Life — December 13, 1929 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Impressions of Radio Hours" by Roxy This cartoon satirizes early radio broadcasting, likely from the 1920s-30s when radio was a new entertainment medium. The title references "Roxy," probably Samuel "Roxy" Rothapfel, a famous theater impresario. The satire depicts the contrast between radio's broadcast image and reality: performers in the upper balconies say pleasant things like "Good night" and "Pleasant dreams," while below, a conductor leads what appears to be a large chorus or orchestra. The bottom section shows elaborately dressed figures (possibly Radio City Music Hall-style dancers), highlighting the disconnect between the refined entertainment supposedly being broadcast versus the theatrical machinery required behind the scenes. The joke mocks the artificiality and spectacle of early commercial radio programming.