https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Alexihampsonexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2026-04-10T04:19:09ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1529:_Bracket&diff=941011529: Bracket2015-05-25T18:57:51Z<p>Alexihampson: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1529<br />
| date = May 25, 2015<br />
| title = Bracket<br />
| image = bracket.png<br />
| titletext = I'm staring at the "doctor" section, and I can't help but feel like I've forgotten someone.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Explain the specific groupings.}}<br />
A {{w|Bracket (tournament)|tournament bracket}} shows the planned series of matchups in a tournament. In this comic Randall has shown a plan for a tournament between a wide range of cultural icons, both real and fictional, based mostly on similarities in their names. Various internet groups have speculated on who would win in a fight between characters from different films. It may be relevant that the film {{w|Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice}} is soon to be released where the two namesake {{w|superheros}}, {{w|Batman}} and {{w|Superman}}, fight against each other.<br />
<br />
The individual starting pairings are generally based on common or similar given or surnames. Some adjacent brackets are "segued" by someone like Jeff Daniels who segues from a bracket of "Jeff"s into a bracket of "Daniels"es. The bracket itself is fairly arbitrary. Most initial matchups are pairs, although several are trios and there's a quadruplet in the Russels group, while a single entry, Beyoncé, is given a first- and second-round {{w|bye (sports)|bye}}. Most of the participants in the tournament are people with a few exceptions: {{w|Shallots}} (small onions), {{w|scallops}} (bivalve mollusks), and {{w|scallions}} (green onions) are similar sounding foods, therefore may be confusing for some individuals (perhaps including [[Randall]]). The final grouping on the lower right of the bracket features a several retail stores and a film. <br />
<br />
The [[title text]] may be referring to {{w|Dr. Dre}}, particularly as a reference to his 2001 song "{{w|Forgot About Dre}}". Alternatively, the title text could simply be a reference to the large number of pop culture personas that include the word "Doctor", such as {{w|Gregory House|Doctor House}}, {{w|Mehmet Oz|Dr. Oz}}, {{w|Phil McGraw|Dr. Phil}}, {{w|Dr. Watson}}, {{w|Emmett Brown|"Doc" Brown}}, {{w|Dr. Seuss}}, {{w|Dr Pepper}}, {{w|Doctor Doom}}, and {{w|List of fictional doctors|many others}} (or, in fact, [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/futurama-zoidberg-why-not-zoidberg why not Dr. Zoidberg]?). Another possibility is that the [[title text]] is supposed to make the readers ask themselves "{{w|Doctor who}}?" Though "The Doctor" is already listed, this could refer to either ''Doctor Who'' or {{w|Doctor (Star Trek: Voyager)|the ''Star Trek: Voyager'' character}}. Notably, while the Doctor in "Doctor Who" is technically one character, the Doctor has currently been played by 13 different actors. The mythos of the Doctor Who even includes individual incarnations of the Doctor interacting with each other; knowing they are the same person, yet often expressing annoyance when grouped together. So perhaps Randall is implying that to just include the Doctor as one individual is not an accurate representation of this character.<br />
<br />
The names and other entries in the bracket are:<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="background:transparent;border:none;width:100%;"<br />
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Armstrong:<br />
:{{w|Louis Armstrong}} (musician)<br />
