Explain SMBC — the wiki for Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

teleportation

2015-08-19 View on smbc-comics.com → 1 revision
teleportation
Votey panel for teleportation
This explanation is incomplete or may contain errors. It was generated by AI and has not yet been reviewed by a human editor.

Explanation

The Joke

A man excitedly announces he is testing a new compact teleportation device. He explains that you only have to bring it to your face to be instantaneously transported to the alley behind Taco Bell. His wife responds flatly: "Bob. You are not even a scientist. I want a divorce." The final panel shows Bob face-down on a pillow, muttering "Phew... close one" -- implying the "teleportation device" was really just a bottle of alcohol that causes him to black out and wake up behind Taco Bell, and that he is relieved his wife did not realize the full extent of his drinking problem, or alternatively that he is relieved she only wants a divorce rather than uncovering something worse.

The Humor

The humor works on multiple levels. First, there is the absurdity of a man presenting his alcoholism as a scientific invention -- the "compact teleportation device" is clearly a bottle, and the destination (the alley behind Taco Bell) is the stereotypical place where someone who has drunk themselves into a blackout might wake up. Second, the wife's withering response -- noting he is not even a scientist -- undercuts his grandiose framing entirely. The final panel's "Phew... close one" adds a dark comedic twist: rather than being upset about the divorce, Bob is relieved, suggesting either that the divorce is preferable to his wife figuring out the truth, or that his priorities are so skewed by his drinking that he considers this a favorable outcome.

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