The cartoon was intended to be an exercise in silliness. While I have never met a cow who could make tools, I felt sure that if I did, they (the tools) would lack something in sophistication and resemble the sorry specimens shown in this cartoon. I regret that my fondness for cows, combined with an overactive imagination, may have carried me beyond what is comprehensible to the average Far Side reader.[1]

Years later, in The Prehistory of the Far Side, Larson further explained that he was inspired by the idea that tool use was the characteristic that separated mankind from the rest of the animal kingdom

I mean, ok.

[–] timelighter@lemmy.world 19 points 11 months ago

He also said his fatal mistake was making one of the tools too closely resemble a saw

[–] Jilanico@lemmy.world 12 points 11 months ago

If the caption was "If cows made tools" it wouldn't be so bad. Still not super funny.

[–] EndlessApollo@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago (2 children)

"may have carried me beyond what is comprehensible to the average Far Side reader" goddamn I hate this pretentious little fuck, he's got some ok comics but cow tools pisses me off almost as much as the last season of game of thrones

[–] jagungal@lemmy.world 12 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I always thought that he meant "it's not that deep guys, they're just silly"

[–] EndlessApollo@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Idk, I def get unreasonably mad about cow tools and it's at least partially bc of memes cx he just feels really condescending and full of himself for coming out to explain why you probably don't have the iq to understand why a cow with some tools it made is funny (it really isn't even that funny imo, and explaining it just makes it even less funny)

[–] Rubanski@lemm.ee 6 points 11 months ago

I understand it more in a way of : "it's so absurd, that it barely makes sense in my head, let alone basically to anybody else"