Line #139 Main/ComicalCoffeeCup


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tropermug.png]]
2
3	A classic gag where a character sips from or has a cup of coffee with a joke written on it. Usually serves as a FreezeFrameBonus or FunnyBackgroundEvent. As it is a very simple gag, there is little to be said about this trope, but it usually takes the form of one of these jokes (though there are exceptions):
4
5	* "World's Best X", or sometimes "#1 X", with "X" replaced by something relevant to the character. Might also say "World's ''worst'' X", which implies that the cup was a gift from a FriendlyRival.
6	* "I [heart] X", with "X" being something the character might like. Often something strange.
7	* Some joke pertaining to coffee, such as "Don't talk to me until I've had my coffee".
8	* The joke on the cup is comically relevant to the scenario in which it appears, to the point where you'd wonder how the cup looks in any other situation.
9
10	If the writers are feeling bold, this trope also covers cups that are notable in other ways, such as being comically oversized or shaped like something else.
11
12	Compare FunTShirt. Obviously, this is TruthInTelevision, as you can purchase cups with all sorts of funny words on it practically anywhere.
13
14	----
15	!!Examples:
16
17	[[foldercontrol]]
18
19	[[folder:Comic Books]]
20	* In ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'', the ruthless {{Pirate}} Captain Shellbreaker drinks from a flower-print "Good Morning Beautiful" coffee mug.
21	* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan2099'': Miguel has a mug that says "#1 GENIUS" on it. He is a geneticist ''very'' proud of his intelligence so he at least thinks it fits him.
22	* In an issue of ''ComicBook/TheInvisibles'', King Mob is held captive by an interrogator sipping from a "World's Best Dad" mug. He drugs King Mob with a substance that makes her literally see anything he writes on paper -- i.e. if he writes "tree" on paper and shows it to her, she'll see a tree. Later, when Gideon is freed, the interrogator himself is dosed with the substance and left sitting before that mug, calling it his father.
23	* ''ComicBook/MisterMiracle2017'' shows Scott Free keeps one that reads [[AGodAmI "I am God."]] Being Mister Miracle and all, [[ComicBook/NewGods that's not just hyperbole]].
24	* ''ComicBook/{{Whiteout}}''. Carrie drinks coffee out of a ''ComicStrip/DykesToWatchOutFor'' mug.
25	[[/folder]]
26
27	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
28	* One ''ComicStrip/{{Foxtrot}}'' strip features [[MustHaveCaffeine Roger]] waking to and from the kitchen with the coffee pot, with the ending panel revealing he's been filling up an ''enormous'' novelty mug. Andy notes that the kids had bought it for him as a joke, but Roger is dead serious about using it.
29	[[/folder]]
30
31	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
32	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'':
33	** Flash, a {{Sluggish Sloth\|s}} who works at the [[ObstructiveBureaucrat DMV]], has a coffee mug printed with "You want it when?"
34	** Mayor Lionhart gave Deputy Mayor Bellwether a "World's Best Dad" mug with the "Dad" crossed out and replaced with "Assistant Mayor", showing a bit of the contempt he has for her.
35	** ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet'' features a FreezeFrameBonus where there is a [[RussianReversal "World's Best Assistant Mayor" mug with the "Deputy Mayor" crossed out and replaced with "Dad"]].
36	* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Ming owns a mug that says "World's Greatest Mom" on it with the hole in the "o" of Mom being a heart.
37	[[/folder]]
38
39	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
40	* ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': [[Characters/MonsterVerseMonarch Dr. Stanton]], who's an alcoholic, drinks from a mug that has a label saying "not yours".
41	* Used as an example in ''Film/Gremlins2TheNewBatch'' from Forster about how unprofessional an office can become with just a small bit of personalization.
42	* Used as a BrickJoke in ''Film/KnivesOut''. Harlan Thornbey drinks from a mug that has the words "My House, My Rules, My Coffee" at the beginning of the movie to show that he's the head of the family. He's the owner of a successful printing company that [[spoiler:leaves nothing in his will to his children or grandchildren, leaving Marta, his nurse and confidant, with everything.]] At the very end, when the mystery of Harlan's death is resolved, the family looks at [[spoiler:Marta]], who smugly drinks from the "My house, My Rules, My Coffee" mug.
43	* ''Film/TheProfessional'': When Leon storms into Stansfield's office to save Mathilde, he takes a moment to punch out a security guard at the door. The poor bastard's coffee mug spins out and shows an ironic message: "ME BOSS. YOU NOT."
