The Wasp — 1895 — page 1076: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes contradictory attitudes toward women, illustrated through two female figures in conversation. The caption attributes a quote to "Jack": "women are a delusion and a snare" followed by the observation "It's curious how people will hug a delusion, though." The satire targets male hypocrisy—men publicly disparage women as problematic ("delusion and snare"), yet simultaneously pursue romantic relationships with them. The cartoon illustrates this contradiction by showing two elegantly dressed women, suggesting the sophisticated femininity that contradicts Jack's dismissive rhetoric. The Wasp was a Pacific Coast satirical publication known for social commentary. This piece exemplifies late-19th or early-20th-century gender satire, critiquing men's contradictory behavior toward women they simultaneously claim to disdain.