The Wasp — 1877 — page 170: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical page uses the word "Blue" as its organizing theme, depicting various meanings of the term through exaggerated character sketches. The cartoons illustrate: - **"Blue all over"** - depression and melancholy - **"Blue night"** - nocturnal activities (possibly illicit) - **"Blue glasses"** - wearing rose-tinted spectacles, or self-deception - **"Blue eyed"** - innocence or naïveté The sketches mock different social types experiencing these conditions: sad lovers, night-time revelers, deluded optimists, and the naive. The style is typical of 19th-century American satirical journalism, using visual puns and character archetypes to comment on human folly and emotional states. Without specific historical context, the exact targets remain unclear, but the satire targets universal human weaknesses.