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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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{{w|Kix (cereal)|Kix}} is an American brand of cold breakfast cereal made of extruded and expanded cornmeal. Its slogan, "Kid tested, Mother approved," is well known in the United States. However, in this brainstorming session, the word "Approved" has apparently not yet been considered. A number of possible words and phrases for the ending have been presented and {{w|Strikethrough|stricken out}}, indicating that they were rejected; each one causes the slogan to be subject to increasingly absurd and comedic interpretations:
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{{incomplete| Verify for grammar and ease of understanding}}
  
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#'''Selected''': This word may have been chosen as a {{w|slant rhyme}} of "Tested". This word shares a definition with "Approved", and states that mothers specifically choose this cereal over others.  This phrase could also suggest that one mother ''herself'' had been chosen for some unstated purpose.
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This comic is a play on the multiple possible definitions of the words in the phrase "Kid tested, mother approved". "Kid tested, mother approved" is the slogan for {{w|Kix (cereal)|Kix}}, a children's breakfast cereal. This slogan is meant to imply that kids enjoy the cereal, and it is healthy to eat, as a mother would be concerned about her kids health. This comic may be a commentary about brainstorming sessions.
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#'''Perfected''': It's likely that the previous word inspired someone in the brainstorming session to find a similarly positive word that rhymes with "Selected". It states that one or more mothers were directly involved in developing and refining the cereal's composition to a high degree. Much like with "Selected", this could also suggest that the mother was somehow improved to perfection during the test.
 
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#'''Not Notified''': Relates to the world of experimental research and clinical trials. This phrase suggests that the children who tested the cereal did not obtain the required consent, which would generally involve notifying and getting permission from both parents.
 
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#'''Watching Helplessly''': Again we can see that in a brainstorming session such the previous option may trigger this one as it is related to the dangers of testing. This phrase suggests that mothers were forced to watch their children test the cereal, and that the cereal or the test is unhealthy or dangerous.
 
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#'''Infected''': This may be intended to show the group dynamic of the brainstorming session as it is inspired by option one and two, as infected rhymes with both selected and perfected, and by the third option as both relate to dangerous testing. This slogan states that an infectious agent was passed to the mother as a result of the test. This could also be interpreted as the mother having introduced the infectious agent into the cereal or testing environment.
 
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# '''Consumed''': Continuing the trend of dark slogans this slogan says that the mothers were ''themselves'' consumed, perhaps by their children (by virtue of the mother being an ingredient in the cereal), the cereal itself, or something otherwise related to the test. Another possible interpretation is that the mother ate the cereal after the kid tested it, possibly because the kid did not enjoy the taste.
 
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#'''Fucker''': This expletive is often paired with "Mother" to form the compound word "Motherfucker". In this case, the slogan changes to {{w|vocative case}}: "[This cereal has been] Kid Tested, Motherfucker!". This appears to be an "elephant" - a ponderous ending of a joke that contrasts sharply with the refined and mild humor of the previous options. The phrase itself basically only states that a child tested the cereal and implies that nothing else matters. Using a swear word on packaging of a food designed for kids is usually not a good idea. {{Citation needed}}
 
  
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The title text conflates the phrase "Kid tested" with college entrance exams such as the {{w|Standardized Aptitude Test}} (SAT) or the {{w|ACT (test)|ACT}}. Instead of stating that a child tasted the cereal and gave their opinion on its quality, the cereal itself is an academic subject on which the child was tested. Randall, referring to how some parents enroll their children in special {{w|Test prep|classes or schools}} to prepare them to score well in this type of test, states that his parents extensively prepared him for a college entrance exam about Kix cereal.
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The comic shows a brainstorming session designed to determine the most effective way to complete the slogan. Several words (ranging from the not-so-appealing to potentially {{w|Not safe for work|NSFW}}) have already been deemed inappropriate for the slogan, which is evident from the fact that they are {{w|Strikethrough|stricken out}}.  
  
