2010-09-17
Explanation
This comic is a simple two-panel comparison of what the phrase "She's/He's cute" means when used by women versus men. When a woman says a man is "cute," it is presented as a softened way of saying he is not quite attractive but she would still be interested. When a man says a woman is "cute," the joke twists it into a much darker meaning -- that she is not quite old enough to legally consent, but he would still be interested.
The humor is dark and satirical, playing on gendered double standards around the word "cute." For women, "cute" is a mild qualifier about attractiveness. For men, the comic exaggerates it into something creepy and predatory. The joke works by setting up a parallel structure where the reader expects a symmetrical observation about dating language, then subverts expectations with a disturbing punchline on the male side.