sexy-construction
Explanation
The Joke
A woman at what appears to be a bachelorette party or similar event excitedly calls out that a "sexy construction worker" has arrived. The scene shows a muscular man dressed in a stereotypical construction worker outfit (hard hat, no shirt), a common trope from male strip shows. However, in the next panel, the man reveals: "I am actually a real construction worker, but this middle-class gig economy has forced good people into dark places."
The punchline subverts the expectation of the "sexy construction worker" being a stripper in costume. Instead, he is an actual construction worker who has been forced by economic circumstances to moonlight as a stripper at parties. What is normally a costume/fantasy becomes a commentary on economic hardship -- the "sexy construction worker" outfit is not a costume at all, but his real work clothes, and stripping at parties is the side gig he has taken on to make ends meet.
The Humor
The comic works by inverting the usual relationship between strippers and the costumes they wear. Normally, a "sexy construction worker" at a party is an entertainer playing a role. Here, the role is real and the entertainment is the desperate side hustle. The humor comes from the sudden tonal shift from lighthearted party atmosphere to grim economic commentary, delivered matter-of-factly by the man himself. It is a joke about the gig economy and wage stagnation wrapped in the visual language of a bachelorette party, making the social critique land with unexpected force.