Original artwork, not a still
Prize-fighting is still accepted as a display worthy of a civilized people despite the fact that all those connected with it are fully aware it caters to the latent sadistic instincts.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The speaker argues that prize-fighting is still treated as a display fit for a civilized people, even though everyone involved knows it feeds latent sadistic instincts. It's a charge of hypocrisy: a society calls itself civilized while enjoying something it privately recognizes as cruel.
Context reviewed
