Life, 1921-01-20 · page 7 of 36
Life — January 20, 1921 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Prohibition-era moral reformism. The poem "Our Program" mocks self-righteous activists who sought to ban alcohol, tobacco, and "immoral" entertainment (referencing censorship of clothes, dishes, and "Bourgeoisie and Pro-la-ri-at"). The verse, attributed to Arthur Gutterman, sarcastically suggests these reformers aim to "abolish Human Nature" and institute authoritarian control through legislation. The lower illustration by J.R. Shaver depicts working-class domestic life—a woman discovering a man sawing wood on Sunday, violating Sabbath restrictions. The caption "'OH, LOOK, MOTHER, THERE'S A MAN SAWING WOOD ON SUNDAY'" mocks the petty moral policing that characterized the Prohibition era's broader campaign to regulate everyday behavior and enforce rigid social standards.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Our Program AVING squelched the noisy frolics For a Puritanic Sunday, Of those wicked alcoholics We'll extend it over Monday By prohibiting the liquor that is strong, So that everyone may have enough of that. We shall harry that provoking, Soul-destroying vice of Smoking; For it’s pleasant, and what's pleasant must be wrong. When we've put in stocks and fetters Sport and Pastime, Art and Letters, And have extirpated jollity and mirth, When we've censored clothes and dishes By an act of legislature And have gratified the wishes We'll abolish Human Nature, Of the Bourgeoisie and Pro-le-tar-i-at And a race of Prigs shall dominate the earth Arthur Guiterman, “OH, LOOK, MOTHER, THERE'S A MAN SAWING WOOD ON SUNDAY.” comicbooks.com