Life, 1929-06-28 · page 17 of 37
Life — June 28, 1929 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two editorial cartoons satirizing American society during the Prohibition era. **Top cartoon:** An officer confronts what appears to be bootleggers or speakeasy operators, demanding harder liquor ("gives off more of a 'plink'"). The "plink" sound suggests weak or inferior alcohol. **Bottom cartoon:** Depicts Prohibition enforcement agents conducting raids on a residential house. The caption mocks the contradiction in their work—an officer tells his colleagues not to mention to Prohibition officers that he produces homemade alcohol, suggesting even law enforcement participated in bootlegging. Both cartoons satirize the widespread hypocrisy and failure of Prohibition (1920-1933), when the constitutional ban on alcohol actually increased illegal production and consumption rather than preventing it.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life Graham Crackers SON Arrangements are being made to wire this first little wheeze for sound. x H. L. Mencken (to Jim Tully): S “James! Bring me my rap!” And now, to return again to a world of tapioca and tabloids. What with the recent popularity of colored mar- ble in bathroom construction it oc- curs to us that perhaps the new trend could be carried further. Cemeteries are rather prosaic places just at pres ent... Hilarious Headlines For Tired Tabloiders. High Strung Banjo Player Picks Wife to Pieces Aftermath of Marital Discord The more advertisements we read the more we are inclined to believe that if George Washington had been a copy writer that famous old Cherry Tree Myth would have been a whop- per. It would have read, “I cannot tell a lie . . . I've been in the adver- tising racket too long.” Short Cuts to Suicide Ask any professional humorist, “Where in the world or how do you think of all those funny ideas?” Orricer: Wrong guy. The fella we're lookin’ for gives off more of a “plinkl” After which we have to be pretty careful. And of course somebody's going to trip you up on this sooner or later. The new Echo song... “Hi! Hi! Up On A Hilltop.” The annual New York-to- Paris Steeplechase is now on and, take it from one who knows, if you can once get past the water jump the rest is easy. —ed Graham. DoWALD mecee pty “Don't say a word! I told the Prohibition officers that I make Ses j RU ‘\ i ae) \ wine out of our dan- Arana WA , delions! comicbooks.com