Life — February 13, 1931 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is primarily **advertising**, not political satire. It features a Colgate shaving cream advertisement promoting their "small-bubble lather" for a closer shave. The only cartoon element is "Poetical Pete" at bottom left—a small humorous verse about bitter pills and fear, unrelated to the ad. The cartoon itself is generic comic filler, not satirical commentary. The advertisement uses comparative product photography (ordinary vs. Colgate lather) and testimonial photographs of two smiling men to demonstrate the superiority of Colgate's formula. The "skin-line" shave concept—where soap softens whiskers at their base—was the product's selling point. This reflects 1931 advertising conventions: visual product comparison and social aspiration through personal grooming.