Judge — May 5, 1928 — page 18: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a sentimental song page with humor based on a now-obsolete household item. A "moustache cup" was a specialized drinking vessel with a guard to keep facial hair dry while drinking—common in the late 19th/early 20th centuries when prominent moustaches were fashionable. The satire works through mock-dramatic melodrama: the song depicts a dying father's final words to his family about discarding this grooming accessory, treating a trivial domestic object with the gravity of Shakespearean tragedy. The illustration shows a grieving family in theatrical poses. The joke targets both the absurdity of the moustache cup itself (already becoming quaint) and the era's taste for overwrought, sentimental songs. "Gone West" (died) provides the punchline—the father is dead, so obviously his specialized moustache cup is no longer needed. Judge uses this to gently mock outdated fashions and the melodramatic popular songs of the day.