Judge — November 5, 1910 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon by Frank Snapp critiques the modern man's embrace of new technology while paradoxically rejecting romance. The male figure represents a contemporary gentleman boasting of supporting wireless phones, horseless carriages, and seedless apples—symbols of early 20th-century progress. The joke's punchline mocks this modernity: he claims to be a "modern lover" by offering a "mistletoe-less kiss"—eliminating the romantic tradition of kissing under mistletoe during Christmas. The cartoon satirizes how obsession with technological innovation can strip away human warmth and sentiment. It's social commentary on the anxiety that rapid modernization created, suggesting that some "progress" actually represented cultural loss rather than improvement.