2014-02-22
Explanation
The Joke
A child asks her mother where puppies go when they die. The mother gives the classic comforting answer: to a magical, wonderful place with a great big park, all the snacks they could want, and a zillion other puppies. The child is thrilled. In the next panel, the child runs to her father and exclaims, "Daddy! I wish I was dead!"
The Humor
The joke highlights an unintended consequence of making the afterlife sound too appealing to children. The mother's well-meaning description of doggy heaven -- an idyllic paradise of parks, snacks, and puppies -- is so enticing that the child logically concludes she would rather be dead so she can go there too. The father's alarmed expression sells the punchline. The comic points out the inherent absurdity in religious or comforting descriptions of the afterlife: if heaven is truly that wonderful, the logical response would be to want to go there immediately. It is a darkly comic take on the paradox of trying to comfort children about death without accidentally making death sound desirable.