2014-09-07
Explanation
The Joke
A news anchor tells a scientist, "Hey scientist! We need a new drug for this year. What's in this jar?" The scientist says, "That's just pure estrogen. Never heard of it. What's it do?" The bottom panel shows a breaking news headline: "Researchers have discovered a cure for pants."
The Humor
The comic satirizes sensationalized science journalism. The news anchor has no understanding of what estrogen is (a well-known hormone), treating it as a mysterious new discovery. Estrogen, among its many effects, is associated with female secondary sex characteristics. The absurd punchline -- that the news headline reports a "cure for pants" -- suggests that the media has taken this "discovery" and spun it into a ridiculous, titillating headline. The joke mocks how the media cycle around scientific discoveries works: a journalist who doesn't understand the science takes something well-established, repackages it as novel, and produces a sensationalized headline that bears no meaningful relationship to the actual substance.