Many fans praise The Far Side for its intellectual approach to comedy, but that wit can be as much of a weakness as it is a strength within Gary Larson’s work. On numerous occasions, Larson’s more complicated punchlines resulted in comics that came off as more confusing than humorous to many. As much as we love The Far Side for its genius wordplay and clever references, these qualities have harmed as many comics as they’ve elevated.
As beloved as his work on The Far Side was – and still is today – Larson had a tendency to put more thought into jokes than was often necessary, culminating in comics that border on being incomprehensible to most readers. Certain jokes require extensive knowledge of subjects that Larson is well-versed in, alienating the average reader, whereas others contain references that audiences will need to look up online in order to grasp. Here are 10 Far Side comics that are simply too smart for their own good.
First Published: October 28th, 1982
The first entry on this list may not have the smartest punchline in and of itself, but The Far Side‘s reputation for having smarter jokes beneath the surface has led to it being commonly misunderstood. This cartoon depicts a cow siiting in front of misshapen and poorly-designed tools, with the caption simply describing these as “cow tools”.
For decades, readers have debated the meaning of this comic and speculated that there’s more to it beneath the surface, but Gary Larson himself has laid the controversy to rest. The joke is simply that cow tools would be ineffective. However, Larson’s history of witty comedy has conditioned audiences to seek more, conveying how the series was often too smart for its own good.
First Published: August 2nd, 1980
Many of The Far Side‘s comics tell a story without utilizing a caption. While some of these are able to get their full point across in the absence of an explanation, other cartoons can be confusing and would benefit from a quick caption for those with less biological know-how. Here, a group of people are asleep in sleeping bags, and one of them emerges from the sack as a butterfly.
The joke isn’t clear in this cartoon until one recalls the idea of metamorphosis in insects. Thus, it becomes apparent that this comic is showing a caterpillar as it emerges from a cocoon to become a butterfly. Unfortunately, the single-panel story doesn’t depict that cause-and-effect process and instead trusts the reader to piece that together.
8
The Far Side Trusts the Reader Too Much When It Comes to Edgar and “His Purpose”
First Published: January 30th, 1986
As mentioned before, one of the biggest issues with The Far Side for many readers is the fact that Larson trusted his readers to a fault when it came to interpreting his work. Although this quality can be a strength, it ultimately led to many readers scratching their heads at certain punchlines, and this comic is one of the most blatant offenders in that regard.
A man named Edgar pulls out a peculiar device from his couch cushion, and the caption reads, “Edgar finds his purpose.” To this day, this “purpose” doesn’t stick out immediately to the viewer. Perhaps this cartoon intends to convey a metaphor about people finding their purpose in unusual forms, though there isn’t enough offered for the average reader to reach that conclusion.
7
The Far Side Presents a Rhino in Repose, Then Fails to Explain
First Published: December 14th, 1985
One of the hallmarks of The Far Side is its peculiar brand of humor that relies on eliciting a bewildered response from the reader. This effect, described by Gary Larson as the “What-the?” reflex, shows that he has succeeded at his goal of creating puzzling work that leaves readers mulling it over long after they’ve read it. Here, the simple concept of a rhino standing becomes far more complex, causing most readers to say, “What the?”
A rhino stands in a field beneath the moon with one leg up, and the caption describes this scene as “the rhino in repose”. The thought-provoking caption seems to imply that there’s more to the joke than a rhino standing still, yet that depth remains unclear.
6
This Far Side Cowboy Is Funny Enough, But The Actual Joke Is A Bit Too Smart
First Published: April 29th, 1982
Gary Larson’s fascination with the Old West definitely makes itself known throughout The Far Side, with this cartoon being one of many that stars cowboys. Here are 10 more Far Side comics that feature cowboys from the Old West partaking in various wild shenanigans.
While most of these examples include obvious punchlines, this main one falls a bit flat due to the layers on display. A cowboy being thrown through a window is humorous enough, but the full joke requires an understanding of Old West tropes that is on par with Larson’s. Essentially, it’s common for cowboys to get thrown out of saloon windows in stories, but those who aren’t as acquainted with the genre as Larson might miss that true punchline.
5
The Far Side Crafts Many Jokes That Get Misunderstood by Readers
First Published: January 16th, 1987
This Far Side cartoon features a joke where the simpler explanation is funnier than the intellectual intention. Here, the story appears to be easy enough to comprehend. A man looks outside and sees a cat strewn up, and he says, “The dog ain’t goin’ for the new cat.”
