Life — February 6, 1931 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "M.D.—Doctor of Marriage" This satirical piece mocks the idea (from a newspaper editorial) that marriage should be taught in college. The top cartoon shows an oral examination on marriage conducted like an academic degree. The bottom cartoon depicts two men at what appears to be a microphone or examination apparatus, labeled "Run for your lives! The dam has broken!"—suggesting marital knowledge is overwhelming or dangerous. The accompanying dialogue humorously presents absurd "exam questions" about wife behavior: eyebrow raises, left elbows striking, social gatherings, and comparisons to movie stars. The satire critiques both the notion that marriage can be systematized into an academic subject and contemporary gender roles and marital expectations. The piece suggests marriage is fundamentally chaotic and unpredictable, not teachable.