Life — October 9, 1919 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a humorous satirical piece imagining planets as a political league with absurd bylaws. The illustration shows what appears to be a formal diplomatic reception with various figures in formal dress. The text mocks international governance by treating celestial bodies as member states with ridiculous rules: comets must give advance notice, Mars becomes a "playground of ghosts," moons face taxation, and eclipses have restrictions. The caption beneath the illustration—"Binks wishes his reception by his fiancée's relatives was not quite so enthusiastic"—suggests the cartoon above is unrelated domestic humor (a man overwhelmed by his future in-laws). The satire likely reflects early 20th-century anxieties about international diplomacy and treaty obligations, rendered absurd through cosmic setting. The piece exemplifies Life magazine's characteristic blend of political commentary with whimsy.