explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

497: Secretary: Part 4

2019-12-11T14:15:14Z

162.158.18.82: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 497
| date = October 30, 2008
| title = Secretary: Part 4
| image = secretary part 4.png
| titletext = It's time to draw the line.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Ron Paul}} is an American physician, author, and politician who is a {{w|US House of Representatives|House Representative}} for {{w|Texas}} and is a three-time Presidential candidate, running as a {{w|Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian}} and a {{w|Republican Party (United States)|Republican}}. He has a very dedicated and vocal base of supporters who believe he is [[1083|the only true alternative]] to either side of [[661|the Two-Party System]]. These supporters go under the name "{{w|Ron_Paul_presidential_campaign,_2008#Ron_Paul_Revolution|Ron Paul Revolution}}" with the letters "evol" reversed to emphasise "love".

{{w|Tron (film)|Tron}} is a movie made by {{w|Disney}}. The title text refers to the line of virtual light that streams out from the back of Tron's light grid vehicles. Normally it is a single, solid color, but in the comic it is the color of the American flag to show Ron's patriotism. There is also a joke about {{w|Pokémon}} in the phrase "... evolves into ...". Pokémon is a game where the player, a "Trainer", has their Pokémon battle other Pokémon to level the Pokémon up. As the Pokémon levels up, they evolve into the next, more powerful, form of the Pokémon.

Ron Paul and {{w|Cory Doctorow}} are fighting because Cory Doctorow believes he must support fellow bloggers no matter what and Ron Paul wants the nomination Black Hat, a blogger, is getting.

There is a subtle joke in the panel where Ron Paul and Cory Doctorow are firing at each other; the sound effect for Cory's guns is "Boing! Boing!," which is the name of [http://boingboing.net Cory Doctorow's blog]. Also, a visual joke is that Cory's turret in panel 5 very much resembles an upside-down {{w|Dalek}}. The latter might not be an intentional joke, however, as Ron Paul's turret is designed the same way as Cory's.

The reference to gold touches on Ron Paul's desire to see monetary policy once again be driven by the gold standard, namely that a country's currency value be driven not by its economic activity, but by the amount of physical gold it owns. Earlier in American history, this was the case; owning a dollar would (in theory) be owning one dollar's worth of gold somewhere in the treasury. This is in contrast with the current international practice, where countries are able to print an arbitrary quantity of paper money that is not necessarily backed by physical gold. Adherence to the gold standard is an extreme minority view; most economists, and the population at large, agree that the current system is much better. This may also be a reference to the final scene in {{w|The Italian Job}}, where the heroes face a decision over losing a large quantity of gold - or death.

All comics in the [[:Category:Secretary|Secretary]] series:
*[[494: Secretary: Part 1]]
*[[495: Secretary: Part 2]]
*[[496: Secretary: Part 3]]
*497: Secretary: Part 4 (this one)
*[[498: Secretary: Part 5]]

This series was released on 5 consecutive days (Monday-Friday) and not over the usual Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule.

It is possible that this series is a continuation of [[493: Actuarial]], in which Black Hat demonstrates great power over even Internet trolls via his sociopathic ways. This would explain why Black Hat was chosen as Internet secretary.

==Transcript==
:[The Ron Paul Revolution blimp floats.]
:Pilot: Sir! The balloon is hailing us!

:[Cory Doctorow's balloon appears.]
:Cory: Ahoy.
:Ron Paul: Doctorow!
:Cory: I won't let you stop this nomination. We bloggers watch out for our own.

:Ron Paul: Stand aside, Cory.
:Cory: Nay!
:Ron Paul: Very well. Battle stations!

:[The Ron Paul Revolution blimp's gun takes aim.]
:''Whirrr kachunk''

:[Cory Doctorow's balloon's gun takes aim.]
:''Whirrrr kachunk''

:[Both airships open fire.]
:''Pew pew pew''
:''Pew pew''
:''Boing! Boing!''

:[Inside the Ron Paul Revolution blimp's control room.]
:Ponytail: We're taking damage!
:Ron Paul: Keep firing!
:Ponytail: No good! We're losing altitude!

