Life — July 10, 1931 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Life" Page Analysis: Social Refinement The main cartoon depicts rural farmers in a wheat field, with the caption: "Looks like we're goin' to have a bumper crop of wheat, pop! We'll, never mind!" This satirizes agricultural prosperity—the farmers seem indifferent to their success, suggesting a critique of rural attitudes or acceptance of hardship. The page's title, "A Renaissance of Refinement," sarcastically frames the accompanying text about various institutions promoting "social gentility." Examples include the National Safety Council requiring workmen to wear spotless clothing and the Tulsa Baseball Club hiring uniformed ushers—mock-serious accounts of superficial civility measures. The satire mocks how organizations conflate minor etiquette reforms with genuine social progress, lampooning early 20th-century obsession with outward refinement over substance.