2014-07-25
Explanation
The Joke
A father (drawn as a balding man in sunglasses and a red shirt) gives "some brief remarks on fatherhood." His analogy: "Imagine you're the caretaker for Michelangelo's David, except nobody understands its importance but you, and three times a day it is suddenly coated in shit."
The Humor
The joke captures the paradox of parenthood in a single vivid metaphor. A parent sees their child as an incomparable masterpiece — like Michelangelo's David, one of the greatest works of art ever created. But unlike a museum curator whose precious charge is admired and respected by millions, a parent is alone in their appreciation of this masterpiece, and furthermore the masterpiece regularly covers itself in excrement (referencing diaper changes and the general messiness of young children).
The humor works because the metaphor is simultaneously grandiose and vulgar. It perfectly encapsulates the dual reality of parenting: profound love and awe at this incredible being you have created, combined with the relentless, unglamorous physical labor of keeping a small human clean and alive. The caption framing this as "brief remarks on fatherhood" adds to the comedy — as if this is a formal speech at some event, delivered with deadpan gravity.
References
Michelangelo's David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture, created between 1501 and 1504 by Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. The 17-foot marble statue depicts the Biblical hero David and is housed in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, Italy.