A Joke in There Somewhere

See it here.

Give the artist credit this week, you know Burl is making a hilarious joke because the reaction of the backseat passenger tells you it's hilarious.

Only problem is, I have no idea what's supposed to be funny about this joke, but maybe I can puzzle it out. I think the crucial clue is the car model he's driving ("Mock 1") so the joke must be at the intersection of car washing, making fun of someone, and excessive speed. Which means that Burl is taunting the school age car washers by saying they can try to wash his car if they can do it while he's on the move and going fast. Which makes absolutely no sense since the entire concept of a car wash done by humans relies on the fact that the car is stationary. Even if we allow for Burl's possible confusion with an automated car wash, speed is not a part of the equation, and the joke still makes no sense.

Which leaves us with the conclusion that the joke is that the backseat passenger is an idiot.

Leaving all that aside, Burl's cruelty is the true story of the strip. He's taunting a group of Middle School kids who are washing cars to help pay for Little League which is probably an underfunded community program because people like Burl and Joy battle to keep local taxes low since they feel no obligation to help fund other children's activities after theirs has left home. So not only is Burl a prick for directly mocking a group of community-minded Middle School children, he's also a miserly prick at the ballot box.

Today's strip is curiously devoid of marginalia, but there are a few worth noting:

• Adolph Hitler is the other backseat passenger.
• Is Joy wearing earmuffs or does she have some sort of ear hair problem?
• That is one serious "Car Wash" arrow sign the Little Leaguers have. Seems like the cost of the sign will eat away at whatever meager profit they can make charging $2.00 per car wash.
• If the car wash is taking place behind the Crustwood Park District Building, why do the kids holding the signs directing people to it need buckets and sponges?
• The adult holding the car wash sign looks pretty seedy in his tank top T-shirt and nefarious eyebrows. I hope Crustwood runs background checks on their Little League coaches. Though I suppose he might just be mad at Burl for being such a childish jerk towards the kids.
  

Plus, points off for ending the corn stories short of a trilogy.