2009-12-27
Explanation
This comic is a Venn diagram with two overlapping circles. The left circle (blue) is labeled "Acceptable Pet Names" and the right circle (red) is labeled "Professional Titles." An arrow points to the overlapping region in the middle, with the text: "Most irritating things you can call your wife." Examples are provided: "Dr. Sweetie," "Sergeant Cutiepie," and "Her Honor, Judge Sexypants."
The humor comes from combining two categories of address that are each perfectly normal on their own but become deeply annoying when merged. Pet names like "sweetie" and "cutiepie" are common terms of endearment, while professional titles like "Dr.," "Sergeant," and "Judge" convey respect and formality. Combining them creates a condescending hybrid that is simultaneously too familiar and too formal, producing names that would irritate anyone -- particularly a wife who might feel her professional accomplishments are being trivialized by being fused with cutesy nicknames.
The votey panel illustrates this perfectly: a woman announces "I got my PhD today!" and her husband immediately responds "Now you're Doctor Wife!" -- using her professional achievement as raw material for a new pet name. The final panel shows the woman holding what appears to be a weapon, suggesting the husband has pushed things too far. The votey captures the specific frustration of having a genuine accomplishment reduced to ammunition for an annoying nickname.