Life — February 1932 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a **public service advertisement** from Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, not satire. The headline "Let Him Hear" and illustration show two businessmen in an office setting, apparently discussing a hearing problem. The text addresses childhood deafness, explaining that many children are wrongly labeled "dull" when they actually have undetected hearing impairments. It advocates for hearing tests in schools and proper medical treatment, noting that some deafness is preventable through early detection. The advertisement promotes the American Federation of Organizations for the Hard of Hearing, encouraging readers with suspected hearing problems to contact them. This reflects early 20th-century progressive public health messaging—using a major insurance company's platform to raise awareness about a treatable medical condition affecting children's education and development.