2012-08-15
Explanation
This comic presents "The Cosmological Rorschach Test," which poses the question: what is the first universe someone imagines after learning multiverse theory? The premise is that your initial response reveals something about your character and biases, much like an inkblot test reveals aspects of psychology.
A man sitting with a woman responds to learning about the multiverse by asking, "So there'''s a universe where women are smarter than men?" The woman immediately declares, "Annnnd you'''ve failed." His response is telling because it implies he assumes women are not as smart as men in our universe, and that it would take an entirely separate universe for that to be the case. The joke is that his answer inadvertently exposes a sexist assumption, and the "test" catches it immediately.
The votey panel extends the humor with a self-deprecating meta-joke. The cartoonist (Zach Weinersmith) thinks, "So there'''s a universe where comics matter?" and a voice responds, "Nope" -- suggesting that even across the infinite multiverse, comics remain culturally insignificant. This adds a layer of self-aware humor about the cartoonist'''s own medium.