common-knowledge
Explanation
This comic satirizes the rhetorical tactic of dismissing challenges by implying that the answer is obvious common knowledge.
The caption at the top states the premise: "Fact: You can get away with anything as long as you imply that the reasons are common knowledge among educated people."
A man with a coffee cup confronts a woman at her desk: "Jennifer, why is there a naked man tied up with a dog leash under your cubicle?" Jennifer's response is simply: "Look, this is Econ 101."
The joke is that Jennifer deflects an extremely alarming question by invoking "Econ 101" — as if the situation is so basic and well-understood that anyone with a rudimentary education would already know the explanation. The humor lies in the gap between the deeply bizarre scenario (a naked man on a dog leash under an office cubicle) and the confident, dismissive tone of the response. By saying "this is Econ 101," Jennifer implies that questioning it reveals the questioner's ignorance rather than her wrongdoing. The comic skewers how appeals to authority and common knowledge are used to shut down legitimate questions — especially when prefaced with "Look," which adds a layer of condescension suggesting the questioner should be embarrassed for even asking.