Life — February 20, 1931 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Explanation for Modern Readers The page contains two unrelated satirical pieces: **"Unpardonable"** (top left): A brief joke mocking Harvard student Rudy Vallée for missing grapefruit at lunch—absurdist humor about a minor dining mishap. **Lower cartoon**: A dentist sits reading while a patient lies in the chair. The caption "Pardon, sir, but today's the tenth" / "Th' tenth what?" suggests the patient is complaining about payment timing or overdue bills—satirizing a dentist's indifference to patient discomfort or financial disputes. **"Whose Lips Can Smile At Parting"** (right): A poem by Carroll Carroll addressed to a departing employee (possibly a dentist, given context), expressing frustration with mistreatment and announcing resignation. The speaker reclaims their dignity by leaving rather than endure continued disrespect. The page satirizes workplace exploitation and professional callousness common to early 20th-century service industries.