Moths

Why makes this Joke funny?

The joke with the pest-control inspector and the suspicious husband uses several comedic devices:

1. Misdirection: The setup of the joke makes the audience anticipate that the husband might react to finding another man in the closet with anger or aggression. We’re led down a path where we expect the climax to revolve around the affair.

2. Absurdity: The exterminator`s response, given his nudity, is utterly absurd. Claiming that moths ate his clothes while he’s stark naked in a closet is an incredibly far-fetched explanation, and it’s this absurdity that provides a punch.

3. Quick Thinking/Word Play: The pest-control inspector, despite being caught in a compromising and embarrassing position, quickly comes up with a clever and somewhat plausible (though still absurd due to the immediacy of it) excuse related to his profession, which plays into the comedic trope of the “quick-thinking cheater.”

4. Incongruity: The mismatch between expectation and outcome (finding a naked man in the closet who then blames his nudity on moths) is unexpected and incongruent, and it’s this surprise and violation of expectation that can elicit laughter.

5. Double Entendre: The term "little bastards" while referring to the imaginary moths also subtly alludes to the sticky situation the exterminator finds himself in. The phrasing has a dual meaning: it ostensibly refers to the pests, but also cheekily references the tricky predicament he’s found himself in.

In summary, the humor arises from the absurd and unexpected explanation provided by the pest control inspector, his quick thinking in a precarious situation, and the incongruity between the expected reaction and the bizarre excuse, peppered with a dash of light, implied vulgarity.