442: xkcd Loves the Discovery Channel
xkcd Loves the Discovery Channel |
Title text: I love the title-text! |
This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Transcript is not standard, many panels are not explained. If you can address this issue, please edit the page! Thanks. |
Explanation
This comic is a parody of the Discovery Channel commercial showing various clips of people singing a song with the chorus line 'Boom De Yada'. The comic is divided into a grid of 4 by 6 panels, each depicting a character or situation from a previous xkcd strip. In each panel is written a part of a song similar to the song from the Discovery Channel commercial."
The campaign from the Discovery Channel was not called "Boom De Yada", but I Love The World. It's possible that the title "xkcd Loves the Discovery Channel" is in reference to that.
Most of the panels are references to previous xkcd strips. However, some are not:
- The 1st panel is a reference to comic 161, where Megan spins in a circle to "rob the planet of angular momentum."
- The 2nd panel is a reference to comic 413, where Megan and Cueball turn an EEE PC into a household pet.
- The 3rd panel is a reference to comic 434, where Beret Guy shows his liking for bakeries in first panel.
- The 4th panel is a reference to comic 239, where someone from the far future believes may people blogged while flying and wearing red capes and goggles.
- The 5th panel is likely a reference to comic 152, though there are multiple comics featuring human-sized hamster balls.
- The 6th panel is a reference to the /b/ ("Random") forum on 4chan, which is in fact home to plenty of "messed-up folks".
- The 7th panel is a reference to comic 150, where Megan decides that she has the ability to, and wants to, turn her house into a giant playpen.
- The 8th panel is a reference to this (nsfw).
- The 12th panel is a reference to Randall Munroe's own hobby of kite photography.
- The 17th panel is a pun on the song Rock Me Amadeus and US president Barack Obama.
- The 18th panel has Cueball's crotch replaced with the (similar-looking) icon used for a transistor in a circuit diagram.
- The 21st panel is a reference to comic 249 which inspired an internet meme.
Transcript
- [The comic is in parody of the Discovery Channel commercial showing various clips of people singing a song with the chorus line "Boom De Yada."]
- [The comic is divided into a grid of 4 by 6 panels, each depicting a character or situation from a previous xkcd strip.]
- [In each panel is written a part of a song similar to the song from the Discovery Channel commercial.]
- Panel 1: (Reference Comic 162)
- [Megan spinning around.]
- I love momentum.
- Panel 2: (Reference Comic 413)
- [Megan laying on floor tinkering with EEE PC hamster ball robot.]
- I love to engineer.
- Panel 3: (Reference Comic 434)
- [Beret Guy standing in bakery holding a loaf of bread in each hand, sign with "PIE!" in background.]
- I love this bakery!
- Panel 4: (Reference Comic 239)
- [Cory Doctorow in goggles and red cape flying superman-style.]
- I love the blogosphere!
- Panel 5: (Reference Comic 152)
- [Cueball running in large hamster ball.]
- I love the whole world
- Panel 6:
- [Depiction of internet sludge (4chan b-Random)]
- And all its messed-up folks.
- Panel 7: (Reference Comic 150)
- [Cueball and Megan immersed in playpen balls.]
- Boom De Yada
- Boom De Yada
- Panel 8:
- [Mass of playpen balls with speech "I put on my robe and wizard hat" originating from it.]
- Boom De Yada
- Boom De Yada
- Panel 9: (Reference Comic 72)
- [Black Hat taking gift away from kid with party hat.]
- I love your suffering.
- Panel 10: (Reference Comic 153)
- [Diagram showing RSA fingerprint authentication between two people.]
- I love cryptography.
- Panel 11: (Reference Comic 230)
- [Cueball and Megan in bed covered by red sheet.]
- I love entangled sheets.
- Panel 12: (Blag or Reference Comic 235)
- [Cueball hanging from kite string holding camera.]
- And kite photography.
- Panel 13: (Reference Comic 256)
- [Map of the internet.]
- I love the whole world
- Panel 14: (Reference Comic 8)
- [Cube with red spider on top.]
- And all its mysteries.
- Panel 15: (Reference Comic 303)
- [Two people sword-fighting on rolling office chairs.]
