explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1760: TV Problems

2016-11-16T15:00:56Z

162.158.202.141: added Categories

{{comic
| number = 1760
| date = November 16, 2016
| title = TV Problems
| image = tv_problems.png
| titletext = Certified skydiving instructors know way more about safely falling from planes than I do, and are way more likely to die that way.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]

Talk:1757: November 2016

2016-11-09T12:37:52Z

162.158.202.141: confusing

Ok transcript hopefully complete, but please check it over, as I did it while tired and staying up late waiting for the election results. [[User:Wyrme|Wyrme]] ([[User talk:Wyrme|talk]]) 05:43, 9 November 2016 (UTC)

The main idea of the comic is stated in the first sentences "If they're [age], you say: "Did you know [thing] has been around for the majority of your life?"
The majority of your life means "more than half your life". For each of the age stated in the comic, something that happened more than half the age ago is stated.
As an example for the first two:
Grand Theft Auto IV was released in 2008, which is 8 years ago. More than 8 years is at the same time more than half of 16 years, which means "the majority of a 16 year old's life"
The next one goes for Rickrolling, which is "a prank and an Internet meme involving an unexpected appearance of the music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. The meme is a type of bait and switch using a disguised hyperlink." according to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickrolling wikipedia]. Even if the first reference is from 2007, the same Wiki page says that 'By May 2008, the practice had spread beyond 4chan and became an Internet phenomenon'. May 2008 is more than 8 and a half years ago which is more than half of 17 years.
It goes on and on, with "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters is a 2007 American Flash animated surreal comedy film", which again is more than 9 years ago and so on.
Sorry if I'm not clear enough but I hope you got it.
[[User:Anarhistu|Anarhistu]] ([[User talk:Anarhistu|talk]]) 11:19, 9 November 2016 (UTC)
: Yeah, the "majority part" is a bit confusing. I looked up 35 and saw "The Matrix" and I was like "wait, that didn't come out 35 years ago?!". Well, it didn't and that's not what the comic implys. However, it has been around for a MAJORITY (= more than half) of my life. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.202.141|162.158.202.141]] 12:37, 9 November 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1753: Thumb War

2016-10-31T14:48:01Z

162.158.202.141:

I love this new perspective of the comic. Seeing the characters as kids is an interesting concept, especially when one of them is Black Hat. Hopefully more of these kind of comics will come to exist. I wonder what kind of "classhole" tendencies Black Hat had as a kid... --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 14:38, 31 October 2016 (UTC)

Is this really Hairy in the comic or just a young Cueball, just with hair? Note that also Black Hat has visible hair under his hat in this comic, whereas the adult version doesn't have hair (or at least none visible). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.202.141|162.158.202.141]] 14:48, 31 October 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T10:27:25Z

162.158.202.141: possible reference

Attempted to write the transcript. Hope I did an okay job... {{unsigned ip|‎198.41.235.41}}

Might Ronda Rousey being knocked unconsious be a reference to her recent loss to Holly Holm, where Rousey indeed was knocked unconcious? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.202.141|162.158.202.141]] 10:27, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T08:25:42Z

162.158.202.141: /* Explanation */ typos

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|}}

Cueball shows Megan an app that allows one to simulate playing against Magnus Carlsen at various ages. The idea being that as he grows, it become more difficult than before. Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue development in a similar idea that simulates many famous people doing the thing they are famous for at different ages. They then end up weirding themselves out by comparing famous people in things that they aren't famous for, Secretariat eating hot dogs, Martha Stewart swimming, etc.

The title text continues the theme of the last panel with more comparisons, leading to the ludicrous[citation needed] situation of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult Ronda Rousey, famous for her fighting skills, unconscious.

{{W|Magnus Carlsen}} is the chess grandmaster who is currently #1 in the world.

{{W|Serena Williams}} is professional tennis player who is ranked #1 women's singles player in the world.

{{W|Michael Phelps}} is a swimmer who is #1 in the world in several swimming events.

{{W|Martha Stewart}}, among other things, has published several cookbooks.

{{W|JFK}} (John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy) was the 35th President of the United States.

{{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}} is a horse that won the Triple Crown in 1973.

{{W|Muhammad Ali}} is a boxer who is "among the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport."

{{W|Ken Jennings}} currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}.

{{W|Ronda Rousey}} is a "mixed martial arts" fighter and "judoka."

==Transcript==
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages. I can beat the 8 1/2-year-old, but lose to him at 9.
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an election against 12-year-old JFK?
:[Soon...][Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a Hot-Dog-Eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Time travel]]