Life — September 28, 1922 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Explanation for Modern Readers This 1932 *Life* magazine page satirizes Prohibition's effects on American health and morality. The headline mocks a Federal Prohibition Officer's claim that diet regulation could cure dyspepsia (indigestion). The cartoon depicts a man complaining to his doctor about marital troubles, saying "The follies men will commit over women! It's terrible!" The doctor's response—"Why, what did you ever do?" "I married one"—is a misogynistic joke typical of the era. The satire's broader point appears to be that Prohibition hasn't improved American life as promised. Instead of addressing real social problems (like failed marriages), officials blame dietary issues. The cartoon suggests Prohibition has created worse problems than it solved, leaving citizens physically and morally compromised rather than improved.