The Wasp — 1891 — page 238: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The main cartoon depicts two women at a phonograph, with the caption "Country Cousin—'Say, that again, girls! That's too sweet for anything! What's the name of it?' / City—'For goodness Sake, Don't Say I Told You.'" The satire contrasts urban and rural sophistication. The "country cousin" naively enjoys what she hears without understanding its content, while the city woman is embarrassed to reveal the song's actual name or meaning—implying the phonograph recording contains something risqué or morally questionable that would offend rural sensibilities. This reflects early 20th-century anxieties about new technology spreading urban culture and "corrupting" rural innocence, while mocking both the naïveté of country folk and the hypocrisy of city dwellers who consume scandalous content.