Life — May 2, 1930 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Explanation for Modern Readers This page contains a poem titled "Spring" by Wilma Bruce and a satirical cartoon titled "If They Came Back," showing Aladdin attempting to "wish" himself into a subway seat. The cartoon mocks the chaos of crowded urban public transportation—specifically the New York City subway system (referenced in the signage). The joke is that even a magical figure like Aladdin, with his wish-granting lamp, cannot secure a seat in the impossibly packed subway. It's social satire about the indignity and impossibility of rush-hour commuting in a major city. The page also includes "Little Rambles with Serious Thinkers"—humorous quotes attributed to various public figures (Rev. Dr. F. Scott McBride, etc.) offering tongue-in-cheek observations about society, politics, and human nature, typical of Life magazine's satirical format.