explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1529: Bracket

2015-05-27T16:48:21Z

Ul2006kevinb:

{{comic
| number = 1529
| date = May 25, 2015
| title = Bracket
| image = bracket.png
| titletext = I'm staring at the "doctor" section, and I can't help but feel like I've forgotten someone.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Reformat the explanation in the style of "jeff daniels"}}
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 eponymous {{w|superheroes}}, {{w|Batman}} and {{w|Superman}}, fight against each other.

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.

The [[title text]] is probably 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}}, {{w|Zoidberg|Dr. Zoidberg}}, and {{w|List of fictional doctors|many others}}.

The incentive for the comic may have been the {{w|2015 French Open|French Open 2015}}, which started on the day of the publication.

The names and other entries in the bracket are:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Grouping
!Person/Entry
!Known as
!Winning probability
|-
|rowspan="4"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Armstrong
|{{w|Louis Armstrong}}
|Jazz-musician
| rowspan="4" |1/32
|-
|{{w|Neil Armstrong}}
|First human on the moon
|-
|{{w|Lance Armstrong}}
|Cyclist
|-
|{{w|Stretch Armstrong}}
|Action figure
|-
|rowspan="3"|Jeff *
|Jeff Gordan (Probably {{w|Jeff Gordon}})
|Race car driver
| rowspan="9" |1/64
|-
|{{w|Jeff Bridges}}
|Actor in ''King Kong'', ''The Big Lebowski'', ''Iron Man'', ''Tron: Legacy''
|-
|rowspan="2"|{{w|Jeff Daniels}}
|rowspan="2"|Actor in ''Dumb and Dumber''
|-
|rowspan="2"|J* Daniels
|-
|{{w|Jack Daniels}}
|Alcoholic beverages
|-
|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Well*s
|{{w|Orson Welles}}
|Director of ''{{w|Citizen Kane'' and known for his {{w|The War of the Worlds (radio drama)|radio-play}} of {{w|H. G. Wells}}' ''{{w|The War of the Worlds}}''
|-
|{{w|H.G. Wells}}
|Author, known for ''The War of the Worlds'' and ''{{w|The Time Machine}}''
|-
|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki>well*
|{{w|George Orwell}}
|Author of ''{{w|Nineteen Eighty-Four}}'' and ''{{w|Animal Farm}}''
|-
|{{w|Wells Fargo}}
|Bank and stage coach company
|-
|rowspan="4"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Russell *
|{{w|Kurt Russell}}
|Actor in ''John Carpenter’s Escape from L.A.'', ''The Thing'', ''Fast & Furious 7''
| rowspan="4" |1/128
|-
|{{w|Russell Brand}}
|Comedian
|-
|{{w|Russell Crowe}}
|Actor in ''Gladiator'', ''A Beautiful Mind'', ''Les Misérables'', ''Noah''
|-
|{{w|Russell Simmons}}
|Rapper
|-
|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Simmons
|{{w|Richard Simmons}}
|Host of exercise program
| rowspan="2" |1/64
|-
|{{w|Gene Simmons}}
|Musician, known from ''KISS''
|-
|rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki>ckman
|{{w|Gene Hackman}}
|Actor
| rowspan="3" |1/96
|-
|{{w|Hugh Jackman}}
|Actor in the ''{{w|X-Men}}'' franchise as {{w|Wolverine (character)|Wolverine}}
|-
|{{w|Alan Rickman}}
|Actor in ''Die Hard'', ''Harry Potter'' franchise, ''The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy''
|-
|rowspan="2"|Alan Par*
|{{w|Alan Parsons}}
|Musician
| rowspan="6" |1/64
|-
|{{w|Alan Partridge}}
|Fictional radio character
|-
|rowspan="4"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> McCarthy/Eugene *
|{{w|Jenny McCarthy}}
|Anti-vaccination activist
|-
|{{w|Joseph McCarthy}}
|Senator known for anti-communist witch-hunt
|-
|{{w|Eugene McCarthy}}
|Senator and Presidential candidate
|-
|{{w|Eugene V. Debs}}
|Labor leader
|-
|rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Wilde*
|{{w|Gene Wilder}}
|Actor in ''Bonnie and Clyde'', ''Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory''
| rowspan="3" |1/96
|-
|{{w|Olivia Wilde}}
|Actress in ''Tron: Legacy'', ''Her''
|-
|{{w|Oscar Wilde}}
|Writer
|-
|rowspan="2"|Oscar De La *
|{{w|Oscar De La Renta}}
|Fashion Designer
| rowspan="2" |1/32
|-
|{{w|Oscar De La Hoya}}
|Boxer
|-
|rowspan="2"|Jack Nic*
|{{w|Jack Nicklaus}}
|Golf player
| rowspan="8" |1/32
|-
|{{w|Jack Nicholson}}
|Actor in ''One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'', ''The Shining'', ''The Bucketlist''
|-
|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> *ickel* / *ickel*
|{{w|Phil Mickelson}}
|Golf player
|-
|{{w|Nicholas Nickleby}}
|Charles Dickens protagonist in the novel by the same name
|-
|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki>ryan Adams
|{{w|Ryan Adams}}
|Singer
|-
|{{w|Bryan Adams}}
|Singer
|-

