You have to admire the sheer narrative gymnastics of 1970s advertising copywriters. They looked at a Gahan Wilson drawing of a sociopathic feline dismantling a fish tank and thought, "Yes, this perfectly symbolizes the crushing inevitability of retirement poverty." The logic is flawless: Step 1, the cat eats the goldfish. Step 2, the aquarium breaks. Step 3, you suddenly realize you haven't diversified your bonds and will be eating cat food yourself in 20 years. That cat isn't just full of fish; he's full of hubris and the realization that he is the only one in this household who understands immediate gratification. Also, points to the dad for staring at the water damage with the exact expression of a man realizing his premiums are about to go up.
Sourced from the August 1974 Esquire Magazine.
