2011-06-23
Explanation
This comic takes the form of an observational experiment. Three scientists in lab coats stand behind a one-way mirror, watching a man sitting in a room watching reality TV. One says, "I can'''t believe he'''s still going..." Another adds, "I thought for sure he'''d realize it was a psychological experiment within weeks!" The third observes, "He must actually think other people like this stuff." Below the panel is a caption: "Fun fact: There is no such thing as reality TV." And beneath that, in a different tone: "You sick bastard."
The joke layers multiple ideas. The primary gag is the suggestion that reality TV does not actually exist as genuine entertainment -- instead, it is entirely an elaborate psychological experiment, and the only person still watching is this test subject who has not figured it out. The scientists are bewildered that anyone could genuinely enjoy this content, implying that the only explanation for watching reality TV is being unknowingly trapped in an experiment. The phrase "He must actually think other people like this stuff" adds the barb that reality TV viewers persist partly because they assume the genre must have an audience, even though -- in this comic'''s universe -- it never did.
The votey extends the meta-humor beautifully: one of the scientists asks, "That reminds me, how'''s the '''webcomics''' experiment going?" This is a self-deprecating joke by cartoonist Zach Weinersmith, suggesting that webcomics are themselves a dubious psychological experiment that people inexplicably continue to consume. It mirrors the structure of the main joke and turns the satirical lens back on the comic'''s own medium and audience.