Life — July 1935 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Explanation for Modern Readers The main cartoon illustrates a section titled "Sports" discussing meat rationing and game fish substitutes. The illustration shows a chaotic restaurant or dining scene where a large fish is being served at a table, with diners reacting with apparent surprise or dismay. The caption reads, "Now, Henry, remember it's only a game!" This is wartime satire: the cartoon mocks the necessity of serving unusual protein substitutes (like fish) instead of traditional meat during rationing, likely from the World War II era. The humor lies in the husband's need to reassure his wife that eating these unfamiliar foods is merely temporary—"a game"—while the visual chaos suggests the actual disruption to domestic dining customs was far from playful or acceptable to consumers.