Life — May 22, 1931 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Vaudeville's Exodus into Letters" - Satire on Entertainment Industry Crossover This page satirizes the trend of vaudeville performers transitioning into writing. The article by Don Herald mocks how entertainers—listed as Will Rogers, Eddie Cantor, Groucho Marx, and others—are now publishing in prestigious magazines and newspapers rather than performing on stage. The cartoon depicts a figure hunched at a desk by candlelight, captioned "I remember me—I was here with that airplane party," suggesting nostalgia for a performer's past glory. The satire critiques this exodus as both the entertainment world's loss and literature's dubious gain—implying these performers lack literary credentials despite their fame. Herald humorously notes he himself plans to become a professional wrestler instead, inverting the trend toward absurdity.