44	* ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'': When Peter approaches Doctor Strange for help after the fallout of having his identity outed by Mysterio in [[Film/SpiderManFarFromHome the previous film]], Strange is drinking from a mug with the words "oh for", then a drawing of a fox, then the word "sake" ("Oh for [[{{Pun}} fox]] sake"). Fitting, considering the massive multiversal headache he's about to have to deal with...
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Literature]]
48	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
49	** ''Literature/SmallGods'' uses this to highlight the PunchClockVillain nature of the Quisition. Like a normal office, they have mugs labelled "World's Best Dad" and "You Don't Have to Be Pitilessly Sadistic to Work Here but It Helps!!"
50	** ''Literature/GoingPostal'' has a series of mismatched and batted tea mugs in the post office, one of which is a saying mug: "You Don't Have to Be Mad to Work Here, but It Helps!" By the time of ''Literature/MakingMoney'', further damage and fading has changed the emphasis of the phrase: "You Don't Have to '''Be Mad''' to Work Here, but '''It Helps'''." Given that insanity doesn't just run but gallops in the post office, the mug is quite insightful.
51	** ''Literature/UnseenAcademicals'' has Dr. Hix' mug that says "Necromancers Do It All Night" (despite his normal [[InsistentTerminology insistence that he's a Post-Mortem Communicator]].) In the same book, Glenda is shocked to see a "To the World's Greatest Boss" mug on Vetinari's desk; in this case while the slogan is generic, the idea of Drumknott giving it to Vetinari and ''Vetinari using it'' is both comical and [[PetTheDog oddly heartwarming]].
52	** In ''Literature/ThiefOfTime'', Death has a World's Greatest Grandad mug from Susan Helit, the kind that you can get from a store by the hundreds. The fact that Susan Sto-Helit gave her grandfather such a "piece of gimcrackery", and the fact that Death treasures it regardless, says something about their relationship.
53	* In ''The Cat Who Said Cheese'' from ''Literature/TheCatWhoSeries'', during a staff meeting of ''The Moose County Something'' newspaper, Wilfred Sugbury, secretary to the publisher, fills a coffee mug for Qwilleran (owner and columnist) which reads "First we kill all the editors." He later fills another for Junior Goodwinter, the paper's editor, which reads "First we kill all the [=PR=] people."
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
57	* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': While holding Spike prisoner during season four Buffy is forced to feed him blood from Giles' "Kiss the Librarian" mug. The drinking straw just adds to the indignity of it.
58	* ''Series/GoodGirls:'' In the season two premiere, Beth is seen drinking from a mug which reads "I'd rather be crafting" as she gets to work scrubbing Dean's blood out of the carpet.
59	* In ''Series/{{Gotham}}'', just in case viewers are unaware that Edward Nygma is destined to become the Riddler, he's introduced drinking from a white mug with a stylized question mark drawn on the side. He appears to have done it himself.
60	* ''Series/Hawkeye2021'': In episode 4, Clint drinks from a mug that says "[[AscendedMeme Thanos Was]] [[MisaimedFandom Right]]", which apparently belongs to Kate Bishop's aunt.
61	* In the ''Series/JustShootMe'' episode "Just Burned":
62	-->'''Jack:''' I don't want a good school for Hannah. I want the best school, and I can make it happen. I am the Can Do King.\
63	'''Maya:''' Says who?\
64	'''Jack:''' This mug.\
65	'''Maya:''' Well, I can't argue with you there, even if I am the "World's Greatest Golfer".
66	* ''Series/LastWeekTonightWithJohnOliver'': One of Creator/JohnOliver's many joke purchases is a oversized novelty coffee mug, which he specifically bought to have an even bigger mug than then-FCC chairman Ajit Pai.
67	-->'''John:''' [[BadassBoast You know what I'm drinking? I'm drinking the blood of smaller mugs. Cheers!]]
68	* ''Series/TheOfficeUS'': Michael Scott's most iconic item in the series is his "World's Best Boss" coffee mug. [[spoiler:When he leaves Dunder-Mifflin for good, he throws it away because he doesn't need it anymore. Creed winds up fetching it from the trash.]]
69	* The ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS04E24TheQuickening The Quickening]]", Quark has programmed the ship's systems to display advertisements for his bar. The station is one thing, but he also hacked the ''Defiant'''s computers. When Worf orders prune juice from a replicator it comes in a Quark's mug that also plays a soundbyte of Quark's advertising jingle. The more [[FreezeFrameBonus subtle]] gag is that the mug has prominent writing that says "Free Refills" only for there to be an asterisk and fine print that says "Limit one per customer."
