Difference between revisions of "30: Donner"
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{{comic | {{comic | ||
| number = 30 | | number = 30 | ||
| − | | date = | + | | date = November 7, 2005 |
| title = Donner | | title = Donner | ||
| image = donner.jpg | | image = donner.jpg | ||
| − | + | | titletext = Some people haven't heard of the Donner Party. They were pioneers who got stranded and likely resorted to cannibalism. | |
| − | | titletext = Some people haven | ||
}} | }} | ||
==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
| − | + | The title text explains to the reader that the {{w|Donner party}} was a group of pioneers who set out west along a new route that was supposed to be easier to travel, but ultimately proved slow and treacherous. They became trapped in the Sierra Nevada mountains and many died. Low on food, it is believed that many of the pioneers resorted to cannibalism, eating the bodies of party members who had already died. | |
| − | + | In this comic, three ''Donner party'' members arrive at Joe's restaurant, where they have ordered a table for four, as given by the fact that the ''{{w|Maître d'hôtel|maître d'}}'' knows they are the ''Donner party'' and calls for a party of four. The three decline the table since they are already full. This suggests that they just have eaten the, unknown to us, fourth member of their party after they placed the order for a table at the restaurant, but before they strolled over to it anyway. | |
| − | + | Of course, since they are not in a survival situation in this strip, cannibalism would be completely unnecessary. | |
| + | |||
| + | In the early days of [[xkcd]] (and days when Wikipedia was not quite in the mainstream consciousness), [[Randall]] didn't trust people to understand his comics or his references, and often explained the joke in the title text like her and for instance also in [[38: Apple Jacks]]. | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
| − | [Three people stand | + | :[Three people stand outside a restaurant; Megan, a man with some hair and another shorter person, probably a woman. There is a sign above the door and a menu next to it. Outside the door, there's a ''maître d''' with a cap behind a lectern. There is sign on the lectern.] |
| + | :''maître d''': Donner, party of four? | ||
| + | :Man: Actually, never mind. | ||
| + | :Megan: We're full. | ||
| + | :Sign over door: Joe's | ||
| + | :Menu: Menu | ||
| + | :Sign on lectern: Eat <u>in</u> | ||
| − | + | == Trivia == | |
| + | *This was the 29th comic originally posted to [[LiveJournal]]. | ||
| + | **The previous was [[27: Meat Cereals]]. | ||
| + | **The next was [[34: Flowers]]. | ||
| + | *Original title: "Monday's Drawing - Donner" | ||
| + | *There were no original [[Randall]] quote for this comic. | ||
| + | *This comic was posted on [[xkcd]] when the web site opened on Sunday the 1st of January 2006. | ||
| + | **It was posted along [[:Category:First day on xkcd|with all 41 comics]] posted before that on LiveJournal as well as a few others. | ||
| + | **The latter explaining why the numbers of these 41 LiveJournal comics ranges from 1-44. | ||
| + | *One of the original drawings drawn on [[:Category:Checkered paper|checkered paper]]. | ||
| − | + | {{comic discussion}} | |
| − | + | [[Category:Comics posted on livejournal| 29]] | |
| − | + | [[Category:First day on xkcd]] | |
| − | + | [[Category:Checkered paper]] | |
| − | + | [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] | |
| − | + | [[Category:Food]] | |
Revision as of 09:54, 5 April 2018
| Donner |
 Title text: Some people haven't heard of the Donner Party. They were pioneers who got stranded and likely resorted to cannibalism. |
Explanation
The title text explains to the reader that the Donner party was a group of pioneers who set out west along a new route that was supposed to be easier to travel, but ultimately proved slow and treacherous. They became trapped in the Sierra Nevada mountains and many died. Low on food, it is believed that many of the pioneers resorted to cannibalism, eating the bodies of party members who had already died.
In this comic, three Donner party members arrive at Joe's restaurant, where they have ordered a table for four, as given by the fact that the maître d' knows they are the Donner party and calls for a party of four. The three decline the table since they are already full. This suggests that they just have eaten the, unknown to us, fourth member of their party after they placed the order for a table at the restaurant, but before they strolled over to it anyway.
Of course, since they are not in a survival situation in this strip, cannibalism would be completely unnecessary.
In the early days of xkcd (and days when Wikipedia was not quite in the mainstream consciousness), Randall didn't trust people to understand his comics or his references, and often explained the joke in the title text like her and for instance also in 38: Apple Jacks.
Transcript
- [Three people stand outside a restaurant; Megan, a man with some hair and another shorter person, probably a woman. There is a sign above the door and a menu next to it. Outside the door, there's a maître d' with a cap behind a lectern. There is sign on the lectern.]
- maître d': Donner, party of four?
- Man: Actually, never mind.
- Megan: We're full.
- Sign over door: Joe's
- Menu: Menu
- Sign on lectern: Eat in
Trivia
- This was the 29th comic originally posted to LiveJournal.
- The previous was 27: Meat Cereals.
- The next was 34: Flowers.
- Original title: "Monday's Drawing - Donner"
- There were no original Randall quote for this comic.
- This comic was posted on xkcd when the web site opened on Sunday the 1st of January 2006.
- It was posted along with all 41 comics posted before that on LiveJournal as well as a few others.
- The latter explaining why the numbers of these 41 LiveJournal comics ranges from 1-44.
- One of the original drawings drawn on checkered paper.
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The indication is that they were waiting a long time for the table and decided to eat one of their companions. -- 64.85.162.210 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
- So you think that's why Kramer is missing from that episode? 108.162.219.58 01:20, 1 February 2014 (UTC)
Outside of the obvious pointed out by the previous user: the restaurant, Joe's, could be a reference to Tex Avery's Eat at Joe's. In one of the episodes, the customers were eaten by 'Joe'. The cannibalism scenario works out as well. Torappu (talk) 18:48, 24 June 2013 (UTC)
- I feel that it may not have been intended by Randall, but a good pickup nonetheless. 108.162.219.58 01:20, 1 February 2014 (UTC)
I disagree with the original interpretation. The party of three was, I believe, more likely concerned by an additional, undepicted party, also waiting to eat at the establishment, and possibly fearing for their own safety from said cannibalism.--StrangerDanger (talk) 20:46, 27 June 2013 (UTC)
- Clearly you are incorrect. 108.162.219.58 01:20, 1 February 2014 (UTC)
My interpretation - after reading the above explanation - is that the Donner was a party of four, who had preordered a table at Joe. But when these three arrived, they had just eaten the fourth person (as a snack before leaving home...?) And then they realized that they are not really hungry anymore - when Joe asks them in. Joe obviously knows they are the Donner - and they do not deny this. (I originally wrote this on 8 October - before I today signed up with a user account - thus this edit). Kynde (talk) 11:29, 13 October 2013 (UTC)
My first interpretation was that "Donner" in the comic is intended to be an alternate spelling of doner, and the comic might be a reference to the classic urban legend that the shadier kind of doners are supposedly made of meat from animals not otherwise normally eaten (typically cats). But that doesn't explain the apparently real existence of the Donner party. --172.68.11.39 15:34, 5 December 2016 (UTC)
MY interpretation was simply that there was no Wendigo psychosis involved causing them to become cannibalistic, they just had such a long wait they figured it would be better to eat one of their own. SilverTheTerribleMathematician (talk) 06:01, 5 February 2023 (UTC)
