Rendezvous
Explanation
The Joke
A man at what appears to be a bar or cocktail party is trying to use a pickup line on a woman. He says: "Hey girl, is it illegal for nations to appropriate you under Article II of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty? Because your body is... celestial." The woman stands next to him looking distinctly unimpressed, with her eyes closed in an expression of exasperation. The caption below reads: "I am no longer allowed at Space Law conferences."
The comic takes the structure of a cheesy pickup line but filters it through an absurdly specific legal-academic lens. Instead of a generic compliment, the man references a real provision of international space law — Article II of the Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits national appropriation of celestial bodies — to call the woman's body "celestial." The punchline reveals that this happened at a Space Law conference, and the consequence of deploying such a terrible line in a professional setting is that he has been banned from attending.
The Humor
The comedy works on multiple levels. First, there is the inherent absurdity of a pickup line that requires knowledge of obscure international treaties to even understand. Second, there is the wordplay on "celestial body" — a term of art in space law referring to moons, planets, and asteroids — being repurposed as a compliment about physical attractiveness. Third, the deadpan caption delivers the consequence with a matter-of-fact tone that implies this is a pattern of behavior, not an isolated incident. The woman's unimpressed expression perfectly sells the cringe factor.
References
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty (formally the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space) is a real and foundational piece of international space law. Article II states: "Outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means." Space law is a genuine academic and legal specialty, making the conference setting plausible.