2013-10-20
Explanation
The Joke
The comic depicts a couple in bed where one partner (wearing a hat/headband) starts presenting graphs and data during an intimate moment. The comic shows a graph of arousal over time, and the nerdier partner begins over-analyzing their intimate encounter with charts and statistics. The other partner initially objects but eventually gets drawn into the data analysis, finding the nerdy approach unexpectedly appealing. By the end, both are enthusiastically discussing the data and finding the analytical approach to be exciting, with one exclaiming how hot it is.
The Humor
The comedy comes from the collision of two normally incompatible domains: romantic intimacy and dry academic data analysis. The joke subverts the expectation that bringing graphs into the bedroom would be a mood-killer. Instead, the comic suggests that for a certain type of nerd couple, rigorous data analysis IS the turn-on. It parodies the stereotype of scientists and academics who cannot turn off their analytical mindset even in the most personal situations, while also celebrating that nerdiness as genuinely appealing.
Votey
The votey shows the cartoonist (Zach Weinersmith) thinking "Now to draw 10,000 dirty jokes," a self-referential meta-joke about his own prolific output of comics that blend intellectual topics with sexual humor -- essentially acknowledging that this type of joke is his bread and butter.