998: 2012

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2012

Title text: To compensate for this, I plan to spend 2013 doing nothing but talking about Mayans. My relationships with my friends and family may not fare well.

Explanation

Happy New Year everyone! This comic is in reference to the fact that the Mayans, an ancient civilization in the Americas, created a calendar that ends (or, more accurately, restarts) on December 21, 2012. This date is regarded as the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the calendar used by the Mayan culture. Knowing this, some thought that the world was going to end on that date.

Consequently, a lot of people were talking about the Mayans, concerned that the world might end. After December 21, 2012 passed uneventfully, everyone was less concerned about the Mayans, because the world didn't end. It is worthy of note that this comic was published nearly a year before the "significant" date and that Randal predicted both the hype and the aftermath perfectly.

There is a measure of irony to be had in how the Mayans who still exist today were largely ignored by the doomsayers. "Or acknowledging that huge city-building ancient American civilizations existed at all."

In the final frame, Megan parodies the phrase, "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it," applying a twist to suggest an academic context. In most American schools, a Grade Point Average is computed by assigning numeric value to each letter grade: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, and F=0; receiving high marks (all A's) thus yields a 4.0 GPA. However, if you "Fail to learn from History" — that is, get a failing grade, F, and had at least 3 other classes (not an unusual course load) — you would still get a 3.0 with A's in those other classes. She is making the callous — if roundabout — observation that failing to grasp history, while no doubt troubling, isn't an academic show-stopper (perhaps explaining why so many Americans are so bad at it).

Transcript

[Cueball and Megan are talking.]

Cueball: Well, it's 2012.

[This panel has no upper and lower borders.]

Cueball: Yup.

Megan: Only 354 days left until everybody abruptly stops talking about Mayans.

Cueball: Or thinking about Mayans.

Cueball: Or acknowledging that huge city-building ancient American civilizations existed at all.

Megan: You know what they say — those who fail to learn from history can still manage a 3.0 if they ace their other subjects.

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Discussion

2012 is almost over, and no end of the world yet. Makin' progress. Davidy²²(talk) 02:08, 13 November 2012 (UTC)

We have until Winter Solstice, it seems, whereupon we face a calamity the likes of which haven't been seen since Y2K. -- IronyChef (talk) 06:33, 20 November 2012 (UTC)

I haven't been this disappointed by the apocalypse since Y2K. Not even worth a rental. 69.127.136.211 03:51, 24 January 2013 (UTC)

Upgraded to past tense. Alpha (talk) 20:32, 23 February 2013 (UTC)