Editing 826: Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)
Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
The edit can be undone.
Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision | Your text | ||
Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
| date = November 26, 2010 | | date = November 26, 2010 | ||
| title = Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC) | | title = Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC) | ||
+ | | before = ''Explainxkcd note: Don't try and click on this image to see the exhibits. Visit [http://www.xkcd.com/826/ the actual comic] instead'' | ||
| image = guest week zach weiner smbc.png | | image = guest week zach weiner smbc.png | ||
| titletext = Guest comic by Zach Weiner of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. When I was stressed out, Zach gave me a talk that was really encouraging and somehow involved nanobots. | | titletext = Guest comic by Zach Weiner of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. When I was stressed out, Zach gave me a talk that was really encouraging and somehow involved nanobots. | ||
}} | }} | ||
− | |||
− | |||
==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | This comic is drawn by a guest webcomic artist, | + | {{incomplete|Review for grammar, The poorly remembered history section is highly opinionated, it is not likely that this section is a dig on Americans, but instead about forgetting history and explaining it to children, like the rest of the comic}} |
+ | This comic is drawn by a guest webcomic artist, Zack Weiner, following the theme of "Guest Week". Zach is the author of the webcomic [http://www.smbc-comics.com/ Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]. The [http://www.xkcd.com/826/ original comic] is interactive. It will show images of the exibits (see below) by clicking on them. | ||
− | The entire comic is a hypothetical "{{w|Smithsonian Museum}} of Dad-Trolling, an entire building dedicated to deceiving children for amusement." It is | + | The entire comic is a hypothetical "{{w|Smithsonian Museum}} of Dad-Trolling, an entire building dedicated to deceiving children for amusement." It is an common occurrence that curious children will ask simple questions about science to their parents, such as, "Daddy, why is the sky blue?" and a parent could respond, "Well Susie, the sky is blue to match your dress." |
− | + | ===Hall Of Misunderstood Science=== | |
− | The | + | Each exhibit is a display set up to reinforce the false, sarcastic, or exaggerated answers to typical questions that children may ask their parents about scientific topics. The answers given involve just enough information that the child may be satisfied with the answer and repeat it to others while maintaining the irony for adults that the answers are obviously misleading or false. |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | + | <gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px> | |
− | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_27.png|In this exhibit the marque claims that basilisks exist, and that they live under your bed. The basilisk is a mythological reptilian monster that was described as having the ability to turn other living things to stone with its gaze. This story might be believed because children often imagine that a monster or a dangerous creature is hiding under the bed at night, and verifying that the basilisk is under the bed might turn the child to stone. | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | <gallery widths=432px heights=285px> | ||
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_27.png|In this exhibit the | ||
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_26.png|In this exhibit the | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_26.png|In this exhibit the marque claims that "In my day" molecules did not exist, and everything was just atoms. Molecules are chains of atoms, and therefore more complex than atoms. This story might be believed because old men often tell unbelievable and questionably credible "In my day" stories about how different, or in this case less complicated, things when they where younger. This story may sound no less credible then these stories to a child. Also, like most "In my day" stories there is at least a grain of truth. The word atom has changed its meaning over time, at one time all discovered molecules where called {{w|atomism|atoms}}, as when they where modified there properties changed. |
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_25.png|In this exhibit the | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_25.png|In this exhibit the marque claims that magnets are only attracted to each other when they are teenagers. This is a inside joke that the child is not in on about how there is a loss of sexual desire in adults. This story might be believed because magnets are seen as mysterious and possibly magical by children. |
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_24.png|In this exhibit the | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_24.png|In this exhibit the marque claims that {{w|snow}} is composed of Jesus' {{w|dandruff}}. This story might be believed because some children take the expression that {{w|rain}} is "God's tears", and this would be a logical extension. |
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_20.png|In this exhibit the | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_20.png|In this exhibit the marque claims that the reason that there are only four componants of {{w|DNA}} is because there where only four letters back then. The letters associated with DNA are related to the {{w|nucleotides}} which make up DNA chains (they are guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine, and are referred to respectively by the letters G, A, T, and C). This story might be believed by children as DNA can be thought as an instruction set to build life. Instructions contain words, and therefore the letters G, A, T, and C can be thought of as the letters that the words in the instructions use. |
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_23.png|In this exhibit the | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_23.png|In this exhibit the marque claims that you are more vulnerable to the boogie man when you are sleeping. "The Boogie Man" is a common legend used to scare young kids; he typically hides in closets and underneath beds, and attacks sleeping children. This story might be believed by children as some believe in the boogie man |
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_22.png|In this exhibit the | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_22.png|In this exhibit the marque claims that water increases its size to frighten {{w|predator|predators}}. Water is less dense as {{w|ice|a solid}} than it is when in its {{w|water|liquid state}}. This is an unusual property as most materials are more dense in solid form. This might be believed by a child because many animals appear to increase there size to frighten away other threatening animals. A {{w|rhinoceros}} although not traditionally a predator, would be a predator of water. |
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_21.png|In this exhibit the | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_21.png|In this exhibit the marque claims that {{w|antimatter|anti-matter}} is composed of half ant and half matter. The prefix anti means "the opposite of", but sounds similar to the word ant. This story might be believed by children because a hyphen is often used to combine two words together with different meanings to create a word with the meaning of both. Combining ants and matter would produce something composed of both ants and matter. |
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
===Regrettable Pranks: An Interactive Experience=== | ===Regrettable Pranks: An Interactive Experience=== | ||
− | This section holds falsehoods that a dad might use to frighten his children. | + | This section holds falsehoods that a dad might use to frighten his children. It is an interactive experience, so visitors can try something for themselves, then learn the frightening fact it indicates. |
