Life — January 20, 1898 — page 17: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon shows two women observing figures flying/leaping in the sky above Manhattan's skyline. The caption references the classical Latin phrase "O tempora, o mores!" ("Oh the times! Oh the customs!") — a traditional expression of moral outrage at societal decline. The joke appears to critique modern New York society by depicting scandalously dressed or behaving performers as if they were part of a "Temple of Thespis" (the legendary founder of Greek drama). One woman asks what these acrobatic figures are, implying shock at contemporary entertainment standards. The satire suggests that modern Manhattan theater and performance have become morally questionable compared to classical ideals — the cartoonist uses the Latin phrase ironically to mock both the performers' behavior and perhaps elite observers' hand-wringing about declining standards.