Life — May 30, 1930 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis: "There Ought To Be A Law" This satirical poem proposes absurd punishments for modern annoyances. The three cartoon panels illustrate escalating consequences: 1. **Panel 1**: A sign reads "SAXOPHONES REPAIRED" — mocking the popularity of saxophones, likely a 1920s jazz-age reference. 2. **Panel 2**: The sign is destroyed, humorously suggesting violent enforcement of regulations. 3. **Panel 3**: A massive crowd hangs from wires by their tongues — the poet's proposed punishment for people who make prank phone calls ("Guess who!"). The poem satirizes social frustrations of the era: cigarette box gifting, tiny ashtrays, and telephone pranks. The humor relies on grotesque, disproportionate punishments for trivial modern irritants—a common satirical technique mocking both the annoyances and society's tendency toward regulation.