Life — September 6, 1928 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Prohibition-Era Satire (Life Magazine) The top cartoon depicts three sick men in bed with bottles nearby, captioned "What I votes for, Bill, is light wines 'n' beer!" This satirizes Prohibition enforcement under the Volstead Act. The men appear intoxicated despite—or because of—prohibition laws, mocking the policy's failure to eliminate drinking. The sidebar "Progress of Prohibition Enforcement" documents real violations: federal employees stealing grain alcohol, bootleggers operating openly, and police corruption. It presents actual scandal headlines alongside the cartoon's dark humor. The lower silhouette cartoon about kissing with eyes open serves as unrelated entertainment content. Together, the page critiques Prohibition as ineffective policy that created criminals, destroyed legitimate businesses, and failed to stop alcohol consumption—a common satirical position in 1920s America.