2013-10-07
Explanation
This comic follows a man who, as a child, thinks to himself: "Hmm, I wonder what parents worry about now. I''d better send myself to the future as a spy." The strip then jumps forward 20 years, where the now-adult version contacts his younger self via some kind of radio, using spy lingo: "Young self, this is old self. Do you copy?" The younger self confirms. The adult reports that he has "infiltrated parenthood" and asks if the child knows what parents believe -- that "they can''t tell when you''re lying."
The child responds "Yeah?" expectantly, and the adult delivers the devastating revelation: "They know everything." The child screams "NOOOO!" The adult continues, growing increasingly panicked himself: "Everything is ruined!" He tries to stay calm, saying he has to cancel plans with friends, "all of whom are worse than he told them." We see him at a gathering looking paranoid as someone says "Hello, stranger" -- a phrase that now sounds ominous. The comic ends with the adult screaming "They know! NOOOO!"
The humor comes from the universal childhood experience of thinking you are getting away with lying to your parents, only to discover as an adult (and especially as a parent yourself) that parents usually know exactly what is going on. The spy-mission framing elevates this mundane realization into a dramatic thriller, as if discovering that parents can detect lies is an earth-shattering intelligence failure. The adult''s complete meltdown over this revelation -- despite being a grown-up himself -- suggests he is still processing childhood guilt.
The votey shows the man saying "Well I ain''t stoppin''" with a defiant but nervous expression, suggesting that even with the knowledge that parents can see through lies, he has no intention of changing his behavior -- a relatable bit of stubbornness.