The Wasp — 1877 — page 140: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The page contains several brief satirical news items rather than a single cartoon. The illustration at top left shows a wasp attacking what appears to be a boxer or fighter—likely a visual pun on the magazine's name. Key items include mockery of: - **Box-pleated corsets** as absurdly uncomfortable fashion - **Hayes' presidential ambitions**, suggesting his opinions are unreliable - **An athlete's scandal** involving assault charges - **Editorial hypocrisy**, criticizing newspapers that ignore their own moral failings The text reads as gossip-column style satire targeting public figures, fashion absurdities, and institutional contradictions of the era. Without identifying specific individuals mentioned, the overall tone mocks pretension, dishonesty, and discomfort—both literal (corsets) and figurative (political ambition).