2010-01-23
Explanation
In this single-panel comic, a father walks down a sidewalk with his young daughter, who asks an impossibly awkward question: "Daddy, why do all men have one hand that looks softer than the other, as if it'''s been moisturized several times a day for years?" The caption below reads: "I'''ve decided I don'''t want observant children after all."
The joke is a masturbation reference wrapped in the format of an innocent child'''s observation. The daughter has noticed a real physical phenomenon -- that one hand might appear smoother or softer than the other -- and innocently asks about it, not understanding the implied explanation. The father'''s mortified reaction in the caption suggests he previously wished for intelligent, observant children, but has now realized that too much observational skill in a child can lead to deeply uncomfortable questions.
The votey panel adds a second layer with the father offering a desperate deflection: "Bowling. That is all." He is clearly grasping at the first plausible alternative explanation he can think of, trying to shut down the line of inquiry before it goes any further.