Gary Larson has often used The Far Side to comment on the common ignorance found in the world. The Far Side has been home to some of the most obtuse, hilariously dimwitted, and just plain dumb characters imaginable. They're often placed in scenarios that, themselves, are pretty ignorant, but as the classic phrase goes, ignorance is bliss.
Sometimes, being blissfully ignorant is the best way to live in the Far Side universe. The comics are filled with simple-minded individuals, but they're also littered with situations that manage to be cruel, stupid, and ridiculous, not to mention dangerous. It might actually be better to be ignorant than to know or encounter the ugly truth of what is happening on The Far Side. Then again, the level of stupidity that some of these individuals display can be so baffling that being this ignorant is just a detriment to themselves and anyone around them.
10 "Stupid Birds"
First Published: June 9, 1983
Humans in the Far Side world aren't the only ones who get to enjoy the pleasures of being stupid. Birds have that same luxury, which is ironic, knowing that, statistically speaking, some breeds of birds rank among the most intelligent on the planet. However, the same can not be said about the birds displayed in this particular . When the tree they are nesting in catches fire, the birds have the bright idea to take a bundle of rags, tie them together, and use them as a rope to guide them down to safety at ground level, away from the flame.
Honestly, not the worst way to avoid a fire, at least for someone who can't fly. It's practical for someone escaping a burning building, but for creatures of flight, tying such a rope is a waste of time. It's one of those comics to have you shouting at the page.
9 "Relax, Washington..."
First Published: June 2, 1984
Entering a cave that leads into the unknown is scary enough. Somehow, going in knowing what to expect only amplifies that fear. Knowing for certain that a predator awaits is increasingly scarier than thinking there’s a chance that one is in the midst. Somehow, these two failed to see that knowledge. Poor Washington and co. remain unaware of a bin filled with hats identical to theirs resting beside the cave, likely belonging to the same anonymous creature nesting in the cave that he and his pal decide to enter. Honestly, being blissfully unaware might be the better option in this case.
Maybe being dumb enough to miss a huge bin of hats is what earns the Far Side explorers their fate, but walking into a dark, ominous cave is their first mistake to begin with. This is the kind of decision that has befallen many victims in horror movies. The warning signs were all staring them in the face.
8 "Testing Whether Laughter Is the Best Medicine"
First Published: June 30, 1984
They say laughter is the best medicine, but usually, the person to say it isn't a doctor. Doctors don't prescribe jokes to their patients for a reason. They offer pills, creams, ointments, vaccinations, tools like inhalers, etc. - all of which have a better shot at nursing an illness or injury than laughter ever can. Anyone who says otherwise probably isn't very bright, just as the doctors featured in this Far Side comic aren't very bright.
In 1984, along with this strip, Gary Larson also released The Far Side Gallery, a collection of his best strips produced between 1982 and 1984.
Any doctor hoping to test the medicinal laughter theory probably shouldn't do so on a patient actively dying in their hospital bed. It's surreal for a doctor to test a theory like this in the first place, and it makes for a very funny comic.
7 "Testing Whether or Not Animals Can 'Kiss'"
December 10, 1985
Anyone who follows enough scientific studies knows that some things don’t need to be studied. Some questions simply don’t need to be answered. Testing whether animals “kiss” probably ranks up there with theories that don’t need to be experimented with. It’s safe to assume that at least one of these scientists regrets making the hypothesis, namely the one who gets punched in the face by a cow for his efforts to kiss it. Another scientist, though, seems to be finding some surprising luck with what appears to be an armadillo.
Dummies vs Genius: 10 Far Side Comics That Poke Fun At Smart People
These Far Side comics aren't afraid to criticize the smartest among us, demonstrating that even the greatest minds can be clueless at times.
That doesn’t mean that making out with an armadillo is any less weird, though. The Far Side loves to make a farce of science and discovery, and this strip is such an example. They say that knowledge is key, but Larson exposes just how ridiculous some forms of experimentation can be.
6 "There you go, Mrs Eagen..."
First Published: August 10, 1990
Oftentimes, "stupid" can feel like a harsh word to throw around. After all, intelligence is something of a spectrum. Everyone has different levels of intelligence in different fields, and knowing less about one field of expertise compared to another isn't always an apt indicator of someone's overall intelligence. That being said, people are quick to say that some folks are just born dumb.That certainly must be the case for any unfortunate soul to be born in a t-shirt that reads "Stupid."
