570: New Car
explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
| New Car |
 Title text: Somewhere out there is a company that has actually figured out how to enlarge penises, and it's helpless to reach potential customers. |
[edit] Explanation
A well-known type of Internet scam tries to trick the reader into thinking that they've won a prize, often in the form of an annoying flashy ad banner (e.g. "You're our 100,000th visitor!!! Click here to claim a FREE Ferrari!"). In the comic, the guy with the car really did have a fancy car to give out, but the winner didn't claim it, believing it to be a scam. It's a bit like the boy who cried wolf — given enough lies, the truth will look like a lie.
The title text refers to another type of scam, advertising fake "male enhancement" drugs. Randall suggests that if such a drug really did exist, it would be very difficult to advertise effectively, since most people would assume it was a scam.
[edit] Transcript
- Cueball: When'd you get the car?
- Friend: It's the darndest thing. We bought it as a prize for the 100,000,000th visitor to our website.
- Cueball: And they didn't want it?
- Friend: Apparently.
- Cueball: Maybe they didn't see the notice.
- Friend: It was flashing and everything!
- Cueball: How bizarre.
add a comment!Discussion
This is the first explanation I've contributed. Feedback is welcome. gijobarts (talk) 00:40, 13 January 2013 (UTC)
- Very nice. Ekedolphin (talk) 09:44, 28 January 2013 (UTC)
