2012-03-08
Explanation
In this comic, a man on a date is told by his companion that she doesn'''t have sex on a first date. Rather than accepting this gracefully, he launches into an elaborate philosophical argument about epistemology and the nature of reality. He explains that all of reality is constructed in the brain, that sensory perception is unreliable (you see an apple as red even when local lights put blue wavelengths into your eyes), and that the only confirmation of objective reality is through shared human experiences. He argues that intimate contact is the greatest form of shared experience.
Building to his grand conclusion, he asks: "Sandy... if we don'''t have sex on the first date, do we even exist?" Surprisingly, she says "Yes" -- apparently won over by his philosophical argument. Emboldened, he pushes further, suggesting a lesser act would also "confirm reality." The final panel reveals the punchline: "And that was when she stopped returning my calls." He overplayed his hand, ruining what his convoluted philosophical seduction had somehow achieved.
The votey shows a brief callback where someone asks "Do you think reality ex--" and is immediately cut off with "YES" -- suggesting people are now so tired of this pseudo-philosophical pickup line that they won'''t even let the question be finished.