Life — June 1, 1911 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Taking His Own Medicine" — Life Magazine, June 1, 1911 This cartoon satirizes a groom forced to experience the consequences of his own actions. The title suggests the bridegroom is now receiving the same harsh treatment he previously inflicted on others—a common satirical theme of "getting what you deserve." The illustration shows an older woman (likely representing an authority figure or the bride's family) administering some form of punishment or unpleasant remedy to a small, cowering groom, while a young bride in her wedding dress watches. The visual humor relies on role-reversal: the groom, typically in a position of authority in 1911 society, is now diminished and subordinate. The artist is James Montgomery Flagg, a prominent American illustrator of the era.