It was meant as a compliment, and it was not intended as hyperbolic. But since you ask...

In this case I thought it would fit with the already absurd tones exhibited in the thread. More generally, the technique is not "hyperbolic phrasing" as much as deploying a comedic angle. Comedians (especially oneliner and short-form comics) often seek ways to emphasise a visual image. The more vivid the mental imagery, that much more effective the double punch of the words and the internal visual hit.

The same technique is also occasionally used by some of the most effective tech talks; if you manage to combine a factually correct detail distillation with a punchline that invokes a strong and somewhat controversial mental image, that has a high likelyhood of being remembered.