Life — July 1932 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Great Minds at Work" — Life Magazine, July 1932 This page satirizes famous figures' ostensible views on various topics through caricatured portrait busts paired with quotations. The humor relies on witty, often contradictory or absurd statements attributed to each person: - **Susan Ertz** claims men excel at nearly everything - **Dorothy Parker** finds something ridiculous about women writers (likely self-directed wit) - **James J. Walker** (politician) insists politicians must take strong stands - **James J. Tunney** simply announces he's now a writer - **Arthur Brisbane** contrasts finding a rose versus turnip in gutters - **Al Capone** (the notorious Chicago gangster) quips about Chicago managing without him The satire works through juxtaposition: mixing legitimate writers/figures with organized crime, and pairing grandiose or banal statements with caricatured importance, mocking both the subjects and 1930s celebrity culture's obsession with famous people's opinions.