36: Scientists

2025-09-13T07:07:40Z

2A02:908:D72:3A60:C95A:4F8A:82F9:9344: /* Explanation */ added a real-world example of the phrase

{{comic
| number = 36
| date = April 28, 2006
| title = Scientists
| image = scientists.jpg
| titletext = A leading expert characterized the situation as 'retarded'
}}

==Explanation==
This comic plays on the type of statement that news reports often use: "In what [group of experts] are calling '[quote]'," to add more weight and credibility to their stories. For example: "In what scientists are calling an extraordinary example of animal mimicry, a yellow-bellied marmot has learned to use a cell phone!". In this case, [[Cueball]] is using the phrase to attempt to add gravitas to the (relatively mundane) fact that his shoes are missing, and he thinks it's "pretty gay" by assigning this opinion to scientists (rather than it being, presumably, his friend's or his own opinion). The same joke is at play in the image text where a leading expert thinks the situation is "retarded."

The phrases "pretty gay" and "retarded" are infantile and offensive slang for "foolish" or "contemptible", and so they are the opposite type of speech expected of experts on news reports. These terms were not generally considered more than mildly offensive by most of the public at the time this comic was posted. The cultural mainstream is now typically much more critical of this type of language, and this comic would likely be heavily criticized if it were published today.

There may be a second level to the joke: Randall was still working for NASA at the time the comic was posted, so his friends at that time would presumably include scientists and "leading experts". If his friends made fun of him for not being able to find his shoes, it would therefore be accurate to say that scientists had made those statements. However, since them being scientists is irrelevant to the legitimacy of their opinions about Randall's shoe problems, presenting their teasing as an expert opinion is humorously misleading; a similar joke is at play in [[1206: Einstein]].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is staring at an empty box on the floor.]
:Cueball: In what scientists are calling "pretty gay", I can't find my shoes.

==Trivia==
Before [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] started using the [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com] website for his comics, he posted them on [[LiveJournal]] using the "[https://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/ xkcd_drawings]" account. The new xkcd website [[LiveJournal#First day on xkcd.com|opened on January 1, 2006]], and the backlog of 41 comics from LiveJournal from [[1: Barrel - Part 1]] to [[44: Love]] was transferred on the same day, but in a completely different order. There were also two new comics released on the first day of [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com] and a third new comic, this one, inserted a few months later. This comic was instead initially published as a duplicate of comic [[10: Pi Equals]].

According to an [[User:FaviFake|email exchange between Randall Munroe]] and an editor from [[explain xkcd]], he later corrected this duplication on April 28, 2006, almost four months after the release of duplicate. Prior to this confirmation, readers had only been able to narrow the replacement window to between [https://web.archive.org/web/20060423175703/http://www.xkcd.com/c36.html April 23, 2006] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20060705231511/http://xkcd.com/c36.html July 5, 2006], based on Web Archive captures. The comic's art style and content suggested it may have been an older, unused drawing selected to better match the tone and aesthetic of the surrounding comics.

In February 2025, [[User:FaviFake]], an editor from this wiki, contacted Randall Munroe via email to clarify the exact date that this comic was swapped in. Munroe [[User:FaviFake|responded the same day]], resolving a long-standing ambiguity surrounding the comic's release date and allowing explain xkcd to assign an official release date:

{{Quote|FaviFake,

''I had totally forgotten about this! Checking my logs, I believe I swapped it in on April 28th.

''Thank you for your tireless documentation effort :)

''Warmest wishes,''<br>''Randall|[[Randall Munroe]]|[[User:FaviFake|Source]]}}{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Checkered paper]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Language]]

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

36: Scientists