>>
>>> Why is it funny that he stood up and said he had a beard, since everyone can see he has a beard.
>
>This one is almost Kafka-esque.
>It's absurd - that's the point.
>
>I think that there are people in the world who get NY'er cartoons and people who don't.
>My girlfriend and I howl at most of them, but now and then even we just shake our heads.

I think the underlying context of the joke is that US have become, among other things, a fashion police state. So once they declare beards are passé, then gov't (or ACA perhaps) should offer affordable programs for those still affected.

Fashion police rank high on my list of people to send as a first batch of those to colonize the first planet found.