Apple Car 1994 vs 2022 'This Is Not Progress' Sarcastic Meme

This is a two-panel side-by-side comparison meme. The left panel displays the whimsical, cartoon apple-shaped car from the 1990s children's franchise *The Busy World of Richard Scarry*, driven by the character Lowly Worm, with a bright red apple body, leaf stem on top, and small cartoon wheels. The right panel shows the sleek, minimalist, all-black 2022 concept render of the long-rumored Apple electric car, which has an extremely smooth, almost featureless rounded design. The text above the panels reads "apple car (1994) vs apple car (2022). this is not progress." The joke satirizes the lack of personality and overly simplistic minimalism common in modern Apple product design, framing the playful, creative 1994 cartoon apple car as superior to the boring, generic modern concept, implying product design has regressed rather than improved over time.

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apple car (1994) vs apple car (2022). this is not progress.

Overview

This is a two-panel side-by-side comparison meme. The left panel displays the whimsical, cartoon apple-shaped car from the 1990s children's franchise The Busy World of Richard Scarry, driven by the character Lowly Worm, with a bright red apple body, leaf stem on top, and small cartoon wheels. The right panel shows the sleek, minimalist, all-black 2022 concept render of the long-rumored Apple electric car, which has an extremely smooth, almost featureless rounded design. The text above the panels reads "apple car (1994) vs apple car (2022). this is not progress." The joke satirizes the lack of personality and overly simplistic minimalism common in modern Apple product design, framing the playful, creative 1994 cartoon apple car as superior to the boring, generic modern concept, implying product design has regressed rather than improved over time.

Origin notes

This meme originated as a post on X (formerly Twitter) from the account @meme.jpg, posted in 2022 when leaks and fan-made concept renders of the long-awaited Apple electric vehicle were widely circulated online. It went viral across social media platforms including X, Reddit, and Instagram, as many users related to the criticism of soulless minimalism in modern tech product design. The left image is taken directly from The Busy World of Richard Scarry animated series, while the right image is a widely shared leaked/fan-made concept render of the Apple Car.

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