|rowspan="2"|Singers with Stage Names Referencing Weight/Games
|{{w|Chubby Checker}}
|Singer famous for "The Twist"
|-
|{{w|Fats Domino}}
|Rock and Roll Singer
|-

|rowspan="2"|Colin F*
|{{w|Colin Firth}}
|Actor, ''Pride and Prejudice'', ''Love Actually''
| rowspan="4" |1/64
|-
|{{w|Colin Farrell}}
|Actor in ''Daredevil'', ''In Bruges'', ''Total Recall''
|-

|rowspan="2"|F*rell*
|{{w|Will Ferrell}}
|Comic actor, ''Anchorman'' and ''The Other Guys''
|-
|{{w|The Farrelly Brothers}}
|Comedy film-makers
|-

|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki>evitt/*ewitt
|{{w|Joseph Gordon-Levitt}}
|Actor
| rowspan="2" |1/32
|-
|{{w|Jennifer Love Hewitt}}
|Actress in ''Garfield: The Movie'' 
|-

|rowspan="2"|D* Glover
|{{w|Danny Glover}}
|Actor, ''Lethal Weapon'' series
| rowspan="4" |1/64
|-
|{{w|Donald Glover}}
|Actor, ''Community''
|-

|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Wahlberg
|{{w|Donnie Wahlberg}}
|Singer, ''{{w|New Kids on the Block}}''
|-
|{{w|Mark Wahlberg}}
|Actor in ''The Departed'', ''The Other Guys''
|-

|rowspan="2"|Mark *
|{{w|Mark Ruffalo}}
|Actor, known for his role as {{w|Hulk (comics)|the Hulk}} in the film ''{{w|The Avengers (2012 film)|The Avengers}}''
| rowspan="2" |1/32
|-
|{{w|Mark Shuttleworth}}
|Entrepreneur, founder of {{w|Ubuntu (operating system)|Ubuntu}}
|-

|rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Pullman/Bill P*
|{{w|Philip Pullman}}
|Author
|rowspan="3"|1/48
|-
|{{w|Bill Pullman}}
|Actor in ''Spaceballs'', and ''Independence Day''
|-
|{{w|Bill Paxton}}
|Actor in ''Apollo 13'', ''Aliens''
|-

|rowspan="2"|Ghostbusters
|{{w|Bill Murray}}
|Actor in ''Ghostbusters'', ''Groundhog Day''
|rowspan="2"|1/32
|-
|{{w|Dan Aykroyd}}
|Actor in ''Ghostbusters'', ''The Blues Brothers''
|-

|rowspan="2"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Rogers
|{{w|Ginger Rogers}}
|Actress known for dancing with {{w|Fred Astaire}}
|rowspan="2"|1/64
|-
|Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers
|Confusing reference to {{w|Fred Rogers}} (host of children's show, popularly known as "Mister Rogers") and to {{w|Fred Astaire}} (Dancer, actor, and singer)
|-

|rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Spock/Doctor *
|{{w|Mister Spock}}
|Character on ''Star Trek'' portrayed by {{w|Leonard Nimoy}}
|rowspan="9"|1/96
|-
|{{w|Doctor Spock}}
|Author of book on childcare
|-
|{{w|Doctor Octopus}}
|Villain in Spider-Man comic books
|-

|rowspan="3"|Doctors
|{{w|Doctor Manhattan}}
|Character in Alan Moore's Watchmen
|-
|{{w|Doctor Strangelove}}
|Character in a movie about nuclear war by {{w|Stanley Kubrick}}
|-
|{{w|Doctor Strange}}
|Sorceror Supreme in Marvel Comics
|-

