Why did the desk lamp file a grievance?

This joke shines a light on some clever wordplay, using a common idiom in a literal and figurative sense. The humor hinges on the phrase "kept in the dark," which we usually mean when someone isn't informed about what's happening, especially regarding important decisions. For a desk lamp, being "kept in the dark" is its literal state when it's not switched on, creating a funny double meaning.

The setup also taps into real-world office dynamics. Filing a grievance is a formal complaint process, often used by employees who feel they've been treated unfairly or excluded from crucial information. Imagining a desk lamp, a silent observer of office life, taking such a human-like action because it's tired of being out of the loop really highlights the absurdity. It perfectly captures that relatable feeling of being left uninformed, but through the unexpected perspective of an inanimate object that literally deals with light and darkness.