The Cartoon IQ Test

From the recent issue of THE NEW YORKER magazine.

It's from their cartoon issue. They have a feature called "the Cartoon IQ Test" I DON'T GET IT.

What it is is a good lesson in what NOT to do when writing a joke. If a punch line is vague it's a bad joke. I feature two of their examples. And here's the key. Even once you know the actual captions these jokes are still not funny.

Audiences have to follow. If they're groping around trying to get what you're going for, you're dead. And trust me, they won't grope for long. No one wants to put in a lot of effort when it comes to a joke. It's clear, you get it, you laugh. It's not clear, you don't bother.

The first example is some sort of metaphor but that's a big leap. In the second one you have no idea what those puddles are. If they are blood he's lost about a pint already. If the puddles are oil then why does a bicycle need to carry that much oil?

I get the sense that this feature is designed to put the blame on you for not getting the jokes. After all, it is the New Yorker, and if you don't get the jokes then you're obviously just not smart enough. But it's not your fault. It's the writer's. These jokes are not "ahead of their time". They're poorly constructed.

This is the kind of stuff we'll deal with this weekend in The Sitcom Room. Looking forward to meeting you attendees.

Anyway, here's the explanation and two examples from the feature:

I Don’t Get It On occasion, we publish a cartoon so ahead of its time that it boggles the mind, making us reconsider the very essence of comedy itself. We present here five of these confusing cartoons, along with their intended meanings. But watch out—each cartoon is accompanied by three unintended meanings. See if you can determine the real one, or just sigh, give up, and check the answers below.

1

1.
The caption is: "Marsha!"

A. The plug is shocked to see someone using a Type A socket with no ground slot, thus increasing the chances of an electrical fire.

B. “Marsha!,” like our “23 skiddoo,” is a hilarious catchphrase that all the kids are saying today.

C. A talking electrical plug? Now, that’s just plain goofy!

D. Using a metaphor, this cartoon shows how funny it is that human sexual intercourse can often feel as cold and mechanical as the transfer of A.C. electricity from a socket to a plug.

2

2.
The caption is: "Maybe you shouldn't try to shave on the way to work."

A. The biker is upset because he has shaved off his prized goatee.

B. The biker accidentally nicked his bike’s oil reserve while shaving.

C. The biker has attempted to multitask by shaving while riding his bicycle to work, and the result is facial lacerations and comical amounts of blood loss.

D. As the old saying goes, “Shave on the way to work, you're a Grade A jerk.”

The answers are D and C.

P.S.
Me again. In reference to some of the commenters: I don't mean to suggest that all New Yorker cartoons aren't funny. Quite the opposite. For the most part I think they are. In fact, I think they have a very high batting average. And trust me, I am NOT an intellectual. I'm just reacting to this feature. When I read it I thought, "Oooh, what a good learning tool." However, I FULLY agree that the winning entries of their weekly caption contest are usually lame.