864: Flying Cars

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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Flying Cars
It's hard to fit in the backseat of my flying car with my android Realdoll when we're both wearing jetpacks.
Title text: It's hard to fit in the backseat of my flying car with my android Realdoll when we're both wearing jetpacks.

Explanation

In this comic, Cueball is complaining to Megan over the phone about the lack of flying cars even though it is the year 2011. But, Megan counters that phone technology has taken off. No pun intended. I've always found it interesting that the consumer electronics field has changed dramatically over the past 10 years and cars still are roughly the same.

In the past it was predicted that we would have flying cars and two-way wrist radios by today. Well, the flying car is still not perfected (although there are some awesome prototypes flying today) but the two way wrist radio is totally lame compared to the current state of smart phones.

So, he chooses to be resentful about the lack of flying cars rather than amazed at the current state of computers and communication technology. Like many people, he is missing the forest while looking for a particular tree.

In the image text, the comic references Realdoll, which is known as "the world's finest lovedoll". You can probably figure it out from there.


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Discussion

Self driving flying car. Happy now? Davidy²²[talk] 10:01, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

I think the title text is more of a reference to other things we expected to have by the 21st century: androids and jetpacks. 75.101.102.252 02:47, 6 May 2013 (UTC)

I think we're missing an important feature of this comic. And that is that Megan is not wearing a shirt. Discuss. 108.162.250.219 14:10, 8 June 2014 (UTC)

So would this particular strip be considered nsfw? :P Kirdneh (talk) 04:39, 25 January 2015 (UTC)
I agree that this is important for the comic, and should be included in the explanation. Will fix this. --Kynde (talk) 16:13, 30 July 2016 (UTC)
I think you people have a problem, and that problem is that you are too focused on sexuality. The fact that Megan is topless is not that important.172.68.79.73 15:19, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

Since mobile/cell phones use part of the radio spectrum, they are patently two-way in that they send and receive data, and since smart-watches exist (the long-awaited Apple Watch made its debut in March 2015), I'd say that prophecy came true, and we just never properly realised it until now. 108.162.250.223 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

But that was after this comic was released so not relevant for the comic. But could be mentioned of course.--Kynde (talk) 16:13, 30 July 2016 (UTC)

It's sort of like how 3D printers are just very primitive version of replicators from Star Trek... -Pennpenn 108.162.250.162 03:20, 26 June 2015 (UTC)

Back to the Future II DID predict video calls, though... Greyson (talk) 05:09, 22 October 2015 (UTC)

And BttF is also referenced later when he asks where is my hoverboard... --Kynde (talk) 16:13, 30 July 2016 (UTC)