Life — March 10, 1927 — page 21: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes social dynamics at 1920s-30s college sorority dances. The image shows a formal hop (dance) where men in tuxedos stand in a prominent "stag line"—groups of unattached men waiting to cut in and dance with women. The joke's caption questions whether there's "always" a large stag line at such events, likely criticizing either: - The prevalence of dateless men at these affairs, or - The social awkwardness this creates The cartoon depicts well-dressed attendees in a decorated venue with the stag line prominently positioned, emphasizing how these waiting men dominated the social space of college dances. This reflects period anxieties about dating customs and gender dynamics among the educated class.