:[Outside the Ron Paul Revolution blimp, it hangs smoking in the air.]
:Ron Paul: All engines full! Pull up!
:Ponytail: Can't, sir!

:[The Ron Paul Revolution blimp begins to sink, smoking more heavily.]

:[The blimp sinks further.]
:Ponytail: Sir, maybe if we dropped all this gold...
:Ron Paul: Never!

:[Inside the control room, tilted slightly.]
:Ponytail: We've lost, sir. We have to abort.
:Ron Paul: Not yet, we don't! Open the loading bay doors.

:[Camera zooms out slightly.]
:Ron Paul: You take the blimp and fall back.
:''click''
:Ron Paul: I've got a message to deliver.
:''Whirr''

:[Ron Paul tosses his cane aside.]

:[Ron Paul steadily transforms into Tron Paul.]
:Narrator: RON PAUL evolves into TRON PAUL

:[Light cycle begins to form.]

:[Tron Paul bends over the light cycle.]

:[Light cycle finishes its formation.]

:[Light cycle speeds off, trailing an American flag.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Secretary|04]]
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Secretary]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ron Paul]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Airships]]
[[Category:Pokémon]]

469: Improvised

2019-12-06T10:18:24Z

162.158.18.82: /* Explanation */ fixed typo

{{comic
| number = 469
| date = August 29, 2008
| title = Improvised
| image = improvised.png
| titletext = Oh, your brother is Luke. Sorry, should've mentioned that first.
}}

==Explanation==
In the second of the original ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' film ''{{w|The Empire Strikes Back|Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back}}'', just before {{w|Han Solo}}, portrayed by {{w|Harrison Ford}}, is frozen in carbonite, the following conversation occurs:
:Leia: I love you.
:Han: I know.

The original script had Han Solo respond to {{w|Leia}} with "I love you, too", but Harrison Ford felt that the character would not give such a cliched response, even in the face of likely death and he and the director {{w|Irvin Kershner}} changed the line to "I know" before filming. They did, however, also film the scripted version, but it was the "I know" version that was actually used in the finished film.

This line is generally thought to be better than the original would have been. It was long thought that Harrison Ford ad-libed the line. Others have even suggested it was because they had filmed to scene so many times, that Ford in exasperation at some point just blurted out the "I know" after hearing "I love you" so many times. But it has later been revealed that it was not ad-lib on the spot, although Harrison did suggest the I know line to the director. This has been described here: [https://uk.news.yahoo.com/the-empire-strikes-back-i-love-you-i-know-119550611107.html How the Famous 'I Love You/I Know' Scene From 'The Empire Strikes Back' Really Came Together].

The comic presents several alternative ad-libs that Ford could have made in that conversation as well as at various points throughout the original trilogy. So in this situation it is the actor Ford and not Han Solo that speaks the lines.

