I asked Chatgpt and Claude to explainm this cartoon. Their answers were very different.
Im still not really sure what the cartoon means…
Chatgpt :
This comic strip is funny because it plays with the expectations of a typical “stranded on a deserted island” scenario. Here’s the humorous twist:
1. Initial Setup: The character wakes up on a deserted island and quickly realizes she needs to signal for help.
2. Message in the Sand: She writes “HELP” in large letters on the sand, hoping that a passing plane will see it and rescue her.
3. Plane’s Arrival: A plane flies over, and the woman watches expectantly.
4. Unexpected Outcome: The final panel reveals that the plane saw the message, but instead of rescuing her directly, the plane dropped paratroopers who proceed to use the word “HELP” as a template to play a game of tic-tac-toe.
The humor lies in the absurdity and unexpectedness of the situation: rather than recognizing the distress signal and rescuing her, the plane’s occupants treat it as an opportunity for a game, completely missing the point of her message. This subversion of expectations is a common comedic technique.
Claude:
This comic strip illustrates a dark humor scenario:
1. The first panel shows a woman lying on a beach, with “esther” written above.
2. She sits up and looks around the deserted beach.
3-4. She walks along the shore, picking up rocks.
5. She uses the rocks to spell out “HELP” on the sand, presumably hoping to be rescued.
6-7. She waits, looking thoughtful.
8. She returns to arranging rocks on the beach.
9. The final panel reveals she has spelled out “HELLO THERE” instead of “HELP”. Meanwhile, rescue planes and parachuters are seen in the sky, but she seems oblivious or indifferent to them.
The comic subverts expectations by having the character change her message from a call for help to a casual greeting, despite apparently being stranded. This creates a humorous contrast between her calm demeanor and the urgent rescue attempt happening around her, suggesting she might not actually want to be rescued or is oddly comfortable in her isolated situation.