|rowspan="3"|More doctors
|{{w|Julius No|Dr. No}}
|Main villain in the {{w|Dr. No (film)|first James Bond movie}}
|-
|{{w|The Doctor (Doctor Who)|The Doctor}}
|Main protagonist of the science fiction series ''{{w|Doctor Who}}''
|-
|{{w|Cory Doctorow}}
|Real person - [[:Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow| who has been in a number of xkcd comics]]
|-

|rowspan="2"|Jerry * Lewis
|{{w|Jerry Lee Lewis}}
|Rock and Roll singer
|rowspan="8"|1/32
|-
|{{w|Jerry Lewis}}
|Comedian and former chairman of charitable organization
|-

|rowspan="2"|Sounds like Jenny *
|{{w|Jenny Lewis}}
|Indie singer-songwriter
|-
|{{w|Xeni Jardin}}
|Digital commentator, Boing Boing co-editor
|-

|rowspan="2"|Chris *
|{{w|Chris Evans}}
|Actor, ''Captain America''
|-
|{{w|Chris Hemsworth}}
|Actor, ''Thor''
|-

|rowspan="2"|Chris P*
|{{w|Chris Pine}}
|Actor, ''Star Trek''
|-
|{{w|Chris Pratt}}
|Actor, ''Guardians of the Galaxy''
|-

|rowspan="3"|Homophones of Shallots
|{{w|Shallots}}
|Small onions
|rowspan="3"|1/96
|-
|{{w|Scallops}}
|Bivalve mollusks
|-
|{{w|Scallions}}
|Green onions
|-

|rowspan="2"|Suz* (Similar phonetics)
|{{w|Siouxie Sioux}}
|Rock singer
|rowspan="2"|1/64
|-
|{{w|Suzanne Vega}}
|Folk rock singer-songwriter
|-

|rowspan="3"|<nowiki>*</nowiki> Arnold */A* Palmer
|{{w|Tom Arnold}}
|Ex-husband of Roseanne Barr
|rowspan="3"|1/48
|-
|{{w|Arnold Palmer}}
|Golf player
|-
|{{w|Amanda Palmer}}
|Singer/songwriter
|-

|rowspan="2"|Wes *
|{{w|Wes Craven}}
|Film maker
|rowspan="8"|1/64
|-
|{{w|Wes Anderson}}
|Movie Director
|-

|rowspan="2"|P* Anderson
|{{w|Paul Thomas Anderson}}
|Film maker
|-
|{{w|Poul Anderson}}
|Science fiction author
|-

|rowspan="2"|Sir Walter *
|{{w|Sir Walter Scott}}
|Scottish poet and writer
|-
|{{w|Sir Walter Raleigh}}
|British explorer of Virginia
|-

|rowspan="2"|F* Drake
|{{w|Sir Francis Drake}}
|British explorer, 2nd to circumnavigate the Earth
|-
|{{w|Frank Drake}}
|Astrophysicist, SETI pioneer
|-

|rowspan="3"|Van *
|{{w|Van Halen}}
|Rock band
|rowspan="3"|1/96
|-
|{{w|Van Morrison}}
|Singer/songwriter
|-
|{{w|Van Wilder}}
|Comedy film
|-

|rowspan="2"|R* Van Winkle
|{{w|Robert Van Winkle}}
|AKA Vanilla Ice, rapper
|rowspan="2"|1/64
|-
|{{w|Rip Van Winkle}}
|Fictional character
|-

|rowspan="2"|Rip/Torn
|{{w|Rip Torn}}
|Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn, actor on ''Cross Creek'', ''Larry Sanders Show''
|rowspan="2"|1/32
|-
|{{w|Natalie Imbruglia}}
|Singer of "Torn"
|-

|rowspan="2"|Businesses with the word "Body" in their name
|{{w|The Body Shop}}
|Shop
|rowspan="4"|1/64
|-
|{{w|Bath and Body Works}}
|Shop
|-

|rowspan="3"|Beyon*
|{{w|Bed Bath and Beyond}}
|Shop
|-
|{{w|Beyond Thunderdome}}
|Motion picture
|-
|{{w|Beyoncé}}
|Singer
|1/16

|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Neaten the format to make it more comprehensible.}}

:[A tournament bracket. The matchups are the following, on left-hand side and right-hand side:]

