Life — November 8, 1917 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Lass(es) That Loved a Sailor" This satirical illustration depicts various women from different cultures and nationalities, all apparently attracted to a sailor (shown in the central portrait). The composition mocks the sailor stereotype of having romantic conquests across the globe. The figures include women in diverse traditional dress—appearing to represent Asian, European, and other international origins—suggesting the sailor's claimed romantic escapades worldwide. The title's plural "lass(es)" emphasizes this multiplicity of relationships. The satire likely targets both sailor mythology and period attitudes about international romance and cultural exoticism. It plays on the common trope of sailors having paramours in "every port," presented here as humorous evidence of the sailor's appeal across racial and cultural boundaries—reflecting early 20th-century attitudes toward both sailors and international relations.