Life — June 7, 1929 — page 18: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical cartoon from *Life* magazine showing a chaotic car crash scene. Two well-dressed older figures (appearing to be a couple) stand safely by a fence on the left, observing the mayhem. The caption reads: "Dear me, Mrs. Tubbs, what will these young folks be trying next?" The satire targets generational attitudes toward reckless youth behavior and dangerous driving. The pileup of automobiles with bodies flying through the air represents the hazards of early-20th-century motor vehicles. The cartoon mocks older generations' bewilderment at young people's risk-taking with new technology (cars), suggesting they view such accidents as inevitable follies of youth rather than consequences of dangerous driving. The artist is signed "R.B. Fuller."