Life, 1921-08-11 · page 23 of 40
Life — August 11, 1921 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical cartoon depicts a wealthy man (Robert) dismissing his wife's health concerns about weight gain. When she expresses worry about becoming overweight and wanting medical attention, he responds that he actually prefers her larger physique—not out of affection, but because it provides more surface area to display expensive diamonds and jewelry. The joke mocks both the materialism of wealthy society and the commodification of women's bodies as display cases for a husband's wealth. It satirizes how upper-class men valued their wives primarily as ornaments to showcase their financial status and possessions, rather than as individuals with legitimate health concerns. The cartoon critiques the shallow priorities of the Gilded Age elite.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
August ll A Place for Everything. “Really, Robert, I must see a doctor. I’m getting much too stout.” “Nonsense. I like a woman who has room for plenty of diamonds.” comicbooks.com