In this set of twins, the "Stupid" one is unfortunately validated in their stupidity through both their and their sibling's shirts. Adding to the hilarity, both the ultrasound technician and mother-to-be are completely unaffected by what's shown on the monitor.
5 "Fool School"
First Published: August 13, 1990
In theory, anyone attending someplace called "Fool School" should be an instant candidate for ing idiot culture, but Terrance may be the exception. While everyone is dressed how one would expect a fool to dress and look, Terrance looks more presentable and professional than the rest in his glasses, slicked-back hair, and what appears to be a buttoned-up shirt. He looks more like an office worker than a student. It's no wonder how he failed his Fool School test, where the objective appears to be the biggest fool possible.
Perhaps there's a bigger commentary at hand that Larson wants to deliver about the education system as a whole.
"You're not complete," says his teacher, meaning he has a long way to go before he can become the fool that any school could mold him to be. Perhaps there's a bigger commentary at hand that Larson wants to deliver about the education system as a whole - another interpretation of the could be that the test simply needed to be completed in order to , yet Terrance still couldn't manage it. It's not easy to make school seem funny, but Gary Larson sure knows how.
4 "Institute for the Study of Emotional Stress"
First Published: August 17, 1990
Doctors sometimes do more harm than good. That's not saying that all doctors are bad, but some are better than others, with certain ones leaving their patients to question if they deserve their doctorate to begin with. This patient would rather kick their doctor out of a window than to be studied by him any longer. That's probably a sign that the doctor was the one inducing the emotional stress on the patient. Honestly, that's usually as good a sign as any to start investing in finding a new doctor, but kicking one out the window is effective, too.
10 Most Clever Far Side Comics Poking Fun At Therapy
Over the course of its fifteen years in publication, The Far Side featured a number of stand-out comics about characters visiting their therapists.
Again, sometimes ignorance is bliss, and perhaps the doctor would've been happier had he not asked one too many questions. If his inquiring turned into prying and being accusatory, then it's easy to see how the patient lost his cool.
3 "We're Not Exactly Rocket Scientists"
First Published: 1993
If one has heard it once, they've likely heard it 1000 times: "it's not exactly rocket science." The phrase is often used to downplay a challenge or to downplay someone struggling with an obstacle, reminding them that the task could not possibly be as complicated as deg a rocket. The comic goes to show that rocket science can be hard even for actual rocket scientists. That may be less of a commentary as to how hard rocket science is and more of a declaration as to how stupid these rocket scientists are.
Maybe they skated through school or perhaps got lucky enough to find their profession, but no one in the actual rocket science industry should be this bad at rocket science. The rocket doesn't even look like one. Gary Larson can make scientific equations hilarious even more easily than these rocket scientists can decipher one.
2 "Sorry, Son..."
First Published: May 5, 1994
Ignorance being bliss is the running theme here, and with this comic, it's debatable if being ignorant can be a blessing or a curse. Anyone in this young man's position would be curious as to why his parents (and, seemingly, the rest of the world judging by what's out the window) are centaurs while he himself has a pair of legs. Then again, any explanation that begins with mention of the '60s and drug use might not be an answer that anyone is ready for.
It's far from one of Gary Larson's most controversial comics, but it is undoubtedly one of the creator's weirdest. Sometimes, weirdness doesn't need an answer. Weird can speak for itself, especially when the answer is probably weirder than the question posed. Children don't want to hear about all the weirdness their parents were getting into in the '60s. It's best to be ignorant of it.
1 "Early Mammoth"
First Published: Unknown
People have it all too easy nowadays. It’s so easy to take smaller everyday actions for granted, forgetting that there are luxuries that aren’t always easily accessible to the average person. There was a time when not everyone could have access to a cell phone, cars did not always exist as a common means of transportation, and not everyone could easily identify a mammoth without a microscope. Okay, maybe that last part is a farce, but in one of the funniest Far Side comics about cavemen, these cavemen aren't smart enough to distinguish a mammoth on sight alone.
The answer may vary as far as how many cavemen it takes to screw in a light bulb, but it's clear that two cavemen are not enough to figure out that a mammoth is in their midst. When it comes to The Far Side's most ignorant souls, cavemen always take the cake.
The Far Side
- Writer
- Gary Larson
- Colorist
- Gary Larson
Summary
Written and drawn by Gary Larson, The Far Side is a comic strip series that ran from December 1979 to January 1995. A worldwide hit, The Far Side explores life's surreal side and uses a mix of humans and anthropomorphic animals. As of 2020, Gary Larson decided to pick his pencil back up again and has started The Far Side up, circulating the comics on his official website.
