2013-12-30
Explanation
The Joke
A parent gives their child Billy a "Where's Waldo" book. Before the child can even try to find Waldo himself, the parent uses image recognition software on a tablet to instantly solve the puzzle, declaring "Puzzle complete." The child protests that he did not actually do anything. The parent then launches into a philosophical monologue about how life without struggle and hardship has no meaning -- that there is no distinction between happiness earned and happiness given, and that this realization is also somewhat depressing. The child says he had never thought of it that way. In the final panel, the parent announces to their spouse that they have replaced Billy with an orphan named Dave, and the new child celebrates enthusiastically.
The Humor
The comic operates on several escalating levels of absurdity. First, there is the comedic mismatch of using advanced image recognition software to "help" a child with a Where's Waldo book -- completely missing the point that the fun is in the search. When the parent realizes their mistake and philosophizes about the importance of struggle and challenge, the joke seems to be heading toward a heartfelt lesson. But the punchline swerves sharply: rather than learning from this insight and letting their child experience challenges, the parent takes the philosophy to an extreme and absurd conclusion by literally replacing their comfortable child with an orphan who will presumably appreciate things more. The orphan's ecstatic "WOOHOO!" underscores the dark comedy -- struggle and hardship apparently do make you more grateful, but the method of achieving this lesson is horrifying.