Leonardo6/ny_cartoon_1k huggingface dataset:
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: He's always had his head in the clouds, but THIS ??? Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the term "head in the clouds" --- usually, this is a figurative expression to describe a dreamer, an absent minded person, etc. But here, the person outside the plane not only is absent minded, but also, literally has his heads in the clouds by virtue of standing on a cloud at cruising altitude for the plane.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Well, don't put it on the menu if you can't catch one. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A snooty diner at a restaurant might complain that an item shouldn't be on the menu if the supply has ran out. Here, the employee of the restaurant is a bear, so instead of the complaint being about running out of inventory bought from a supplier, the complaint is about running of out fish because the bear couldn't catch one in the river. It's funny partly because, if a bear were to work at a restaurant, catching fresh fish might be a reasonable job because they do that in the wild regularly.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I keep forming inappropriate attachments. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the term "attachments" --- usually, if a patient were speaking to their therapist about their inappropriate attachments, they would be emotional attachments that aren't healthy, e.g., with an abusive partner. But here, the patient is an octopus, so the attachments are literally physically attached to its suction cups on its tentacles --- they are inappropriate perhaps because the octopus liberally touches/attaches to other people/objects.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Okay. Now you be the naughty mosquito, and I'll be the tormented sporting goods salesman. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A literal enumeration that pokes fun at the specificity of some people's sexual kinks --- here, the combination of items in the bedroom (helmet, racket, fake bug antenna) are seemingly irreconcilable, but the caption simply verbosely explains them away as a woman's very specific interest. It's funny because this is probably not an interest that anyone has (even though people do have specific interests).
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Your slogan should be 'Rest assured. My wife will do it.' Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: The man, Walter Gruenby, is planning to run for political office, but he's very lazy (indicated by his relaxing in the yard), compared to his wife. While the man has aspirations of political grandeur, his wife retorts by saying she does everything for him, including potentially doing all of his political work, and he should thus change his slogan. A play on the idea that wives do everything and husbands do very little.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: You border patrol are good. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A joke about the difficulty of crossing the US-mexico border. Often, people will try to get into the US by crossing in very remote locations --- here, the person has tried to sneak in by going all the way to the moon. However, the border patrol guard, the astronaut holding the American flag, has found the attempted border crosser even here, to which the person can only complement the border patrol.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Do you want to go for L-U-N-C-H and maybe a W-A-L-K? Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: Dogs often learn the word "walk" and get excited if someone says it: so humans disguise the word by spelling it out so they don't recognize it and they don't feel guilty for not taking them on a walk in the moment. Here, the humans want to go to lunch separate from their co-worker dogs, so are spelling out the word lunch to not invite them.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Well, then, it's unanimous. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: The caption plays on the idea that men aren't listened to in decision making processes in romantic relationships. This company board vote isn't actually unanimous (because only the women have raised their hands), but if you don't listen to the men, it is.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Yes, Officer, they say he was about six feet four, with pointy ears and abnormally short arms. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A man is reporting a crime to the police that was perpetuated by the four cats standing on top of each others shoulders. It's a common trope in fiction that shady characters are secretly several people standing on each other, generally concealed by a large trenchcoat. But here, the man humorously doesn't seem to realize the cats are not a single entity, even though they are not concealed by a trenchcoat.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: If anybody calls, I'm not here. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: People are often bashful about being caught at their local bar drinking when they should be elsewhere, e.g., with their families. Sometimes people looking for bar regulars will call and ask if the person they are looking for is at the bar. But --- here, the person is an escaped prisoner, and the person calling would be the guard looking for him, so he has extra incentive to not be found.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Looks like another side-rise is springing up. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the term "high rise" --- sometimes people talk about these tall buildings being constructed in their neighborhood as a sign of the neighborhood changing. But here, the building is sideways, so the casual observation is repurposed to be about a "side rise".
