The Wasp — 1894 — page 358: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This *Wasp* cartoon satirizes San Francisco's high society by depicting circus performers preparing their act. The image shows acrobats, a ringmaster, and trained animals—metaphorically suggesting that wealthy socialites are essentially performing clowns. The dialogue reveals the satire's bite: when "Miss Nobhill" questions using a "beastly sawhorse," her companion "Miss N." responds that it's "the only one Paw can afford" during hard times, and that it's "the first and most profitable steed he ever possessed." This mocks the financial precarity hidden beneath San Francisco's wealthy elite's façade of respectability. The "Society Circus" framing suggests their social activities are mere theatrical performance rather than genuine refinement—a common *Wasp* critique of pretentious upper-class behavior.