Life — April 24, 1913 — page 17: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features a single satirical cartoon by an artist (signature illegible) depicting three elegantly dressed women in early 1900s fashion discussing theater. **The Joke:** An "Enthusiast" asks a "Modern Girl" if she loves good plays. She responds that she does—"indeed, it adds so much to the scenic effect and costumes." **The Satire:** The cartoon mocks shallow theatergoing among fashionable women. Rather than appreciating dramatic quality or storytelling, the "Modern Girl" values plays primarily as backdrops to display costumes and staging—suggesting she attends theater mainly to be seen in fine clothes rather than for artistic merit. This reflects early 20th-century social commentary about vanity and the superficiality of fashionable society, particularly targeting women's consumer culture and appearance-focused values.