The Wasp — 1889 — page 438: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes romantic naiveté among young men. The central illustration shows boys in various states of confusion or distress, with text emphasizing that "Boys will be boys, but coming Ks don't compute." The phrase "coming Ks" likely refers to courting or romantic advances that don't follow logical patterns—suggesting young men struggle to understand courtship rituals or female behavior. The cartoon mocks masculine confusion about romance as inevitable but simultaneously ridiculous. The page is primarily filled with theatrical advertisements and patent medicine ads typical of 1880s periodicals. The cartoon serves as light entertainment between commercial notices, targeting a male readership with humor about their own romantic incompetence.