Life — November 27, 1931 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Letters of a Modern Father" This satirical advice column depicts a father (McCready Huston) responding to his son's complaint about the son's fiancée Pauline wanting to refurnish their living room. The father's response is gently mocking: he argues that the son's objection reveals ignorance about women. The father suggests that wanting to improve the home is normal feminine behavior, and the son should accept it—even comparing refusing her wishes to being "old-fashioned." The accompanying cartoon shows two businessmen in discussion, with one saying they'll "meet them on their own ground" and "feature a mint with a bigger hole than any of our competitors!"—likely satirizing absurd corporate competition strategies. The piece humorously skewers both masculine stubbornness about domestic matters and commercial absurdity.