The Wasp — September 20, 1879 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Royal Hottentots" - Satirical Burlesque This is a theatrical script and accompanying illustration for a one-act burlesque play. The satire mocks both pseudo-scientific racial hierarchies and Victorian attitudes toward African peoples through exaggerated caricature. The play features two opposing groups: "Black Hottentots" (ruled by a King of Humbug) and "White Hottentots" (European colonists). The script's dialogue ridicules claims of civilization and superiority, particularly through Chancellor's pompous speeches about women's rights and governmental authority—presented as absurdly hypocritical. The chaotic illustration depicts the theatrical chaos promised by the script. The satire targets both racist pseudoscience (the "Hottentots" label itself was a dehumanizing European term) and colonial pretensions to superiority, exposing them as equally ridiculous.