2013-11-24
Explanation
The Joke
A man introduces himself at what appears to be a social gathering. When asked his name, he explains: "Gally Smith. 'Smith' is a very old name. A long time ago people used to name themselves after their jobs, so one of my ancestors was probably a blacksmith." The woman he is speaking to reacts with horror: "That's horrible! My God." Her companion mutters something inaudible. The woman then recovers and asks, "What's your name?" The final panel reveals the other person's name: "Joseph Dogfucker."
The Humor
The joke sets up a misdirection. Gally's explanation of surname origins is perfectly innocent and historically accurate -- many English surnames (Smith, Cooper, Baker, etc.) derive from ancestral occupations. The woman's extreme reaction of "That's horrible! My God" seems wildly disproportionate to this benign explanation, creating confusion. The punchline comes when her companion is revealed to be named "Joseph Dogfucker," which retroactively explains her horror: if surnames derive from ancestral occupations, then his family name implies something deeply disturbing about what his ancestors did for a living. Her reaction was not about Gally's name at all, but about the sudden, terrible realization of what the naming convention means for her companion. The joke relies on the audience making the same logical connection the woman does.