Life, 1928-12-14 · page 41 of 48
Life — December 14, 1928 — page 41: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from Life (appears to be 1928, based on the Squibb's Dental Cream copyright) contains satirical content mocking the glorification of American businessmen. **"Business the Civilizer"** is a mock-heroic poem by Arthur Guiterman reviewing Earnest Elmo Calkins' book. It sarcastically elevates businessmen to the status of medieval knights and Renaissance patrons, claiming they're as culturally important as the Medici who supported Raphael and Titian. The satire is that advertising copywriters are compared to Shakespeare and Byron—suggesting that commercial promotion has replaced genuine artistic achievement as society's priority. **"Block That Move"** mocks overwrought sports journalism by pointing out absurd logic: a Harvard football captain claiming every move was "blocked" when logically only some could be. **"Likely"** jokes that Mussolini's autobiography being made into a movie with the theme song "That's My Weakness Now" would be darkly comedic. The page also includes a Cuba tourist advertisement and a Squibb's Dental Cream ad claiming the product improves smoking enjoyment—itself somewhat absurd marketing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Stes : J @ Havana, smartest city in Amer- ica, offers you thirteen daily hours of. sunshine for sport, horse-racing on the prettiest track you've seen, a Jockey Club Where you may play, dine, dance or watch the races i-Alai, fastest. game on earth—and the Casino, luxuzi- ous shrine of a fickle goddess, with the best cook this side of Paris. Bring your car in free of duty and dis- cover romantic Cuba on velvet high- ways—the wondrous Isle of Pines— the sponge fisheries of Batabano— the Valley of the Yumuri—the Val- ig of Vinales—Pinar del Rio, home of “burning romance” in’ leaf— beautiful Matanzas, Information from Cuban Na- tional Tourist Commission, Havana, or from any Cuban Consulate or Tourist Agency. ~* VOWCL PMANRTIEALT CITT IND A*NmMERICE™. _—— LIFE RHYMED REVIEWS Business the Civilizer By Earnest Elmo Calkins. Little, Brown & Co. Away with songs on Homer's plan Of kings, of seas, of battles gory! The up-and-coming business man Shall be the theme of future story. Our gallant knights of trade shall ride Through sturring paragraphs and stanzas With advertising men beside Their lords as trusty Sancho Panzas. The business man, a paladin, An errant knight of high adventure, Is purged of every sordid sin That moralists were wont to censure. From honor's path he will not swerve, But holds his course with proud deci- sion; Resolved to build, to aid, to serve, He tells the Truth, he sees the Vision. Did not the Medici and such Support their Raphaels and Titians? The fisiocss man shall do as much For latter-day academicians. Their skill shall daub his color plates With hues of violet and poppy, While Byron, Keats or Shakespeare waits To do his advertising copy. And while our hero plans for all The perfect razor, car or gaiter, Who'll solve his problems great and small? The wise publicity creator. For those with ships or shoes to sell, Or Persian cats or gray grimalkins, Must advertise them long and well, Says very Earnest Elmo Calkins. Arthur Guiterman, BLOCK THAT MOVE! “Tue Harvaro captain left the field,” writes George Daley in the New York World, “with the feeling that the Penn- sylvania captain had blocked his every move, as in truth was a fact to a large extent.” We suppose that if Captain Scull had | blocked only three out of four of Cap- tain French’s moves, it would have been | in truth a fact to no more than a medium- sized extent. LIKELY “T ear they're going to make a movie out of ‘My Autobiography,’ by Benito Mussolini.” “And the theme song, I sup will be ‘That's My Weakness Nowe Wuar this country needs is a bullet-proof Middle West. forecast Does your smoking taste vary with the weather or just of its own sweet will? Can you be sure what the next puff will bring? You can, if you are one of the growing multitude of Squibb’s Dental Cream fans, For the frequent use of Squibb’s adds mellowness and flavor to even the finest smoke. Its bland antacid action lulls the mouth into a soothed fresh- ness and gives you protection against harsh taste and heavy breath. It contains over 50% of Squibb’s Milk of Magnesia. Start tonight to use Squibb’s Dental Cream—for your smok- ing’s sake; follow up in the morning with another thorough brushing, and if your taste is any sort of barometer it will register “fine smoking all day.” 40c at any druggist’s. Copyright 1928 by E. R. Squibb & Sons DANGER LINI comicbooks.com