2014-08-12
Explanation
The Joke
A couple is walking through a forest in springtime. One person comments that "trees always look so contented in the springtime." The other responds that the tree is "currently releasing tree ejaculate in every direction at the same time" -- it is "boning the entire countryside without having to move an inch."
In the final panel, the first person asks "What's this sudden feeling of smallness and dissatisfaction I'm feeling?" The other replies: "That's called the human condition."
The Humor
The comic works by reframing the romantic view of spring through a crudely biological lens. What people poetically describe as trees "blooming" or "blossoming" is, in biological terms, the mass release of pollen -- which is indeed the plant equivalent of sperm. The comic forces the reader to confront the fact that the beautiful, serene trees of springtime are actually engaged in aggressive, indiscriminate reproduction on an enormous scale.
The final punchline adds a layer of existential humor: upon learning that a tree is effortlessly reproducing across an entire landscape while he can barely manage his own love life, the man feels a sudden pang of inadequacy. His companion labels this feeling "the human condition" -- the perennial sense that nature operates with an ease and efficiency that humans, with all their consciousness and anxiety, can never match. The comic turns a pleasant nature walk into an existential crisis.
References
Pollen is the male gametophyte of seed plants, and its release during spring is a form of sexual reproduction. Many trees are wind-pollinated, releasing vast quantities of pollen into the air to maximize the chance of reaching female reproductive structures on other trees.