2013-12-21
Explanation
The Joke
A man approaches a tailor and says, "Hi. You know how when you sit down, sometimes it looks like you have a boner?" The tailor cautiously responds, "...Yeah?" The man then declares, "I want that EVERY TIME." The caption reads: "The origin of pleated pants."
The Humor
The comic invents a fictional (and absurd) origin story for pleated pants. Pleated pants are well-known for creating an unfortunate visual effect where the fabric bunches up at the crotch when the wearer sits down, making it look like they have an erection. Most people consider this an embarrassing design flaw, but the comic imagines a person who specifically wanted this effect -- not as a bug, but as a feature. The humor comes from the reversal of expectations: something universally considered an awkward wardrobe malfunction is reframed as an intentional design goal. The tailor with his pincushion is depicted as the unwitting creator of this sartorial disaster because one very strange customer made a very strange request.