2014-12-14
Explanation
The Joke
A professor-like character is lecturing about a creature that lives in caves and burrows, describing how it has evolved very little skin pigmentation, big eyes that became less useful so it developed a big nose, a low center of gravity with large feet, big ears (like lips) to sense nearby fish or small mammals, and makeup and hair that come off. The student notes: "But the makeup and hair come off, don't they?" The professor responds: "That's called 'hostility.'"
The creature being described is clearly a clown, but the lecture is framed as though discussing a real biological organism adapted to underground life -- like a cave-dwelling animal.
The Humor
The comedy works on two levels. First, the professor's description of a pale-skinned, big-nosed, big-footed creature with removable colorful features perfectly matches both a cave-adapted animal and a clown, creating a wonderful double meaning. Second, when the student points out the obvious flaw in the biological framing (that the makeup and hair "come off," meaning they are artificial), the professor deflects by calling the observation "hostility" -- as if questioning the premise is a personal attack rather than legitimate scientific inquiry. This satirizes how some academics react defensively when their theories are challenged.