2010-12-26
Explanation
This comic explains the real evolutionary concept of "sexually antagonistic selection," which is the idea that some genetic traits benefit one sex while being detrimental to the other. The comic uses a Darwin-like figure to illustrate: a man asks why he has "man-boobs," and the scientist explains he is essentially a carrier for genetic code that makes his mother attractive. The middle panel shows how a woman with a strong jaw might hurt her own reproductive chances, but if she reproduces, her sons benefit from that same trait.
The punchline takes this scientific concept and applies it cruelly to red-haired men. The comic concludes that "science confirms that redhaired men have it worse than anyone," because not only are they considered less attractive (a stereotype the comic plays on), but the same genes that supposedly disadvantage them would make their daughters highly desirable. The joke exaggerates and misapplies the concept for comedic effect, using real evolutionary biology as a springboard for an absurd and self-deprecating conclusion.