# Explain this cartoon to me? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 4, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325 "2013-02-04T18:49:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/1 "2013-02-04T18:49:05Z")
Can someone explain [this cartoon](http://www.condenaststore.com/-sp/Aphids-on-the-heliotrope-New-Yorker-Cartoon-Prints_i8643039_.htm)to me? Like, what’s supposed to be funny about it? I do _not_ get it. Usually I’m pretty good at this sort of thing, but this one’s flying right over my head. I know what an aphid is, and I know what heliotrope is. Doesn’t help. 😛 Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![colander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@colander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colander)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/2 "2013-02-04T18:54:25Z")
The joke is that the woman is getting very upset over a trivial gardening problem that does not warrant such a reaction. I swear, the New Yorker must have a policy of rejecting all cartoon submissions that are actually funny. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/3 "2013-02-04T18:57:03Z")
Well… the dog is biting his ass, the cat is grabbing his ass, the man threw up his papers as if something just bit him in the ass, and the woman is running and shouting and spraying something?? I’m at a complete loss here. My best guess is that it’s a metaphor for something biting your ass, like having aphids on a heliotrope. But I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/4 "2013-02-04T19:00:23Z")
She’s a frantic gardener. HA! HA! HA! > **[Anti-humor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-humor)** > > Anti-humor is a type of indirect and alternative humor that involves the joke-teller's delivering something that is intentionally not funny, or lacking in intrinsic meaning. The practice relies on the expectation on the part of the audience of something humorous, and when this does not happen, the irony itself is of comedic value. Anti-humor is also the basis of various types of pranks and hoaxes. > The humor of such jokes is based on the surprise factor of absence of an expected joke or of a punc... ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/5 "2013-02-04T19:03:12Z")
First world problem. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/6 "2013-02-04T19:03:51Z")
That’s not anti-humor. It’s just that you all are too young to get it. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/7 "2013-02-04T19:27:07Z")
Oookay…well, at least I’m glad to see it’s not just me! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/8 "2013-02-04T19:27:24Z")
While not ROTF hilarious, the humor (like much of George Booth’s work) is in the frenetic action, especially the animals, in response to a trivial problem. It’s a funny _ **drawing** _ and the punchline is not what makes it work. ---
**Author:** ![colander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@colander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colander)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/9 "2013-02-04T19:28:51Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > While not ROTF hilarious, the humor (like much of George Booth’s work) is in the frenetic action, especially the animals, in response to a trivial problem. It’s a funny _ **drawing** _ and the punchline is not what makes it work. The animals are only upset because of the woman’s shrieking. It’s not funny and doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/10 "2013-02-04T19:28:57Z")
**colander** nailed it. It’s a cartoon by Booth, many of whjose cartoons aren’t subtle or “ha ha” funny. The joke in this one is her agitation and the looks and reactions from the others in the cartoon. It’s really a bit of drawn slapstick, and as subtle as a sledgehammer. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/11 "2013-02-04T21:53:52Z")
> [@colander](#): > > . . . I swear, the New Yorker must have a policy of rejecting all cartoon submissions that are actually funny. [For decades!](http://www.condenaststore.com/-sp/It-s-broccoli-dear-I-say-it-s-spinach-and-I-say-the-hell-with-it-New-Yorker-Cartoon-Prints_i8562908_.htm) > [@RealityChuck](#): > > While not ROTF hilarious, the humor (like much of George Booth’s work) is in the frenetic action, especially the animals, in response to a trivial problem. It’s a funny _ **drawing** _ and the punchline is not what makes it work. I agree. The cartoon is whimsical. Light and witty. It’s droll. It compares well enough to many of James Thurber’s cartoons. Besides…go to the comics page of any big newspaper. Read the funnies. How many of them are actually funny? How often do they actually make anyone laugh? Even the great classics in the field – Pogo, or Krazy Kat, or B.C. (in its prime) – rarely elicit more than a wry grin. This particular Booth cartoon is worth a wry grin. In the world of art, that’s a victory! ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/12 "2013-02-04T22:07:54Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Besides…go to the comics page of any big newspaper. Read the funnies. How many of them are actually funny? How often do they actually make anyone laugh? Even the great classics in the field – Pogo, or Krazy Kat, or B.C. (in its prime) – rarely elicit more than a wry grin. This particular Booth cartoon is worth a wry grin. In the world of art, that’s a victory! You’ve clearly never read _Get Fuzzy_ or _Pearls Before Swine_. Pah! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/13 "2013-02-04T22:53:10Z")
You gotta pick your battles, man. Hers is with aphids. “Trolls in the dungeon! Just thought you’d want to know.” _faints_ ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/14 "2013-02-04T23:19:44Z")
They accidentally switched the captions. The original one was “My wife is a slut.” ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/15 "2013-02-05T03:23:25Z")
It’s not as funny as the Far Side version. (I can’t find it on Google, I am weak.) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/16 "2013-02-05T04:23:07Z")
> [@colander](#): > > The animals are only upset because of the woman’s shrieking. It’s not funny and doesn’t work. As I said, it’s the _drawing_ of the animals that’s funny. If you take everything literally like that, then you’re missing out on life. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/17 "2013-02-05T04:55:10Z")
I try to be open mind and not assume that everything I don’t find artistic isn’t artistic, and I guess I should extend that to humor. I REALLY enjoyed Portfolio - I love Wired - The New Yorker isnt bad just never did anything for me, and I never found the cartoons funny. Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > Many early New Yorker cartoonists did not caption their own cartoons. This seems to jive with what RealityChuck wrote (not trying to put words in his mouth). Do people that find this funny/wry find it JUST as funny without the caption? ---
**Author:** ![colander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@colander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colander)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/18 "2013-02-05T05:33:18Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > As I said, it’s the _drawing_ of the animals that’s funny. > > If you take everything literally like that, then you’re missing out on life. I don’t think there is a figurative/literal divide here. I do think that old rich white people got some comedy problems going on. I guess they don’t need to make anyone laugh, though. That is their valet’s job. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/19 "2013-02-05T06:05:29Z")
I find this hilarious, but (I assume) not for the intended reason. I know it’s not meant as meta-humor, but I can’t help but see it in a meta-humor sort of way, parodying the inscrutable, obscure nature of the stereotypical New Yorker comic. I mean “aphids on the heliotrope” – what a great, completely New Yorker-intellectual punchline. It’s just so stupidly silly to me. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325/20 "2013-02-05T07:10:01Z")
Also, “heliotrope” is vaguely funny, all by itself. Like “nosegay” or “antipasto.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-cartoon-to-me/649325.md?page=2)