671: Stephen and Me

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
Revision as of 22:17, 9 April 2013 by ChrisHanel (talk | contribs) (Transcript)
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Stephen and Me
Hey, let go! We were all thinking it! Someone had to speak truth to power!
Title text: Hey, let go! We were all thinking it! Someone had to speak truth to power!

Explanation

This is a reference to the 1989 documentary Roger & Me, in which director Michael Moore attempted to confront General Motors CEO Roger E. Smith over the company's closure of factories in his home town of Flint, Michigan. Moore uses the documentary to demonstrate his belief that the factory closures had a crippling effect on the local economy, and his objective is to ask the CEO pointedly about GM's disregard for the lives effected by their business decisions.

In the strip, Beret Guy mirrors Moore's determination to speak with the CEO of an auto company (in this case, Volvo), only to reveal that his burning question is actually trivial and juvenile in nature.

Transcript

[Beret Guy is speaking into a mic in front of a sign that says Volvo Cars. A woman is filming him, and another is walking by with a briefcase.]
Beret Guy: I'm documenting my quest to meet with the CEO of Volvo.
Businesswoman: Get lost.
[Security guards are attempting to restrain Beret Guy and the camerawoman.]
Beret Guy: Wait! I've come so far! Just let me see him!
[They've reached the CEO's desk, which has the Volvo logo on it.]
CEO: All right, you've reached me. What is it you want to talk about?
Beret Guy: Do you realize how much your company's name sounds like "vulva"?
CEO: Security?


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Discussion

The etymologies are related.

178.42.120.14 21:53, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

How ironic, then, that Volvo's trademark is the same as the astrological symbol for Mars, the alchemical symbol for iron, and the Linnean symbol for male. Orazor (talk) 13:09, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
And attractive? -- Weatherlawyer (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)