Life, 1900-12-06 · page 15 of 20
Life — December 6, 1900 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine cartoon depicts a domestic dispute between a man (Harry) and woman (Harriet) over a dog. Harry complains that Harriet's dog has given him fleas. Harriet dismissively responds that he should be grateful the fleas are on him rather than on "poor little Binkie" (the dog's name). The satire targets the common domestic dynamic where a wife prioritizes her pet's comfort over her husband's legitimate complaints. It mocks both Harry's ineffectual griping and Harriet's illogical priorities—suggesting she'd rather her husband suffer than her beloved dog. The small dog illustrated at the bottom emphasizes the absurdity of a grown man being ranked below a pet in household importance. This reflects period attitudes about spoiled pets and henpecked husbands.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
RIVALS, “HARRIET, THAT PESKY DOG OP YOURS HAS GIVEN ME PLEAS," “pga ME, HARRY | HOW TOU DO GRUMBLE! YOU OUOIT TO NE GLAD THEY ARE ON YOU INSTEAD OP ON POOR LITTLE BINKIE”