The Wasp — 1894 — page 48: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts two figures in an elegant interior setting, apparently amateur theatrical performers. The caption quotes someone (likely "Clarence") reassuring a companion that newspaper critics won't attack their acting harshly, claiming "we're safe. The newspapers in this town never tell the truth under any provocation." The satire targets both amateur theater and local journalism. It suggests that San Francisco newspaper critics either lack credibility or deliberately avoid honest criticism—implying they're either incompetent or corrupt. By having the amateur actors express confidence they'll escape criticism due to journalistic dishonesty, the cartoon mockingly criticizes both the quality of local theater and the reliability of press coverage, a common theme in Gilded Age satirical magazines.