2014-03-04
Explanation
The Joke
The comic is titled "Coaching Tip: Toward the end of a group exercise routine, you can yell pretty much anything for inspiration." A fitness instructor is leading a group exercise class and, in the heat of the moment, shouts: "You're feeling pain? Good! Pain is just the body's way of saying it's time to bury the squirrel for a change!"
The Humor
The joke plays on the trope of motivational fitness instructors who shout increasingly intense and nonsensical things during workouts. Phrases like "Pain is just weakness leaving the body" are common gym platitudes, and the comic starts with the familiar structure ("Pain is just the body's way of saying...") before veering into complete absurdity ("...it's time to bury the squirrel for a change"). The premise in the title -- that at the end of a grueling exercise routine, people are too exhausted and endorphin-flooded to notice what the instructor is actually saying -- explains why nobody in the class reacts to this bizarre statement. The humor lies in the idea that motivational speaking is essentially just rhythmic shouting, and the actual content barely matters as long as the delivery is sufficiently intense.