2014-02-05
Explanation
The Joke
The comic reimagines the myth of Sisyphus. A figure (presumably a god or overseer) tells Sisyphus that he is cursed to push a stone up a hill only to see it roll back down over and over again. Sisyphus reacts with despair ("Noooo!"). The overseer then adds a twist: "Okay okay, addendum: each time the rock rolls back down, a meaningless counter will say you've 'advanced' one level." Sisyphus immediately switches to excitement and shouts "Woohoo!"
The Humor
The joke is a commentary on gamification and how easily humans can be motivated by arbitrary progress indicators. The punishment of Sisyphus -- endlessly repeating a futile task -- is essentially the same activity as many video games and mobile apps, where players perform repetitive actions but are kept engaged by leveling up, earning points, or advancing through meaningless numerical milestones. The comic suggests that the only difference between eternal torment and entertainment is the addition of a progress bar. This satirizes both the gaming industry's use of psychological tricks and humanity's susceptibility to feeling rewarded by numbers going up, even when nothing of substance has changed.
References
The comic references the Greek myth of Sisyphus, who was condemned by the gods to roll a boulder up a hill for eternity, only to have it roll back down each time he neared the top. The myth is famously discussed in Albert Camus' philosophical essay "The Myth of Sisyphus" (1942), which uses it as a metaphor for the absurdity of human existence. The "meaningless counter" and leveling system parody mechanics common in video games, particularly mobile and casual games that use progression systems to keep players engaged in otherwise repetitive gameplay loops.