Difference between revisions of "6: Irony"

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| date      = September 30, 2005
 
| date      = September 30, 2005
 
| title    = Irony
 
| title    = Irony
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| ognumber  = 9
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| ogtitle  = Irony
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| oglink    = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927001941/http://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/?skip=40#:~:text=8%3A42%20pm-,Irony,-Too%20much%20perspective
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| ogprev    = 8
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| ognext    = 9
 
| image    = irony_color.jpg
 
| image    = irony_color.jpg
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| titletext = It's commonly known that too much perspective can be a downer.
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| titletext = It's commonly known that too much perspective can be a downer.<br><br>''<span class="plainlinks">[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927001941/http://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/?skip=40#:~:text=8%3A42%20pm-,Irony,-Too%20much%20perspective Original caption</span>]:'' Too much perspective can do that.
 
}}
 
}}
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This was the ninth comic [[LiveJournal|originally posted to LiveJournal]]. The previous one was [[8: Red Spiders]], and the next one was [[9: Serenity is coming out tomorrow]]. It was among the [[:Category:First day on LiveJournal|first thirteen comics]] posted to LiveJournal within 12 minutes on September 30, 2005, on the first day of the xkcd LiveJournal account.
  
 
==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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It must be part of the {{w|human condition}} that causes us to think that odd statements are sometimes more humorous than those supposed to be funny. [[Cueball]] makes a true statement, that his statement is not very funny. However, because he invoked {{w|irony}} and thus makes it self-referential, the sentence is now funny! The other guy (also a Cueball like character), producing a fake laugh, is probably not so sure that it is actually funny.
+
This comic's joke revolves around being self-referential, with every panel being ironic, self-referential and/or invoking meta-humor. [[Cueball]] makes a true statement, that his statement is not very funny. However, because he invoked {{w|irony}} and thus makes it self-referential, the sentence is now funny! The other guy Cueball, producing a fake laugh, is probably not so sure that it is actually funny. The barren landscape would have occurred regardless of whether someone made the joke, so ironically, the cautionary tale is completely meaningless, although still funny. Self-references would be used again in [[33: Self-reference]] and [[:Category:Self-reference|many more comics]].
  
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Now going meta: In 20,000 years, there might be no more humans on earth to find the irony funny anymore. How ''ironic''! Alternatively, the barren landscape would have occurred regardless of whether someone made the joke, so ironically, the cautionary tale is completely meaningless, although still funny.
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The title text is a reference to the visit of {{w|Spın̈al Tap}} to the grave of {{w|Elvis Presley}}. In addition, the perspective theme also invokes the Total Perspective Vortex in {{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}. This is located on the desolate planet Frogstar B, possibly looking not unlike the final image in the comic.
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This is the first [[xkcd]] comic showing stick figure people, which eventually becomes a defining characteristic of the future comic series. It is thus also the first comic with Cueball (and the first with [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Category:Multiple_Cueballs Multiple Cueballs]).
 
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The "too much perspective" idea may reference the {{w|Technology_in_The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy#Total_Perspective_Vortex|Total Perspective Vortex}} in {{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}.
 
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Self-references was already used again in [[33: Self-reference]], and [[:Category:Self-reference|again and again]], but never more famously than in [[688: Self-Description]].
 
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
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:A CAUTIONARY TALE
 
:A CAUTIONARY TALE
  
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:[Cueball talks to to his Cueball-like friend.]
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:[Cueball talks to his Cueball-like friend.]
 
:Cueball: This statement wouldn't be funny if not for irony!
 
:Cueball: This statement wouldn't be funny if not for irony!
  
Line 33: Line 34:
 
:20,000 years later...
 
:20,000 years later...
  
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:[Desolate badlands landscape with an imposing sun in the sky.]
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:[A desolate brown badlands landscape with an imposing red-orange sun in the dark blue sky.]
  
−
==Trivia==
 
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*This was the 9th comic originally posted to [[LiveJournal]].
 
