2426: Animal Songs

2021-02-18T16:26:52Z

Attila: Add a citation about how the brain functions somewhat differently while speaking or singing

{{comic
| number = 2426
| date = February 17, 2021
| title = Animal Songs
| image = animal_songs.png
| titletext = Dr. Fauci is not permitted to have a cat, because as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, his petting one would be considered giving aid and comfort to an allergen.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by DR. FAUCI IN PRIVATE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Another joke about professionals not being so professional in private; e.g. [[2401]], [[1463]]

{{w|Dr. Anthony Fauci}} is the government medical science guy{{Citation needed}} (Director of the {{w|National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases}}) who was largely responsible for informing the public in the United States on how to avoid spreading {{w|SARS-CoV-2}} in the beginning of the {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}}. The comic shows him singing a made-up song to his pet fish in order to memorise his daily routine, which Randall notes is a bizarre habit for an adult presented to the public as professional and having a prosaic "grown-up" manner.

Singing is reported to be a successful way of enhancing neural connectivity and engaging the mind's attention: there are several cases in medicine of speech-impaired patients being able to communicate by singing because the ability is controlled by a different section of the brain [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16546406/]. In other cases, music can reactivate dormant neurons (cf. Ilene Woods, the voice of Cinderella in the 1950 Disney film: as she suffered from dementia near the end of her life, her nurses realised that she would respond when her song "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" was played to her).

In [[231: Cat Proximity]], it's presented as 'normal' for people to make inane statements and use {{w|baby talk}} near cats, but here, Dr. Fauci is singing to his fish. The title text explains that, as he is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, he is forbidden from owning a pet cat, because petting the cat would be "giving aid and comfort" to an allergen, which is (a reference to) one definition of {{w|Treason laws in the United States|treason under the United States Constitution}}.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Dr. Fauci is putting on a white lab coat and dancing. A fish tank stands on an end table to the right. Inside, there is a fish looking at him as well as a seaweed-like plant and a small castle. Music notes are scattered about Fauci's speech.]
:Dr. Fauci: ♫ ''Putting on my doctor coat'' ♫

:[Dr. Fauci is buttoning the coat. He is now to the right of the fish tank.]
:Dr. Fauci: ♫ ''It's the coat I wear'' ♫

:[Dr. Fauci is back to the left of the fish tank, looking himself in a mirror, and touching his face.]
:Dr. Fauci: ♫ ''so they know how good a doctor I am'' ♫
:Off-panel voice: Dr. Fauci? The press conference is in five.
:Dr. Fauci: Be right there!

:[Caption below the panel:]
:It's nice to think about how serious and important people probably ''also'' absentmindedly sing made-up songs to pets.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:COVID-19]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Animals]]

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2426: Animal Songs