2012-03-04
Explanation
This comic contrasts two approaches to parenting under the headings "Normal Parenting" and "Effective Parenting." In the first panel, labeled "Normal Parenting," a parent with glasses tells their teenage daughter, "I'''m not sure you'''re old enough to engage in sexual behavior right now." The daughter stands with her arms crossed, looking uncomfortable. In the second panel, labeled "Effective Parenting," the same parent enthusiastically says, "Oh! You'''re gonna have so much fun at prom! What boys really like is to have their testicles treated like the doorknob of a stuck door you'''re trying to open."
The joke plays on the idea that simply telling teenagers not to do something (the "normal" approach) is often ineffective because it can feel like a challenge or an invitation to rebel. The "effective" approach, by contrast, involves the parent being so embarrassingly enthusiastic and giving such horrifyingly specific (and terrible) advice that the teenager would be completely mortified and put off from any romantic activity altogether.
The votey (bonus panel) shows the daughter being escorted away by a police officer, implying that she actually followed the parent'''s terrible advice at prom, leading to legal consequences. This dark punchline underscores that the "effective" parenting approach, while funny in theory, would be disastrous in practice.