You've been hired to discover what creature is making those noises in the attic. Mr's V. is at the bottom of the stairs you're standing on. You open the trap door and spot the creature. Do you dare take your eyes off it to look at Mrs. V. while announcing you've found it? Would this not be dangerous? Can she not hear you even if you keep your eyes trained on your quarry? Would you be able to see her anyway, with the trap door almost totally blocked by your body?
To make it clear which perspective to view it from, perhaps it needs to be two panels. Panel 1: Husband and wife on couch hearing noises from above. Panel 2: same as current cartoon, but husband speaks to "honey" instead of Mrs. V.
That's part of my point, EE--the inference made from the body language is so strong that the Mrs V reference is set aside as inconsistent with what's "obvious". Not by everyone, of course! but by more than just me :).
Your point is understood. My point is that it doesn't matter if it takes a few extra seconds to get it as long as you get it. Your first thought is, Mrs. V? But that's EE! Either this guy thinks that's Mrs. V, or Mrs. V isn't on-screen. But wait, if he thinks that's Mrs. V, what's the joke? There is no joke. But if he's actually talking to someone we can't see, the joke is that EE is the infestation.
This was an experiment to see if I could make it clear he was looking at EE but not talking to him. If it's not working any better, I may as well return to Mrs. V.
I actually think not having a first panel makes this funnier. It's like Doonesbury: you have to wait a few seconds to get it. Having to go through the thought process makes the payoff (the joke) that much funnier.
The usually get in somewhere around the eaves. You'll probably need to go up on the roof and look around the eaves with a ladder to see everything. Or you could spend some time watching the squirrels in your yard; they'll eventually show you their way in. But once you get them out you'll have to have those soffits seen to or the little buggers'll be back sure as sixpence.
How about one of those hard hats with the light on it? I'd like to have one of those. Great for getting to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I wonder if the contractors are allowed to take those hats home with them. Almost worth a career change for that, don't you think?
Caption: anon.
Unchosen captions:
ReplyDelete"Holmes, come-- Sorry, wrong literary legend."--Julie Weathers
You want how much for your basement apartment?--Julie Weathers
Your guest room leaves a bit to be desired. --Julie Weathers
Of course the infestation isn't squirrels. Those squirrels aren't infesting, they're...
ReplyDelete...er...
...recycling!
I'm not really so sure it isn't squirrels or at least one squirrel.
ReplyDeleteFunny, anon.
Can I confess to not getting the Mrs. Varmighan part?
ReplyDeleteThe guy's coming out intact. It's not squirrels.
ReplyDeleteFunny, my squirrel infestation (annual, in the soffits, the insidious little buggers) is above, not below.
ReplyDeleteI don't get the Mrs. Varmighan either.
The man is entering Mrs. V's attic, and yelling down to her.
ReplyDeleteOh.
ReplyDeleteBut he's looking up, EE!
Oh! *forehead slap* It's a matter of perspective shift, then.
ReplyDeleteYou've been hired to discover what creature is making those noises in the attic. Mr's V. is at the bottom of the stairs you're standing on. You open the trap door and spot the creature. Do you dare take your eyes off it to look at Mrs. V. while announcing you've found it? Would this not be dangerous? Can she not hear you even if you keep your eyes trained on your quarry? Would you be able to see her anyway, with the trap door almost totally blocked by your body?
ReplyDeleteAhhhhh. Hahahahaha! Now that is funny.
ReplyDeleteEE, interpretation of meaning relies more on body language than on words. We see the guy looking up; we assume he's speaking to the EE figure.
ReplyDeleteIs funnier your way tho'.
The whole point of having him name the person he's speaking to, Mrs. Varmighan, is to make it clear that he's not speaking to EE.
ReplyDeleteIt's even funnier this way, even after explanation. I thought that he was reporting to EE that there was an infestation of minions.
ReplyDeleteI like this version better.
I understood it the first time I saw it and thought it was hilarious. I guess this makes up for my confusion on the "Depends" cartoon.
ReplyDeleteMrs. V's a lucky, lucky woman.
To make it clear which perspective to view it from, perhaps it needs to be two panels. Panel 1: Husband and wife on couch hearing noises from above. Panel 2: same as current cartoon, but husband speaks to "honey" instead of Mrs. V.
ReplyDeleteThat's part of my point, EE--the inference made from the body language is so strong that the Mrs V reference is set aside as inconsistent with what's "obvious". Not by everyone, of course! but by more than just me :).
ReplyDeleteYour point is understood. My point is that it doesn't matter if it takes a few extra seconds to get it as long as you get it. Your first thought is, Mrs. V? But that's EE! Either this guy thinks that's Mrs. V, or Mrs. V isn't on-screen. But wait, if he thinks that's Mrs. V, what's the joke? There is no joke. But if he's actually talking to someone we can't see, the joke is that EE is the infestation.
ReplyDeleteIt would work better with moles.
ReplyDeleteEverything else does.
Man. I used to think this cartoon was funny, but this has pretty much killed it for me.
ReplyDeleteI would delete "an infestation" personally, but that's me all over. Actually, I thought this one was hilarious right from the start.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised it still makes sense without "Mrs. Varmighan". The power of a good editor, I guess.
This was an experiment to see if I could make it clear he was looking at EE but not talking to him. If it's not working any better, I may as well return to Mrs. V.
ReplyDeleteSorry - I'm just chain-pulling. I liked the originally (naturally!), but if folks didn't get it, then the re-write helps.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'd only just stopped having nightmares over the "Depends" incident...
Sorry, I'm one of the 'not gets'.
ReplyDeleteI had to read through a lot of comments before I got it, especially as Mrs Varmhigham had gone missing by the time I read it.
Just as Freud predicted, Kiersten! Sorry, though :).
ReplyDeleteI actually think not having a first panel makes this funnier. It's like Doonesbury: you have to wait a few seconds to get it. Having to go through the thought process makes the payoff (the joke) that much funnier.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if he should be saying your attic rather than the attic?
ReplyDeleteAnything else? Would you like him better in a brown hat?
ReplyDeleteThe usually get in somewhere around the eaves. You'll probably need to go up on the roof and look around the eaves with a ladder to see everything. Or you could spend some time watching the squirrels in your yard; they'll eventually show you their way in. But once you get them out you'll have to have those soffits seen to or the little buggers'll be back sure as sixpence.
ReplyDeleteHow about one of those hard hats with the light on it? I'd like to have one of those. Great for getting to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I wonder if the contractors are allowed to take those hats home with them. Almost worth a career change for that, don't you think?
ReplyDelete