2014-12-15
Explanation
The Joke
This multi-panel comic presents a faux holiday special called "The End of Frosty." A clock strikes something ominous. Frosty the Snowman is melting and people gather around. Someone says "He returned! Just like the Christmas carol predicted!" A bearded man says "Happy birthday, Frosty!" but then argues it's just science -- "Things melt, that's just how atoms behave." Another character responds about how we could keep Frosty alive with the awesome power of friendship and love. The debate escalates as it mirrors religious arguments about resurrection and faith versus science.
The comic ends with someone announcing: "We leave out the bad, we leave out the commercialism, we leave out the condescension to women!" to which someone asks "What's left?" and the answer is: "Presents!" followed by a cheer of "Hooray!"
The Humor
The comic satirizes the "War on Christmas" debates by reimagining them through the lens of Frosty the Snowman. It parodies how people argue about the "true meaning" of Christmas -- religious conservatives wanting to keep the spiritual elements, progressives wanting to remove problematic aspects, and scientists dismissing the supernatural entirely. By substituting Frosty for Jesus (a figure who dies, is mourned, and returns), the comic strips the debate of its emotional weight and reveals how absurd the arguments sound. The punchline that after removing everything objectionable, only "presents" remain is a cynical but humorous take on modern Christmas.