- Boom De Yada
- Boom De Yada
- Panel 16: (Reference Comic 263)
- [Classroom with two students and Mrs. Lenhart.]
- Boom De Yada
- Boom De Yada
- Panel 17:
- [Cueball saying "Barack me Obamadeus!" to another man speaking energetically at a podium.]
- I love elections.
- Panel 18:
- [Cueball holding schematic diagram of a transistor in front of his crotch.]
- I love transistors.
- Panel 19: (Reference Comic 69, 214)
- [Cueball and Megan in bed, Cueball saying "There must be taft slash fiction."]
- I love weird pillow talk.
- Panel 21: (Reference Comic 249)
- [Roller coaster with Cueball in front car holding chess board and thinking about a move.]
- I love the whole world.
- Panel 22: (Reference Comic 167)
- [Beret Guy standing in the midst of leafless trees.]
- The future's pretty cool!
- Panel 23: (Reference Comic 108)
- [Megan doing the MC Hammer slide towards Cueball.]
- Boom De Yada
- Boom De Yada
- Panel 24: (Reference Comic 409)
- [Cueball and Megan on an electric skateboard.]
- Boom De Yada
- Boom De Yada
Trivia
- This comic was enacted by Olga Nunes and various famous people as We Love xkcd.
Discussion
I think that panel 9 actually is meant to be Black Hat giving the child a present and the lines around the gift suggesting that there is something moving around inside (likely alive and agitated) for the child to open and be mauled/harmed by.
- The transcript comes from Randall himself, and it says he's taking the present away. Blaisepascal (talk) 10:14, 22 August 2012 (UTC)
- I was hoping it was a bobcat. 76.106.251.87 19:05, 10 May 2013 (UTC)
- It definitely looks like its a present being taken away, and it fits the line better 172.71.151.98 05:04, 10 April 2023 (UTC)
Great! Now I have a targeted list of comics to add explanations for! Blaisepascal (talk) 10:14, 22 August 2012 (UTC)
To Dgbrt, "Links do not belong to the transcript, this needs to be fixed." I know I'm just a noob here, but if you're so sure of that, why didn't you remove them yourself? Isn't one of WikiMedia's pillars "Be Bold"? I personally see no problem, given the self-referential nature of this comic. Anonymous 07:53, 12 January 2014 (UTC)
- This is not actually a WikiMedia site, but you're right that "Be Bold" is a wiki thing, in general. Nevertheless, in this case, the official transcript provided by Randall includes these references, so they might as well be wikilinked here. (In Dgbrt's defence, he (or she) may not have had the time to undo it himself (or herself).) Mark Hurd (talk) 12:12, 12 January 2014 (UTC)
- No time was in fact my first reason; but on the other hand I didn't want to remove links without an section at the explain section. The links are not from the original transcript, it does only mention the references, and this belongs to the explain. The transcript is a transcript, not more. (even no time today for me on this...) --Dgbrt (talk) 22:26, 12 January 2014 (UTC)
For panel 19, I have to point out: Everything r34 related isn't necessarily a reference to the comic about it. Just because it is related doesn't mean that he was specifically making a joke about a previous comic, as he is making a joke about r34 which he ALSO happened to make a joke about in another comic. If it referenced Wetriffs or something, THEN it would be a reference. 173.245.50.72 03:44, 25 July 2014 (UTC)
I love lamp. 162.158.126.46 13:44, 9 July 2019 (UTC)
The Discovery Channel song is itself a parody of a traditional children's song: I love the mountains I love the rolling hills I love the flowers I love the daffodils I love the fireside When all the lights are low Boom dee ah dah (Randall writes "boom de yada") Boom dee ah dah ......... Jsharpminor (talk) 16:07, 28 December 2019 (UTC)
- All comics
- Comics from 2008
- Comics from June
- Friday comics
- Incomplete explanations
- Comics featuring Cueball
- Comics featuring Megan
- Comics featuring Black Hat
- Comics featuring Beret Guy
- Comics featuring Miss Lenhart
- Comics featuring Cory Doctorow
- Comics with color
- Playpen balls
- Red Spiders
- Songs
- Electric skateboard