flawed-2
Explanation
This comic personifies a Red Delicious apple, depicted standing dramatically between what appear to be classical columns or curtains, delivering a theatrical monologue about its downfall. The apple declares: "My fatal flaw was that I was beautiful, and so beautiful that I was loved for that... I held things together through all the ages of modern agriculture, a modern supply chain! By God, I held the line! But my looks, the features that made me valuable, were my undoing. And then I was made to ride like a trophy wife grown old."
The caption below reads: "The Red Delicious story has all the elements of Greek Tragedy."
The joke is a surprisingly apt comparison between the arc of the Red Delicious apple variety and the structure of a Greek tragedy. In reality, the Red Delicious apple was selectively bred over decades primarily for its appearance -- its deep red color and iconic shape -- at the expense of flavor and texture. It became the most widely grown apple in America largely because it looked good, but as consumers eventually prioritized taste, the Red Delicious fell from grace. Many people now consider it mealy, bland, and one of the worst-tasting apple varieties.
This genuinely does mirror Greek tragedy: the protagonist's greatest strength (beauty) becomes their fatal flaw (hubris/overreliance on appearance), leading to an inevitable downfall. The comic finds humor in applying this grandiose dramatic framework to the mundane story of a supermarket apple variety, while also being a sharp piece of food commentary.