{| class="wikitable"
! Row
! Col
! Ad-Lib
! Further Detail
|-
| 1
| 1
| '''Well, duh.'''
| Here, Han ruins the mood [a dramatic confession] with a flippant statement.
|-
| 1
| 2
| '''Seriously? ...Christ.'''
| Another example of an out-of-tone ad-lib. The original line is "never tell me the odds", a nod to Solo's daredevil persona. In this ad-lib, however, he is hesitant to try anything dangerous. Additionally, Ford's use of "Christ" would be unfitting, as ''Star Wars'' takes place in a galaxy far, far away, where Christianity is completely unknown. (Still, considering that Solo [[890:_Etymology|named his ship after an Earth bird of prey...]])
|-
| 1
| 3
| '''Oh! Hey, that explains the kissing earlier.'''
| Another absurd, out-of-character answer to a serious remark, this time with Solo acting romantically oblivious [rather than forward, as he is usually].
|-
| 2
| 1
| '''I'm nailing your brother.'''
| So far Leia doesn't know she has a brother (Luke). Also, since ''to nail'' means to penetrate, she may be surprised to learn that Han is currently engaged in a same-sex relationship (or at least an ongoing arrangement). This panel is referenced in the title text.
|-
| 2
| 2
| '''Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for scissors, though they do beat paper and rock.'''
| The original line is "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid", a reference to Luke's force training and lightsaber use. In this ad-lib, Han turns a discussion about weapons into a [unusually formal] discussion about the game {{w|Rock-paper-scissors}}.
|-
| 2
| 3
| '''Cool. Listen, this thing is really, REALLY cold.'''
| Han is in a freezing chamber in this scene. This remark indicates that he is not very interested in Leia's feeling at this moment since he is so cold.
|-
| 3
| 1
| '''Wowzers.'''
| ''Wowzers'' is an expression used by {{w|Inspector Gadget}}; another amusingly out-of-character ad-lib.
|-
| 3
| 2
| '''Barely. They're pretty drunk.'''
| The original response (from the sequel, ''{{w|Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi}}'') here is "Uh, my team's ready. I don't have a command crew for the shuttle." In this ad-lib, Han responds to a serious situation [preparations for an important mission to bring down the Galactic Empire] with an un-serious response and an admission that he's allowing his crew to drink while on duty.
|-
| 3
| 3
| '''Man, me too but Chewie never seems interested. Maybe I should grow my hair out.'''
| The original response was "I can arrange that! You could ''use'' a good kiss!" In the original film, Leia's remark "I'd just as soon kiss a wookiee" is meant as an insult to Han, implying that he's no more attractive than a great hairy monster. In this ad-lib, though, Han takes her statement literally, and suggests that he is also interested in kissing a wookiee. Chewbacca is Han's wookiee copilot and fellow smuggler. Han's suggestion that he's interested in kissing Chewbacca is unexpected on many levels: firstly, Han's shown interest in Leia, secondly, Chewbacca is an entirely different species, and thirdly, Chewbacca is also male, and Han Solo is presumed by Leia to be straight.
|}

Note: although it's spelled "wookie" in the comic, the canonical spelling of Chewbacca's species is "{{w|Wookiee}}".

The title text continues the ad lib in panel four. It refers to the plot twist that {{w|Luke Skywalker}} is princess {{w|Princess Leia|Leia's}} brother, which would not be revealed until the next film in the series. How Harrison Ford knows this twist at this point in the story is unknown.

==Transcript==
:[Caption above the panels:]
:Harrison Ford famously improvised his "I know" line in E.S.B. Here are a few of his less-successful ad-libs:

:[Harrison Ford as Han Solo (in all the panels) stands in front of Princess Leia on the Cloud City Carbon Freezing Chamber.]
:Leia: I love you.
:Han: Well, duh.

:[Han Solo in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.]
:C-3P0: Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3720 to 1!
:Han: Seriously? ...Christ.

:[Han Solo stands in front of Princess Leia on the Cloud City Carbon Freezing Chamber.]
:Leia: I love you.
:Han: Oh! Hey, that explains the kissing earlier.

:[Han Solo stands in front of Princess Leia on the Cloud City Carbon Freezing Chamber.]
:Leia: I love you.
:Han: I'm nailing your brother.

:[Han Solo standing in front of Luke Skywalker, who is holding a blast shield helmet and a lightsaber. The training droid hovers between them.]

:Han: Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for scissors, though they do beat paper and rock.

:[Han Solo stands in front of Princess Leia on the Cloud City Carbon Freezing Chamber.]
:Leia: I love you.
:Han: Cool. Listen, this thing is really, <u>really</u> cold.

:[Han Solo stands in front of Princess Leia on the Cloud City Carbon Freezing Chamber.]
:Leia: I love you.
:Han: Wowzers.

:[Han Solo sits with two others. General Madine approaches.]
:Madine: General Solo, is your strike team assembled?
:Han: Barely. They're pretty drunk.

