67. Today in 1920s Turkey: 8 March 1926 (Immaculate Perception)
Türkçe:
— Dün, sokakta kocanı gördüm, ama, o beni görmedi…
— Haberim var, söyledi!..
English:
— Yesterday I saw your husband on the street but he didn’t see me…
— I’m aware, he told me!
Comments:
This cartoon reveals the violation of a basic principle of social etiquette through the dialogue of two fashionable, cosmopolitan women. If this violation is committed unintentionally then it is usually excused by the “victim.” However, if the person on the receiving end of the rude slight realizes that the violation was committed intentionally then it can easily be considered offensive. The cartoon’s humor lies in the discrepancy between the first woman’s perceived reality and the truth betrayed by the words of the second woman. Based on the first woman’s story it is clear that her companion’s husband behaved as if he had not seen her when in fact he had seen her since he told his wife about it.
The cartoon provides visual cues that can aid in assigning identities to the two women. The larger woman is likely the “ignored” party (voice one) since it would be funnier for such a larger woman to be invisible than a smaller one. Her loud and bombastic clothes (the bold print, large fur cuffs) and unconventional profile only add to her visibility. Furthermore, this woman is also equipped with a comically large eye suggesting that she is “all-seeing.” The cartoon, both text and image, reads with more humorous potential when we consider this one to be the woman who spotted the husband but was (intentionally!) ignored by him.
That the husband pretended not to see the woman suggests that she has unsavory qualities worthy of avoidance at all costs. Perhaps she is also a gossip or long-winded… Regardless, the shrewd husband saw the threat ahead of time and somehow swiftly averted contact with the undesirable acquaintance. The situation is highly relatable because after all, who hasn’t narrowly avoided contact with someone they would rather not engage with?
Originally published at https://steemit.com on March 8, 2017.
