2015-02-15
Explanation
The Joke
A woman tells a man (apparently her partner) to throw out a shirt from when they were dating because it is covered in holes. He refuses, saying she does not understand -- "The shirt is cursed. It grows older. I stay the same age." She flatly replies, "No you don't." He then clarifies: "I... mean emotionally."
The Humor
The joke plays on a reference to "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde, in which a magical portrait ages while its owner remains eternally young. The man grandly claims his ratty old shirt functions the same way, keeping him youthful while it deteriorates. When his partner immediately punctures this fantasy with "No you don't," he retreats to the much sadder and more honest admission that he means he stays the same age emotionally -- i.e., he has not matured at all. The humor lies in the deflation from a supernatural claim to a confession of emotional immaturity, and in the relatable scenario of someone desperately justifying keeping an old, worn-out piece of clothing.
References
- The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) by Oscar Wilde: A novel in which the protagonist remains young while his portrait ages and shows the corruption of his soul.