Editing 1735: Fashion Police and Grammar Police
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|For those that are not native English speakers, the way the three "T" words are mixed up (and maybe even their meaning) should be explained as that is part of the joke, and can not always be understood by those who are not with the G-force (aka Grammar Police).}} | |
− | + | In this comic, two groups of angry protesters are presented and labeled. They should not be seen as protesting side by side, but rather like two similar groups protesting about different things even though they are in many ways similar. | |
− | The | + | The left group represents the '''Fashion Police''' with [[Cueball]] holding a sign saying {{w|Crocs}} not allowed (by showing a pair of Crocs shoes in a circle with a strike through it). Crocs are a type of {{w|Clog|clogs}} made of foam. There may be some ergonomic advantages to these special looking shoes, but they will {{w|Crocs#Fashion|never become fashionable}}. It is not the first time [[Randall]] mocks a special type of shoes (although here it may not so much be himself that are against Crocs, but rather he just chose something easy to recognize that the Fashion Police would hate). Previously in [[1065: Shoes]] Randall was after shoes that ''has those creepy individual toes'' like {{w|Vibram FiveFingers}}. They will also never be a hit with the {{w|Fashion Police}}. |
− | The | + | The right group represents the '''Grammar Police''' with another Cueball holding a sign with three commonly-confused words beneath each other; [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/their Their], [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/they%27re They're], [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/there There]. The words are written on the sign to explain that there is a difference between these three words, as many people confuses them with each other, and then the Grammar Police ''have'' to correct them (see [[386: Duty Calls]]). See the [https://twitter.com/_grammar_ Grammar Police on Twitter] and also {{w|Grammar Police|Linguistic prescription}} which comes up on Wikipedia when searching for Grammar Police! |
− | + | The two groups look similar, standing in similar poses and apart from Cueball holding signs in each group [[Megan]] is also in the front line of both groups. [[Hairy]] is only shown with the fashion police, together with yet another [[:Category:Multiple Cueballs|Cueball-like guy]], while [[Ponytail]] is only shown with the grammar police together with a bald man with glasses. | |
− | + | Both types of police are groups of people who make fun of others who wears or says something that doesn't meet their criteria of "good". Fashion police are people who make fun of others who wear clothing that is mismatched, out of style/{{w|fashion}} or straight-up "ugly" to them. Grammar police are people who are "sticklers" to {{w|grammar}} rules and get mad or contradictory if someone uses non-standard grammar in a sentence. The comic explains how the two groups are similar to each other by listing eight points (plus a ninth in the title text) that can be used on both groups. See explanation in the [[#Table of individual items|table below]]. | |
− | + | In the caption below the comic Randall notes that he just realized that these are literally the same people because they both exhibit the listed traits. The use of "[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/literally literally]" to emphasize a statement is considered by the grammar police as a dread crime that should be pointed out as such, although the dictionaries already include this definition as acceptable. However it would likely be more appropriate to say figuratively the same people, see [[725: Literally]]. On the other hand, fashion police is known for overusing "literally" in the way the grammar police finds disgusting. | |
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+ | Since it seem like a safe assumption (see [[1339: When You Assume]]) that there are more grammar pedants (see title text of [[1652: Conditionals]]) than fashion police people who read xkcd, and it also would seem likely that many xkcd readers would dislike the Fashion Police (more), it seems likely that Randall is actually mainly targeting the Grammar Police people reading xkcd, than the fashion people who do not. They will not like to be compared to the Fashion Police! Ponytail also represented the grammar police in [[1576: I Could Care Less]], where Megan puts her in place after she polices her sentence. Thus this shows what Randall thinks about such police work and supports the assumption above. Literally was also used here in the title text. | ||
Randall is, with regards to language, definitely one of those that can belong in this group: ''To seem cool and casual, pretend to ignore them while understanding them very well.'' | Randall is, with regards to language, definitely one of those that can belong in this group: ''To seem cool and casual, pretend to ignore them while understanding them very well.'' | ||
− | The title is a ninth point | + | The title is a ninth point on the list with the star in front representing one more bullet (see the last entry in the [[#Table of individual items|table below]]): |
+ | *Mad about jorts. | ||
==Table of individual items== | ==Table of individual items== | ||
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!Explanation | !Explanation | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |Judgemental and Smug || Both | + | |Judgemental and Smug || Both types of police will look down upon those who violate their 'laws'. |
|- | |- | ||
