2011-07-19
Explanation
This comic is about a teacher struggling to get her male algebra students to do their homework. She complains to her partner in bed, who suggests she "sleep on it." Later that night, he is shown writing something with a mischievous grin. The following week, the teacher is thrilled that every student got 100% correct, and offers any reward they want.
The final panel reveals the trick: the homework problem reads "8x + 0.5x = 12 -- Solve for sex." The word "sex" is written so that the "s" and "e" look like they could be crossed-out characters, making it appear like "Solve for x" at first glance, but the teenage boys clearly read it as "Solve for sex," which motivated them to actually do the work. The joke plays on the stereotype that teenage boys are singularly motivated by sex, and that this motivation could be hilariously redirected toward academic achievement with a simple visual trick.