culture
Explanation
The Joke
A man gives an impassioned speech about how culture is amazing -- human beings have created an "ever-growing and immortal conversation" that began in East Africa, spread around the world, and will "soon blossom into the heavens." His companion responds flatly: "Yeah, it's great. Just great. Hurrah for culture." The caption below reads: "Fun fact: You won't go to Mars, but McDonald's will."
The comic juxtaposes a lofty, idealistic view of human culture with the cynical reality of what actually spreads across the globe and into space. The first speaker waxes poetic about civilization as a grand, transcendent project, while the punchline deflates this by pointing out that the actual vanguard of human expansion will likely be corporate fast-food chains, not philosophy or art.
The Humor
The humor lies in the brutal deflation of the romantic monologue. The companion's sarcastic "hurrah for culture" signals that he already sees through the idealism, and the caption delivers the killing blow: the grand human project of reaching Mars will indeed happen, but it will be driven by commerce rather than some noble cultural mission. It plays on anxieties about the commercialization of space exploration and the observation that wherever humanity goes, brands and franchises follow. The joke also works as self-deprecating commentary -- we are the species that brought McDonald's to every continent on Earth, so why would Mars be any different?