Life, 1928-12-07 · page 38 of 64
Life — December 7, 1928 — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains several short satirical pieces and cartoons mocking contemporary follies: **"Little Red Riding-Hood"** (top): A dental advertisement joke—a fairy tale reference is being used to sell toothpaste, showing how commercialism invades even classic stories. **"Give Me a Sentence"** and other brief quips: These are reprinted jokes from newspapers and magazines, poking fun at minor absurdities (religious confusion, book week promotion, tourist culture). **The "Mrs. Marter" Comic Strip** (bottom): Shows a woman complaining about her husband's brutality, yet when she imagines "something like this" (a man with a stick), the reality is revealed as trivial—satirizing melodramatic exaggeration in talking films versus old stage melodrama. **"The Lispies"**: Mocks villains in old theatrical melodramas who would hiss their lines with exaggerated speech impediments. The overall theme is satirizing modern life's foolishness—commercialism, media sensationalism, and melodramatic overreaction. The page represents *Life*'s traditional format of reprinting witty observations from various publications.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE . Our Foolis “Aut Scissors aut Nullus” Lire Rep Rivixe-Hooo: Grandmama, what great teeth you have got! “That is to advertise a toothpaste, my child." —Le Ria (Paris). GIVE M AS TENCE— Tins has never been printed before, and justly so. John Craig, the celebrated orientalist, was dis- cussing eastern religions and happened to men- tion Vishnu. ‘Vishnu who?" inquired a_lis- tener who had been busy. stirring something with a spoon, “Vishnu a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year," replied Mr. Craig. —Chicago Daily News. “Book Week Is Onserven at Linrany’’ —Headline in the Pesadena (Cal.) Star-News Sonos far-fetched.—New Yorker. Morro for tourists: See America fast. —College Humor. When Mrs. Marter talks about the ill treatment She suffers from her brutal “One penny? Only one penny? What do you expect me to do with one penny?’’ “My friend, ypu might give it to charity." ~—L'Itusraation (Paris). mntemporaries : BALLADE (Using the reverse English on W. E. Henley's well-known hot-weather poem.) Hor dogs and hot tamales, A roaring open fire, Warm shows, ¢. g., the *Follies,"* Hot pipes (both steam and briar); Countries where men perspire Despite the shade of trees, And the sun’s rays are dire— To live, I think of these. Firecrackers’ ringing. volleys, A blazing, crackling pyre, Beasts with long hair, as collies, Proof against Boreas’ ire, All sorts of warm. attire | Reaching from neck to knees, John Barleycorn, Esquire— To live, I think of these. The heated seats on trolleys, Vesuvius’ smoking spire, The sunburned, brown Bengalis Within their topic shire, The colors of desire— Flame, crimson and ceriso— Without them, I'd expire— To live, I think of these. 1 tune my frosted lyre To scorching symphonies; Flames that mount high and higher— To live, I think of these. —S. K., in Spokane Spokesman-Review. | THE LISPIES | Oxe comfort in connection with the old-time melodrama in the flesh, as contrasted with the now popular talking screen, is that the villain didn't hiss as follows: “You thay you have the paperth? Where ith the child?” —Detroit News Axswertxc Omar's query as to what the vintners buy one-half so precious as the stuff they sell, our guess is that in Philadelphia it’s protection.—drkansas Gazette. Ausband You imagine something like this But Marter isn't really such @ id sort. —Werxty Teveceapn (SHEFritLo). comicbooks.com