Life — January 26, 1928 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Little Old Blue Schoolhouse" Cartoon Analysis This satirical cartoon mocks Prohibition enforcement training by depicting absurd scenarios in a classroom setting. The header references "a school in Washington, D.C., for training prohibition enforcement agents." The cartoon shows various comical violations and enforcement methods: students learning to detect bootleggers' bribes, spot gin by taste, identify altered snooze (likely alcohol), detect sore eyes from peering through "spy holes," and catch cheating on exams. One student mentions "flunked in beer tasting." The satire critiques the widespread corruption and incompetence of Prohibition agents during the 1920s-1930s era—suggesting that enforcement officials themselves were often bribed, alcoholics, or simply ineffective. The cartoon implies that Prohibition enforcement was fundamentally unworkable, with agents unable to stay sober or honest.