5880: Clown Without Context
| Clown Without Context |
 Made by: Crazy56U |
Explanation[edit | edit source]
The plot of the Simpsons Comic story used for this strip, "Clown Therapy", sees Krusty the Clown, upon being ordered to refrain from comedy, retiring from show business after the stress of his job gets to him (and has a meltdown live on air). As such, he winds up applying for a job at the Nuclear Power Plant.
At one point in the story, as depicted in the strip, Krusty kills time talking with Lenny and Carl, only for the former to point out he hung up a comic strip in his cubicle. After Lenny questions this (as Krusty is supposed to be avoiding comedy), Krusty bluntly points out it's a Garfield strip, causing Lenny to realize his faux pas (meaning, yes, this was yet another "Garfield isn't funny" stab).
The strip edits the dialogue slightly: Rather than be another blanket stab at Garfield, it instead goes after one of the more infamous "running bits" the strip has done (and has itself been subject to mockery on the website), the "Bachelors, baby" gag.
As an aside, one might make the argument that writing this explanation at all goes against the Author's deliberate intention of not explaining what was going on at all (see the Transcript).
The author writes:[edit | edit source]
Apparently, the Simpsons comic lasted until 2018.
Original Simpsons Comics comic: 2006-02, "Clown Therapy".
Transcript[edit | edit source]
{Krusty the Clown is shooting the breeze with Lenny and Carl at the Nuclear Power Plant near a bulletin board}
{And if you think I'm giving you any context for this, you are sadly mistaken}
Lenny {casually}: So, you ever meet Barbara Eden?
Krusty: I cream-pied her once at an awards show. Long story short, I needed to have my pupik reattached.
Carl: Wow. Jeannie kicked your butt.
{close up on Krusty as Lenny approaches the board}
Krusty {annoyed}: But I don't miss being a celebrity. The pressure to entertain was suffocating me.
Lenny {pointing to the Garfield strips on the board}: Hey, you got Garfield strips here. I thought you were supposed to avoid comedy.
(Krusty takes a sip of coffee)
Krusty: It's a "Bachelors, baby" strip.
Lenny {sheepishly rubs back of neck; blushing}: Oh.
Krusty: Well... Those shrinkage projections aren't going to depreciate themselves.
