Like “Dad responses”, these are just common cliche ways for white American men to respond to questions - in this case, “How are things going?”
In this case, the responses listed, while seemingly anodyne, are generally given out as a means of downplaying one’s own troubles - “It’s going” being “It’s going badly enough that I don’t want to talk about it in any more detail” - and “Hanging in there” being “I’m managing, but only barely.”
So both, while not being a cause for alarm by a surface reading, are actually (commonly) given out when significantly distressed.
Ok but I still don’t understand the joke :(
Like “Dad responses”, these are just common cliche ways for white American men to respond to questions - in this case, “How are things going?”
In this case, the responses listed, while seemingly anodyne, are generally given out as a means of downplaying one’s own troubles - “It’s going” being “It’s going badly enough that I don’t want to talk about it in any more detail” - and “Hanging in there” being “I’m managing, but only barely.”
So both, while not being a cause for alarm by a surface reading, are actually (commonly) given out when significantly distressed.