The Wasp — 1878 — page 154: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a scene of class conflict. A wealthy gentleman (indicated by his fine dress and demeanor) sits comfortably while addressing a working-class waiter or servant in deferential language ("Yessir, like yourself, sir"). The exchange—where the old gentleman opposes "any tribute adornments in this oleaginous condiment" and prefers his "butter ball-headed"—satirizes the pretentious speech of the upper class and their petty demands on service workers. The joke targets how the wealthy use elaborate vocabulary and absurd requests to maintain social dominance over laborers. The servant's exasperated response ("In a minute, sir") suggests the everyday indignity service workers endured. This reflects Gilded Age tensions between labor and capital, mocking aristocratic affectation while sympathizing with working people.