Life — August 24, 1922 — page 18: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical page depicts preparation for an international polo competition. The top section labeled "INCENTIVE" shows wealthy spectators and participants in formal dress observing the sport. The subsequent sketches illustrate various aspects of polo culture: grooming horses, instruction between players ("NOW YU LISSEN TO HUH"), and mounted riders practicing maneuvers. The caption "MANICURING AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING" suggests the satirist is mocking the fussy, elaborate preparation and social rituals surrounding polo—a sport associated with aristocratic leisure and wealth. The overall satire appears to critique the pretentiousness and excessive attention to detail in upper-class sporting culture, implying that wealthy competitors primp their horses and themselves as much as they actually practice horsemanship.