{| class="wikitable" style="background:transparent;border:none;width:100%;"
| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|
 (1) Louis Armstrong and Neil Armstrong
 (2) Lance Armstrong and Stretch Armstrong

 (3) Jeff Gordan and Jeff Bridges
 (4) Jeff Daniels and Jack Daniels

 (5) Orson Welles and H.G. Wells
 (6) George Orwell and Wells Fargo

 (7) Kurt Russell, Russell Brand, Russell Crowe and Russell Simmons
 (8) Richard Simmons and Gene Simmons
 (9) Gene Hackman, Hugh Jackman and Alan Rickman
 (10) Alan Parsons and Alan Partridge

 (11) Jenny McCarthy, Joseph McCarthy, Eugene McCarthy and Eugene V. Debs
 (12) Gene Wilder, Olivia Wilde and Oscar Wilde
 (13) Oscar De La Renta and Oscar De La Hoya

 (14) Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicholson
 (15) Phil Mickelson and Nicholas Nickelby

 (16) Ryan Adams and Bryan Adams

 (17) Chubby Checker and Fats Domino

 (18) Colin Firth and Colin Farrell
 (19) Will Ferrell and The Farrelly Brothers

 (20) Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jennifer Love Hewitt

 (21) Danny Glover and Donald Glover
 (22) Donnie Wahlberg and Mark Wahlberg
 (23) Mark Ruffalo and Mark Shuttleworth

| style="background:transparent;border:none;"|
 (24) Philip Pullman, Bill Pullman and Bill Paxton
 (25) Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd

 (26) Ginger Rogers and Fred Rogers|Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers
 (27) Mister Spock, Doctor Spock and Doctor Octopus
 (28) Doctor Manhattan, Doctor Strangelove and Doctor Strange
 (29) Dr. No, The Doctor and Cory Doctorow

 (30) Jerry Lee Lewis and Jerry Lewis
 (31) Jenny Lewis and Xeni Jardin

 (32) Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth
 (33) Chris Pine and Chris Pratt

 (34) Shallots, Scallops and Scallions

 (35) Siouxie Sioux and Suzanne Vega

 (36) Tom Arnold, Arnold Palmer and Amanda Palmer

 (37) Wes Craven and Wes Anderson
 (38) Paul Thomas Anderson and Poul Anderson

 (39) Sir Walter Scott and Sir Walter Raleigh
 (40) Sir Francis Drake and Frank Drake

 (41) Van Halen, Van Morrison and Van Wilder
 (42) Robert Van Winkle and Rip Van Winkle
 (43) Rip Torn and Natalie Imbruglia

 (44) The Body Shop and Bath and Body Works
 (45) Bed Bath and Beyond and Beyond Thunderdome
 (46) Winner of 44 and winner of 45
 (47) Winner of 46 and Beyoncé
|}

[Those are later interconnected:]

<div style="column-count:4;-moz-column-count:4;-webkit-column-count:4">

 (48) Winner of 1 and winner of 2
 (49) Winner of 3 and winner of 4
 (50) Winner of 5 and winner of 6
 (51) Winner of 7 and winner of 8
 (52) Winner of 9 and winner of 10
 (53) Winner of 12 and winner of 13
 (54) Winner of 14 and winner of 15
 (55) Winner of 16 and winner of 17
 (56) Winner of 18 and winner of 19
 (57) Winner of 21 and winner of 22

 (58) Winner of 24 and winner of 25
 (59) Winner of 26 and winner of 27
 (60) Winner of 28 and winner of 29
 (61) Winner of 30 and winner of 31
 (62) Winner of 32 and winner of 33
 (63) Winner of 34 and winner of 35
 (64) Winner of 37 and winner of 38
 (65) Winner of 39 and winner of 40
 (66) Winner of 41 and winner of 42

 (67) Winner of 49 and winner of 50
 (68) Winner of 51 and winner of 52
 (69) Winner of 11 and winner of 53
 (70) Winner of 54 and winner of 55
 (71) Winner of 56 and winner of 20
 (72) Winner of 57 and winner of 23

 (73) Winner of 59 and winner of 60
 (74) Winner of 61 and winner of 62
 (75) Winner of 63 and winner of 36
 (76) Winner of 64 and winner of 65
 (77) Winner of 66 and winner of 43

 (78) Winner of 48 and winner of 67
 (79) Winner of 68 and winner of 69
 (80) Winner of 71 and winner of 72