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I was stationed at CVS during the war on drugs. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: It's funny because the general has a drugstore (CVS) receipt instead of a ribbon/medal on his chest. While generals usually serve in overseas wars and earn the more usual recognitions, this general served in the "war on drugs," a non-combat campaign to stop illegal drug trade in the US, and as a result, was given a drugstore receipt instead.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: It feels good to get out of the museum for a night. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A human couple might consider going to the museum for a night to be an exciting date night. Here, the mummies, who usually reside in the museum (e.g., the history museum's egypt section), have the opposite perspective: for them, it feels like an exciting date night to get out of the museum for a night and be normal people in a normal house. It's funny that a human couple and a mummy couple could switch places (home/museum) to both have exciting date locations.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Welcome to orientation. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: This is a play on words. "Orientation" is a common part of company on-boarding, meaning to introduce new employees to the company. But here, the orientation meeting of this company is a literal rotational orientation: the room is tilted, and needs to be re-oriented to be horizontal.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Due to financial difficulties, several board members have taken on additional duties. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: If a company was experiencing financial difficulties, board members wouldn't be making as much money: this joke takes that to a funny extreme --- the executives have become window cleaners for the building their company is in, even though board members are usually millionaires. It's funny because they are still attending the board meeting, but from their window washing platform outside.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I say we start the meeting without him. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: It's a common annoyance to wait for the final person to join a meeting before starting. These people look like they have waited an extremely long time for the final person, so long that they are sleeping and setting up camp; they finally after an absurd about of time decide to do the meeting without him.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: She got it in the divorce. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: Batman would only take the subway if he didn't have access to the batmobile. In this situation, the onlooking man notices that, and batman insecurely retorts that he lost the iconic car in a divorce settlement. It's funny to think that batman has everyday concerns like divorce settlements.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I liked my old spin class better. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the word "spin class" --- normally, a "spin class" is a type of fitness class that involves a group of people riding stationary bikes together in a room. Here, "spin class" is a different meaning: the spin is the rotation of a washing machine in a laundry mat. This unusual type of spin class is probably not as effective or fun, and it's unsurprising that the person in the machine dislikes it vs. cycling.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I didn't get it at first either, then it hits you. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on words. Modern art is hard to understand at first but a revelation about the meaning of the work could figuratively "hit you" after some time. But here, the deer are literally "hit" by a vehicle on a highway, where they would be standing if they were looking at these signs outside of the gallery.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Cancel the molten lava cake. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: This odd restaurant serves dishes that are dangerous natural disasters, like the depicted tornado/hurricane soup. If this restaurant were to serve a lava cake (usually: a benign gooey chocolate cake), we can imagine that it would consist of actual molten lava which would be dangerous. The diner looks displeased with these natural disaster disruptions to his meal.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Let's not mistake his confidence for leadership. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: Confidence in action is not the same as competence --- leaders will often confidently make terrible decisions. The hiker walking on the side of the mountain is confidently doing so, but it's a terrible idea for people to do because they will fall off the cliff if they follow. So, the two followers are being prudent to not mistake confidence for high quality leadership, they will probably live as a result.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Still not level. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: Hunting trophies (e.g., the head of a lion) can be hung on walls, but typically the animals are dead and taxidermied. Here, the lion surprisingly comes alive to eat the man trying to straighten it on the wall. Even more surprising: the nonchalant woman seems to only care about the levelness and not the well-being of her partner.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: If I start to drink too much, just pull off my lips. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: Sometimes people request that their friends watch how much they have had to drink, and to stop them if they are drinking too much. Here, the Mr. Potato Head toy makes this request, but informs the person that he should simply pull his lips off his body if he over-consumes alcohol. This is funny because on the Mr. Potato Head toy, it's possible to remove his ears, eyes, arms, etc.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Can't you just ignore the polls on this one and go with your instinct? Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A joke about an overly-analytical person who makes all their decisions based on data/polls, so much so, that she has hired an entire team of people to crunch the numbers on all their decisions. Her partner is begging her not to over-analyze their feelings for each-other, and go with her instinct instead. It's funny because some people over-analyze relationship situations, and this person takes it to an extreme.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Stop fighting it, kid—everyone eventually sings in the shower. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the phrase "swims with the fishes", which means to die, especially if one has been murdered. The mobster put the person in cement shoes, which normally causes them to drown in a body of water. But, instead of getting murdered, the person eventually will literally "sing in the shower" instead.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: No, you come in on four. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the phrases "come in" and "four" --- if a marching band were practicing their routine, they would probably discuss particular beats on which instruments "come in," or join the piece (e.g., "on [beat] four"). But in an elevator talking to the person trying to literally "come in" to the elevator, on "four" refers to floor four: the phrase would mean that the person shouldn't enter the elevator on the current floor because it's not the fourth floor.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Tell me you kept the box and receipt. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: Ancient people didn't set up the Parthenon from an Ikea-style kit, but here, they are failing to assemble it by following the instructions. Because the building is not working out, the implication is that they will return the kit, but need the box and receipt to get a refund.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: They seem too skinny for carb based life forms. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the term "carb" and "carbon". People often remove carbohydrates like bread from their diets in order to lose weight; here, the aliens are carb based life forms because they are coming out of a toaster, and the people are surprised that they are so skinny. "carb-based" life forms is a play on "carbon-based" life forms, i.e., life like humans that is based off the carbon atom.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I'm rebranding. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: Usually, pirates will have a parrot on their shoulder. But here, the pirate has a cute bunny in place of the pirate. It's funny that the pirate is rebranding from the standard trope of a hardened, criminal seaman, perhaps to a softer image.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: Run! The kid with the little red shovel is coming back! Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: The people in the ground are trapped and warning the man who only has his feet buried to escape. The all-powerful imprisoner is not pictured, but the little kid who owns the shovel in the backgorund. The implication is that the kid buried them all and they can't escape now, which is funny.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I'm haunted by the faces of my victims. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: In therapy, people will sometimes emotionally work through their guilt if they feel they have wronged people before, i.e., if they have victimized them; in extreme cases, they might be haunted by the memory of their victim's (human) faces. Here, the fisherman's victims are the many, many fish he killed during the course of his job that he can't stop thinking about. It's funny because people normally don't feel guilty for killing fish, let alone feeling guilty for each individual one (e.g., fish meat is usually measured in pounds, not lives).
