Life, 1929-08-09 · page 42 of 44
Life — August 9, 1929 — page 42: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines humor with reader correspondence. The cartoon titled "Embarrassing Moments" depicts a couple in a hotel lobby awkwardly encountering a child who has trailed rice (likely from a wedding) on the floor—a social faux pas amplified by public visibility. The joke relies on the discomfort of being associated with messy, childish behavior in a formal setting. The caption advises nonchalantly lighting a Murad cigarette (a real brand) to deflect embarrassment through casual sophistication. The letters section reveals Life's editorial struggles. Readers complain the magazine has become too influenced by British humor (Punch) and now employs pretentious language and "jazz acrobatics" in its theater reviews. One critic mocks the reviewer's use of "endocrine," calling it meaningless jargon. These complaints suggest Life was losing its traditional audience to modernism and perceived affectation, while supporters like Louise Earheart defended its evolution. The page also includes a theatre ticket service advertisement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
EMBARRASSING MOMENTS Edgewater, N. J, Gentlemen:— I do not suppose that any sort of “sqwauk” from one who has been a subscriber (through his daughter's kindness) for four years will have any e+-be nonchalant... LIGHT A MURAD, more effect upon the serious business of editing a “funny” magazine than the attempts to arouse even a single chuckle from perusing the past twelve editions have had upon me. [- am afraid that you have become Punch (London) drunk, as that periodical see every week and I fail to sce in it any more than I do in Lire, and “vice versa.” When you trail rice in the hotel lobby Yours sadly, —Dr. Chas, F. Buckley. Pontiac, Michigan, Dear Lire: Judging from the number of com- plaints that I have read recently there are still those who do not know that “What is one man’s meat—is another man’s poison.” I for one say that I get no end of pleasure from your magazine—and I am— Yours for Lire, —Lonise Earheurt. Philadelphia. Dear Lire: It makes sad an old admirer of Lire, who enjoyed the style and dis tinction it maintained for a generation, to accept placidly the jazz acrobatics by which it entertains today, including a play reviewer, who struggles to ex- OP. Loriltert Co., Ext. 1760 | cel the worst baseball reporter's jargon in discussing what some of us still re- gard as a worthy art, but when this modern William Winter-Ring Lardner LIFE’S Theatre Ticket Service throws in a word, “endocrine,” which has no meaning at all, it makes your 598 Madison Ave., New York City old subscriber so revengeful as to wish that your theatre man be condemned PURCHASE ORDER to spend an eternal Hell listening to a ceaseless movietone repeating his (Instructions for using on Page 28) smart alickisms. There is a Greek word, endo, mean- ing within, and a Latin word, crinis, meaning hair, but only an asylum-con- fined professor of grammar could at- (Name of show) (No. Seats) (Date) tempt their combination as an adjec- tive to describe his mental “perplexi- ties.” However, the great C. D. Gibson (Alternates) still presents his irony and wisdom in line and character beyond any rival, alive or dead, and tor this we are $0 Name grateful that the others don’t matter. ic Yours for Lire, — Thomas Ridgway. Tur Panton Prose Co, CLEVELAND Dear Lire: 1 want tickets tor the following shows: Address ° comicbooks.com