The Wasp — 1896 — page 109: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes social class pretension. The caption shows Mrs. Crash asking Mrs. Cash if she's "in good society," to which Miss Dash replies that Mrs. Crash is "just one of my church acquaintances"—a cutting social snub. The visual joke depicts fashionably dressed women on a street, with Miss Dash's elaborate outfit and confident posture contrasting sharply with the dismissive verbal put-down. The satire mocks how people use ostensibly polite social frameworks (like church membership) to maintain class distinctions while avoiding direct admissions of social rejection. The rest of the page consists of advertisements for champagne, a hotel, smokeless powder, and photo-engraving services—typical commercial content for *The Wasp* magazine.