Life — August 18, 1921 — page 13: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon by Charles Forbell depicts a chaotic street scene showing the absurd consequences of overly restrictive legislation. The drawing shows authorities aggressively enforcing numerous prohibitive laws simultaneously—officers appear to be arresting or stopping citizens for various minor infractions in an urban courtyard setting. The satire critiques what the cartoonist calls "anti-everything laws"—likely referencing the proliferation of regulatory restrictions during the Progressive Era (early 1900s). The cartoon suggests that excessive legal restrictions create mayhem rather than order, with enforcement becoming oppressive and ridiculous. The scene's disorder—with vehicles, figures scattered chaotically, and apparent pandemonium—visually demonstrates the cartoon's argument: that too many restrictive laws produce societal chaos rather than improvement. The title itself mocks the tendency toward legislative prohibition.