Editing 1288: Substitutions
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | [[Randall]] is playing off of the fact that many readers of modern news articles quickly become bored with the legal and political jargon. He suggests that by substituting certain words for others can make reading the article more interesting, albeit less accurate. Although since Randall [[558: 1000 Times|doesn't think very]] highly [[932: CIA|of the news]], he's probably suggesting this chart wouldn't make them less accurate at all. | |
− | + | For example, a sentence that reads | |
− | + | :Witnesses reported that the suspect allegedly escaped unharmed. | |
− | + | would be changed to | |
− | + | :These dudes I know reported that the suspect kinda probably escaped unharmed. | |
− | + | This substitution does not change the meaning much, and the original sentence does not lose much of its accuracy. However, for substitutions later in the comic, a sentence may be changed as following | |
+ | :A new study finds that senators and other congressional leaders are increasingly likely to view election results on their smartphone. | ||
+ | into | ||
+ | :A Tumblr post finds that elf-lords and other river spirits are increasingly likely to view eating contest results on their Pokédex. | ||
− | + | Which is less meaningful, but more interesting. | |
− | + | The final substitution returns from the realm of the ridiculous to replacing "could not be reached for comment" with "is guilty and everyone knows it." If a journalist writes a story about an accused suspect but is unable to contact them or receives no response from them, they will write that the person "could not be reached for comment." Randall's whimsical assumption that silence implies guilt is so common that juries are instructed that they should not infer guilt if the defendant fails to testify, particularly in nations which have a right against self-incrimination. | |
− | + | [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/xkcd-substitutions/jkgogmboalmaijfgfhfepckdgjeopfhk?hl=en&gl=001 Chrome] and [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/xkcd-substitutions/?src=ss Firefox] extensions are available for applying the substitutions on webpages. | |
− | + | 'Spaaace' is a reference to the Space Core from {{w|Portal 2}}. | |
− | {{ | + | The {{w|Virtual Boy}} is a table-top video game console made by Nintendo released in 1995, and discontinued about the same year. It achieved true-3D graphics through the use of a large visor containing a pair of LED screens. |
− | + | The Pokédex is a device in the {{w|Pokémon|Pokémon world}} that records the data of captured Pokémon. | |
− | {{ | ||
− | + | {{w|Homestar Runner}} is the title character of a Flash-animated web cartoon series, known for being an idiot. | |
− | + | At the title text {{w|Elon Musk}} is mentioned who is the CEO of {{w|Tesla Motors}}, which produces electric cars. In the title text the sentence "ELECTRIC CARS" was replaced by "ATOMIC CATS". | |
− | + | News reports about new studies (Tumblr posts) are further lampooned in [[1295: New Study|a comic posted two weeks later]]. | |
+ | This may be considered a prequel: [[1031: s/keyboard/leopard/]], this a spin off: [[1418: Horse]] and this is the sequel: [[1625: Substitutions 2]]. | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | |||
:'''Substitutions''' that make reading the news more fun: | :'''Substitutions''' that make reading the news more fun: | ||
− | + | {| | |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | Witnesses | | style="text-align:right;" | Witnesses | ||
− | | | + | | ➜ |
| These dudes I know | | These dudes I know | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | Allegedly | | style="text-align:right;" | Allegedly | ||
− | | | + | | ➜ |
| Kinda probably | | Kinda probably | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | New study | | style="text-align:right;" | New study | ||
− | | | + | | ➜ |
| Tumblr post | | Tumblr post | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | Rebuild | | style="text-align:right;" | Rebuild | ||
− | | | + | | ➜ |
| Avenge | | Avenge | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | Space | | style="text-align:right;" | Space | ||
− | | | + | | ➜ |
| Spaaace | | Spaaace | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | Google Glass | | style="text-align:right;" | Google Glass | ||
− | | | + | | ➜ |
| Virtual Boy | | Virtual Boy | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | Smartphone | | style="text-align:right;" | Smartphone | ||
− | | | + | | ➜ |
| Pokédex | | Pokédex | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | Electric | | style="text-align:right;" | Electric | ||
− | | | + | | ➜ |
| Atomic | | Atomic | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | Senator | | style="text-align:right;" | Senator | ||
− | | | + | | ➜ |
| Elf-lord | | Elf-lord | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | Car | | style="text-align:right;" | Car | ||
− | | | + | | ➜ |
| Cat | | Cat | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | Election | | style="text-align:right;" | Election | ||
− | | | + | | ➜ |
| Eating contest | | Eating contest | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | Congressional leaders | | style="text-align:right;" | Congressional leaders | ||
− | | | + | | ➜ |
| River spirits | | River spirits | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | Homeland security | | style="text-align:right;" | Homeland security | ||
− | | | + | | ➜ |
| Homestar Runner | | Homestar Runner | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style="text-align:right;" | Could not be reached for comment | | style="text-align:right;" | Could not be reached for comment | ||
− | | | + | | ➜ |
| Is guilty and everyone knows it | | Is guilty and everyone knows it | ||
|} | |} | ||
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Substitutions]] |
− | |||
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[[Category:Language]] | [[Category:Language]] | ||
[[Category:Video games]] | [[Category:Video games]] | ||
[[Category:Pokémon]] | [[Category:Pokémon]] | ||
[[Category:Politics]] | [[Category:Politics]] | ||
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Charts]] |
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Comics sharing name|Substitutions]] |