Life — February 19, 1914 — page 21: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a satirical illustration from *Life* magazine depicting a dining scene. A woman watches as a rotund, balding man leans over his plate with utensils, examining food closely with an exaggerated expression of scrutiny or distaste. The scattered food debris on the table suggests messy eating habits. The partial text visible ("the female the species") likely references Rudyard Kipling's 1888 poem "The Female of the Species," which argues women are more dangerous than men. The cartoon appears to satirize male behavior or dining etiquette—possibly mocking masculine pretension, poor table manners, or hypocrisy regarding female conduct. Without fuller context or caption, the specific social critique remains unclear, though the gender commentary seems central to the satire.