Difference between revisions of "6: Irony"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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(Explanation: Replacing ==Description== with ==Explanation==, replaced: ==Description== → ==Explanation==)
(Explanation)
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| date      = September 30, 2005
 
| date      = September 30, 2005
 
| title    = Irony
 
| title    = Irony
| image    = Irony.jpg
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| image    = irony_color.jpg
| imagesize =
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| titletext = It's commonly known that too much perspective can be a downer.
| titletext   = It's commonly known that too much perspective can be a downer.
 
 
}}
 
}}
==Transcript==
 
Narrator: When self-reference, irony, and meta-humor go too far
 
  
Narrator: A CAUTIONARY TALE
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==Explanation==
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It must be part of the {{w|human condition}} that causes us to think that odd statements are sometimes more humorous than those supposed to be funny. [[Cueball]] makes a true statement, that his statement is not very funny. However, because he invoked {{w|irony}}, the sentence is now funny!
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Now going meta: In 20,000 years, there might be no more humans on earth to find the irony funny anymore. How ''ironic''!
  
Man 1: This statement wouldn't be funny if not for irony!
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This is the first [[xkcd]] comic showing stick figure people, which eventually becomes a defining characteristic of the future comic series.
  
Man 1: ha ha
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The "too much perspective" idea may reference the Total Perspective Vortex in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. 
  
Man 2: ha ha, I guess.
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Also see [[33: Self-reference]].
  
Narrator: 20,000 years later...
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==Transcript==
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:When self-reference, irony, and meta-humor go too far
 +
:A CAUTIONARY TALE
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:Cueball: This statement wouldn't be funny if not for irony!
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:Cueball: ha ha
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:Friend: ha ha, I guess.
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:20,000 years later...
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:[Desolate badlands landscape with an imposing sun in the sky.]
  
[desolate badlands landscape with an imposing sun in the sky]
 
==Explanation==
 
 
==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
*[Quote from [[Randall]]] "Too much perspective can do that."
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*This is the ninth comic originally posted on livejournal. The previous was [[8: Red Spiders]]. The next was [[9: Serenity is coming out tomorrow]].
*Originally posted at [[Randall]]'s livejournal site.
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*Original [[Randall]] quote: "Too much perspective can do that."
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{{comic discussion}}
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[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]
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[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
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[[Category:Comics with color]]

Revision as of 04:10, 22 October 2014

Irony
It's commonly known that too much perspective can be a downer.
Title text: It's commonly known that too much perspective can be a downer.

Explanation

It must be part of the human condition that causes us to think that odd statements are sometimes more humorous than those supposed to be funny. Cueball makes a true statement, that his statement is not very funny. However, because he invoked irony, the sentence is now funny!

Now going meta: In 20,000 years, there might be no more humans on earth to find the irony funny anymore. How ironic!

This is the first xkcd comic showing stick figure people, which eventually becomes a defining characteristic of the future comic series.

The "too much perspective" idea may reference the Total Perspective Vortex in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Also see 33: Self-reference.

Transcript

When self-reference, irony, and meta-humor go too far
A CAUTIONARY TALE
Cueball: This statement wouldn't be funny if not for irony!
Cueball: ha ha
Friend: ha ha, I guess.
20,000 years later...
[Desolate badlands landscape with an imposing sun in the sky.]

Trivia


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Discussion

You can definitely see an improvement in these comics as Randall learns to clean drawings and form a proper punchline. Davidy22[talk] 14:07, 8 January 2013 (UTC)

I think this explanation is incomplete. Benjaminikuta (talk) 03:41, 11 August 2014 (UTC)


There is a community portal discussion of what to call Cueball and what to do in case with more than one Cueball. I have added this comic to the new Category:Multiple Cueballs. Since there is really only one Cueball that "talks" I think it is fine to keep him as Cueball. Just made a note that the other guy also looks like Cueball. Also noted that this is the first comic both with Cueball and with Multiple Cueballs --Kynde (talk) 17:06, 15 March 2015 (UTC)