Life — July 20, 1922 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon by F. Fabiano depicts a formal dinner scene where a waiter in an elaborate striped costume approaches a well-dressed couple. The joke hinges on a misunderstanding about "dry" service—the gentleman states the waiter isn't their "regular waiter," to which the waiter responds he can serve them "just the same." The humor likely references Prohibition-era anxieties about alcohol service. "High and Dry" suggests both intoxication and abandonment. The waiter's willingness to serve despite not being the "regular" implies circumventing proper channels—a dig at how Prohibition was widely flouted through informal arrangements and black-market alcohol distribution during this period.