:{{w|Neil Armstrong}} (first human on the moon)<br />
:{{w|Lance Armstrong}} (bicyclist)<br />
:{{w|Stretch Armstrong}} (action figure)<br />
<br />
Jeff *:<br />
:{{w|Jeff Gordan}}<br />
:{{w|Jeff Bridges}} (Actor)<br />
<br />
J* Daniels:<br />
:{{w|Jeff Daniels}}<br />
:{{w|Jack Daniels}} (Alcoholic beverage)<br />
<br />
Mr. Well*s:<br />
:{{w|Orson Welles}} (Director of "Citizen Kane")<br />
:{{w|H.G. Wells}} (Known for "The War of the Worlds" and "The Time Machine")<br />
<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki>well*:<br />
:{{w|George Orwell}} (Author of "1984" and "Animal Farm")<br />
:{{w|Wells Fargo}} (Bank and stage coach company)<br />
<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Russell *:<br />
:{{w|Kurt Russell}} (Actor)<br />
:{{w|Russell Brand}}<br />
:{{w|Russell Crowe}} (Actor)<br />
:{{w|Russell Simmons}}<br />
<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Simmons:<br />
:{{w|Richard Simmons}}<br />
:{{w|Gene Simmons}}<br />
<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki>ckman:<br />
:{{w|Gene Hackman}}<br />
:{{w|Hugh Jackman}}<br />
:{{w|Alan Rickman}}<br />
<br />
Alan Par*:<br />
:{{w|Alan Parsons}}<br />
:{{w|Alan Partridge}}<br />
<br />
McCarthy/Eugene:<br />
:{{w|Jenny McCarthy}}<br />
:{{w|Joseph McCarthy}} (Senator known for anti-communist witchhunt)<br />
:{{w|Eugene McCarthy}}<br />
:{{w|Eugene V. Debs}} (labor leader)<br />
<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Wilde*<br />
:{{w|Gene Wilder}}<br />
:{{w|Olivia Wilde}}<br />
:{{w|Oscar Wilde}}<br />
<br />
Oscar De La *:<br />
:{{w|Oscar De La Renta}}<br />
:{{w|Oscar De La Hoya}}<br />
<br />
Jack *:<br />
:{{w|Jack Nicklaus}} (Golf player)<br />
:{{w|Jack Nicholson}} (Actor)<br />
<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki>ickle* / *ickel*:<br />
:{{w|Phil Mickelson}}<br />
:{{w|Nicholas Nickelby}}<br />
<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki>ryan Adams:<br />
:{{w|Ryan Adams}}<br />
:{{w|Bryan Adams}}<br />
<br />
Popular Games:<br />
:{{w|Chubby Checker}} (Checkers is a board game)<br />
:{{w|Fats Domino}} (Dominoes [or dominos] is a game. Domino's is a pizza chain.)<br />
<br />
Colin *:<br />
:{{w|Colin Firth}}<br />
:{{w|Colin Farrell}}<br />
<br />
F*rell:<br />
:{{w|Will Ferrell}}<br />
:{{w|The Farrelly Brothers}}<br />
<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki>itt:<br />
:{{w|Joseph Gordon-Levitt}}<br />
:{{w|Jennifer Love Hewitt}}<br />
<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Glover:<br />
:{{w|Danny Glover}}<br />
:{{w|Donald Glover}}<br />
<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Wahlberg:<br />
:{{w|Donnie Wahlberg}}<br />
:{{w|Mark Wahlberg}}<br />
<br />
Mark *:<br />
:{{w|Mark Ruffalo}}<br />
:{{w|Mark Shuttleworth}}<br />
<br />
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|<br />
Bill */* Pullman:<br />
:{{w|Philip Pullman}}<br />
:{{w|Bill Pullman}}<br />
:{{w|Bill Paxton}}<br />
<br />
Ghostbusters:<br />
:{{w|Bill Murray}}<br />
:{{w|Dan Aykroyd}}<br />
<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Rogers:<br />
:{{w|Ginger Rogers}} (Woman known for dancing with {{w|Fred Astaire}})<br />
:Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers (Confusing reference to {{w|Fred Rogers}} (popularly known as "Mister Rogers") and to {{w|Fred Astaire}})<br />
<br />
Doctor */* Spock:<br />
:{{w|Mister Spock}} (Character on Star Trek)<br />
:{{w|Doctor Spock}} (Author of book on childcare)<br />
:{{w|Doctor Octopus}}<br />
<br />
Doctors:<br />
:{{w|Doctor Manhattan}}<br />
:{{w|Doctor Strangelove}} (Character based on Henry Kissinger in movie about nuclear war)<br />
:{{w|Doctor Strange}}<br />
<br />
More doctors:<br />
