Talk:1293: Job Interview

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
Revision as of 10:42, 22 November 2013 by 108.162.231.217 (talk)
Jump to: navigation, search

Wouldn't this be a continuation of the story in "Networking" Whiskey07 (talk) 09:00, 20 November 2013 (UTC)

I completely agree, Whisky. That comic is clearly a prelude to this. Grahame (talk) 07:35, 21 November 2013 (UTC)

Isn't it Beret Guy character, and not just "employer with a hat"? --JakubNarebski (talk) 10:02, 20 November 2013 (UTC)

Why is the soup coming out of the electrical outlet (OK, it is label "soup", but that still does not explain it) Spongebog (talk)

Who said it was an electrical outlet? It's clearly a soup outlet, it's even labeled as such. 141.101.98.208 16:23, 20 November 2013 (UTC)
My first thought was that this was a modern soup kitchen of some sort with the basics of public supplies. But I've never seen or heard of such a thing? Does anyone know if they exist? Grahame (talk) 01:31, 21 November 2013 (UTC)
It's definitely an electrical outlet. This reinforces that this is a virtual company, not a real one. Sulis (talk) 10:04, 22 November 2013 (UTC)
My understanding of the outlet matter is that:
  1. It is an actual U.S. - style electrical outlet.
  2. The coil of wire seen at the chair's leg in panel 2 which beret Guy uses is actually a handheld electric heater that was commonly used to heat water in Eastern Europe before electric kettles made their way there; such heaters are still being sold here (example (in Polish))
  3. The water in the bowl is already boiling in panel 4.
  4. Beret Guy is going to add some cheap instant soup to the water, e.g. Chinese-style instant noodles
108.162.231.217 10:34, 22 November 2013 (UTC)

"We can offer you a bunch of paychecks" - but not actual money? 173.245.55.215 16:31, 20 November 2013 (UTC)

Anyone have an idea of what "There are ghosts here" means? --Dangerkeith3000 (talk) 16:34, 20 November 2013 (UTC)

I assumed it was just part of a quirky interview. I feel it ties in to the later "interview from hell" stuff - it's not the sort of thing you want a job interviewer to raise in your interview. Even if the place does have ghosts, it's a terrible thing to mention. I think it just adds to the surrealism that others have mentioned and with which I agree. Grahame (talk) 01:31, 21 November 2013 (UTC)
I thought it was a reference to some buzz-word that Beret Guy misunderstood, such as virtualization or intangible benefits or high spirits. I just couldn't figure out for sure what the source was. 199.27.128.85 04:34, 21 November 2013 (UTC)
Probably a play on "Ghostwriter" Spongebog (talk)
Could it be a reference to the Snapchat mascot? 141.101.98.213 07:44, 21 November 2013 (UTC)

I think the joke here is just that this is an example of a "job interview from hell" or at least a very surreal/oddball job interview. Basically everything Beret Guy says or does is nonsensical or a non sequitur. E.g. "this real building I found" gives the impression that it may be a vacant building that he has somehow gained entrance to. It seems unlikely that a real company would make both apps and stickers for phones. Obviously you can't get soup out of a wall by plugging a cord into an electrical outlet. The humor derives from putting oneself in the position of the interviewee being confronted with this odd situation. 173.245.55.217 18:33, 20 November 2013 (UTC)Pat

I suspect he is being a bit dadaist on this one. 108.162.246.117 22:46, 20 November 2013 (UTC)

It is more accurate (theologically and biblically - assuming that the biblical account (which is the only one we have) is correct) to say that God allowed the trials but they were performed and initiated by Satan. (And to those who want to dispute it being a real story or question the accuracy of the Bible - that's not the point. The point is that it's the only account we have so let's be accurate about what the account portrays.) So I've changed the description to reflect the view that "God allowed" and "Satan did the horrible things" rather than that Job "was put through some horrendous ordeals by God to test his faith" which is partially true but technically inaccurate, but I kept that "God did it to test Job's faith". Grahame (talk) 01:31, 21 November 2013 (UTC)


Forgive my ignorance, but I don't understand the reference in the explanation to "the countless humorous signs near wall outlets and faucets." I haven't run into such signs (or didn't realize they were humorous). Can someone fill me in? -- Amz (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

I've only encountered one such sign in person. It was near the outlet powering the web server at my last job. The sign was labeled "DOES (sic) NOT PULG (sic) OUT" in meticulously-careful handwriting. It was hung in much the same manner as the comic. While the meaning was clear, I found it funny how poor the English was, given the care taken on the calligraphy. 173.245.55.211 05:57, 22 November 2013 (UTC)