 (81) Winner of 58 and winner of 73
 (82) Winner of 75 and winner of 76
 (83) Winner of 77 and winner of 47

 (84) Winner of 78 and winner of 79
 (85) Winner of 70 and winner of 80

 (86) Winner of 81 and winner of 74
 (87) Winner of 82 and winner of 83

 (88) Winner of 84 and winner of 85

 (89) Winner of 86 and winner of 87

</div>
 

:[The two sides finally join up in:]

:(90) Winner of 88 and winner of 89

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow]]
[[Category:Doctor Who]]

Talk:1529: Bracket

2015-05-27T16:43:46Z

Ul2006kevinb:

While I'm of the opinion that the doctor he is "forgetting" is CLEARLY Dr. Dre, I can see why we put the rest of the doctors on there since we don't know for sure. However, I'm removing the multiple long, rambling, and unnecessary references to The Doctor since he's already listed. [[User:Ul2006kevinb|Ul2006kevinb]] ([[User talk:Ul2006kevinb|talk]]) 16:43, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

Interesting to me that no one has noted the order of the doctors. Doctor Octopus is from a comic, Doctor Manhattan is from a graphic novel and, trying to avoid spoilers here, the atomic bomb plays a key role in the story. The atomic bomb was the product of the Manhattan project (a fact not lost on Alan Moore), and the subject of the movie referenced by the next line, Dr Strangelove ("or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb"). I can't believe this order is arbitrary. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.108|173.245.48.108]] 04:55, 26 May 2015 (UTC)

What's the connection between Rip Torn and Natalie Imbruglia? {{unsigned ip|108.162.238.183}}
:Answer: Her song, Torn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV1XWJN3nJo-{{unsigned|Stumpy}}
Rip Torn could have a preliminary match with Prof. Lance Rips  {{unsigned|16:34, 25 May 2015 (UTC)Mitch Marks uchicago||please sign your posts appropriately with the appropriate user and talk page links using <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>. the original signature was an inexistent template and contained "Mitch Marks uchicago".}}

Any pairings that you'd add, given the opportunity? Personally I always confuse [[wikipedia:Wilson Pickett|Wilson Pickett]] and [[wikipedia:Wilson Phillips|Wilson Phillips]]. [[User:Studley|Studley]] ([[User talk:Studley|talk]]) 08:28, 25 May 2015 (UTC)
[[wikipedia:Will Ferrell|Will Ferrell]] and [[wikipedia:Pharrell Williams|Pharrell Williams]] for me! -{{unsigned|Stumpy}}
Bill Paxton should be followed by Bill Bixby... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.92|108.162.254.92]] 09:10, 26 May 2015 (UTC)

How about George Washington and George Washington Carver? and the George Washington Bridge?

At one time, the White House had both a Donald Regan and a Ronald Reagan.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.190|108.162.215.190]] 17:14, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

Why do some first round pairings have more than two people? Beyoncé starts at the third round, so it can't be just because of the number of people. There has to be a joke in them but I don't see it. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.176|141.101.104.176]] 08:45, 25 May 2015 (UTC)
:Possibly an in-joke at the NCAA bracket's First Four round. Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers is a more "traditional" reference to the First Four. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.103|108.162.219.103]] 10:32, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

Perhaps it's worth adding to a trivia section that (assuming every person/thing has an equal chance of winning every matchup, Beyonce has the highest odds of winning (1/32 = 3.125%) while Kurt Russell, Russell Crowe, Russell Brand, and Russell Simmons are all tied for having the worst starting odds (1/256 = .391%).[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.91|108.162.219.91]] 09:19, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

I may be worth mentioning that the bracketing trees resemble hierarchical clustering dendrograms in which some string similarity metric was used as a distance function. {{unsigned ip|141.101.91.7}}

Although the comic is formatted as a tournament bracket, there are hints that it is in fact a dendrogram based on string similarity, in a similar way to how trees of evolutionary relationships between proteins are formed. We see this especially in the "Russell" group where there is equal similarity between any name containing "Russell" and so that group is not resolved into two separate forks. If readers wish to recreate such an analysis for themselves they can take the text on [http://pastebin.com/DRqjaDHH here] paste it into a [http://www.ebi.ac.uk/Tools/msa/clustalw2/ multiple sequence aligner], press Submit, then after processing click Phylogenetic Tree and scroll down. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.74|141.101.99.74]] 12:46, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

