2014-04-26
Explanation
The Joke
A woman at a podium explains that oxytocin is called "the love hormone" because it is associated with feelings of attraction. A man in the audience objects, saying oxytocin is also associated with aggression, labor induction, autism, and other things -- calling it "the love hormone" is cherry-picking a romantic association to give it pop appeal. He argues it could equally be called many other things.
The woman responds: "Well, when you're giving your talk on it, you can call it whatever you like. But it's associated with love, so I'm calling it the love hormone."
After a pause, the man is shown giving his own talk: "Today I'd like to talk to you about oxytocin -- the nipple clamp hormone."
The Humor
The comic satirizes how scientific concepts get branded with catchy, misleading nicknames for popular consumption. The skeptic's complaint is scientifically valid -- oxytocin has many functions beyond romantic love, and calling it "the love hormone" is reductive. But the punchline subverts his righteous objection: when given the chance to name it himself, he does not choose a more accurate name. Instead, he picks an even more reductive and provocative label ("the nipple clamp hormone"), referencing oxytocin's role in nipple stimulation and lactation.
The humor lies in the hypocrisy -- the man's objection was never really about scientific accuracy but about his own preference for which association to highlight, and his choice turns out to be far worse than the original.
References
Oxytocin is a hormone produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland. While popularly known as "the love hormone" or "cuddle hormone," it plays roles in many biological processes including uterine contractions during labor, milk ejection during breastfeeding, social bonding, and has been studied in connection with aggression and autism spectrum disorders. The comic accurately reflects the scientific criticism that reducing oxytocin to a "love hormone" oversimplifies its diverse functions.