2011-11-14
Explanation
This comic plays with the idea of reincarnation by presenting life in the womb from the perspective of an unborn baby who believes the womb is the entirety of existence. The fetus reflects philosophically: "Ahh... it'''s a shame life only lasts nine months. My end draws closer every second. It'''s been a life well-lived, and I..." The baby treats birth as death, savoring its final moments in what it considers a complete life.
When a light appears (the birth canal opening), the baby interprets it as the classic near-death-experience tunnel of light, gasping about "the embrace of the afterlife" and imagining "what sublime beauty waits beyond the pale of eternity." The baby emerges with a serene, Buddha-like expression, only to be confronted by the shocking reality of the outside world -- screaming doctors, laughing parents, and overwhelming stimulation. The baby cries out, "What the -- where are the golden gates?!" and "Where are the ageless angels?" before letting out a horrified "WAAAAAAAAAH!"
The joke works on multiple levels. It reframes the familiar newborn cry not as a reflexive response but as existential horror at discovering that the "afterlife" is actually just regular life. It also satirizes human assumptions about death and what comes after -- suggesting that our expectations of paradise might be just as naive as the fetus'''s. The votey panel has the baby demanding "Give me boobs," bringing the lofty philosophical tone crashing back to earth with the mundane reality of a newborn'''s actual priorities.