Difference between revisions of "150: Grownups"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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{{comic
 
{{comic
 
| number    = 150
 
| number    = 150
−
| date      = August 30, 2006 <!-- Suspect date on archive page is incorrect(2006-08-29), based on xkcd forum dates it should be 2006-08-30 -->
+
| date      = August 30, 2006
 
| title    = Grownups
 
| title    = Grownups
 
| image    = Grownups.png
 
| image    = Grownups.png
−
| imagesize =
+
| titletext = I've looked into this, and I can't figure out a way to do it cheaply. And I guess it wouldn't be sanitary.
−
| titletext = I've looked into this, and I can't figure out a way to do it cheaply. And I guess it wouldn't be sanitary.
 
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
−
[[Randall]] is playing with the child/grownup setup again. As we all know, our parents are defining our adulthood. Many of times, they do that by saying "That's only for grownups" (for instance, while taking controlled substances like alcohol, or smoking). At other times, you (as a child) get to hear "We don't do that anymore, we're grownups now" (for instance, playing at a playground). [[Megan]] has taken these thoughts seriously, and now she has defined her adulthood by creating a playpen in her apartment, going against the latter statement. [[Cueball]] also finds this definition great, as he comes into the playpen, and (I suppose) adulthood and childhood melt together, judging by the love heart.
+
[[Randall]] is playing with the child/grownup setup again. During childhood, adults ("grownups") make most of the decisions and put constraints on what their children do. As children age and eventually become grownups, there are some things that they do not do anymore, as they see them as childish.  
  
−
The Image Text reveals that [[Randall]] also would like to own his playpen, but he finds it expensive to buy, and also hard to keep clean. Which is a fact. Most public playpens contain over 100 different samples of urine, as many children play in them, among which many toddlers. If you go to the local ball pit and count how many diapers you find at the bottom...you will be disturbed....until you find out that some of the black stuff down there did not have a diaper source.
+
[[Megan]] has taken these thoughts seriously, and realizes that with her newfound freedom as a grownup, she gets to define what her adulthood means. Free from constraints, she goes ahead and creates a {{w|ball pit|playpen}} in her apartment of colored plastic balls. [[Cueball]] admires this spirit and enters the playpen. It is difficult to decipher Randall's true intent behind this somewhat cryptic comic, but it seems from the heart that the two are making love in the balls.
  
−
==Real Life==
+
The title text reveals that [[Randall]] also would like to make his own playpen, but he finds it [http://playpenballs.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=60 expensive to buy] and also hard to [http://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/1q6bru/this_is_how_they_clean_the_plastic_balls_from_the/ keep clean]. Both of these are true - see links. Most public playpens can easily become very dirty as many children and toddlers play in them.
−
[[Randall]], author of the comic, actually built one in his apartment, which he talks about and shows pictures of at [http://blog.xkcd.com/2007/11/19/growing-up/ here] and [http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/02/27/ballpit-phase-ii/ here].
 
−
Speaking of cost, [http://www.chiliahedron.com/ballroom/] has a calculator for how much it would cost to make your own ball pit.  Looks like I need $4000 to fill my bedroom 3&nbsp;ft deep.
 
  
−
{{Comic discussion}}
+
This is one of the five comics linked at the bottom part of the xkcd.com website.
 +
 
 +
==Transcript==
 +
:[Cueball is talking to Megan who is behind a waist-high screen across a doorway with colorful playpen balls behind her.]
 +
:Cueball: Hey, I was wondering if you had plans for-- holy crap, what happened to your apartment?
 +
:Megan: I filled it with playpen balls!
 +
:Cueball: I... what? Why?
 +
:Megan: Because we're grown-ups now, and it's our turn to decide what that means.
 +
:[Both vanish into the apartment, balls spilling out into the corridor. A love heart drifts out the door, indicating you-know-what.]
 +
 
 +
==Trivia==
 +
*[[Randall]], author of the comic, actually built one in his apartment, which he talks about and shows pictures of at [http://blog.xkcd.com/2007/11/19/growing-up/ here] and [http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/02/27/ballpit-phase-ii/ here]. Speaking of cost, [http://www.chiliahedron.com/ballroom/ chiliahedron.com] has a calculator for how much it would cost to make your own ball pit.
 +
 
 +
*China takes the cake for this, though. China currently holds the record for the worlds largest ballpit: a [http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/china-worlds-largest-ball-pit swimming pool filled with 1 million balls].
 +
 
 +
{{comic discussion}}
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 
[[Category:Comics with color]]
 
[[Category:Comics with color]]
 
[[Category:Romance]]
 
[[Category:Romance]]
 +
[[Category:Sex]]
 
[[Category:Playpen balls]]
 
[[Category:Playpen balls]]

Revision as of 16:43, 21 March 2015

Grownups
I've looked into this, and I can't figure out a way to do it cheaply. And I guess it wouldn't be sanitary.
Title text: I've looked into this, and I can't figure out a way to do it cheaply. And I guess it wouldn't be sanitary.

Explanation

Randall is playing with the child/grownup setup again. During childhood, adults ("grownups") make most of the decisions and put constraints on what their children do. As children age and eventually become grownups, there are some things that they do not do anymore, as they see them as childish.

Megan has taken these thoughts seriously, and realizes that with her newfound freedom as a grownup, she gets to define what her adulthood means. Free from constraints, she goes ahead and creates a playpen in her apartment of colored plastic balls. Cueball admires this spirit and enters the playpen. It is difficult to decipher Randall's true intent behind this somewhat cryptic comic, but it seems from the heart that the two are making love in the balls.

The title text reveals that Randall also would like to make his own playpen, but he finds it expensive to buy and also hard to keep clean. Both of these are true - see links. Most public playpens can easily become very dirty as many children and toddlers play in them.

This is one of the five comics linked at the bottom part of the xkcd.com website.

Transcript

[Cueball is talking to Megan who is behind a waist-high screen across a doorway with colorful playpen balls behind her.]
Cueball: Hey, I was wondering if you had plans for-- holy crap, what happened to your apartment?
Megan: I filled it with playpen balls!
Cueball: I... what? Why?
Megan: Because we're grown-ups now, and it's our turn to decide what that means.
[Both vanish into the apartment, balls spilling out into the corridor. A love heart drifts out the door, indicating you-know-what.]

Trivia

  • Randall, author of the comic, actually built one in his apartment, which he talks about and shows pictures of at here and here. Speaking of cost, chiliahedron.com has a calculator for how much it would cost to make your own ball pit.


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Discussion

Date of issue is definitely incorrect. Could someone fix that? Rikthoff (talk) 16:35, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

fixed.--B. P. (talk) 23:22, 8 August 2012 (UTC)


I have a (partial?) solution to the urine problem. Don't let any toddlers and children into your apartment, let alone hundreds of them. HTH, HAND. 178.98.31.27 18:23, 22 June 2013 (UTC)

I'd say this comic resonated much more around the Internet than the rest of them. The trivia section should mention this and cite evidence. --Quicksilver (talk) 06:17, 24 August 2013 (UTC)

I think the heart means that they're having sex. The title text would support this. 120.148.234.14 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)


Since noone mentioned it yet, this guy tried it at home. Something for the Trivia? - Ruffy314 (talk) 15:14, 11 December 2015 (UTC)

"the two are making love in the balls" this just seems funny to me for some reason 162.158.69.63 16:33, 17 January 2017 (UTC)

Randall seems to have anticipated the trend of Youtubers making videos where they turn various structures into ball pits, i.e. covered trampolines, empty swimming pools etc. The Cat Lady (talk) 13:33, 12 August 2021 (UTC)

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