frequency
Explanation
The Joke
A character explains the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon (also known as the frequency illusion) to a friend: "There's this idea called the frequency illusion where once you learn a new word, you start seeing it everywhere." The friend responds that it is "mildly interesting." The first character continues: "Yeah, but it gets really interesting when you realize that the frequency illusion can actually affect how you understand things." He then provides a specific example: the word "lant," which means "to add urine to" something. In the final panels, the friend starts seeing the word "LANT" on a building sign, and screams "NOOOOOOOO" -- now cursed with the knowledge that this word exists and unable to stop noticing it.
The comic weaponizes the very phenomenon it describes. By teaching the reader the word "lant" (which does indeed mean to mix or treat with aged urine, historically used in textile processing), the comic ensures that the reader will now start noticing this word if they encounter it -- and the disturbing definition will come flooding back.
The Humor
The humor operates on two levels. First, there is the in-comic joke of the friend immediately falling victim to the frequency illusion by spotting the word "lant" on a nearby sign. Second, and more cleverly, the comic itself acts as a vector for the frequency illusion in the real reader. Anyone who reads this comic has now learned the word "lant" and its unpleasant definition, and may start noticing it in the real world. The comic does not just describe the phenomenon -- it inflicts it on you. The choice of such a gross and obscure word maximizes the comedic damage.
References
The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, or frequency illusion, is a cognitive bias first described by Stanford linguistics professor Arnold Zwicky in 2006. The term "Baader-Meinhof" was coined by a commenter on the St. Paul Pioneer Press who noticed this effect after learning about the Baader-Meinhof Group (Red Army Faction). "Lant" is indeed a real English word referring to aged urine, historically used as a mordant in dyeing cloth and in other industrial processes.