane Spokesman-Review. Uncertain Gorrer (preparing to drive): Now, boy, pay attention! Watch! Cavote: All right, sir, I'm watching. —Humorist. Dissatisttep Lapy (to dog dealer): And this is what you said would grow into a magnificent Russian wolf hound! —Passing Show. Teacher: And now, Willie can you give us a sentence with “hetero- doxology” in it? Limtte Witute (aged six): No. —Yale Record. Even the deaf can enjoy the talking movies; perhaps even more so. —London Opinion. Cottece Boy on Witness Strano: And then the truck bumped the fender on my car. ATTORNEY: Witness: Which fender? The fender. —Wisconsin Octupus. “Would you kiss me if I were under the mistletoe?” “Girl, I'd kiss you if you were under quarantine.” —Oul. What the world needs is an alarm clock that can be set on Saturday night to ring Monday morning. —Tom Sims Kay Features. comicbooks.com