Life — July 17, 1931 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Opening Up His Heart" This satirical piece mocks **ex-President Coolidge** through a humorous narrative about his dog "Rover." The story depicts Coolidge on a walk discovering garden pests, then methodically spraying them—a tongue-in-cheek reference to his famously reserved personality and taciturn public manner. The cartoon's point: Coolidge was known for being emotionally distant and uncommunicative ("opening up his heart" is ironic). The detailed pest-removal narrative—grinding stones, mixing poison—parodies how he approaches even casual dog walks with mechanical precision rather than warmth or spontaneity. The accompanying sketch shows a prisoner, captioned "Two days behind in my diary again!"—unrelated social commentary on routine tedium. A minor item about balloon racing and one about Mr. and Mrs. Upton's tropical vacation round out the page.