2010-01-11
Explanation
This comic depicts two people in old-fashioned deep-sea diving suits standing underwater. One says "This is stupid. This is so stupid," while the other enthusiastically responds "Will it be stupid when we CORNER THE MARKET?!" The caption below reads: "The market for Aquaprostitution never fully matured."
The joke operates on multiple levels. The absurdity of attempting prostitution while wearing bulky, antiquated diving helmets underwater is the primary source of humor. The entrepreneurial optimism of the second diver -- convinced they are going to "corner the market" on an obviously impractical and nonexistent industry -- parodies the kind of delusional confidence seen in bad business pitches. The caption, written in a deadpan historical-documentary style, confirms that this venture was indeed as doomed as the skeptical diver suspected.
The votey panel shows one of the divers talking to a potential client, saying "Give me two hours and twenty minutes to take this off, and I will rock your world!" This extends the joke by highlighting the extreme impracticality: the old-style diving suits were notoriously difficult and time-consuming to remove, making the entire enterprise even more laughably unworkable.