Life, 1929-07-12 · page 23 of 48
Life — July 12, 1929 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two separate jokes reflecting early 20th-century domestic humor. **Upper cartoon/story**: A couple argues about whether to keep a touring car's convertible top up or down. The husband wants it down (for warmth and ventilation); the wife refuses, citing dust, sun, and rain concerns. The satire mocks marital disputes over trivial matters—a common theme in period humor—and the wife's contradictory excuses ("it's cloudy, so it might rain"). The exasperated husband's final "Reereeer!" expresses masculine frustration with female "illogic." **Lower cartoon**: A man learns his wife has run off with the butcher, taking money and children. His response—losing faith in *her* rather than questioning his own relationship—satirizes either male obliviousness or the absurdity of domestic betrayal prioritized below financial loss. Both jokes target marriage tensions and gender dynamics common to era-appropriate "Life" humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
sister: Come back, Willie! jipperawtsa rity ‘ Up Or Down Can't ya see he's gettin’ ready to take off! 1 us) paid y ‘ “Henry! What on earth did H al y : you put the top down for? You know I don’t like to ride with the top down.” “But it’s. warm today, and there's. no wind. What on earth have we got a touring car for, if you never want the top down?” “I don’t care if it is warm. I want that top up. You know how dusty everybody gets with the top down.” “Now listen, you know very well you'll get no more dusty with the top down than with it up. Everybody gets dusty when they drive in the Summer time. The top hasn’t got anything to do with it.” “I don’t care. And I don’t want to get burned up by the sun, either.” “Sun? Where's any sun? It’s cloudy today and you know it. You're just trying to make excuses, and you know it. I like the top down.” “Cloudy? Then it’s liable to rain. Then where would we be with the top down?” “Well, I don’t care. I want the top up. “Well, doggone it, I want it down.” “Henry, will you put this top up?” “Reereeer!” —John C. Emery. Maw: I’m sorry to have to tell you that your wife kidnapped the children, took all the money in the house and eloped with the butcher! “Well, dang that woman —I'm_ beginning to lose faith in her!” aman WER WN ww STEP comicbooks.com