Editing 1108: Cautionary Ghost

{{comic
| number    = 1108
| date      = September 14, 2012
| title     = Cautionary Ghost
| image     = cautionary_ghost.png
| imagesize = 
| titletext = But then the Ghost of Subjective Past showed up and told me to stay strong on 'if it were'.
}}

==Explanation==
The usage of a ghost from the past or future to deliver a message in fiction was begun in Charles Dicken's ''A Christmas Carol'', in which the main character is visited upon by the ghosts of past, present and future during his sleep.

This comic is a comment on the futility of arguing over trivial matters, such as the usage of the word "literally" as mentioned in the comic. It also links to comic [http://xkcd.com/725/ 725: Literally] and probably to a parody at [http://www.explosm.net/comics/2923/ Cyanide & Happiness]. In the comic, a man is presented an idyllic scene of the future, then is given an identical scene and told that the second scene is the future if he gives up arguing over a word. The comparison is meant to signal the almost inconsequential impact on the world that some debates have.

The title text is a reversal on this, where the man meets a contrary ghost who encourages him to continue with his argument against an equally trivial matter: the misuse of the phrase "if it were".

==Transcript==
[Man sitting in bed is facing a ghost.]

Ghost: ''Ooooooooooooooooo''

Man: A ghost!?

Ghost: I bring a '''cautionary vision''' of things to come!

[Cut to scene with two houses, a plane, a tree and a standing couple.]

Ghost: This is the future:

[Identical scene]

Ghost: And '''this''' is the future if you give up the fight over the word "literally":

[Cut back to man sitting in bed with ghost]

Man: They looked exactly the same.

Ghost: ''Oooooooooooooooo''

Man: Ok, I get it.

Ghost: Seriously, this is duuuuumb.

{{comic discussion}} 
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