36: Scientists
explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
| Scientists |
 Title text: A leading expert characterized the situation as 'retarded' |
Explanation
This comic plays on the type of statement that news reports often use: "in what [group of experts] are calling '[quote]'", to add more weight and credibility to their stories. In this case, Cueball is using the phrase to attempt to add gravitas to the (relatively mundane) fact that his shoes are missing and he thinks it's "pretty gay" by assigning this opinion to scientists (rather than it being, presumably, his own opinion). The same joke is at play in the image text where a leading expert thinks the situation is "retarded" (a description not likely to be used by a "leading expert").
Trivia
- Comic #36 was originally posted as a duplicate of comic 10: Pi Equals. This was corrected some time between April 22, 2006 and July 5, 2006 when 36: Scientists showed up.
Transcript
- [Cueball is staring at an empty box on the floor]
- In what scientists are calling "pretty gay", I can't find my shoes.
add a comment!Discussion
If Cueball's a scientist, the statement is perfectly valid. Even more so if his scientist friends are helping him, and they can't find his shoes either. Davidy22(talk) 07:07, 31 October 2012 (UTC)
I found the fact that the last sentence was present in the explanation funnier than the comic itself. -- 131.175.28.142 22:13, 14 May 2013 (UTC)
I found the fact that the last sentence was present in the explanation funnier than the comic itself. -- 131.175.28.142 22:13, 14 May 2013 (UTC)
