Life — July 31, 1902 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life Magazine, July 31, 1902 This page features a satirical cartoon about domestic economics and gender roles. The illustration shows a couple at home, with the man reading what appears to be a newspaper or bill while the woman sits nearby. The caption reads: "SHE: 'Why do you think we can get along without that cook, dear?' / HE: 'Why, if the worst comes, you can do the cooking and I can get my meals at a restaurant.'" The joke satirizes the husband's dismissive attitude toward household labor and the wife's economic dependence. It mocks his illogical solution—suggesting his wife cook while he eats elsewhere—as absurd reasoning that reveals men's obliviousness to domestic responsibilities. The cartoon critiques both male privilege and the financial pressures facing middle-class households in the early 1900s.