2012-07-27
Explanation
This comic is titled "Funtime Activity: Sudden Unprovoked Insults." Two people are sitting together, apparently having a friendly conversation, when one of them suddenly pivots to deliver a nerdy insult. He sets it up like a riddle: "Hey, you know how you'''re like the difference between Java and C++?" His companion takes the bait, cheerfully asking "Heh, no. How?" The punchline lands: "Lots of people care about it, but your mother never will."
The joke works on multiple levels. On the surface, it'''s a classic "your mother" insult, implying the victim'''s mom doesn'''t care about them. But it'''s wrapped in a programming joke that adds an extra layer of nerdiness. The difference between Java and C++ is a topic that generates passionate debate among software developers but is utterly meaningless to most people outside the tech world -- especially, the joke implies, to this person'''s mother. The humor comes from the contrast between the intellectual setup and the juvenile punchline, as well as the sheer randomness of deploying such an insult mid-conversation.
The votey panel continues the theme of childish insults with the same character smugly adding "Also your face is poo," which undercuts any remaining pretense of cleverness with the most basic schoolyard taunt possible.