Life — March 4, 1926 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a humorous cartoon about college hazing and social clubs at an American university. The scene depicts three sophomores attempting to recruit a freshman named Harold into their "Clicquot Club." The joke hinges on a pun: Harold misunderstands "club" as referring to a drinking establishment (confusing it with "case of measles"), while the sophomores are promoting the Clicquot Club—a real ginger ale brand advertised at the page's bottom. The humor derives from the miscommunication between the sophisticated sophomores and the bewildered freshman, who mistakes their invitation for something concerning his health rather than a beverage club. The cartoon satirizes both college hazing culture and the pretensions of fraternity-like organizations, while functioning as product placement for Clicquot ginger ale.