Editing 752: Phobia

{{comic
| number    = 752
| date      = June 11, 2010
| title     = Phobia
| image     = phobia.png
| titletext = Oh God, the tornado picked up snakes!
}}

==Explanation==
This comic seems to be about {{w|Phobia|phobias}}, i.e. being afraid of specific and non-specific things like [[Blondie]]'s {{w|Ophidiophobia|fear of snakes}}.

Prompted by Blondie's admission, [[Megan]] becomes philosophical ([[220: Philosophy|as she often does]]) and reveals an unusual phobia of her own: outrightly rejecting something until next year by making the excuse that ''everything is complicated right now'' up to the point where there is no next year left anymore because the opportunity has passed or she died. This may be applied to a romantic relationship (possibly with Blondie) but is equally applicable to any (big) decision, like migrating to another country, changing the job or, as in this case, fulfilling one's dreams.

After Megan has said this, Blondie thinks for some time (in the beat panel). When she finally decides to ask Megan something (perhaps to go out on a date), Megan cuts her off to say that she wants to be a storm chaser. 

In the last panel we see that both, Megan and Blondie, have become {{w|Storm chasing|storm chasers}} — individuals who pursue severe weather conditions, for either scientific investigation or providing media coverage, or simply for adventure. Ironically, chasing adverse weather, especially tornadoes, is more dangerous than the source of either character's original phobia. Indeed, one's ability to control the risk while being near a tornado is far less than one's ability to control the risk of being bitten by a snake; the tornado is violent and unpredictable, while snakes only attack humans when they feel threatened. Additionally, one needs to deliberately expose oneself to the snake in order to have any risk of being attacked.

This comic may be related to the movies {{w|Snakes on a Plane}} (if not the similar fears of  {{w|Indiana Jones (character)|Indiana Jones}}, instead), {{w|Twister (1996 film)|Twister}} and {{w|Thelma & Louise}}. The first two cover the issues of snakes and tornados. The last of these movies has two women friends on a road trip, and in the end they kiss, and there have been [http://www.etonline.com/news/186576_susan_sarandon_thinks_her_thelma_louise_character_may_have_become_a_lesbian_if_she_had_lived/ several] [http://s1.zetaboards.com/L_Anon/topic/5185938/1/ discussions] on whether one or both of them are lesbian or not. ''Snakes on a plane'' was previously mentioned in [[107: Snakes on a Plane! 2]], with tornados and weather chasing with [[640: Tornado Hunter]].

In the title text, Megan and Blondie notice that the snakes have been {{w|Rain of animals|picked up by the tornado}} they are chasing; so now, in addition to the violent weather, they are also exposed to the danger of snakes falling from the sky.  (This is similar to the plot of {{w|Sharknado (film series)|Sharknado}}, although that movie was released several years after this comic.) 

This is the third comic about tornadoes and storm chasers, a [[:Category:Tornadoes|recurring subject]] on xkcd.  These were first mentioned in [[402: 1,000 Miles North]], and first shown in [[640: Tornado Hunter]].

==Transcript==
:[Blondie, with extra long hair and Megan in the background of the image observes a long snake on the ground in the foreground.]
:Blondie: Whoa, a snake!
:Megan: Cool!
:Blondie: I'm afraid of snakes.

:[Zoom in only on Megan's upper half.]
:Megan: I'm afraid of saying "everything's complicated right now, but maybe next year" until there are no more years left.

:[Slim panel with a zoom to a full picture of only Blondie as she considers this. Beat panel.]

:[Same type of image of Megan, who cuts Blondie's reply (from off-panel) off in mid-sentence.]
:Blondie (off-panel): Do you-
:Megan: I want to be a storm chaser.

:[A black tornado reaches from the black storm clouds to the earth, kicking up a sizable cloud of debris at its base. Blondie is at the wheel of a car, with Megan hanging out the window and holding a camera.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Tornadoes]]