Let’s face it, as funny as Gary Larson’s masterpiece,The Far Side, is, it’s got a few gags that can easily go over someone’s head. Larson’s strip infamously reveled in the line between the surreal and the minutia of daily life and that magic touch of his created dozens, if not hundreds, of funny gags.
But some gags are just downright perplexing. Whether it’s cows acting like people or people acting like children,someFar Sidestripsare just plain hard to explain, at least to some. Read on to see just howconfusing someFar Sidestripsreally are.
10If Pets Wore Hats
Publication Date: December 12th, 1981
If there’s one thingThe Far Sidedoes well, it’s anthropomorphize animalsfor a lark. While this gag doesn’t have mankind’s furry friends holding down jobs or talking about life, it does humanize them in one particular way. This strip posits a study where pets wear hats. The dogs wear baseball caps, the cats wear fedoras and a bird inside a house wears a sombrero way too big for its cage.
And that’s it. Is the joke that the animals would all just wear hats that reflect them? Dogs get baseball caps for their rough-and-tumble lifestyle, while the more serious felines get more serious fedoras? Then why does a bird get a sombrero? Oris thisFar Sidegag a commentary on pointless and wasteful studies? As silly as the scenario is, it’s hard to get the intended joke.
9Bewitched
Publication Date: August 19th, 1982
Despite the timeless nature ofmostFar Sidestrips, even Larson couldn’t help occasionally using pop culture to help him craft a gag. In this particular tip of the cap to Hollywood,it showcases a writers’ room for the showBewitched, and one writer is enthusiastically describing a plot for an episode(a formulaic one at that) while one of the writers internally notes that she likes the idea for the episode.
This strip does require one to know about the usual set-up of aBewitchedepisode, but is Larson pointing out that there’s no real need for a writing room for a sitcom which generally does the same thing over and over? Then what’s the point of the one writer saying that she likes it?It’s gotThe Far Side’sstyle, but its humor here is a bit more subtle.
8Cheetah Wheelies
Publication Date: January 12th, 1985
The Far Sidecan usually say a lot without saying much. In this strip, Larson takes readers to a plain where a couple of antelope are watching a coalition of cheetahs. But instead of the cheetahs trying to pursue the antelope, they’re all just having the time of their lives, running around and popping ‘wheelies’. The thing is, none of them are riding motorcycles, so their wheelies are just them running around on their hind legs with their front ones in the air.
Sure,The Far Sideis meant to be absurdand the idea of cheetahs goofing off while doing mock wheelies is one that can make a hardened person crack a grin. But is it just the absurdity here or is there a deeper pun or joke about cheetahs pretending to pop wheelies like cyclists?
7Mr. Sun
Publication Date: June 25th, 1983
One of the funnier aspects ofThe Far Sideis seeing scientists or other academic professionals behavein ways that people wouldn’t imagine they’d act like. For this strip, Larson has two astronauts deep in space and in deep trouble. Their capsule is far off-course and one of the astronauts highlights the gravity of their situation. Not only are their controls jammed, but they are heading straight for the sun or, as the astronaut refers to it as, ‘Mr. Sun’.
Maybe this is a case of overthinking and the joke is that this is an incredibly grave matter and the astronaut is referring to the impending disaster in such a childish way. But is there anything else here ordoes the humor of thisFar Sidegag come from what should be a trained professional suddenly regressing in the face of danger?
6How Flowers See Themselves
Publication Date: July 9th, 1984
It’s clear from his numerous strips that Gary Larson absolutely loves nature. ThisFar Sidestrip is divided into two sections, the first one taking a look at a group of regular, ordinary daisies and labeled “How we see flowers”. Right below it is another panel labeled “How they see themselves” and the five daisies now all have faces with long noses and big teeth,making them look more like traditionalFar Sidecharacters.
This is definitely a harder one to understand. There’s no real clever visual gag and the daisies, while they’ve all got goofy appearances, aren’t that funny-looking,at least, compared to any otherFar Sidecharacter. Maybe the joke has to do with perspective, but it’s hard to tell what Larson was going for with this strip.
Publication Date: January 29th, 1985
Again,The Far Siderevels in the absurd. But this gag goes a bit further and posits a wild and perplexing scenario. Here, a woman is talking with a barber, who explains what happened during her (presumably) husband’s recent haircut. Apparently, their conversation got political and during the trim, the barber took a little too much off the top until Roy’s head was nothing more than a tiny mass on top of his shoulders.
The joke is probably just Larson taking a humorous scenario and taking it to the extreme. But is that really it? Was this a bigger commentary on how political discourse can negatively affect working relationships? Or wasThe Far Sidejust using this to remind readers to not piss off their barber while in the chair?
4The Other Side
Publication Date: June 12th, 1981
SometimesThe Far Sideisn’t about trying to make readers laugh, but rather, think. So with this strip, Larson pulls out one of the oldest gags in the book, asking why the chicken crossed the road. But, in trueFar Sidestyle, it gives it a unique twist. Here, the chicken is on one side of the road, while the other has a billboard advertising ‘The Other Side’, which has the tempting slogan “Do you need a reason?”.
Does the humor of this Far Side strip come from the chicken as he gawks at a signthat tempts him so? Or is Larson using this strip in a more meta sense, asking the reader if they really need a reason to know why the chicken crossed the road?
3The Big Horse
Publication Date: July 12th, 1985
SomeFar Sidestrips are just so wild and out-there, readers have no choice but to go along with the logicin them. This strip is set in the Wild West days and a bank robber has just gotten away with cash. The sheriff doesn’t seem too worried about the robbery, nor that the thief is getting away, and he points out to his deputies that they can take “the big horse”.
And yes, he means that literally, as the sheriff’s department has a horse three times as big as an average-sized equine. The idea of a ‘big horse’ is comical, sure, but why exactly is it needed now, especially when the robber is just getting away?The Far Sidehas a lot of interesting ideas, but sometimes it’s too abstract for its own good.
2Late Squid
Publication Date: June 21st, 1985
The Far Sidepresents a world where the mundane meets the surreal, and nothing says that better than this offbeat strip. A ship is under attack by a giant squid, and its passengers are swimming for their lives. However, the squid pauses in their attack, noting that it’s already 6:30 and that they’re in trouble.
Who exactly is the squid in trouble with? And why the arbitrary time, like 6:30? Are they late for an appointment or another attack or is some unseen authority requesting their presence? Perhaps there’s nothing deeper to this strip, and it’s just a delightful mix of real life and surrealism. Butif there’s a deeper meaning to thisFar Sidestrip, it’s kind of hard to find.
1Cow Tools
Publication Date: October 28th, 1982
What other joke inThe Far Side’sentire history has stirred up more debate among fans than this incredibly infamous gag? The idea is incredibly simple. It shows a farm wherea cow, aFar Sidestaple, has assembled a collection of roughshod imitations of toolslike saws and hammers. The cow stares on blankly and the caption simply reads ‘Cow Tools’, leaving it up to the viewer to determine the joke.
Is it because these tools are what cows are capable of making, given their limitations? Or are these the tools cows would use inThe Far Side’sworld? Many readers have been stumped over the true meaning ofwhat Larson was going for with this Far Side strip and chances are, people will be debating it for years to come.
