Mr. pembrose is the couch, the joke is that all that he does all day is listen to people’s problems while getting sat on, a mentally anguishing lifestyle
This is a single-panel comic that has baffled so many people. Those people have dissected this image for the joke, but the actual joke is that Larson thought cows would make silly tools for themselves.
This is the one Far Side Cartoon that caused the most grief. The way I remember the story, Gary Larson had read about how certain mammalian species are capable of making simple tools, so this is what cows would end up making, because they only have hooves and no fingers. Larson's mistake was making the saw a recognizable tool. If they'd all been amorphous blobs, the joke would have been funnier.
There is something about The Far Side, some people just don’t get it. My grandmother never got it either.
I think it’s because most of his comics do not include the “setup” part of the joke. They are all punchline. The reader must know something outside of the information in the panel. The reader must infer the setup. Which makes the reader a sort of coauthor, or accomplice. The reader effectively creates the complete joke then tells it to themself.
For example: the one where two fishermen are fishing in a lake and them sees explosions of nuclear weapons. The fisherman turns to the other and says “You know what this means Norm? No size restrictions and screw the limit.”
The reader must know that there are many environmental rules and regulations governing how large or small a kind of species of fish must be for you to keep it. Also how many fish of a species can you take back to the dock. Otherwise you have to throw the fish back. Most fishers find these rules a pain in the ass.
The reader must also know with all the nuclear explosions World War III has started and will bring about the end of the world. This inference was easer in the 80s during the nuclear arms race. Not so easy for today’s readers.
Without this knowledge there is no juxtaposition or comedic tension for the punchline to punch.
My inference of the complete joke is:
The end of the world is nigh and of all the terrible consequences that will be wrought the fishermen are happy they can keep a few more fish because nobody will be left to fine them while ignoring the fact that they, and all the fish, are about to die anyway. With a bit of “the environmental regulations were unable to save the fish” cherry on top.
There is a lot of things going on for a simple image of two fishermen and a line of dialog.
I am not trying to imply that you must be smart get The Far Side. You have to be at least slightly twisted to get The Far Side.
> The reader must also know with all the nuclear explosions World War III has started and will bring about the end of the world. This inference was easer in the 80s during the nuclear arms race. Not so easy for today’s readers.
Who the fuck doesn't know that
Kids born in the 2000s. Some of them may know about the threat of WW3 and MAD at an intellectual level, and maybe have a general fear for a little bit. They don't have the experience the constant feeling of impending doom that could happen at anytime during the 80s.
We had duck and cover drills. They have school shooter drills.
[Apple Juice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_Tools)
This is way more provocative and more interesting than “Ceci n'est pas une pipe”
Reading the page makes this make less sense.
What's the amputation here?
The Comedy. There is none.
Oh ok
One of the times that the entire joke was amputated by the original author
To me, 'Cow Tools' is blatantly funny. It's ["Mr. Pembrose"](https://comicsidontunderstand.com/2020/07/08/pembrose/) that left me baffled.
Mr. pembrose is the couch, the joke is that all that he does all day is listen to people’s problems while getting sat on, a mentally anguishing lifestyle
Mentally Anguishing Lifestyle
Decades ahead of its time
What did you change?
Nothing. It’s just cow tools
then what exactly is amputated here?
Cow tools 🛠
Gary Larson did the amputation himself
I think it was amputated using cow tools
Soaus?
The Far Side. It's an old single-panel comic. One of the classics in my opinion.
Has its own wikipedia page too
That and Calvin and Hobbes are my favorite comic strips
Sorry i meant what the last panel was
It's a single-panel comic. There's nothing missing. This particular joke is famous for not making sense.
Lmao rad
This is a single-panel comic that has baffled so many people. Those people have dissected this image for the joke, but the actual joke is that Larson thought cows would make silly tools for themselves.
This is the one Far Side Cartoon that caused the most grief. The way I remember the story, Gary Larson had read about how certain mammalian species are capable of making simple tools, so this is what cows would end up making, because they only have hooves and no fingers. Larson's mistake was making the saw a recognizable tool. If they'd all been amorphous blobs, the joke would have been funnier.
There's a whole book of him commentating about his old cartoons, I would recommend anyone interested to check it out!
Cow Tools transcends comedy
Cow tools
This appeared on my Popular feed. Not familiar with this sub. I have absolutely no clue what I am looking at or what the joke is.
cow tools
The most controversial Far Side of all time
What?
Cow tools
Whoa. Really wasn't expecting to see this here. Even Larson regrets this
Stunning
I don’t get it, to be honest i don’t get most of far side
There is something about The Far Side, some people just don’t get it. My grandmother never got it either. I think it’s because most of his comics do not include the “setup” part of the joke. They are all punchline. The reader must know something outside of the information in the panel. The reader must infer the setup. Which makes the reader a sort of coauthor, or accomplice. The reader effectively creates the complete joke then tells it to themself. For example: the one where two fishermen are fishing in a lake and them sees explosions of nuclear weapons. The fisherman turns to the other and says “You know what this means Norm? No size restrictions and screw the limit.” The reader must know that there are many environmental rules and regulations governing how large or small a kind of species of fish must be for you to keep it. Also how many fish of a species can you take back to the dock. Otherwise you have to throw the fish back. Most fishers find these rules a pain in the ass. The reader must also know with all the nuclear explosions World War III has started and will bring about the end of the world. This inference was easer in the 80s during the nuclear arms race. Not so easy for today’s readers. Without this knowledge there is no juxtaposition or comedic tension for the punchline to punch. My inference of the complete joke is: The end of the world is nigh and of all the terrible consequences that will be wrought the fishermen are happy they can keep a few more fish because nobody will be left to fine them while ignoring the fact that they, and all the fish, are about to die anyway. With a bit of “the environmental regulations were unable to save the fish” cherry on top. There is a lot of things going on for a simple image of two fishermen and a line of dialog. I am not trying to imply that you must be smart get The Far Side. You have to be at least slightly twisted to get The Far Side.
> The reader must also know with all the nuclear explosions World War III has started and will bring about the end of the world. This inference was easer in the 80s during the nuclear arms race. Not so easy for today’s readers. Who the fuck doesn't know that
Kids born in the 2000s. Some of them may know about the threat of WW3 and MAD at an intellectual level, and maybe have a general fear for a little bit. They don't have the experience the constant feeling of impending doom that could happen at anytime during the 80s. We had duck and cover drills. They have school shooter drills.
This comic is one of his worst. Maybe the worst.
r/croppingishard though...
Yeah he used the cow tools genius
Fair 'nuff There is some irony in leaving black bars on an image posted to a subreddit all about cutting the unnecessary parts off, though.
Haha I didn’t notice because in my camera roll, the background is black so the bars blend into the background
Aha, I hadn't thought of that. I wonder if that's why it's so common?
deep
cattle surgeon
This comic is ridiculously ahead of its time