Editing 1408: March of the Penguins

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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
Several of the xkcd comics outline ways to [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|make people feel older]] by referencing various pieces of popular culture which feel ingrained and "recent", and revealing the time that has elapsed since their release to be longer than expected (for instance, [[1393: Timeghost]] and [[891: Movie Ages]]).
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{{incomplete|Very basic explanation. Could use some fleshing out.}}
  
This appears to be what [[Black Hat]] is doing as he walks in on [[Megan]] to announce that all the penguins from a 2005 documentary ''{{w|March of the Penguins}}'' about {{w|emperor penguins}} are dead. Megan is familiar with these sorts of antics and assumes Black Hat is indicating that the film is so old that the lifespan of emperor penguins is less than the time since the documentary was released. Frustrated, Megan simply acknowledges Black Hat's statement by agreeing that everyone is aging. Black Hat, however, reveals that he is not trying to make her feel old, because the penguins were all alive "last night" and all died in one instance since then and thus not from old age.  
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Many of the xkcd comics outline ways to make people feel older by referencing various pieces of popular culture that are outdated or feel like they happened a long time ago (for instance, [[1393: Timeghost]]). This seems to be what Black Hat is doing as he walks in on Megan to announce that all the penguins from {{w|March of the Penguins}} (a 2005 documentary about emperor penguins) are dead. Megan is familiar with these sorts of antics, and so, frustrated, she simply acknowledges Black Hat's statement by agreeing that everyone is aging. Black Hat, however, reveals that he is not trying to make her feel old, he is announcing that he has killed the penguins, and is "trying to apologize". This obviously gives the situation a much darker tone, especially since Black Hat is likely not truly apologizing, as he is very unapologetic in his [[72: Classhole|"classhole"]] tendencies.
  
His announcement that he is "trying to apologize" creates the obvious inference that he caused the penguins to be killed (either intentionally or by mistake). This gives the situation a much darker tone; especially since Black Hat likely is not truly apologizing, as he is very unapologetic in his [[72: Classhole|"classhole"]] tendencies, and just wish to mess even further with Megan.
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{{w|Emperor penguins}} actually live about 20 years on average, so barring any intervention by Black Hat, most of the younger penguins and much of the older penguins in the movie are still alive as of this comic.
  
Emperor penguins actually live about 20 years on average, so presumably, barring any intervention by Black Hat, most of the younger penguins and many of the older penguins in the movie are still alive as of the time of release of this comic in 2014 nine years after the documentary was released.
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The title text emphasizes that we still have all the reasons to feel depressed since, apart from the penguins' fate, we do get older.
 
 
The title text emphasizes that whatever the penguins' fate, we do get and are getting older.{{Citation needed}} This is presented as a last jab by Black Hat as he departs just to make Megan feel a bit worse. So in the end this comic did try to make the reader feel older.
 
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
:[Black Hat walks towards Megan who is sitting in an office chair at a desk working on her laptop.]
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{{incomplete transcript}}
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:[Black Hat walks in, Megan is at a desk]
 
:Black Hat: All the birds from ''March of the Penguins'' are now dead.
 
:Black Hat: All the birds from ''March of the Penguins'' are now dead.
  
:[In a frame-less panel only Megan is shown. She sits back from the laptop taking her hands down on her legs. Black Hat replies from off-panel.]
 
 
:Megan: OK, I ''get'' it. We're all aging.
 
:Megan: OK, I ''get'' it. We're all aging.
:Black Hat (off-panel): What? No.
 
  
:[Black Hat is in the frame again holding one hand slightly out towards Megan who has turned around in her office chair and is now facing Black Hat.]
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:Black Hat: What? No. I'm not trying to make you feel old. They were alive last night. I'm trying to apologize.
:Black Hat: I'm not trying to make you feel old. They were alive last night.  
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:Black Hat:I'm trying to apologize.
 
 
:Megan: Oh God
 
:Megan: Oh God
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
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--[[User:FractalgeekUK|FractalgeekUK]] ([[User talk:FractalgeekUK|talk]]) 10:36, 15 August 2014 (UTC): Why has Black Hat killed them?  ''March of the Penguins'' has been seen by the American Religious Right as an exemplar of traditional family values and even ID.  Has be been "playing god"?
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 
[[Category:Animals]]
 

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