Somewhat disagree. There is no "string similarity" between domino and checker. The connection between the names seems to be that there are games named Dominos and Checkers. They would not be together if it was based on strictly on string similarity or generated automatically by software without human intervention.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.190|108.162.215.190]] 17:09, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

Is there any significance to the number of entries? 52 on the left side but only 51 on the right? {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.84}}

Should it be noted at all that Chubby Checker's name was inspired by Fats Domino? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.121|108.162.215.121]] 21:05, 26 May 2015 (UTC)Akiosama

;Title text
Changed the reference of the Title Text from Doctor Who (who is already listed in the comic) to Dr. Dre, as the phrasing of the Title Text seems like a very direct reference to the 2001 song "Forgot About Dre." {{unsigned|Conquistador}}
:Probably would have been better to add it as an option since we're clearly far from certain -{{unsigned|Stumpy}}

Why not Zoidberg? --RhyvenNZ [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.41|198.41.238.41]] 09:55, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

Pretty sure Doctor Who is covered by "The Doctor". He doesn't go by "Who" in the show. He's just the Doctor. I think the missing doctor is House. {{unsigned ip|108.162.215.127}}

Dr. Pepper, maybe? Does "staring" or "forgotten" have to do with it? {{unsigned ip|108.162.237.156}}

Whatagainnow? {{unsigned ip|108.162.222.178}}

Dr. Oz? Dr. Phil? Dr. Watson? Dr. Kavorkian? Dr. Seuss? Wasn't there a famous literary work, The Lost Island of Dr. Moreau? I agree that Dr. House and/or house calls could be a missing candidate for the bracket. But then, there are a ton of 'Sirs' that didn't make the list.  {{unsigned|GAKDragon||please sign your posts appropriately with the appropriate user and talk page links using <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>}}
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Teeth_and_The_Electric_Mayhem Doctor Teeth!] [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 13:50, 25 May 2015 (UTC)
:Pete Docter? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.191|108.162.249.191]] 11:27, 26 May 2015 (UTC)

Or is "The Doctor" http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/The_Doctor? {{unsigned ip|108.162.215.108}}
:The Doctor is already in the bracket. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.49|141.101.99.49]] 10:40, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

It's Doctor House - definitely and finally! {{unsigned|Raydleemsc}}

Definitely "Doc" Brown: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Brown {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.171}}

::It's clearly Dr. Doolittle. Can't imagine why no one has realized this yet. {{unsigned ip|108.162.238.193}}

Could the joke simply be "there are way too many famous doctors", so even though it's arguably the most numerous category in the bracket, some are still "forgotten"? {{unsigned ip|108.162.254.164}}

Probably not talking about doctor who, however he could be referencing The Silence, which is a an alien race, on that show, which you immediately forget about after losing sight of it. {{unsigned|KroniK907}}

I immediately thought of Amy's wedding in Dr Who S5Ep13 where she needed to remember the doctor to bring him back. Too obscure? [[User:Blu003|Blu003]] ([[User talk:Blu003|talk]]) 13:07, 25 May 2015 (UTC)
:Hardly. You want obscure, try The Doctor's granddaughter. Yep, he had/has one. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.144|108.162.237.144]] 13:41, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

:Dr. Martha Jones, from Doctor Who? The Doctor Donna? Even the companions on the show are Doctors. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.222.178|108.162.222.178]] 03:55, 26 May 2015 (UTC)

Y'know, I can't help but feel that this is a little to bland and unfinished for xkcd. I'm willing to bet that the picture updates with winners. May be sorely disappointed though. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.119|108.162.219.119]] 15:02, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

Can't help but feel that there's a better way to lay this explanation out, but I haven't been able to come up with it. Maybe some sort of table listing all the different groups, with people allowed to be in more than one group? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.232|141.101.98.232]] 15:18, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

:I personally don't love the large listing of people. It is a bit bland, but more importantly, it doesn't really show the linkages between the participants (though most people ought to be able to figure out these overt links Jeff Gordon... Jeff Daniels... it doesn't need explanation. That said, the current format doesn't quite demonstrate the chain-link nature of some matchups like:
:*'''Body''' Shop
:*'''Bath''' and '''Body''' Works
:*Bed '''Bath''' & '''Beyond'''
:*'''Beyond''' Thunderdome
:* '''Beyon'''cé.
:I wouldn't mind a format with that kind of bolding. I think that shows the chain of links better than the first to being grouped "businesses with the word "body" and the second two "things with the word beyond" and "Beyoncé" separately. Similarly, Jeff Daniels belongs to both the "Jeff"s and the "J. Daniels"es. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 15:48, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

