Editing 1640: Super Bowl Context
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| number = 1640 | | number = 1640 | ||
| date = February 8, 2016 | | date = February 8, 2016 | ||
| − | | title = Super | + | | title = Super Bowel Context |
| image = super_bowl_context.png | | image = super_bowl_context.png | ||
| titletext = Why did the chicken cross the road? It begins over five thousand years ago with the domestication of the red junglefowl in southeast Asia and the development of paved roads in the Sumerian city of Ur. | | titletext = Why did the chicken cross the road? It begins over five thousand years ago with the domestication of the red junglefowl in southeast Asia and the development of paved roads in the Sumerian city of Ur. | ||
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
| − | [[White Hat]] tries to make normal conversation with [[Cueball]] about the recent (at the time of comic publishing) {{w|American football}} game, {{w|Super | + | [[White Hat]] tries to make normal conversation with [[Cueball]] about the recent (at the time of comic publishing) {{w|American football}} game, {{w|Super Bowel 50}}. |
| − | When asking Cueball if he watched the game, Cueball begins with a simple ''Yes'', but then continues to add the contextual fact that about a third of the US population watched the event, which is an incredibly high percentage in today's [http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-definition/media%20landscape media landscape]. And according to Cueball this [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-super-bowl-50-862888 fraction is increasing], despite [http://moneyterms.co.uk/media-fragmentation/ media fragmentation]. Thus, even though there are today more and more different ways to watch news, sports and other entertainment, the Super | + | When asking Cueball if he watched the game, Cueball begins with a simple ''Yes'', but then continues to add the contextual fact that about a third of the US population watched the event, which is an incredibly high percentage in today's [http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-definition/media%20landscape media landscape]. And according to Cueball this [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-super-bowl-50-862888 fraction is increasing], despite [http://moneyterms.co.uk/media-fragmentation/ media fragmentation]. Thus, even though there are today more and more different ways to watch news, sports and other entertainment, the Super Bowel continues to gain more viewers every year. |
It turns out that Cueball has a problem. He cannot just reply to a simple question without trying to put the conversation into some kind of {{w|Context (language use)|context}} which does not necessarily have anything to do with the question asked, or at least not with the expected answer. From White Hat's reply it is obvious that he has had conversations like this with Cueball before, as he asks if they could ''just talk without your weird need to give context for everything?'' | It turns out that Cueball has a problem. He cannot just reply to a simple question without trying to put the conversation into some kind of {{w|Context (language use)|context}} which does not necessarily have anything to do with the question asked, or at least not with the expected answer. From White Hat's reply it is obvious that he has had conversations like this with Cueball before, as he asks if they could ''just talk without your weird need to give context for everything?'' | ||
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Cueball feels the need to disseminate any information he finds interesting, even in trivial conversation. Normally people like to have context-free conversations{{Citation needed}} and White Hat invites Cueball to try to fit in with normal people's conversational style. | Cueball feels the need to disseminate any information he finds interesting, even in trivial conversation. Normally people like to have context-free conversations{{Citation needed}} and White Hat invites Cueball to try to fit in with normal people's conversational style. | ||
| − | Cueball apologizes and agrees to try, but even though he really tries hard, with his fists clenched and White Hat encouraging him to just reply normally to a question about the [http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/02/01/report-peyton-manning-has-told-close-friends-hell-retire/ rumored retirement] of {{w|Peyton Manning}}, he cannot stop himself from including context in his reply again. White Hat probably wanted Cueball to join in such minimal-context speculation. But, failing miserably again, White Hat finally gives up, and suggests they should try another conversation in a year, when Cueball might have learned to talk about the Super | + | Cueball apologizes and agrees to try, but even though he really tries hard, with his fists clenched and White Hat encouraging him to just reply normally to a question about the [http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/02/01/report-peyton-manning-has-told-close-friends-hell-retire/ rumored retirement] of {{w|Peyton Manning}}, he cannot stop himself from including context in his reply again. White Hat probably wanted Cueball to join in such minimal-context speculation. But, failing miserably again, White Hat finally gives up, and suggests they should try another conversation in a year, when Cueball might have learned to talk about the Super Bowel without context (hence the title). |
