Life — July 19, 1928 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "At the Life Insurance Agents' Banquet" This cartoon satirizes life insurance agents at a formal dinner event. The drawing shows men in tuxedos seated at tables, eating and socializing in what appears to be an elegant banquet hall with decorative plants. The satire likely targets the insurance industry itself—a profession often viewed with suspicion or mockery in early 20th-century American humor. The crowded, somewhat chaotic scene of agents dining together may suggest irony about their profession: these men who sell policies protecting against death and misfortune are themselves indulging in lavish festivities. The cartoon's humor probably derives from poking fun at insurance salesmen as a particular professional type, though the specific satirical point remains somewhat unclear without additional context about contemporary attitudes toward the industry.