Life — October 17, 1918 — page 29: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes a figure (depicted as a lizard or chameleon wearing a hat) attempting to change colors from "deep yellow" to "red, white and blue"—a metaphor for shifting political allegiances or ideology. The creature navigates a challenging landscape of labeled obstacles including "Hearst," "Demoralization," and "Manipulation," suggesting the difficulties of political transformation or conversion. The yellow-to-patriotic-colors transition likely references someone abandoning one political position (yellow possibly implying cowardice or a specific political faction) to adopt American patriotic credentials. The chameleon imagery emphasizes opportunism and insincerity in political realignment. Without the publication date, the specific figure and historical context remain unclear, though this appears to mock political hypocrisy or calculated reinvention during a period of significant ideological conflict.