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This comic may be a commentary about the uselessness of brainstorming sessions or the bad ideas that come out of them, as they are often started with the phrase “there are no bad ideas”. As the brainstorming session continues the original meaning of the slogan is lost, much like a game of telephone, and the session becomes less productive.
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# '''Selected''', uses the definition of approved found in the real slogan. That the mother has determined that Kix is fit to eat, and therefore healthy. There also seems to be an attempt at near rhyme with "tested", something not evident in the real slogan.
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# '''Perfected''', was likely inspired by the first option, selected. As selected and perfected rime and do not change the meaning of the slogan, the first option likely triggered a person in the brainstorming session to find a similarly positive word. This slogan implies that one or more mothers were involved in the cereals formulation and/or development, and therefore it is healthy.
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# '''Not notified''' uses the definition of "Kid tested" as in the kid was tested, in an official capacity for experimental research or a clinical trial, instead of the kid doing the testing on the cereal. When a test that requires consent is tested on a minor, a kid, parental consent is required.
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# '''Watch helplessly''' uses the definition of "Kid tested" as in the kid was tested, in a dangerous experiment, possibly by a mad scientist. In this case the mother was forced to watch helplessly during the test.
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# '''Infected''' uses the definition that the kid was tested in a medical experiment, possibly in a vaccine trial, and passed this infection to there mother. This may be inspired by option one and two as infected rimes with both selected and perfected, and by the third option as the slogan shares the same meaning as the third. This may be intended to show the group dynamic of the brainstorming session, or that one person keeps insisting on riming.
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# '''Consumed''' uses the definition of "Kid tested" as in the kid was tested as a food source (possibly for use in the cereal, or eaten by the cereal itself), instead of the kid doing the testing on the cereal by eating it.
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# '''Fucker''' modifies the meaning of mother by creating the compound word motherfucker.  The slogan is now in the {{w|vocative case}}, as in: "[this has been] Kid Tested, motherfucker!". This last option appears to be a so called "elephant" - a ponderous ending of a joke that contrasts with rather refined and mild humor of the former options.
  
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Cereal advertising has previously been referenced in [[38: Apple Jacks]].
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The title text conflates the "Kix test" with collage entrance exams like the {{w|SAT (test)|SAT}}'s or the {{w|ACT (test)|ACT}}'s. This is yet another definition of "Kid tested" as in "The kid has been tested on a given subject."
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To avoid such ambiguity, the authors of the actual slogan could have used a hyphen between the words, i.e. "kid-tested", but this was not done.
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
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:[Ponytail, Megan, and Cueball are standing around a whiteboard on an easel; Ponytail and Cueball are holding red markers. The whiteboard reads:]
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:[Ponytail, Megan, and Cueball are standing around a whiteboard. The whiteboard on easel reads:]
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:[in Large] '''Kix'''
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:'''Kix'''
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:[Underlined] <u>Slogan ideas</u>
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:<u>Slogan ideas</u>
 
:Kid Tested, Mother...
 
:Kid Tested, Mother...
  
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[following lines all in red and each crossed out]
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:<font color="red"><strike>Selected</strike>
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:<font color="red"><s>Selected</s></font>
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:<strike>Perfected</strike>
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:<font color="red"><s>Perfected</s></font>
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:<strike>Not notified</strike>
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:<font color="red"><s>Not notified</s></font>
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:<strike>Watching helplessly</strike>
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:<font color="red"><s>Watching helplessly</s></font>
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:<strike>Infected</strike>
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:<font color="red"><s>Infected</s></font>
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:<strike>Consumed</strike>
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:<font color="red"><s>Consumed</s></font>
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:<strike>Fucker</strike></font>
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:<font color="red"><s>Fucker</s></font>
 
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
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[[Category:Comics with color]]
 
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
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[[Category:Food]]
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[[Category:Comics with color]]
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[[Category:Kids]]
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[[Category:Comics with strong language]]

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