1871: Bun Alert

2017-08-04T20:14:32Z

Eurotwelve: /* Explanation */ The title text of 1682 seems so extremely relevant to this comic that it should be called out specifically.

{{comic
| number = 1871
| date = August 2, 2017
| title = Bun Alert
| image = bun_alert.png
| titletext = Since buns range from crepuscular to nocturnal, it's recommended that you enable the scheduled "Do Not Disturb" mode on your phone to avoid being woken by alerts about Night Buns.
}}

==Explanation==
The comic opens with [[Beret Guy]] identifying a "bun", the name given to a {{w|rabbit}} in [[1682: Bun]]. He expresses that a bun has been identified by saying "bun alert!", which might be thought to just be a manner of speaking before the actual "Bun Alert" system is shown to exist. The title text of [[1682: Bun]] specifically refers to sending out a "BUN ALERT" to friends and family with location and photographic evidence of the bun, so in this comic that concept appears to have been elevated from a simple mass SMS/MMS message to a standalone application.

Upon seeing the bunny, Beret Guy uses his phone to send an alert about the "Bun" with a [[wikipedia:Push technology|push notification]]. He is still looking for investors, though such an app would likely not appeal to a wide market. In response to [[Ponytail]]'s confusion, he explains that bunnies are "like loaves of bread that hop" perhaps making a pun by comparing rabbits to bread, as "bun" can commonly refer to a small loaf of bread. Beret Guy is known to be fascinated with bakeries, as shown in the comics [[434]] and [[442]] and [[452]], so it makes sense that this sort of comparison occurs to him. It is known that the word "bun" is similar to the word "pun". Beret Guy has a history of misinterpreting statements and phrases (and often making said misinterpretations correct through some strange power of his), so it is not implausible that he actually genuinely thinks that these "buns" are bread products that somehow behave exactly like rabbits.

As Ponytail leaves, apparently to remove herself from the situation, [[Megan]] hurriedly approaches, excited to see the "bun". This serves as a punchline as despite Ponytail appearing to be the voice of reason, it seems that Beret Guy's inane bun alert system has gathered a dedicated following after all.

Megan's question "Is it small?" and her amazement when she find out that it is parallels the idea in [[1682: Bun]] where the bun's size is said to be inversely correlated with its status; smaller buns such as the one in this comic are thought of as higher-ranking "king buns" by the characters in both strips. In real life, smaller rabbits are more likely to simply be young. It is also possible that she simply thinks smaller buns are cuter, which might have been the motivation for the whole bun-ranking system thing in the first place.

The title text refers to buns being {{w|crepuscular}} and {{w|nocturnal}} animals, meaning they are primarily active at twilight and night, respectively. This means that someone with the app would get a lot of notifications while they would most likely be asleep.

==Transcript==
:[Beret Guy and Ponytail see a rabbit sitting in the grass; Beret Guy points to the bun.]
:Beret Guy: Bun alert!
:Ponytail: Oh, yeah! Cute!
:Beret Guy: Gotta document this. I'll notify everyone, send out a push alert.
:Ponytail: ...to who?

:[Zoom in on Beret Guy and Ponytail; Beret Guy taps on his phone.]
:Beret Guy: Everyone subscribed to the alert system.
:Ponytail: Alert system?
:Beret Guy: Yeah! We built it over the last few years. It's pretty small. Still looking for investors.
:Ponytail: But...''why'' are you alerting people about rabbits?

:[Zoom out; Beret Guy points at the bun.]
:Beret Guy: I mean...look at them. They're like loaves of bread that hop.
:Ponytail: I see.
:Beret Guy: ''People need to know.''

:[Zoom on Beret Guy in a frameless panel.]
:Beret Guy: They need to know:
:Beret Guy: '''''There are buns.'''''

:[Ponytail walks off, Megan comes running towards Beret Guy with a phone in her hand.]
:Ponytail: Okay, uhh, I'm gonna go.
:Megan: ''I got the alert!'' Where's the bun? '''''Is it small?'''''
:Beret Guy: ''Extremely.''
:Megan: Oh my God.

==Trivia==
*In [[1682: Bun]], it was Ponytail who was infatuated with "buns", while Megan was the incredulous one questioning the situation. In this comic, the roles are reversed. This is a strong indication that the characters represented by Ponytail and Megan in this comic are not the same characters from ''1682: Bun''.
*The title text of ''1682: Bun'' also refers to a "BUN ALERT," the system for which apparently Beret Guy has now been implemented.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Beret Guy's Business]]

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1871: Bun Alert