The Wasp — 1895 — page 777: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page critiques the decline of San Francisco's theatrical scene during an economic depression. The author argues that cheap vaudeville shows draw crowds while legitimate theater struggles, attributing this to audiences' degraded taste. The portraits show performers in vaudeville acts. The text mocks specific performers—Wright and O'Brien, Pearl Andre—as exemplifying low-quality entertainment. The author sarcastically notes that vaudeville's "clean, neat and artistic performances" appeal to American audiences. The central criticism targets vaudeville's popularity as evidence of vulgar public taste. The author expresses disdain for acts featuring "tramps or drunken bood-carriers" and suggests American audiences' appetite for such material reveals their own coarseness. This reflects period anxieties about mass entertainment and cultural standards among different social classes.