Life — April 5, 1928 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is primarily an **advertisement for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company** (1928), disguised as public health advice. The cartoon depicts a well-dressed doctor with two children, illustrating the caption: "We're not sick, Daddy. Why are you taking us to the Doctor?" / "Why? To do all we can to keep you from ever getting sick." The accompanying text promotes **preventive medicine**—annual physical exams, disease screening, and proper diet—as modern wisdom. It encourages parents to protect children from common illnesses like diphtheria, typhoid, and smallpox through medical vigilance. **The satire/point**: The ad conflates insurance company profit with child welfare, positioning Metropolitan Life as a guardian of public health while actually promoting its insurance products. The "preventive care" message serves the company's interests by normalizing routine medical visits and preventive spending.