pudding
Explanation
This comic explores the question of why people eat dessert after a meal, playing on the tension between rational explanation and the simple truth.
In the first panel, a child asks: "Mom, why do people eat dessert pudding? Why eat a ball of chocolate in the middle?" The child is questioning the cultural convention of finishing a savory meal with something sweet.
In the second panel, the mother offers a sophisticated, culturally-informed answer: "There are cultural differences. In some countries they eat dessert on the left-hand side of the plate." She gestures toward the information as though there is a nuanced, anthropological explanation for dessert customs.
The third panel shifts to an alternative answer: "You're saying there are ninety norms and everyone else is..." suggesting that perhaps the real explanation is simpler than cultural analysis would suggest.
The final panel delivers the punchline in darkness, with just a quiet "Aahhhh" -- implying that the real reason people eat dessert is simply because it is delicious and pleasurable, not because of any complex cultural rationale. The darkness and the satisfied sigh suggest someone secretly enjoying dessert in a moment of pure, uncomplicated bliss.
The humor lies in the contrast between overcomplicating a simple pleasure with academic or cultural explanations when the real answer is obvious: people eat dessert because it tastes good and it feels wonderful.