:{{w|Julius No|Dr. No}} (Main villain in the {{w|Dr. No (film)|first James Bond movie}})<br />
:{{w|The Doctor (Doctor Who)|The Doctor}} (Main protagonist of the science fiction series {{w|Doctor Who}})<br />
:{{w|Cory Doctorow}} (Real person)<br />
<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Jerry Lewis:<br />
:{{w|Jerry Lee Lewis}}<br />
:{{w|Jerry Lewis}}<br />
<br />
Others with initial J:<br />
:{{w|Jenny Lewis}}<br />
:{{w|Xeni Jardin}}<br />
<br />
Chris *:<br />
:{{w|Chris Evans}}<br />
:{{w|Chris Hemsworth}}<br />
<br />
Chris P*:<br />
:{{w|Chris Pine}}<br />
:{{w|Chris Pratt}}<br />
<br />
Homophones of Shallots:<br />
:{{w|Shallots}} (small onions)<br />
:{{w|Scallops}} (bivalve mollusks)<br />
:{{w|Scallions}} (green onions)<br />
<br />
S* (Similar phonetics):<br />
:{{w|Siouxie Sioux}}<br />
:{{w|Suzanne Vega}}<br />
<br />
Arnold */* Palmer:<br />
:{{w|Tom Arnold}} (ex-husband of Roseanne Barr)<br />
:{{w|Arnold Palmer}}<br />
:{{w|Amanda Palmer}}<br />
<br />
Wes *:<br />
:{{w|Wes Craven}}<br />
:{{w|Wes Anderson}}<br />
<br />
P* Anderson:<br />
:{{w|Paul Thomas Anderson}}<br />
:{{w|Poul Anderson}}<br />
<br />
Sir Walter *:<br />
:{{w|Sir Walter Scott}}<br />
:{{w|Sir Walter Raleigh}}<br />
<br />
F* Drake:<br />
:{{w|Sir Francis Drake}}<br />
:{{w|Frank Drake}}<br />
<br />
Van *:<br />
:{{w|Van Halen}}<br />
:{{w|Van Morrison}}<br />
:{{w|Van Wilder}}<br />
<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Van Winkle:<br />
:{{w|Robert Van Winkle}}<br />
:{{w|Rip Van Winkle}} (fictional character)<br />
<br />
Connects the "Rip"s with Natalie Imbruglia - her most famous hit was the song "Torn":<br />
:{{w|Rip Torn}}<br />
:{{w|Natalie Imbruglia}}<br />
<br />
Businesses with the word "Body" in their name:<br />
:{{w|The Body Shop}}<br />
:{{w|Bath and Body Works}}<br />
<br />
Things with the word "Beyond" in their name:<br />
:{{w|Bed Bath and Beyond}}<br />
:{{w|Beyond Thunderdome}}<br />
<br />
Beyoncé<br />
:{{w|Beyoncé}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
:[A tournament bracket. The matchups are the following, on left-hand side and right-hand side:]<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="background:transparent;border:none;width:100%;"<br />
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|<br />
:(1) {{w|Louis Armstrong}} and {{w|Neil Armstrong}}<br />
:(2) {{w|Lance Armstrong}} and {{w|Stretch Armstrong}}<br />
<br />
:(3) {{w|Jeff Gordan}} and {{w|Jeff Bridges}}<br />
:(4) {{w|Jeff Daniels}} and {{w|Jack Daniels}}<br />
<br />
:(5) {{w|Orson Welles}} and {{w|H.G. Wells}}<br />
:(6) {{w|George Orwell}} and {{w|Wells Fargo}}<br />
<br />
:(7) {{w|Kurt Russell}}, {{w|Russell Brand}}, {{w|Russell Crowe}} and {{w|Russell Simmons}}<br />
:(8) {{w|Richard Simmons}} and {{w|Gene Simmons}}<br />
:(9) {{w|Gene Hackman}}, {{w|Hugh Jackman}} and {{w|Alan Rickman}}<br />
:(10) {{w|Alan Parsons}} and {{w|Alan Partridge}}<br />
<br />
:(11) {{w|Jenny McCarthy}}, {{w|Joseph McCarthy}}, {{w|Eugene McCarthy}} and {{w|Eugene V. Debs}}<br />
:(12) {{w|Gene Wilder}}, {{w|Olivia Wilde}} and {{w|Oscar Wilde}}<br />
:(13) {{w|Oscar De La Renta}} and {{w|Oscar De La Hoya}}<br />
<br />
:(14) {{w|Jack Nicklaus}} and {{w|Jack Nicholson}}<br />
:(15) {{w|Phil Mickelson}} and {{w|Nicholas Nickelby}}<br />
<br />
:(16) {{w|Ryan Adams}} and {{w|Bryan Adams}}<br />
<br />
:(17) {{w|Chubby Checker}} and {{w|Fats Domino}}<br />
<br />
:(18) {{w|Colin Firth}} and {{w|Colin Farrell}}<br />
:(19) {{w|Will Ferrell}} and {{w|The Farrelly Brothers}}<br />
<br />
:(20) {{w|Joseph Gordon-Levitt}} and {{w|Jennifer Love Hewitt}}<br />
<br />
:(21) {{w|Danny Glover}} and {{w|Donald Glover}}<br />
:(22) {{w|Donnie Wahlberg}} and {{w|Mark Wahlberg}}<br />
:(23) {{w|Mark Ruffalo}} and {{w|Mark Shuttleworth}}<br />