:[Han Solo and Princess Leia stand in an Ice Tunnel of Hoth.]
:Leia: I'd just as soon kiss a wookie.
:Han: Man, me too but Chewie never seems interested. Maybe I should grow my hair out.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]
[[Category:Sex]]
[[Category:Romance]]

Talk:2234: How To Deliver Christmas Presents

2019-11-28T20:33:14Z

162.158.18.82: ad Pikachu

Is the equation in the comic wrong? It should be (4 kg*m/s) / (book mass), right?
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.245|108.162.221.245]] 19:34, 27 November 2019 (UTC)
:Yes, that's correct. The equation in part 2 should be (speed) = (momentum) / (mass), given (momentum) = (speed) x (mass). Though the answer seems to be correct, assuming a book mass of approximately 0.8lbs (0.36kg). --shabegger {{unsigned|Shabegger}}
::Have added this to a [[#Trivia|trivia section]]. Maybe Randall will later update the comic, although it is probably cumbersome... But if he does, then that should go in the trivia and the mention of this that I made in the comic, should be changed to, there was an error... Feel free to improve my formulas. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:35, 27 November 2019 (UTC)

Is that a "Baby Yoda" in the right window? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.6.94|172.69.6.94]] 20:06, 27 November 2019 (UTC)
:Houseplant [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 20:33, 27 November 2019 (UTC)
::Nope that is Pikachu, I'm certain. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:10, 27 November 2019 (UTC)
:::I also thought it looked like Yoda. In the 2x version, it looks most like a baby elephant, but careful examination suggests it's probably Pikachu in a ''really'' weird perspective (the thing that looks like Yoda's second ear is actually Pikachu's ''tail'', and his ''actual'' second ear is probably behind his head). --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.62|141.101.77.62]] 22:47, 27 November 2019 (UTC)
::::I agree that it is rather difficult to see, but with Randall's use of Pikachu in the past, and the fact that I play Pokémon Go and instantly saw it as Pikachu, I'm quite convinced this is what it should be. Also Yoda do not exist on Earht, but everyone knows Pikachu does :p But can see the baby elephant likeness and the other options as well. By the way, not everyone knows about the 2x version, so here is [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/how_to_deliver_christmas_presents_2x.png the link for that].
::::[[Media:2234-_How_To_Deliver_Christmas_Presents_Pikachu_in_window.png|Close up of Pikachu in window]] --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:22, 28 November 2019 (UTC)
:::::I may not play Pokémon Go, but I know what a Pikachu looks like, and I don't see it. I'm not even sure which ear the other IP is talking about, or where its eyes and snout are. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.18.82|162.158.18.82]] 20:33, 28 November 2019 (UTC)

Why the uptick in fireplaces around 2012/2013? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.242.166|172.68.242.166]] 02:00, 28 November 2019 (UTC)
: It snowed that year, maybe that's why? [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 09:53, 28 November 2019 (UTC)

This comic was posted the day before Thanksgiving, a major American holiday. Can't be a coincidence can it? [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 09:53, 28 November 2019 (UTC)
:Also 2 days before black Friday, a even more major American holiday, and typical ocasion to get christmas gifts. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 10:00, 28 November 2019 (UTC)
::Yes also think it is Black Friday related. It is now people should think of buying it, as many buy their gifts tomorrow. I buy the way had just ordered the book 10 hours before this comic came came out. But had all along decided that I could wait for x-mas. So someone will give it to me... :-p So although i look forward to reading it, I could wait ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:14, 28 November 2019 (UTC)

I think it might be notable how, in number 3, the gift explicitly becomes a book. There's no inherent reason--you could just put any gift in the same package as the other and get the same joke. [[User:Trlkly|Trlkly]] ([[User talk:Trlkly|talk]]) 11:31, 28 November 2019 (UTC)

". . . the holiday of Christmas, which in the US happens usually on December 25 of each year." Usually? No, I think Christmas in the US is always on December 25th, by law. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.136|162.158.214.136]] 12:37, 28 November 2019 (UTC)
:The beginning of the sentence is "Giving Christmas presents is a traditional way to celebrate ..." - so it referrs to the giving of presents, which usually happens on the 25th. There is no law defining the day you give christmas gifts.--[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 12:45, 28 November 2019 (UTC)