Life — May 9, 1907 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Satire: "What Costume To Day" This Life magazine cartoon satirizes American social institutions through caricature. Five figures parade along a banner reading "AUTOCRACY, BUREAUCRACY, PUNCHINELLO, PREACHER, WAR, PEACE"—suggesting these represent different social forces or character types. The figures wear exaggerated costumes: military regalia, formal dress, angelic wings, and other theatrical garb. The artwork style and banner suggest this is mocking how these institutions or archetypes present themselves to the public—essentially asking "what costume will [each] wear today?" The satire appears to critique hypocrisy, suggesting that institutions like government, religion, and military present false or theatrical facades rather than genuine substance. The Punchinello reference (a stock character of deception) reinforces this theme of performative pretense.