<br />
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|<br />
:(24) {{w|Philip Pullman}}, {{w|Bill Pullman}} and {{w|Bill Paxton}}<br />
:(25) {{w|Bill Murray}} and {{w|Dan Aykroyd}}<br />
<br />
:(26) {{w|Ginger Rogers}} and {{w|Fred Rogers|Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers}}<br />
:(27) {{w|Mister Spock}}, {{w|Doctor Spock}} and {{w|Doctor Octopus}}<br />
:(28) {{w|Doctor Manhattan}}, {{w|Doctor Strangelove}} and {{w|Doctor Strange}}<br />
:(29) {{w|Dr. No}}, {{w|The Doctor}} and {{w|Cory Doctorow}}<br />
<br />
:(30) {{w|Jerry Lee Lewis}} and {{w|Jerry Lewis}}<br />
:(31) {{w|Jenny Lewis}} and {{w|Xeni Jardin}}<br />
<br />
:(32) {{w|Chris Evans}} and {{w|Chris Hemsworth}}<br />
:(33) {{w|Chris Pine}} and {{w|Chris Pratt}}<br />
<br />
:(34) {{w|Shallots}}, {{w|Scallops}} and {{w|Scallions}}<br />
<br />
:(35) {{w|Siouxie Sioux}} and {{w|Suzanne Vega}}<br />
<br />
:(36) {{w|Tom Arnold}}, {{w|Arnold Palmer}} and {{w|Amanda Palmer}}<br />
<br />
:(37) {{w|Wes Craven}} and {{w|Wes Anderson}}<br />
:(38) {{w|Paul Thomas Anderson}} and {{w|Poul Anderson}}<br />
<br />
:(39) {{w|Sir Walter Scott}} and {{w|Sir Walter Raleigh}}<br />
:(40) {{w|Sir Francis Drake}} and {{w|Frank Drake}}<br />
<br />
:(41) {{w|Van Halen}}, {{w|Van Morrison}} and {{w|Van Wilder}}<br />
:(42) {{w|Robert Van Winkle}} and {{w|Rip Van Winkle}}<br />
:(43) {{w|Rip Torn}} and {{w|Natalie Imbruglia}}<br />
<br />
:(44) {{w|The Body Shop}} and {{w|Bath and Body Works}}<br />
:(45) {{w|Bed Bath and Beyond}} and {{w|Beyond Thunderdome}}<br />
:(46) Winner of 44 and winner of 45<br />
:(47) Winner of 46 and {{w|Beyoncé}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
[Those are later interconnected:]<br />
<br />
:(48) Winner of 1 and winner of 2<br />
:(49) Winner of 3 and winner of 4<br />
:(50) Winner of 5 and winner of 6<br />
:(51) Winner of 7 and winner of 8<br />
:(52) Winner of 9 and winner of 10<br />
:(53) Winner of 12 and winner of 13<br />
:(54) Winner of 14 and winner of 15<br />
:(55) Winner of 16 and winner of 17<br />
:(56) Winner of 18 and winner of 19<br />
:(57) Winner of 21 and winner of 22<br />
<br />
:(58) Winner of 24 and winner of 25<br />
:(59) Winner of 26 and winner of 27<br />
:(60) Winner of 28 and winner of 29<br />
:(61) Winner of 30 and winner of 31<br />
:(62) Winner of 32 and winner of 33<br />
:(63) Winner of 34 and winner of 35<br />
:(64) Winner of 37 and winner of 38<br />
:(65) Winner of 39 and winner of 40<br />
:(66) Winner of 41 and winner of 42<br />
<br />
:(67) Winner of 49 and winner of 50<br />
:(68) Winner of 51 and winner of 52<br />
:(69) Winner of 11 and winner of 53<br />
:(70) Winner of 54 and winner of 55<br />
:(71) Winner of 56 and winner of 20<br />
:(72) Winner of 57 and winner of 23<br />
<br />
:(73) Winner of 59 and winner of 60<br />
:(74) Winner of 61 and winner of 62<br />
:(75) Winner of 63 and winner of 36<br />
:(76) Winner of 64 and winner of 65<br />
:(77) Winner of 66 and winner of 43<br />
<br />
:(78) Winner of 48 and winner of 67<br />
:(79) Winner of 68 and winner of 69<br />
:(80) Winner of 71 and winner of 72<br />
<br />
:(81) Winner of 58 and winner of 73<br />
:(82) Winner of 75 and winner of 76<br />
:(83) Winner of 77 and winner of 47<br />
<br />
:(84) Winner of 78 and winner of 79<br />
:(85) Winner of 70 and winner of 80<br />
<br />
:(86) Winner of 81 and winner of 74<br />
:(87) Winner of 82 and winner of 83<br />
<br />
:(88) Winner of 84 and winner of 85<br />
<br />
:(89) Winner of 86 and winner of 87<br />
<br />
:[The two sides finally join up in:]<br />
<br />
:(90) Winner of 88 and winner of 89<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]</div>Alexihampson