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px> | <gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px> | ||
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_19.png| | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_19.png|Helium makes your voice high-pitched, because sound travels faster in helium than in oxygen. Helium is not prone to combustion, because it is a noble gas. Visitors are told they are about to explode because of the helium they have inhaled. |
− | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_18.png|Your middle finger is always longer than the others, so this test will always tell visitors they are an alien half-breed. | |
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_18.png| | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_16.png|Cherries are a common ingredient in Jello cups, but the exhibit implies that the cherry is actually a rabbit brain. |
− | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_17.png|This is meant to encourage little children to make their beds, or be eaten. | |
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_16.png| | ||
− | |||
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_17.png| | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
===Concessions=== | ===Concessions=== | ||
− | This area holds concession stands, which sell food. There are misleading names on each stand | + | This area holds concession stands, which sell food. There are misleading names on each stand. |
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px> | <gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px> | ||
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_15.png| | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_15.png|KFP - a parody of Kentucky Fried Chicken ({{w|KFC}}), a popular fast food chain which specializes in fried chicken. |
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_14.png| | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_14.png|{{w|Ground beef}} - a pun on the name. Ground refers to both the floor and the past participle of grind. |
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_13.png| | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_13.png|Eyes cream - wordplay once more. Ice cream sounds exactly like eyes cream when spoken, hence the 'how did you think it was spelled?' |
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
===Conservatory of Poorly Remembered History=== | ===Conservatory of Poorly Remembered History=== | ||
− | + | This section perhaps refers to how poorly understood world history is in America. It is interesting to note that African and Australian history is completely omitted, while European and Asian history are at least referenced. | |
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px> | <gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px> | ||
− | |||
− | File: | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_11.png|{{w|Genghis Khan|Genghis Khan}} - Genghis, born Temüjin, was a Mongolian conqueror and founder of {{w|Mongol Empire|the then-largest continuous land empire in history}}. While Americans can easily remember Khan as a badass figure, the Asian cultures as a whole tend to get slapped with stereotypical "mystical Oriental" elements, such as Chinese-style dragons. |
− | File: | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_12.png|{{w|Crimean War|Crimean War}} - an European Conflict. The joke is that American education, stereotypically, tends not to focus on wars that did not involve the United States; the Crimean war in particular would be glossed over in favor of the {{w|California Gold Rush}}, the {{w|Oregon Trail}}, and the rising political tension that would lead to the {{w|American Civil War}}. So the Crimean war is incorrectly remembered as a war on crime, (probably guessed from the name "Crime"an war.) |
− | File: | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_10.png|{{w|The Renaissance|The Renaissance}} - a cultural movement in Europe that took place after the Dark ages. Here, the Renaissance is incorrectly remembered as a time when wizards were in control. The Renaissance was a birth of may different art styles and paintings, so the author may have mistaken the paintings as conjured up by wizards. This could also be a reference to Harry Potter, or how people blamed "witches and wizards" in the Dark Ages. |
− | File: | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_3.png|{{w|Star Wars}} - fiction is often treated as fact by children, or referred to as such by adults to children, either accidentally or purposefully. The father of the child is probably a Star Wars fan, to trick his child into thinking that the Star Wars events really existed |
+ | |||
+ | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_9.png|{{w|France}} - this further parodies the ignorance of countries outside of the Americas, since most people know that France exists. | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
===Rotunda of Uncomfortable Topics=== | ===Rotunda of Uncomfortable Topics=== | ||
− | |||
− | |||
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px> | <gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px> | ||
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_8.png| | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_8.png|"Naked wrestling" is a common euphemism for sex if your children happen to walk in on your coitus and you don't want to ruin their innocence. |
− | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_7.png|"Alcohol is poison" - an excuse to explain away why fathers may drink unhealthily, or are addicts. | |
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_7.png| | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_5.png|The "big tummies before babies come" obviously refers to pregnancy. |
− | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_6.png|Sidestepping around the death of a loved one is common with young children to spare them the sorrow of death; this takes it a step further by saying that the child's grandmother went to Saturn. | |
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_5.png| | ||
− | |||
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_6.png| | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
===Miscellaneous=== | ===Miscellaneous=== | ||
<gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px> | <gallery class=center widths=432px heights=285px> | ||
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_4.png| | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_4.png|The {{w|dinosaur}} skeleton presumably refers to how humans have never actually seen a real dinosaur and have always only seen the bones. |
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_2.png|The | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_2.png|The Bathrooms have 3 doors. Clicking reveals that there is one for each gender of humans, and one for "Korgmen & Spangs". This may be a reference to the Marvel alien species {{w|Korg_(comics)|the Korg}}. |
− | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_1.png| | + | File:guest_comic_week_zach_weiner_smbc_1.png|The uncategorized dark green exhibit to the right is labeled "Magic eye trick that doesn't actually work". The exhibit resembles an {{w|autostereogram}}, a picture that has a hidden 3D image, but has to be looked at by forcing your eyes to focus either beyond ("wall-eyed") or in front of ("cross-eyed") the image, which many people find difficult or impossible to do. Autostereograms are commonly sold in books under the trademark "Magic Eye". Presumably the exhibit only pretends to be an autostereogram without actually being one. |
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
Line 223: | Line 207: | ||
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]] | [[Category:Comics featuring real people]] | ||
[[Category:Comics with color]] | [[Category:Comics with color]] | ||
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Ferret]] |
[[Category:Guest Week]] | [[Category:Guest Week]] | ||
[[Category:Interactive comics]] | [[Category:Interactive comics]] | ||
Line 231: | Line 215: | ||
[[Category:Science]] | [[Category:Science]] | ||
[[Category:Star Wars]] | [[Category:Star Wars]] | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− |