Life — June 7, 1929 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is primarily an **advertisement for bottled carbonated beverages**, disguised as humorous editorial content—a common advertising approach of the era. The cartoon depicts **Noah** (the biblical figure, identifiable by his captain's hat and beard) complaining about rain during the flood, while a monkey holds a bottle of carbonated beverage. The joke is a pun: Noah says "It's all wet" (about the rain), which "reminds me that I'm dry"—meaning thirsty. The narrative frames a fictional anecdote about Mr. J.L. Noah, president of the Noah Navigation Company, who humorously laments the constant rain and wishes for the Sahara Desert's dryness. The solution offered: bottled carbonated beverages provide refreshment and "fair weather" indoors. The satire gently mocks both the rainy climate and offers the product as comedic relief—typical mid-century advertising that blended entertainment with marketing.