Anatomy of a Cartoon: Sayonara to the Handshake

Cartoon critics Phil Witte and Rex Hesner look behind gags to debate what makes a cartoon tick. This week our intrepid critics take a look at the changing landscape of handshakes.

The coronavirus has ushered in a new era of human interaction. The easy familiarities with friends and strangers are memories now, replaced with masks and distance. Though some behavioral changes are temporary, we boldly predict a permanent one: The time-honored handshake is a goner.

We learned that hand-to-hand ritual, awkwardly at first, from the adults around us. But it was television, especially political coverage, that celebrated its variety. The two-hander, the shake-plus-back-slap, the elbow grab, all were on egregious display upon daises and at county fairs around the country. Charles Barsotti captures an in-person version of that concept with eloquent simplicity.

As traffic has emptied out, the few pedestrians take evasive action from anyone coming their way. The idea of shaking a stranger’s hand seems almost suicidal now. We’re sure Mick Stevens had no idea how eerie his 2005-era cartoon would seem 15 years later.

The new etiquette discourages petting animals that belong to other people. Dogs seem the most hurt by our sudden standoffishness. Sam Gross’s 1996 cartoon anticipated this trend by almost 25 years.

The New Age movement in the 1970s and ’80s manifested itself in more intimate greetings. But some participants, particularly men, thought the pendulum had swung too far. Harry Bliss captures that squeamish moment, noting the obligatory gift wine bottle must be set on the floor in preparation for an uncomfortable hug.

Greetings became even more complex when European customs were blended with New Age traditions. Especially daunting were the multiple cheek kissing rituals—beware of starting on the wrong side. Keeping track of preferences became challenging, as David Sipress conveys in his paean to greeting anxiety.

At last, taking a cue from professional athletes, the more germaphobic among us sent the pendulum back the other way with the fist bump. William Haefeli gave voice to its rapid adoption with the normally buttoned-down suit and tie set.

Even an innocently executed handshake between immediate family members can seem fraught through the COVID-19 lens. This dad, however, has the solution in Chris Wildt’s father-son scene.

In the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak, people struggled against lifelong impulses to embrace shake hands. Talk show hosts began suggesting innovative replacements, such as the ankle tap. Most people soon realized that keeping the new greetings above the waist prevented embarrassing balance gaffs. The uni-named cartoonist, Fran, illustrates one of the more sensible variations.

Charles Barsotti puts his finger on the ultimate betrayal between friends—a furtive dousing of hand sanitizer after a handshake. The King is mightily offended.

Peter Kuper concludes with an absurd example of social distancing when it comes to viewing cartoons.

Stay healthy and beware of sham cartoons.