The Wasp — 1895 — page 888: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes political indecision and hypocrisy. Two cyclists meet on a country path—one male, one female. The woman says to the man: "I tell you, Harriet, this pill makes me blow. Never mind, Henry, I'm used to it. You're always blowing about your 'pull.'" The joke plays on "pull" (political influence/patronage) and a digestive ailment. The cartoon mocks politicians who constantly boast about their connections and power while being otherwise ineffectual or unpleasant. The woman's resigned acceptance—"I'm used to it"—suggests the tiresome nature of such self-aggrandizing talk. It's a commentary on the gap between politicians' self-promotion and their actual worth.