Life — July 20, 1922 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "Life" Magazine Page - Prohibition Era Satire The central cartoon depicts two men in formal dress shaking hands while exchanging contraband. One figure labeled "THE CRAFT BOOTLEGGER" holds a sack, while the other labeled "PROHIBIT POLITICIAN" receives it. This satirizes the hypocrisy of Prohibition enforcement: politicians publicly supporting the alcohol ban while privately obtaining liquor from bootleggers. The surrounding "Life Lines" column contains brief satirical comments about Prohibition's failures, including commentary on the difficulty of enforcing total abstinence and criticism of enforcement methods (like the Broadway police shootings mentioned). The overall message mocks the contradiction between Prohibition's stated goals and its actual implementation—that those in power circumvented their own laws while ordinary citizens faced strict enforcement.