70	* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': In Season 11, [[Characters/SupernaturalGods Chuck]] [[spoiler:a.k.a. God]] has a "World's Greatest Dad" mug, [[spoiler:which is ironic because the show has never shied away from GodIsFlawed themes regarding his abandonment of all his creations and the consequences, and it doesn't start when God is actually introduced in Season 11]].
71	* ''Series/TrueDetective'': Rust is a nihilist who is retelling a story about a series of brutal rapes and murders linked to a child-raping cult in rural Louisiana. Throughout his interviews, though, [[BlackComedy he's drinking from a Big Hug Mug]].
72	* In a ''Series/TheWhitestKidsUKnow'' sketch, a kid asks the teacher who was filming Neil Armstrong landing on the moon. The teacher doesn't know, so he asks the principal. The principal doesn't know either, so he calls the mayor, who calls and asks the army general. The general sounds the alarm and calls up President Obama to tell him that a kid is asking question about who shot the moon landing, and Obama sends a bomb to the kid's entire district. Seems like a RevealingCoverUp, but when his secretary asks who shot the moon landing, he casually tells him there was a camera on the leg of the moon lander.
73	-->'''Secretary:''' So why did you bomb that kid's school?\
74	'''Obama:''' That's why the call me O-bomb-a!\
75	''[Camera cuts to Obama holding a coffee cup that says "That's why the call me O-BOMB-A!", accompanied by a laugh track]''\
76	'''Secretary:''' [[LamePunReaction This show sometimes.]] ''[Drinks out of a coffee cup that says "This Show Sometimes"]''
77	* In the ''Series/YoungSheldon'' episode "[[Recap/YoungSheldonS5E05StuffedAnimalsAndASweetSouthernSyzygy Stuffed Animals and a Sweet Southern Syzygy]]", Coach Wilkins gives Coach Cooper a "world's greatest dad" cup, then later takes it back as he doesn't deserve it.
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
81	* ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse'': In "Tutter's Tiny Trip", Tutter buys a coffee mug that says "I ♥ CHEESE" from the cheese factory that Grandma Flutter takes him to to give to Bear as a souvenir.
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Toys]]
85	* ''Toys/LegoMinifigures'':
86	** The Computer Programmer from Series 7 comes with a mug with "C:" printed on it.
87	** The Librarian from Series 10 comes with a mug with "Shhh!" printed on it.
88	** The Gingerbread Man from Series 11 comes with a mug with "Dunk me!" printed on it.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Video Games]]
92	* ''VideoGame/AlanWakeII'': Saga's daughter gave her a mug that says "Not the Worst Mom". She thought it was ActuallyPrettyFunny and the mug is now immortalized in her [[MemoryPalace Mind Place]]. She never uses it, but that's presumably because the real mug is at the opposite end of the country in either her home or office, and not the temporary field office she's using currently.
93	* Used as a RunningGag in ''VideoGame/ClubPenguin'' regarding Herbert. Detailed shots of his lair usually include a coffee cup with text, including "Illustrious Leader Supreme", "I [Heart] Dark Side" for the ''Franchise/StarWars'' crossover, "#1 Party Pooper", and "I am a Boss".
94	* In ''VideoGame/GrimFandango'', Manny ships Bruno to the gate to the Ninth Underworld in a coffin with a mug that has "Today is the first day of the end of your life" printed on it.
95	* ''VideoGame/TheStanleyParable'': The StandardOfficeSetting is littered with random coffee mugs, all of them featuring sarcastic but generic statements and jokes about mundane life, as a way to help re-enforce the feelings of conformity and boredom.
96	* A character artist for ''VideoGame/ThemsFightinHerds'' once drew a sketch of [[https://twitter.com/mane6dev/status/1386775338198392833 Oleander with a coffee cup]] saying, "I like my coffee like my MAGIC."
97	[[/folder]]
98
99	[[folder:Web Animation]]
100	* In ''WebAnimation/HunterTheParenting'' a mug saying "[[ParentsAsPeople World's Most Okay Dad Sometimes"]] can be seen in the background of a scene.
101	* ''WebAnimation/MurderDrones'': At the end of the [[Recap/MurderDronesPilot first episode]], Khan is regretfully sipping from a "1# Dad" mug ''after'' he left his daughter for dead earlier in the episode.