− | |Angry | + | |Angry about something deeply arbitrary || Both grammar and fashion are, essentially, made-up human constructs. |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Strong opinions backed by style guides || Grammar has | + | | Strong opinions backed by style guides || Grammar has Strunk and White, fashion has fashion mags. |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Appreciate that the way that you are interpreted <i>is</i> your responsibility || | + | | Appreciate that the way that you are interpreted <i>is</i> your responsibility || Your choices in both grammar and fashion affect how people see you, and it would be silly to disclaim responsibility for what is essentially your own actions. |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Understand that there's no way to "opt out" of sending messages by how you present yourself, and attempts to do so send strong messages of their own || | + | | Understand that there's no way to "opt out" of sending messages by how you present yourself, and attempts to do so send strong messages of their own || This means that even if you deliberately choose to not listen to the fashion gurus, then you are actually making a fashion statement anyway, as opposed to those that just don't realize they have a horrible style (and are not dressing wrongly on purpose). Both types can thus be harassed by the Fashion Police. Same goes for those who deliberately do not try to follow the grammar rules. They have thus taken a stance anyway as opposed to those who just do not know how to use grammar correctly. And both types can be harassed for it by the Grammar Police. |
|- | |- | ||
− | |To seem cool and casual, pretend to ignore them while understanding them very well || | + | |To seem cool and casual, pretend to ignore them while understanding them very well || Deliberately violating fashion or grammar rules gives off a particular 'casual' vibe, distinct from those who violate the rules out of ignorance. |
|- | |- | ||
− | |Vindictive about things that are often uncomfortably transparent proxies for race or social class || | + | |Vindictive about things that are often uncomfortably transparent proxies for race or social class || "Proper" dress and "proper" language are often defined in terms of how high class people dress and speak. But since "high class" in much of the Western world has generally meant white, alternative ways of dress (e.g. the Afro) or alternative ways of speaking (e.g. Ebonics or Pidgin English) are treated as somehow objectively "wrong", rather than simply as alternatives. Furthermore, dressing or speaking poorly are often marks of "lower class" people who for whatever reason cannot afford fashionable clothing, or don't have access to quality education. So when we judge people for their clothing or their speech, we are often indirectly judging them for their race and class, something that makes Randall uncomfortable. |
− | |||
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|- | |- | ||
− | | Fun to cheer on until one of them disagrees with you|| | + | | Fun to cheer on until one of them disagrees with you|| This may have to do with the human tendency to view the morality of an activity differently when applied to oneself compared to a stranger. |
|- | |- | ||
− | | Mad about jorts (Title text) || "{{w|Shorts#Jorts|Jorts}}" is a {{w|portmanteau}} for a pair of jeans that are made into shorts. | + | | Mad about jorts (Title text) || "{{w|Shorts#Jorts|Jorts}}" is a {{w|portmanteau}} for a pair of jeans that are made into shorts. The fashion police would be mad about jorts for being unfashionable, while the grammar police would be mad about the word 'jorts' being an inappropriate portmanteau of jeans and shorts, and also for the fact that the sentence could be misinterpreted as if someone like jorts, as in being mad about something in a positive way. Randall has [[:Category:Portmanteau|often used]] portmanteaus as part of his jokes. |
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− | The fashion police would be mad about jorts for being unfashionable | ||
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[Beneath two headings to the left and right are shown two aggressive-looking groups of people with only the four people in the front clearly shown for each group. Behind them five other people can be seen, but they are drawn | + | :[Beneath two headings to the left and right are shown two aggressive-looking groups of people with only the four people in the front clearly shown for each group. Behind them five other people can be seen, but they are not drawn with the same solid line and are only partly shown behind the first four, but legs from all five in each group can be seen along with some heads (all Cueball like) and arms etc. The front of the left group consist of Hairy holding a fist up towards left, Megan with her arms crossed in front of her chest, Cueball holding a sign, using both hands, straight up above his head and another Cueball-like guy to the right is holding up a broken branch in one hand toward right. The person behind this last person is shown to hold up his fist towards right like Hairy does to the left. The sign shows a Crocs shoe in a circle with a strike through it going above the Crocs from top left to bottom right. The front of the right group consist of Megan holding both her arms over her head hands folded into fist while looking towards left, Cueball holding a sign, using both hands, towards the right and up above Ponytails head, she is raising one hand in a fist to the left and finally a bald guy with glasses is brandishing a short sword in one hand toward right while holding his other hand palm up. The sign has three similar words written beneath each other.] |
:Left: Fashion Police | :Left: Fashion Police | ||
− | |||
:Right: Grammar Police | :Right: Grammar Police | ||
− | + | :Sign: | |
+ | ::Their | ||
+ | ::They're | ||
+ | ::There | ||
:[Below the two groups are eight points with bullets:] | :[Below the two groups are eight points with bullets:] | ||
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[[Category:Language]] | [[Category:Language]] | ||
[[Category:Portmanteau]] | [[Category:Portmanteau]] | ||
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