Life — June 22, 1922 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Podunker Abroad: In These Piping Times of Prohibition" This page presents travel anecdotes from what appears to be an American tourist visiting Europe (likely Austria, given references to Vitznau and the Rigi mountain railway). The satire mocks both American provincial attitudes and European puzzlement at American Prohibition. The cartoon depicts a figure smoking a pipe beside a lake or water body. The caption "The Snake: No use biting one of those fellows. They've always got their medicine with them" suggests Americans were smuggling alcohol despite Prohibition laws. The accompanying text ridicules American ignorance of European culture—tourists wanting American-style coffee service and preferring familiar comforts. The humor targets American insularity and the absurdity of Prohibition-era travelers attempting to circumvent alcohol bans while abroad. The "Snake" likely represents Europe itself, wary of American visitors.