Difference between revisions of "946: Family Decals"

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(Explanation: )
(Explanation: Firstly, singular cat. Secondly, this interpretation (might be not as valid as what it just replaced) certainly isn't the only one.)
 
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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
Car owners will often put stickers on their back window that represent what their family looks like or what their children do for activities.
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There exists a current fashion among car owners to place {{w|decal|decals}} on their back window that represent their family. The decals consist of stick figures to depict the parents and children, perhaps shown doing a favorite activity, and even pets.
  
The first car bumper sticker features a couple with three children, while the other sticker depicts a couple with large sacks of money. The humor comes from the opportunity cost implied in this — that not having children allows you to avoid the expense of raising them and accumulate money for your own use.
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The first car window features a couple with three children, while the other shows just a couple ([[Cueball]] and [[Megan]]), with piles of dollar bills and two large bags with dollar signs on them. The humor comes from the opportunity cost implied in this not having children allows you to avoid the expense of raising them and accumulate money for your own use.
  
The title text refers to the humorous description of cats as the real masters of their household, and the little girls surrounding the cat refers to their ability to influence humans with their cuteness (as referenced in [[231: Cat Proximity|Cat Proximity]]).
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One might expect that the cars would represent the difference in wealth, and they are identified as 'urban SUV' and 'sporty hatch back' in the [http://xkcd.com/946/info.0.json official transcript]. The larger car is a {{w|Subaru Outback}} which is a typical car used by families. The second car is a {{w|Honda Fit}}, which is a budget compact hatchback, in the comic it has a spoiler added. The Subaru Outback is more expensive now than the Honda Fit, which seems to fit perfect with the comic's implication since a family of five have to buy the large expensive hatchback. Being able to buy a smaller car that doesn't need to hold a five member family also allows you to save more money.
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The title text refers to the humorous description of cats as the real masters of their household, and the little girls surrounding the cat refers to their ability to influence humans with their cuteness (as referenced in [[231: Cat Proximity]]). One implication might be that any adults in the household act childishly around the cat, so they are best depicted as children. The title text could also be a reverse of the stereotypical "crazy cat lady". Instead of someone owning a very large quantity of cats it could be one cat with an ungodly number of little girls.
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
:[Two cars are parked next to each other. The car on the left is an urban SUV and has stickers on the rear window representing a family. From left to right there is an adult male, adult female, female youth, male youth, and young child. The car on the right is a sporty hatch back, it has similar stickers on the rear window, with an adult male and adult female. Instead of the youth and child stickers there is instead a large pile of money.]
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:[Close up of the rear ends of two cars parked next to each other. Both have white stickers on their black rear windows. The car on the left is an urban SUV and most of the rear is visible with all the lights and a readable license plate with gray text visible. Its stickers represent a family. From left to right they are a Cueball-like guy, a woman with white hair like Blondie (i.e. black shows through), a girl with two ponytails, a boy of the same height and a smaller boy, both boys Cueball-like. The car on the right is a sporty hatch back, and only the left part until the middle is shown. The left lights and the very left part of the license plate can be seen. Its stickers show Cueball, Megan and then a large pile of dollar notes (six piles of different heights) and two large money bags with dollar signs on them, and the rear left bag is partly hidden by two piles of notes.]
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:License plate of SUV: ICE-LI3
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:License plate of sporty hatch back: L( [cut off]
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==Trivia==
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*Decals based on this comic do, in fact, exist.
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{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
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[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
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[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
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[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
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[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
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[[Category:Money]]

Latest revision as of 00:39, 24 February 2024

Family Decals
My decal set has no adults, just a sea of hundreds of the little girl figures closing in around a single cat.
Title text: My decal set has no adults, just a sea of hundreds of the little girl figures closing in around a single cat.

Explanation[edit]

There exists a current fashion among car owners to place decals on their back window that represent their family. The decals consist of stick figures to depict the parents and children, perhaps shown doing a favorite activity, and even pets.