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I gather you both feel you're being manipulated. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the term "manipulated" --- in marriage counseling, a person might say that their partner is making them feel manipulated emotionally, e.g., if they try to make them do things they don't want to do by playing on their emotions. But here, both partners are literally being manipulated --- the counselor is talking to two puppets who are being controlled (or manipulated) by two people via sticks.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: It's not the end of the world if he misses. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on the term "not the end of the world". People will sometimes say that, if an event went wrong, it isn't the "end of the world" i.e., it's not that big of a deal. But here, it literally might be the end of the world if the angel hit the earth pinata --- i.e., if this supernatural being hit the earth with a baseball bat, it would probably cause billions of deaths and the end of the world. But if he misses, it is literally not the end of the world.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I'm sorry. I've been burned too many times. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: To be "burned" in a romantic relationship means that people feel scorned. But here, "burned" is literal dragon fire breath, meaning that the princess has dated too many dragons before.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: One of us is about to die. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: The fish can't breathe in the air and the birds can't breathe underwater. The joke plays on the ambiguity of the situation because it's not clear whether this scene is taking place under water (the bird will die) or in the air (the fish will die).
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: It's the closest you'll get to Manhattan in your price range. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: Manhattan is notoriously expensive to buy or rent a house in because it's quite desirable to live there or as close as possible. The joke here is that, the further one gets from manhattan, the cheaper the housing, and the couple here could only afford something so far away from manhattan that the apartment is literally in outer space.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: My other two wishes were ironically misinterpreted, too. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A subtle joke about a man who wished for a larger "weiner", in reference to his genitalia --- his wish was comically misinterpreted to be a big hot dog instead. It’s funny not only because it plays on the trope of a "three wish" granting entity, and also, faustian bargains/the ironic downsides of arcane magic.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: If we time it right, I can get you in this house today. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A play on "timing" and 'get you in this house today" --- if a realtor were to say this to a couple outside of the context of a minigolf course, it would mean "if we act quickly, you can buy this house and move in today." but here, it takes on a second meaning: "if we can literally time our physical movements to avoid the windmill blades, you can physically get inside of this building."
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: The rear-facing camera let's him know I'm here. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A joke about child-rearing technology becoming over-complicated --- here, the mom has all the latest technology for her baby, including a monster-truck-esque baby carriage. The carriage itself  is quite complicated, and the baby can't even directly see the mom: the baby can only see the mom via a rear-facing camera. It's funny in part because it comments on how technology might be separating us more than connecting us.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: I see our time is almost up. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: A dark joke about a weird therapist's office that is located on the subway tracks. "Time being up" is a usual way for a therapist to end a session, but in this case, "time almost up" refers to them getting hit by the train and perhaps dying.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: The new rug arrived, but there's some assembly required. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: Rugs are often made of wool, which comes from sheep. The person sitting on the couch probably didn't expect this much assembly when she bought the rug: the assembly would involve shearing the sheep, running a loom, etc., which is comically more assembly than would be required for most pieces of furniture, let alone a rug.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: The specials are coming out a little greasy. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: Kitchens in restaurants might get feedback from servers about dishes, e.g., that the specials have too much fat/grease on them, and the issue should be fixed. But here, the special dishes are covered not in edible fat, but in car grease that came from, e.g., the oil tank in the car being serviced.
user: Given a cartoon image and a caption. Caption: It's a lot to digest. Question: Generating an explanation of why this image/caption combination is funny. Answer: 

assistant: "To digest" can mean to mentally ponder, or it can literally mean to digest food. In this case, it's both: the large menu is a lot to mentally process, but also, if all the food was ordered, it would be a lot to literally digest all of the items.