Editing 6: Irony

{{comic
| number    = 6
| date      = September 30, 2005
| title     = Irony
| image     = irony_color.jpg
| titletext = It's commonly known that too much perspective can be a downer.
}}

==Explanation==
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.

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.

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 [[:Category:Multiple Cueballs|Multiple Cueballs]]). Note however, that it was actually not the first comic [[Randall]] released using either of the above mentioned features, see the [[#Trivia|trivia]] below.

The "too much perspective" line comes from the visit of {{w|Spın̈al Tap}} to the grave of {{w|Elvis Presley}}. In addition, the perspective theme also invokes 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}}. This is located on the desolate planet Frogstar B, possibly looking not unlike the final image in the comic.

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==
:[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 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 sun in the dark blue sky.]

==Trivia==
*This was the 9th comic originally posted to [[LiveJournal]]. 
**The previous was [[8: Red Spiders]]. 
**The next was [[9: Serenity is coming out tomorrow]].
*This comic kept its original title: "Irony"
*Original [[Randall]] quote: "Too much perspective can do that."
*This was one of the [[:Category:First day on LiveJournal|thirteen first comics]] posted to LiveJournal within 12 minutes on Friday September 30, 2005.
*This comic was posted on [[xkcd]] when the web site opened on Sunday the 1st of January 2006.
**It was posted along [[:Category:First day on xkcd|with all 41 comics]] posted before that on LiveJournal as well as a few others.
**The latter explaining why the numbers of these 41 LiveJournal comics ranges from 1-44.
*One of the original drawings drawn on [[:Category:Checkered paper|checkered paper]].
*First comic featuring [[Cueball]] in the current order the comics are presented on xkcd.
**But originally there where a few comics released earlier which featured Cueball, both the original LiveJournal number 7, [[13: Canyon]] and number 6, [[24: Godel, Escher, Kurt Halsey]], used Cueball and stick figures, see this [[24:_Godel,_Escher,_Kurt_Halsey#Trivia|Trivia]].
 
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal| 09]]
[[Category:First day on LiveJournal| 09]]
[[Category:First day on xkcd]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Checkered paper]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Self-reference]]
[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]]