2011-03-09

A tall vertical SMBC comic with a caption at the top reading the "comedy equation": OLD JOKE + SADNESS = NEW JOKE. The strip then runs three classic bar jokes, each twisted into something bleak. First, an anthropomorphic red-and-white mushroom enters a dim bar; the bartender (a man behind the counter) says "We don't serve your kind," and the mushroom replies "Why not? I'm a fun guy." A caption notes the mushroom is sad that he lives in a bigoted society, shown slumped alone. Second, a horse walks into a bar and the bartender asks "Why the long face?"; a caption says the horse didn't choose to look this way, shown with the horse drooping its head sadly. Third, a man walks into a bar and says "Ouch," but instead of a punchline a caption says the man's healthcare provider refuses to pay for physical therapy. The votey (bonus panel) shows plain text reading: "Why did the chicken cross the road? He had a reason at the beginning, but having succeeded realized he was still alone and the journey had meant nothing to him." The joke is that familiar comedy setups become depressing when reframed with real sadness.