2009-12-30
Explanation
This comic contrasts the mythological figure of Cupid with a lesser-known counterpart called "Friendo." In the first half, Cupid is shown in his traditional role: the winged cherub fires an arrow at a man, who then declares "I love you" to the woman next to him. This is the classic romantic trope where Cupid's arrow causes people to fall in love.
The joke comes in the second half, which introduces "Friendo," a disheveled, non-angelic figure who uses a slingshot loaded with wet mashed potatoes instead of a bow and arrow. When Friendo's projectile hits the woman, instead of falling in love, she responds to the man's affection with "You're a nice person" -- the quintessential friend-zone response. The humor lies in the parallel structure: just as Cupid is the supernatural force behind romantic love, Friendo is imagined as the supernatural force behind being friend-zoned.
The votey panel shows the cartoonist Zach Weiner himself depicted as a nude, Cupid-like figure carrying a book of "Dirty Jokes" and a scroll, with a banner reading "Weiner." This is a self-deprecating gag, casting himself as yet another mythological figure in this pantheon -- one whose divine purpose is delivering crude humor.