The first car window features a couple with three children, while the other shows just a couple (Cueball and Megan), with piles of dollar bills and two large bags with dollar signs on them. The humor comes from the opportunity cost implied in this — not having children allows you to avoid the expense of raising them and accumulate money for your own use.

One might expect that the cars would represent the difference in wealth, and they are identified as 'urban SUV' and 'sporty hatch back' in the official transcript. The larger car is a Subaru Outback which is a typical car used by families. The second car is a Honda Fit, which is a budget compact hatchback, in the comic it has a spoiler added. The Subaru Outback is more expensive now than the Honda Fit, which seems to fit perfect with the comic's implication since a family of five have to buy the large expensive hatchback. Being able to buy a smaller car that doesn't need to hold a five member family also allows you to save more money.

The title text refers to the humorous description of cats as the real masters of their household, and the little girls surrounding the cat refers to their ability to influence humans with their cuteness (as referenced in 231: Cat Proximity). One implication might be that any adults in the household act childishly around the cat, so they are best depicted as children. The title text could also be a reverse of the stereotypical "crazy cat lady". Instead of someone owning a very large quantity of cats it could be one cat with an ungodly number of little girls.

Transcript[edit]

[Close up of the rear ends of two cars parked next to each other. Both have white stickers on their black rear windows. The car on the left is an urban SUV and most of the rear is visible with all the lights and a readable license plate with gray text visible. Its stickers represent a family. From left to right they are a Cueball-like guy, a woman with white hair like Blondie (i.e. black shows through), a girl with two ponytails, a boy of the same height and a smaller boy, both boys Cueball-like. The car on the right is a sporty hatch back, and only the left part until the middle is shown. The left lights and the very left part of the license plate can be seen. Its stickers show Cueball, Megan and then a large pile of dollar notes (six piles of different heights) and two large money bags with dollar signs on them, and the rear left bag is partly hidden by two piles of notes.]
License plate of SUV: ICE-LI3
License plate of sporty hatch back: L( [cut off]

Trivia[edit]

  • Decals based on this comic do, in fact, exist.


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Discussion

So I can get sacks of money if I sell my children? I need to find a girl who's willing to have loads of kids, fast. Davidy²²[talk] 09:06, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

Does anyone know what the title text is referencing?108.101.176.132 19:26, 20 July 2013 (UTC)

I don't know, so I did mark it as incomplete. Furthermore I'm sure there must be a pun on that adult pictures, it's much more common to show only the children (often with names) on it.--Dgbrt (talk) 20:01, 20 July 2013 (UTC)
I checked the forum, and could not find a convincing argument either. The theory that in my eyes came closest to an explanation was the attractive power a small kitten can have on little girls. --Chtz (talk) 15:57, 22 July 2013 (UTC)

I actually saw a car that had a guy and bags of money! At the time it made me mad, but I guess he's getting the last laugh! Theo (talk) 20:53, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

This comic explain is still incomplete, the title text is still missing. And what the hell the licence plate of the first car (ICE-IE3) does mean?--Dgbrt (talk) 21:43, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

Now, who can identify the cars? --Qwach (talk) 00:30, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Subaru Outback (https://google.com/search?q=subaru+outback+rear&tbm=isch) and Honda Fit (http://www.carid.com/images/t5i/spoilers/abs231a-honda-fit.jpg). Perhaps the article text about the Ford should be revised accordingly too. 108.162.215.32 07:04, 7 March 2014 (UTC)

The licence plate from the left car (ICE-L13)—that car belongs to a real family—is a reference to the Michelin tire Michelin X-Ice Xi3, which is claimed to be more safe than other tires are. -- Dgbrt (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

I think this comic implies that with kids, one has to buy a more expensive car to accommodate everyone. This is one of the things that leaves childless couples with more money. Heze (talk) 05:38, 14 April 2016 (UTC)Heze

I saw a car at my local Sam's Club with those exact decals! Can someone tell me where they sell them? I want one. --JayRulesXKCD (talk) 11:39, 16 September 2016 (UTC)