the-bird-is-the-word
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Explanation
The Joke
A large albatross flies through the sky holding a crossbow, declaring "The bird is the word, motherfucker." The caption below reads: "In the movie version of Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the albatross shoots first."
The Humor
The humor combines multiple references:
- "The bird is the word" references the 1963 song "Surfin' Bird" by The Trashmen, which became a cultural meme. Putting this phrase in the mouth of a vengeful, armed albatross is absurdly incongruous.
- The caption references "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in which a sailor shoots an albatross and brings a curse upon his ship. Here, the scenario is reversed — the albatross is armed and strikes first.
- "Shoots first" alludes to the famous "Han shot first" debate from Star Wars, where fans argued about whether Han Solo or Greedo fired the first shot in the Mos Eisley cantina. The comic applies this revisionist framing to the Coleridge poem, as if a Hollywood adaptation would give the albatross the chance to defend itself.
The image of a majestic seabird wielding a crossbow — the same type of weapon that would have been used aboard a ship in the poem's era — adds to the visual absurdity.
References
- "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (1798) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: A narrative poem about a mariner who kills an albatross, bringing supernatural punishment upon his crew.
- "Surfin' Bird" (1963) by The Trashmen: A novelty rock song with the repeated lyric "the bird is the word."
- "Han shot first": A longstanding Star Wars fan debate about the 1977 cantina scene between Han Solo and Greedo.