The Wasp — 1893 — page 166: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page satirizes San Francisco's wealthy elite amateur performers. The title references "The Four Hundred," the exclusive upper-class social circle of the era. Each panel mocks specific society members attempting entertainment: 1. **"The Snake Charmer Charmed"** - appears to ridicule one performer's exotic act 2. Top right shows two figures doing an apparently clumsy dance or physical comedy routine 3. Middle panels depict various amateur acts including what appears to be gardening/planting comedy and theatrical performance attempts 4. Bottom panels feature "musical phenomena" and song-and-dance performances The satire targets wealthy amateurs who fancied themselves entertainers. By calling them "lights" (a term for prominent people), the cartoonist mocks their pretensions—suggesting their amateur acts are ridiculous despite their social status. The crude drawings emphasize the gap between their self-regard and actual talent.