It looks like the humans are trying to lure the dog into a trap by sacrificing the cat, but Larson has offered an explanation that contradicts that idea. According to Larson, the dog is the one who tied up the cat rather than the humans, clearing up the confusion surrounding this “almost universally misunderstood” comic. However, the dog performing a mafia-like plot doesn’t make sense with the caption, so Larson should have gone for the easier joke.
4
Peanuts Crosses Over With The Far Side, But The Joke Isn’t Easy to Spot
First Published: December 11th, 1987
A Peanuts crossover should be easy to understand on paper, since Peanuts is intended to be appreciated by younger and older readers alike, but Larson threw in a joke that most kids would fail to fathom. A group of explorers looks shocked as they find Lucy van Pelt hidden in the rocks, and the caption claims that “a second ‘Lucy’ is discovered in southern Uganda”.
The joke here seems to be that discovering another Lucy would be a major anthropological discovery due to the fact that another Lucy existing long ago from an earlier point in human development would change everything. Sadly, it takes too long to parse the meaning of this comic for the joke to land, so it’s much smarter than it is funny in the end.
3
The Far Side’s Shark Joke Would Land Better If It Wasn’t So Complicated
First Published: February 22nd, 1986
Once again, the issue with this Far Side comic is that it requires too much thought, and it’s difficult to laugh at a joke after you’ve already sat and contemplated it for a period of time. In this cartoon, a shark stares at his reflection in the mirror as remoras dangle from his chest. The caption vaguely describes this image as “the heartbreak of remoras”.
Someone who’s familiar with marine life may be aware that remoras, or suckerfish, often cling to sharks. The joke, then, could be that the remoras on this shark’s chest are sucking at his chest as a metaphor for the pain of heartbreak. With that being said, while Larson’s joke is clever, it isn’t particularly humorous unless you know a lot about fish.
2
This Mind-Boggling Far Side Cow Joke Doesn’t Stick the Landing
First Published: November 28th, 1984
The Far Side‘s most confusing jokes tend to feature cows, as Larson loved to put bovines in absurd scenarios and imbue them with human behavior. Here, the joke doesn’t land as well as Larson might have hoped it would. One cow sits with a beer in hand while another stands with a fancy glass of wine, and she says, “Wendell…I’m not content.”
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For those wondering what the joke is, it requires a bit of a history lesson. Beyond the obvious visual gag of the two cows’ contrasting lifestyles, the “contented cows” pun stems from an old slogan for Carnation condensed milk. Larson may have gotten a kick out of this witty reference, but the majority of readers – especially modern readers – will miss this punchline entirely.
1
The Far Side’s Smartest Joke Is Also Its Most Widely Misunderstood
First Published: January 15th, 1991
In this last cartoon, a man and woman find themselves stranded on a rock, and the man informs his companion that they’ll have enough food to survive because there are oysters and mussels “all the way to the top”. On the surface, the joke seems to be that the man’s optimism is unfounded as they’ll run out of food eventually. However, in The Complete Far Side Volume Two, Larson explained the punchline and revealed just how convoluted it truly is:
Let me be the first to acknowledge that even if you were to understand this thing, it’s not exactly going to send you into gales of laughter. (Let’s just call it “quiet humor,” okay?) Here’s the cartoon decoded: If you’ve managed to escape some disastrous event at sea, you would be well advised to note where the various crustaceans and mollusks are making their little homes. Because “home” to these creatures is anywhere that is comfortably below tide. (I knew I was in trouble when a marine biologist friend called me and asked me to explain this one.)
Most readers aren’t educated on crustaceans the way that Larson seems to be, causing this joke to fall flat. The Far Side‘s wit is one of its strong suits, but cartoons like this one demonstrate that Larson’s genius could be to his work’s detriment on occasion.
The Far Side
- Writer
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Gary Larson
- Colorist
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Gary Larson
Summary
Written and drawn by Gary Larson, The Far Side is a comic strip series that ran from December 1979 to January 1995. A worldwide hit, The Far Side explores life’s surreal side and uses a mix of humans and anthropomorphic animals. As of 2020, Gary Larson decided to pick his pencil back up again and has started The Far Side up, circulating the comics on his official website.