I wouldn't categorize Fats Domino and Chubby Checker (just) as games. Given that they're directly under Ryan Adams and Bryan Adams, I'd have identified them as 50's singers, with some physical similarities. [[User:KenWhitesell|KenWhitesell]] ([[User talk:KenWhitesell|talk]]) 16:17, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

Agree. I put in the identification about games without knowing who Chubby Checker was.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.190|108.162.215.190]] 17:09, 25 May 2015 (UTC)
:Then you are one of today's lucky 10,000! [[1053]] {{w|Chubby Checker}}[[User:Zeimusu|Zeimusu]] ([[User talk:Zeimusu|talk]]) 21:32, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

;celebrity deathmatch

This reminds me of Celebrity Deathmatch. Then have:
* Charles Manson vs. Marilyn Manson
* Backstreet Boys vs. Beastie Boys
* The Three Stooges vs. The Three Tenors
* Kevin Costner vs. Kevin Smith
* John Cusack vs. John Malkovich
* David Blaine vs. David Copperfield
* Corey Feldman vs. Corey Haim
* Jack Black vs. Jack White

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Celebrity_Deathmatch_episodes {{unsigned|Bart9h}}

Who is Jeff Gordan? There's an extremely famous NASCAR driver named Jeff Gordon, but I don't know of a Jeff Gordan. Significant or typo? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.182|108.162.238.182]] 16:07, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

Where is Colin Furze? And Arnold Swarzenegger? And all other people I never heard of? -- [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.116|141.101.104.116]] 21:12, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

What about my favourite triple: Robbie Williams, Robin Williams and Robyn Williams? -- Ian N. {{unsigned ip|162.158.3.11}}

And who can forget Dermot Mulroney and Dylan mcDermott?[[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.164|108.162.254.164]] 09:34, 26 May 2015 (UTC)

This is a major "Get Out Of My Head, Randall" comic for me. The day before this comic was posted, my friend and I were discussing a "Hunger Games" type simulation being done on 8chan involving loads and loads of characters across genres, and he had asked me about the probability of a particular match-up occurring with a desired outcome. It led to a long and detailed math conversation. The original match-up has been bumped out of existence, but [http://i.imgur.com/ESeMXOI.jpg this image] still lives on. Appropriately, the comic was posted on my birthday. 2spooky4me. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.177|108.162.210.177]] 06:01, 26 May 2015 (UTC)

I would have added Amanda Plummer. Will confuse Plummer with Palmer any day. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.191|108.162.249.191]] 23:19, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

Just as well we don't have to deal with Paul Ryan - Ayn Rand - Rand Paul...Ron Paul, Les Paul, Saint Paul, John Paul, John Paul Jones...Wolfgang Pauli, Pollyanna...[[User:Taibhse|Taibhse]] ([[User talk:Taibhse|talk]]) 11:41, 26 May 2015 (UTC)

Surprised Tommy Lee and Tommy Lee Jones aren't there. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.124|108.162.238.124]] 12:31, 26 May 2015 (UTC)

Personally I think its pointless having the probabilities listed as if they mean something. We don't know what the competition is, but its almost certain that the result of say 'The Body Shop' vs Beyonce is '''not''' going to be a 50:50 probability. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 15:41, 26 May 2015 (UTC)

Are the probabilities listed half what they should be? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.165|108.162.237.165]] 17:16, 26 May 2015 (UTC)

Mister/Fred Astaire/Rogers also refers to "Mr. Rogers" of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. I don't think there's a reference for the last combination, "Mister Astaire", other than to Fred Astaire.

Kevin Kline vs. Calvin Klein would also have made a good match. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.88|108.162.229.88]] 20:15, 26 May 2015 (UTC)
----

;Cory Doctorow described as "real person"?

Well, yeah, but he's famous for some actual things. Perhaps "blogger and author" would better describe him. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.143|141.101.98.143]] 22:56, 26 May 2015 (UTC)

What about the Silents from series 6 of Doctor Who?
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.144|108.162.250.144]] 04:20, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

I'm disappointed John McCarthy isn't there. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.127|173.245.52.127]] 12:46, 27 May 2015 (UTC)