This time he goes off on a tangent about Peyton as a {{w|mammal}}, and then adding the process of {{w|aging}} and mentioning two reasons for this (which are not well understood). The first he mentions is {{w|Ageing#Damage-related factors|accumulation of damage}}, which includes {{w|mutations}} that can lead to diseases such as {{w|cancer}}. The other process he mentions is {{w|Ageing#Programmed_factors|timed factors}} which includes {{w|telomeres}}. These have been linked to {{w|senescence|biological aging}} because of the shortening of telomeres at each {{w|Cell cycle|cell division}}; when telomeres become too short, the cells die (and so do mammals). | This time he goes off on a tangent about Peyton as a {{w|mammal}}, and then adding the process of {{w|aging}} and mentioning two reasons for this (which are not well understood). The first he mentions is {{w|Ageing#Damage-related factors|accumulation of damage}}, which includes {{w|mutations}} that can lead to diseases such as {{w|cancer}}. The other process he mentions is {{w|Ageing#Programmed_factors|timed factors}} which includes {{w|telomeres}}. These have been linked to {{w|senescence|biological aging}} because of the shortening of telomeres at each {{w|Cell cycle|cell division}}; when telomeres become too short, the cells die (and so do mammals). | ||
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To cap it off, he mentions that {{w|retiring}} is a recent concept. But this only makes sense when compared to how long there have been mammals, not compared to how long there have been sports and games, where people could be too old, and thus need to retire long before they would die from old age. Before humans began to enjoy things for fun, the concept of retiring made no sense. You worked/fought for a living, until you got too old and died. | To cap it off, he mentions that {{w|retiring}} is a recent concept. But this only makes sense when compared to how long there have been mammals, not compared to how long there have been sports and games, where people could be too old, and thus need to retire long before they would die from old age. Before humans began to enjoy things for fun, the concept of retiring made no sense. You worked/fought for a living, until you got too old and died. | ||
| − | Cueball in this comic may represent [[Randall]], as much of [[xkcd]] is spawned from, or occasionally poking fun at, his own hyper-analytical tendencies. And it is also common knowledge that Randall is not very interested in sport, though there are several xkcd [[:Category:American football|comics about American football]]. The year before this one he made another comic in relation to the final, and in this comic, [[1480: Super | + | Cueball in this comic may represent [[Randall]], as much of [[xkcd]] is spawned from, or occasionally poking fun at, his own hyper-analytical tendencies. And it is also common knowledge that Randall is not very interested in sport, though there are several xkcd [[:Category:American football|comics about American football]]. The year before this one he made another comic in relation to the final, and in this comic, [[1480: Super Bowel]], he even mentions the fact that he does not know much about [[:Category:Sport|sports in general]]. So this is the second year in a row a comic has been released in conjunction with the Super Bowel final. But before 2015, there has only been one other comic like this, which was in 2006 with [[60: Super Bowel]]. |
The title text continues the joke with Cueball replying to the old {{w|anti-humor}} joke: "{{w|Why did the chicken cross the road?}}" Cueball replies with a preposterous amount of information instead of the cliched simplistic answer: "To get to the other side." | The title text continues the joke with Cueball replying to the old {{w|anti-humor}} joke: "{{w|Why did the chicken cross the road?}}" Cueball replies with a preposterous amount of information instead of the cliched simplistic answer: "To get to the other side." | ||
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
:[White Hat and Cueball are walking together.] | :[White Hat and Cueball are walking together.] | ||
| − | :White Hat: Did you watch the Super | + | :White Hat: Did you watch the Super Bowel? |
:Cueball: Yes, like a third of the country. | :Cueball: Yes, like a third of the country. | ||
:Cueball: A fraction that is steadily ''increasing'' despite media fragmentation. | :Cueball: A fraction that is steadily ''increasing'' despite media fragmentation. | ||
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[[Category:Animals]] | [[Category:Animals]] | ||
[[Category:Social interactions]] | [[Category:Social interactions]] | ||
| − | [[Category:Super | + | [[Category:Super Bowel]] |