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**The previous was [[8: Red Spiders]].
 
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**The next was [[9: Serenity is coming out tomorrow]].
 
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*This comic kept its original title: "Irony"
 
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*Original [[Randall]] quote: "Too much perspective can do that."
 
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*This was one of the [[:Category:First day on LiveJournal|thirteen first comics]] posted to LiveJournal within 12 minutes on Friday September 30, 2005.
 
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*This comic was posted on [[xkcd]] when the web site opened on Sunday the 1st of January 2006.
 
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**It was posted along [[:Category:First day on xkcd|with all 41 comics]] posted before that on LiveJournal as well as a few others.
 
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**The latter explaining why the numbers of these 41 LiveJournal comics ranges from 1-44.
 
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*One of the original drawings drawn on [[:Category:Checkered paper|checkered paper]].
 
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*First comic featuring [[Cueball]]
 
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{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
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[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal| 09]]
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 +
[[Category:Posted on LiveJournal| 09]]
 
[[Category:First day on LiveJournal| 09]]
 
[[Category:First day on LiveJournal| 09]]
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[[Category:First day on xkcd]]
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[[Category:First day on xkcd.com]]
 
[[Category:Comics with color]]
 
[[Category:Comics with color]]
 
[[Category:Checkered paper]]
 
[[Category:Checkered paper]]
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[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
 
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
 
[[Category:Self-reference]]
 
[[Category:Self-reference]]
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[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]]

Latest revision as of 15:55, 11 November 2025

Irony
Original title: Irony
It's commonly known that too much perspective can be a downer.Original caption: Too much perspective can do that.
Title text: It's commonly known that too much perspective can be a downer.

Original caption: Too much perspective can do that.

This was the ninth comic originally posted to LiveJournal. The previous one was 8: Red Spiders, and the next one was 9: Serenity is coming out tomorrow. It was among the first thirteen comics posted to LiveJournal within 12 minutes on September 30, 2005, on the first day of the xkcd LiveJournal account.

Explanation[edit]

This comic's joke revolves around being self-referential, with every panel being ironic, self-referential and/or invoking meta-humor. Cueball makes a true statement, that his statement is not very funny. However, because he invoked irony and thus makes it self-referential, the sentence is now funny! The other guy Cueball, producing a fake laugh, is probably not so sure that it is actually funny. The barren landscape would have occurred regardless of whether someone made the joke, so ironically, the cautionary tale is completely meaningless, although still funny. Self-references would be used again in 33: Self-reference and many more comics.

The title text is a reference to the visit of Spın̈al Tap to the grave of Elvis Presley. In addition, the perspective theme also invokes the Total Perspective Vortex in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This is located on the desolate planet Frogstar B, possibly looking not unlike the final image in the comic.

Transcript[edit]

[A panel only with text. The last text is written below a line in all capital letters.]
When self-reference, irony, and meta-humor go too far
A CAUTIONARY TALE
[Cueball talks to his Cueball-like friend.]
Cueball: This statement wouldn't be funny if not for irony!
[Cueball laughs at his own joke in front of his friend.]
Cueball: ha ha
Friend: ha ha, I guess.
[Again a panel only with text.]
20,000 years later...
[A desolate brown badlands landscape with an imposing red-orange sun in the dark blue sky.]

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Discussion

You can definitely see an improvement in these comics as Randall learns to clean drawings and form a proper punchline. Davidy22[talk] 14:07, 8 January 2013 (UTC)

I think this explanation is incomplete. Benjaminikuta (talk) 03:41, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

There is a community portal discussion of what to call Cueball and what to do in case with more than one Cueball. I have added this comic to the new Category:Multiple Cueballs. Since there is really only one Cueball that "talks" I think it is fine to keep him as Cueball. Just made a note that the other guy also looks like Cueball. Also noted that this is the first comic both with Cueball and with Multiple Cueballs --Kynde (talk) 17:06, 15 March 2015 (UTC)
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