102	* In ''WebAnimation/OverlySarcasticProductions''' video on Zahhak the Serpent King, a figure from Zoroastrianism, Zahhak has a cup saying "World's best Shah". In one scene, [[FunnyBackgroundEvent he lets the snake growing from his shoulder sip from it]].
103	* Used a quick sight gag in ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''; One of the workers in the Atlas Military central command has a coffee mug with "#1 DAD" printed on. But the "A" has a "U" scrawled over, turning the title to "#1 DUD".
104	[[/folder]]
105
106	[[folder:Web Comics]]
107	* In the ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'', when the good doctor's mother gets cursed by a mummy, she ends up slowly decomposing into dust with Dan and Sean trying their best to put any and all dust into containers with one of them being [[http://drmcninja.com/archives/comic/23p94/ a coffee mug]] that says: "[[http://drmcninja.com/archives/comic/23p06/ YES I need THIS MUCH COFFEE you clod]]". The fact that it's comically large enough to carry almost all of Mitzi's ashes is impressive.
108	* ''Webcomic/AwfulHospital'':
109	** Dr. Man has a [[https://bogleech.com/awfulhospital/111.html "#0 Dad"]] mug full of [[BadToTheLastDrop green slime]] to go with his AmbiguouslyHuman (or [[HumanOutsideAlienInside human-shaped]]) nature and MysteriousPast. If he actually has children, they remain unmentioned.
110	** Dr. Phage, the head of the Hospital, has a [[https://bogleech.com/awfulhospital/306.html "#∞ Doctor"]] mug, matching both his opinion of himself and his general state of delusion.
111	* In ''Webcomic/BatmanWayneFamilyAdventures'', Bruce has a cup with [[DamnedByFaintPraise "World's okayest father"]], presumably a gift from Dick or Tim.
112	** Tim also has a coffee mug that reads "Coffee > Crime Fighting".
113	* Discussed in ''Webcomic/DinosaurComics'' #[[https://qwantz.com/index.php?comic=1550 1550]]. T-Rex mentions that he saw a coffee mug with a cute bear that said "good friends make life bearable". He didn't notice the bear at first, and thought it was a deep, introspective statement. T-Rex and Utahraptor then come up with various "realist mugs", such as "Maybe Mondays Aren't the Problem, Maybe I'm the Problem" and "I've Realized: Other Dads are Almost Certainly Better".
114	* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': Krosp, a talking cat, has a mug that reads [[https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060515#.YdCUJFlMFPY "What Part of 'Meow' Don't You Understand?"]] He's shown dropping a mouse into it.
115	* ''Webcomic/GrrlPower'': Blink and you'll miss it, but Sciona has a [[https://grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-624-vitamin-s/ "World's Greatest Blood Mage"]] cup in her lair. Probably leans into OverlyNarrowSuperlative too.
116	* In ''Webcomic/LitterboxComics'', Fran is frequently shown with a coffee mug that says "#10 Mom". She also has one that says "Liquid Patience".
117	* ''Webcomic/AMiracleOfScience'': Towards the end of the comic, two technicians running a space telescope that monitors routine space traffic have a conversation about a strange navigation warning message they got. [[spoiler: Turns out that the Martians are doing a bit of LoopholeAbuse, because they signed a treaty forbidding them to deploy military vessels beyond the orbit of Phobos without mentioning that they're perfectly capable of moving said orbit wherever they please.]] One of them is holding a mug that says "[[JustForFun/TropersDoItWithoutNotability Astronomers do it in the dark]]".
118	[[/folder]]
119
120	[[folder:Web Original]]
121	* In the very first ''Website/RejectedPrincesses'' comic, emperor Aurelian can be seen brooding over a map of the empire (which is currently on fire) and sipping from a cup saying "NVM I AVGVSTVS", which the author translates as "#1 boss".
122	* One image on the internet shows a coffee mug from the University of North Texas (UNT)... [[CountryMatters with a very unfortunately placed handle.]]
123	[[/folder]]
124
125	[[folder:Web Videos]]
126	* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'' has a RunningGag that Sam Riegel will have a new cup each season. In campaign 1, he has a giant tankard, because a regular tankard would look huge in proportion to his character (a gnome). In campaign 2, he drinks from a small metal flask similar to the one his [[TheAlcoholic alcoholic]] character Nott drinks from. Then a giant version of the same flask. In campaign 3, he drinks from a gasoline jug. His character for that campaign is a robot.
