The Wasp — 1879 — page 64: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page presents a one-act theatrical satire featuring two groups: "Black Hottentots" and "White Hottentots." The work mocks European colonial attitudes by presenting a parallel structure where both groups display equally absurd behavior and pretensions. The satire appears to critique the hypocrisy of "civilized" European society. By labeling white characters as "Hottentots" (a European term for African peoples, used dismissively), the piece suggests that European colonizers are no more refined or rational than those they colonize. The dialogue and illustrations emphasize bodily humor and exaggerated characteristics of both groups, suggesting the work satirizes racist pseudo-scientific classifications and colonial superiority myths prevalent in 19th-century society. The point seems to be exposing Western "civilization" as merely another form of savagery.