2013-06-27
Explanation
In this comic, a man confidently tells a woman, "Baby, I don'''t mean to brag, but I'''m a student-loans-paid-offionaire." The woman appears flustered and impressed, clasping her hands together. The joke is a play on the word "millionaire" -- instead of boasting about having a million dollars, the man brags about having paid off his student loans, treating it as an equally (or even more) impressive financial achievement.
The humor taps into the widespread cultural anxiety about student loan debt, particularly in the United States, where the burden of educational debt has become a defining financial struggle for younger generations. The comic suggests that in modern times, simply being free of student loan debt is such a rare and desirable status that it functions as a pickup line on par with claiming great wealth.
In the votey (bonus panel), a woman at a computer wonders aloud, "Is financial responsibility cooler, or am I--" and someone responds, "You'''re just older." This adds another layer to the joke, suggesting that finding financial responsibility attractive is not a sign of changing values but simply a sign of aging.