2011-06-09
Explanation
This comic retells the story of the Trojan Horse as a metaphor for a common relationship dynamic. The first panels show the classic scene: Greek soldiers present the Trojan Horse as a gift, the Trojans bring it inside their city walls, and the Greeks burst out and attack. The final panel cuts to a modern-day scene where a man tells a woman: "I don'''t want a serious relationship. I just want more chances to have sex with you." She replies: "Okay... I guess you can move in then..."
The comic draws a parallel between the Trojan Horse deception and the way people sometimes use dishonest framing to achieve a domestic goal. Just as the Greeks presented an invading army as an innocent gift to get past Troy'''s defenses, the man frames moving in together not as a serious commitment but as a casual arrangement -- and the woman, like the Trojans, accepts the obviously suspicious offer. The implication is that the man will effectively end up in a serious relationship despite his stated disclaimer, just as the Trojans ended up with an army inside their walls despite thinking they were accepting a harmless gift.
The votey panel shows the man sweeping the floor with a broom, labeled "Soon..." -- confirming that he has indeed moved in and is now performing domestic chores, fully embedded in the serious relationship he claimed not to want. The Trojan Horse metaphor has come full circle, though in this version, it is unclear who actually got tricked.