The Wasp — 1895 — page 499: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising and business directory** for San Francisco, with one cartoon illustration labeled "AT THE REHEARSAL." The central cartoon depicts a woman labeled "Miss Bee Flat (singing)" at what appears to be a theatrical rehearsal, with a male conductor or musician beside her. The caption reads: "Bid me good-bye and go— / Hiss Conductor—if you sing a song like dat, de audience will not stop to say good-bye." The satire targets **poor vocal performance** at theatrical rehearsals. "Bee Flat" is a pun on an off-key singing voice ("B flat" is a musical note, but she performs "flat" or poorly). The joke suggests her singing is so bad the audience will leave immediately rather than politely say farewell—implying her performance is genuinely unbearable rather than merely mediocre.