101: Laser Scope

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Laser Scope

Title text: I wish I'd missed you then so I wouldn't be missing you now

Explanation

This comic is about stalkers. Stalkers keep tabs on people by watching them from afar. The problem is this is illegal in most places, or if not illegal, the police will still take you to the station and process you through the system. So, distance in stalking is a good thing, or having a perfectly legitimate reason for being there. Moving into the house across the street, for instance, and then having a telescope for looking into space. "I don't know what you're talking about the telescope spends more time pointed at your window than at space. Why else would I have a telescope than to look at space?"

Having a high-power laser scope means that the stalker can be even further from their target and still see perfectly clearly. Though, having the laser sight turned on, probably gives you away.

There could also be a double entendre with "missing" your loved ones meaning that you indeed tried to shoot them, but missed. The laser sight on the scope would most certainly help then.

Transcript

[Box with a mailing label on one side, and in the front:]

Miss your loved ones?

[Picture of a missile launcher]

You don't have to.

RJX-21 Laser Scope

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Discussion

Wouldn't this comic be about a whole gun aparatus including a laser scope if it were about "missing" (by target) your loved ones? In my opinion, this is much more about stalkers. The "good" stalkers are rarely seen (i.e. using a high powered viewing device of some kind), which would only need the sight, not a whole gun. lcarsos (talk) 22:03, 13 September 2012 (UTC)

Nope. Nothin' ta do with stalkers. The scope is to improve the accuracy of the firearm it is attached to. It's saying "are you missing your loved ones with your un-scopified weapon? This scope will improve your accuracy and you won't miss anymore." 207.225.239.130 22:33, 13 September 2012 (UTC)

Scopified?, really Whiskey07 (talk) 09:15, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

I don't think you can speak, considering you wrote a question mark immediately followed by a comma. Beanie (talk) 09:55, 17 March 2021 (UTC)

The parity of meanings shown here is also known as "zeugma". AP English Language for the win! Anonymous 06:31, 3 December 2013 (UTC) 173.245.54.91 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Actually, a zeugma is specifically an instance in which the word is used once, but applies to multiple parts of the sentence. If it were stated that "I wish I'd missed you then, so I wouldn't now," the title text would be an example. Since missed is included twice, it misses being a zeugma, but not being memorable. (One favorite of mine is: "You are free to execute your laws, and your citizens, as you see fit." -William Riker, Star Trek: TNG.) 108.162.246.197 05:36, 8 October 2014 (UTC)

Might also be an reference to the classic "blues brothers movies" in which a stalker makes numerous attempts, including one attempt where she uses a rocket launcher --141.101.104.180 10:36, 14 September 2015 (UTC)

Could also be a reference to the common situation, that one is too sure about one's partner (i.e. not showing them, that one misses them when being a couple but spacially apart) and this being the reason for the partner for leaving one. If one had missed them while being together they would'nt have left. 162.158.89.253 17:56, 13 January 2017 (UTC)

I think the RJX-21 device is shaped like a small optical telescope, with laser sight with a wire attached, yet not a standalone laser sight module. Therefore, we may have a stalking reference as well.

Also: in some languages, once camera (or "photoapparat[us]") has a stock for better handling, it's called "photo gun". Joke is, many film cameras, even professional ones, had iron sights without oculars. 172.68.182.16 13:43, 1 June 2019 (UTC)

Reminds me of a joke where there is a sniper pictured with the text (which I think is also some song lyrics): "I only miss you, when I'm breathing" --Lupo (talk) 13:28, 24 October 2019 (UTC)

On Married with Children, Peg once asked, "Did you miss me, Al?" to which he replied, "With every bullet so far."

Re the last paragraph about the title text, "the writer wishes he had missed (failed in his attempt to shoot) someone so they would not miss them (feel bad that they are not there), implying that he shot a family member, and is now feeling the grief", I read this to mean that the writer wishes that they had missed someone as in not met them in the first place, and as a result they wouldn't have got to know them and now find their absence saddening. 15:26, 7 September 2020 (UTC)