2014-01-11
Explanation
The Joke
A single-panel comic shows a man quoting a famous line from Goethe'''s Faust: "And here, poor fool! with all my lore; I stand no wiser than before!" But he adds a modern twist: "But I did make some really good connections." The caption below reads: "Faust feels good about his MBA."
The Humor
In the original story of Faust, the scholar sells his soul to the devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. The famous opening lament is about the futility of academic pursuit -- despite studying everything, Faust feels he knows nothing of real value. The comic transplants this existential crisis into the modern context of an MBA program. The joke is that MBA programs are often criticized for teaching little of practical intellectual value while being primarily useful for "networking" -- making professional connections. So this version of Faust has sold his soul (or at least a lot of tuition money) for a business degree, learned nothing, but feels satisfied because he made good connections. The humor lies in the parallel between Faust'''s original bargain and the modern MBA experience, and the deflation of grand existential angst into cheerful corporate networking satisfaction.
References
The quote is adapted from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe'''s "Faust" (Part One, 1808), one of the most important works of German literature. The opening monologue has Faust lamenting that despite studying philosophy, law, medicine, and theology, he remains no wiser. The MBA (Master of Business Administration) is a graduate degree in business that is frequently satirized for its emphasis on networking over substantive learning.