# 'Splain this Far Side cartoon to me. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 26, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223 "2006-02-26T21:32:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/41 "2012-07-23T20:14:44Z")
> [@bup](#): > > 1. The parakeet is there to be part of the scam - if the parakeet starts uttering things (“I’m dead - how are you?”), then that’s ‘contact.’ The parakeet appears to be headless. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/42 "2012-07-23T20:17:55Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > The parakeet appears to be headless. That’s just a Larson bird - many of his figures have squished little heads. Edit: [here’s a scanned picture of it from the paper](http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19940909&id=pK1NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XPwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3623,4783539). Many times a “Far Side” was just funny (or supposed to be funny) on its face - no underlying meaning meant. I think this is just one of those “aren’t people who go to have a seance for their pet ridiculous and stupid?” ones. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/43 "2012-07-23T20:19:02Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > The parakeet appears to be headless. He’s just resting. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/44 "2012-07-23T20:24:37Z")
Nope…Bootsie GAVE the requested sign by biting off the parakeet’s head! ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/45 "2012-07-23T20:48:30Z")
Heh…my favorite is still the captionless one with the bowl of piranhas and the petshop cat with two wooden legs. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/46 "2012-07-23T21:15:44Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > It’s “whoa.” > > Carry on. > > –Cliffy, pedant > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Of course we would hear from Cliffy right after a _Cheers_ reference. It should have said, “The ancient Patagonian’s spelled it W-H-O-A.” > [@Munch](#): > > Edit: [here’s a scanned picture of it from the paper](http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19940909&id=pK1NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XPwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3623,4783539). Is it just my eyes, or does there appear to be a cat’s tail sticking out of the customer’s dress’s armhole? As if the cat was sleeping in the woman’s laundry and she didn’t notice when she got dressed. So maybe Bootsy isn’t “dead” but simply “missing”, and the woman is trying to use the medium to help find him. Or maybe the cat crawled into the dryer and _is_ dead, and the woman doesn’t notice she’s got a dead cat in her dress. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/47 "2012-07-23T21:18:34Z")
> [@mostbizarrefarside](#): > > 1. Woman is having a seance, caption reads in part “Bootsy! We are calling you from the world of the living!..Are you there, Bootsy? Give us a sign, Bootsy!” There is a parrot or parakeet in a cage nearby, but otherwise nothing notable. Any guesses? I’d say (assuming Bootsy is a cat), cats don’t listen to people is the joke, ie the medium isn’t getting anything. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/48 "2012-07-23T21:22:06Z")
> [@Mister Rik](#): > > Or maybe the cat crawled into the dryer and is dead, and the woman doesn’t notice she’s got a dead cat in her dress. It was lured there by signs saying “CAT FUD”. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/49 "2012-07-23T21:24:24Z")
I think the “cat tail” is just shading. ---
**Author:** ![Vicullum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/6de8d8/32.png) [@Vicullum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vicullum)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/50 "2012-07-23T21:27:08Z")
As for the “Bootsy” cartoon I think the humor is supposed to be the fortune teller is calling out to the spirit of the woman’s dead pet in much the same way you’d call out to your pet dog to, say, fetch a ball. Or it could just been the absurdity of a woman holding a séance for her dead pet. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/51 "2012-07-23T21:29:46Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > Nope…Bootsie GAVE the requested sign by biting off the parakeet’s head! Yeah, when I zoom in the bird is headless (with a neck). The fuzz on the arm is shading and there’s a shadow on the dress. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/52 "2012-07-23T21:32:15Z")
Seems to me the funny part is the psychic’s expresson, eyes rolling, like “Good grief, the crap I have to put up with… Seance for cats…!” ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/53 "2012-07-24T00:07:27Z")
Someone needs to track down Larson’s email address dammit. We need answers! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/54 "2012-07-24T01:46:38Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > He’s just resting. But what lovely plumage! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/55 "2012-07-24T02:00:29Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > But what lovely plumage! That’s your typical Norwegian Blue. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/56 "2012-07-24T03:02:21Z")
This has always been one of my Far Side favorites. [http://www.ourscreendoor.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/farside-12.jpg](http://www.ourscreendoor.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/farside-12.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/57 "2012-07-24T04:34:07Z")
Some of Larson’s panels were really well composed. One of my faves (can’t find it yet) was of a guy getting his mail at a bank of mailboxes in the lobby of his apartment building. Lurking in the shadows is an elephant in a trenchcoat, who was there because of something the guy did in the far past and, as the elephant reminds him: elephants never forget. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/58 "2012-07-24T07:09:29Z")
_When the moon hits your eye Like a big pizza pie That’s remoraaaaa!_ ---
**Author:** ![azraiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@azraiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/azraiel)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/59 "2012-07-24T07:31:22Z")
Wow! I know that a lot can be read into Far Side cartoons, but this…? The Bootsy joke is simply about the way we call our pets. Ya’ know, a cold reader might get the name “John” and say "There’s a lot of people who want to talk to you, but I get the feeling that someone named John has something very important to say to you. Are you there, John? Come forward please. _aside_ he seems reluctant. He could be upset about something, or he could be feeling shy… [let mark volunteer reason for hesitance]. Continue. Far Side: “Madam Psychic, as a tired spinster I’d like to speak to the other side to know how everyone’s doing. Specifically, how’s my cat ‘Bootsy’?” “Well, there are a couple of people around, but not too many. Wait! I just saw a streak of something head behind the bookcase! Bootsy! Booooooootsy! He’s not coming out.” “Here, shake his food container–that always brings him out…” Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here to explain the jokes all week. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223/60 "2012-07-24T12:21:39Z")
> [@azraiel](#): > > Wow! I know that a lot can be read into Far Side cartoons, but this…? > > The Bootsy joke is simply about the way we call our pets. > > […] > > Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here to explain the jokes all week. So can you “explain” why the parrot is missing its head? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-this-far-side-cartoon-to-me/346223.md?page=4)