Life — December 19, 1930 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Imaginary Interviews: Graham McNamee" This page features a satirical interview with **Graham McNamee**, a famous 1920s-30s radio announcer known for his enthusiastic delivery and dramatic broadcasting style. The satire mocks McNamee's tendency toward excessive excitement and flowery language. The interviewer catches him reading a "Dictionary of Similes" and asks whether radio serves as an educational force. McNamee responds enthusiastically that it does—citing popular radio entertainers like "Amos 'n' Andy" and praising their talent. The cartoons illustrate the absurdity: one shows "Art Student" sculptures receiving rejections, another depicts McNamee's florid language about baseball games as foolishly overblown ("clean base hit—no, it's a foul!"). The humor targets McNamee's reputation for turning mundane events into grandiose spectacle through overwrought broadcasting.