127	* ''WebVideo/TheTourettesGuy'' once showed callous indifference towards his son falling down the stairs, only angrily yelling at him to stop falling down the stairs like an idiot before turning his attention back to the newspaper he was reading. The entire time this plays out, a "#1 Dad" mug is prominently displayed on the table next to him.
128	[[/folder]]
129
130	[[folder:Western Animation]]
131	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': Gumball's sadistic and self-centered teacher Miss Simian has a coffee mug that reads "I ♥ Myself." It also has a frowny face at the bottom.
132	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}''. Despite being a ruthless crime boss who outwardly presents himself as deathly serious, Silco's office desk is strewn with some unprofessional objects like a coffee mug with Jinx's doodles on them. It's a subtle way of showing that for all his ruthlessness, Silco's developed a genuine soft spot for his adopted daughter.
133	* In an episode of the ''WesternAnimation/EarthwormJim'' cartoon, Professor Monkey-For-A-Head sips from a mug that has a picture of Jim's crossed out face on it.
134	* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''
135	** In one episode, when Brian briefly works for Stewie, he has a cup saying "Life's a beach". Stewie takes issue with it for some reason, and cites HR complaints (to which Brian responds that he's the only employee).
136	** In another episode, Chris tells Peter and Lois that they're the best parents ever after they decide to take him to Space Camp to cheer him up. Peter then barges into a random couple's house and takes their "World's Best Mom and Dad" cups, with the husband acknowledging that when he and his wife bought those cups, this could happen.
137	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': In "[[Recap/FuturamaS2E19TheCryonicWoman The Cryonic Woman]]", Leela washes a mug that says "Universe's #1 Space Pilot", then sets it down next to Fry's mug, which says "Universe's #4307697 Delivery Boy".
138	* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': In "Boss Mabel," Mabel (as the Mystery Shack's new boss) drinks from a mug reading "#2 Boss" and reminds Dipper, Soos, and Wendy that "the real #1 is you!"
139	* ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'':
140	** Alastor, a deer demon, is frequently seen drinking from a mug labeled "Oh Deer".
141	** In another episode, pimp Valentino has a mug labeled "Pimpin' Not Simpin'."
142	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'':
143	** In the "Chintzy" Merrie Melodies music video (part of "[[Recap/TheLooneyTunesShowS1E24TheShelf The Shelf]]"), when Daffy is unimpressed with the childhood photo of him and Porky together the latter got him for his birthday, he explains to him in song why expensive gifts are better than chintzy ones. One of the lyrics in the song is "A coffee mug that says MY BEST FRIEND will find a new home in my trash bin."
144	** In another episode, Bugs' [[MustHaveCaffeine coffee addiction]] has gotten completely out of control and made him dangerously loony. His doctor orders him to cut coffee entirely, but Bugs is able to convince him to let him drink one cup a day. [[LoopholeAbuse And Bugs drinks one cup a day, all right]]: a cup big enough to hold at least five gallons.
145	* ''WesternAnimation/MoralOrel'': Reverend Putty has a mug that says "I Hate My Boss". Of course, since he's a reverend, that would mean {{God}} is his boss.
146	* ''WesternAnimation/ThePatrickStarShow'': In "[[Recap/ThePatrickStarShowS1E1LateForBreakfastBummerJobs Bummer Jobs]]", when Patrick is pretending to act like Cecil, he sits at a desk with a tie and a "Best Son Ever!" coffee cup.
147	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
148	** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS10E21MontyCantBuyMeLove Monty Can't Buy Me Love]]", when Mr. Burns appears on a radio show called "Jerry Rude and the Bathroom Bunch", Jerry himself is revealed to have a coffee mug in the shape of a toilet. The bowl is where the coffee goes.
149	** A RunningGag in later seasons has Homer sipping from joke mugs that [[KleptomaniacHero clearly belong to Ned Flanders]].
150	** Principal Skinner has a coffee cup that says "[[PuttingThePalInPrincipal PrinciPAL]]".
151	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderman'' brings us Doctor Octopus, who proudly sips from an "Evil Genius" coffee mug.
152	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': In "The Executive Treatment", while in a business office, Patrick high dives into a mug with a bored face that says "Have a Mediocre Day" on it.
153	* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': While discussing what to do with Peridot in "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E21CatchAndRelease Catch and Release]]", Steven is drinking out of a mug that says "World's Best Stephen" on it. Apparently, the shop didn't have any Steven-with-a-V mugs.
154	[[/folder]]

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