what-its-like
Explanation
The Joke
The comic is titled "What It''s Like" and shows people on what appears to be public transit. Someone asks "So what do you guys do?" A bearded man with glasses launches into a tirade, identifying himself as a racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-Semitic bigot who enjoys bringing frivolous lawsuits against minorities, and who also wishes he could kick puppies and eat babies. When he asks "And you?" the other person meekly replies: "I''m a male teacher." His companion adds: "Oh my God, an unsegregated math class." The implication is that the mild-mannered male teacher is viewed as equally shocking or controversial.
The Humor
The comic satirizes moral panic and cultural stigma surrounding male teachers, particularly those working with children. The joke sets up an extreme contrast: one person is openly and proudly a monster in every conceivable way, listing an absurdly long catalog of prejudices and cruelties. Yet the punchline reveals that admitting to being a male teacher provokes a reaction of equal or greater horror — as if teaching math in a co-ed classroom is somehow as scandalous as the litany of bigotry just described. This lampoons the real-world suspicion that male teachers (especially of young children) sometimes face, where their career choice is treated with unwarranted suspicion simply because of their gender.