Life — June 9, 1921 — page 13: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon by R.M. Crosby depicts a well-dressed man and woman with two children, labeled "Young Boston." The dialogue mocks Boston society's preoccupation with high-society events and gossip. The woman asks if the man is attending the Hemingwood wedding; he responds he hopes to arrive in time for the divorce instead. The little boy then asks if this would make good material for a novel, suggesting satirical commentary on how Boston's elite scandals become fodder for literary fiction. The joke targets the stereotypical Boston upper class as simultaneously obsessed with formal social occasions while cynically expecting their marriages to fail, and willing to exploit personal tragedies for artistic material. It's social satire aimed at Brahmin hypocrisy.