2010-07-11
Explanation
This two-panel comic reimagines the Grinch's famous epiphany from Dr. Seuss's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." In the top panel, the Grinch (drawn in green with a Santa outfit) ponders the classic lines: "What if Christmas... doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!" -- echoing the original story's message about the true meaning of the holiday.
In the bottom panel, however, instead of having a heartwarming realization, the Grinch looks up the question on a website called "EconForum." The forum post asks "Question: What if Christmas doesn't come from a store?" and the answer reads: "The economy of China would collapse." This brutally practical economic response completely undercuts the sentimental message of the original story.
The joke works by colliding two worldviews: the idealistic, anti-materialist moral of the Dr. Seuss story versus cold economic reality. In the modern globalized economy, Christmas shopping is indeed a massive driver of retail sales and manufacturing, particularly in China where many consumer goods are produced. If people stopped buying Christmas presents from stores, it would genuinely have significant economic consequences. The comic suggests that the Grinch's feel-good revelation, taken to its logical conclusion, would actually be economically devastating.
The votey panel drives the point home with a sign reading "Moral: Handmade gifts are for commies," sarcastically inverting the original story's moral by framing anti-consumerism as anti-capitalist. This puts a darkly funny spin on the wholesome message that Christmas is about love rather than material goods.