Really? You know what dreams we'll be having decades after we leave school? Once more, Randall attempts to be a wise old man, telling you truths about life. Like how he said you should kiss people more, because people don't regret that. Once more, all I can say is how the hell would you know. Randy is what - 25? A few weeks ago we were talking about whether or not it was creepy that he still hung out with college students, and the general consensus was no, he's young enough for that to be ok. But you can't have both "i'm young and cool" and "i'm old and wise in the way of life" at the same time! that's crazy.
Sure, the art in this comic is ok (xkcd: your #1 source for basic photoshop gradient skills!) but the effect worked better the first time.
Anyway, livejournal crusader-for-humor-justice teapotdome e-mailed me some thoughts on the specific joke in this comic, so here they are:
I think with this strip, Randall has found himself on a comedic and intellectual level with the kind of family-friendly standup comics who perform on cruise ships. 'Hey, you know that dream that everyone has? Well, everyone has it!' is the sum total of what's going on here. The art is somewhat interesting, but this one is purely joke-driven, and the joke is so milquetoast and shabby that I can hardly believe it. I suppose it's only the natural evolution of the last couple strips, where warmed-over '80s references are used as a substitute for original humor; but now instead of pop culture we get the greatest hits of the collective unconscious!
Do you see what's going on here? It's critical that Randall be able to evoke those 'hey, I recognize _____' and 'this is SO MY LIFE!' responses, because that's all what he has to offer the reader, rather than novel or funny ideas. So by playing it as safe as possible, and referencing a dream that almost everyone who has ever attended school has experienced, he ensures that the most glimmers of recognition will be sparked for the least amount of energy invested. It'd be impressive, if it weren't so lazy and stupid.
Next week, I predict, we will see several stick figures pondering just why it is that we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway, or perhaps the guy in the black hat raising his hand at a Steve Jobs press conference to ask just what IS the deal with airline food, anyway?
--------------------
To which all I can add is: we went through all this nonsense a few months ago, and it's just as bad now.
oh wait that's a lie, i have something else to say: I went and took the words out of this one, not sure how well it turned out, so you tell me what you think. But I'm not going to keep doing this for you guys, if you want it to be a regular thing you will have to take it upon yourselves.
Sure, the art in this comic is ok (xkcd: your #1 source for basic photoshop gradient skills!) but the effect worked better the first time.
Anyway, livejournal crusader-for-humor-justice teapotdome e-mailed me some thoughts on the specific joke in this comic, so here they are:
I think with this strip, Randall has found himself on a comedic and intellectual level with the kind of family-friendly standup comics who perform on cruise ships. 'Hey, you know that dream that everyone has? Well, everyone has it!' is the sum total of what's going on here. The art is somewhat interesting, but this one is purely joke-driven, and the joke is so milquetoast and shabby that I can hardly believe it. I suppose it's only the natural evolution of the last couple strips, where warmed-over '80s references are used as a substitute for original humor; but now instead of pop culture we get the greatest hits of the collective unconscious!
Do you see what's going on here? It's critical that Randall be able to evoke those 'hey, I recognize _____' and 'this is SO MY LIFE!' responses, because that's all what he has to offer the reader, rather than novel or funny ideas. So by playing it as safe as possible, and referencing a dream that almost everyone who has ever attended school has experienced, he ensures that the most glimmers of recognition will be sparked for the least amount of energy invested. It'd be impressive, if it weren't so lazy and stupid.
Next week, I predict, we will see several stick figures pondering just why it is that we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway, or perhaps the guy in the black hat raising his hand at a Steve Jobs press conference to ask just what IS the deal with airline food, anyway?
--------------------
To which all I can add is: we went through all this nonsense a few months ago, and it's just as bad now.
oh wait that's a lie, i have something else to say: I went and took the words out of this one, not sure how well it turned out, so you tell me what you think. But I'm not going to keep doing this for you guys, if you want it to be a regular thing you will have to take it upon yourselves.
wow, who would write all those words about a comic strip! probably a virgin and/or homosexual.
ReplyDeleteemailer was right. it's about "hey, i had that too!" rather than, "i am so wise and you should follow my words religiously."
ReplyDeletenext time you complain, at least get the point of the comic right.
I don't have that dream. I never did. I think it's part of my ability to breeze through life effortlessly.
ReplyDeletewelcome to our fucked up little world teapotdome (or as Rob will no doubt start calling you, Little Teapot). at first i didn't realize that comment was from you and I got real excited. oh well.
ReplyDeletemegadittoes, carl. also I laughed a lot at the xkcd without words, I know they are probably a lot of effort but you should keep it up!!
ReplyDeleteGoodness, teapotdome, that is the most powerful insult ever devised. Who would have thought such a chilling and life-threatening comment could ever be posted? Millions will surely envy your ability to toss entirely unrelated social and sexual conditions at this blog post.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the 557 goes, I don't think it's awful, but it is still very weak. I've had that school dream, and variations of it. The comic makes a connection to me, but it fails to actually do anything with that connection. It's just like saying, "Sometimes you may have nightmares." It's a fairly obvious statement, so why just state it so blandly?
Comics are an artform, despite what many webcomics may lead one to believe. If it's going to be about something mundane, it should be about making that mundane element funny, meaningful, or both. Not just saying "lol, this fairly regular thing happens."
now I have to call him Little Teapot. Hi Little Teapot!
ReplyDeletehi rob!
ReplyDeleteand now I am reminded that carl made the parkway/driveway joke about four months before I did. um... YOU GUYS REMEMBER THUNDERCATS?
Get out of last generation's pop culture, Randall!
ReplyDeleteI will say that I literally had the come-into-class-didn't-know-about-the-test-didn't-study thing happen to me in real life last week. The coincidence still failed to make the joke funny.
Captcha is cornmetr. Somehow, I like the idea of a corn meter, though I don't know what it does.
PARKWAY DRIVE IS AN OKAY BAND
ReplyDeleteI think this is one of the best in a while (note that this isn't saying much). Rather than defend that though, I'll just say that your critique is kind of stupid.
ReplyDelete"how the hell would you know" -- do you always take comics so literally? He knows because that makes the joke, obviously. Artist != narrator.
OH MY GOD.
ReplyDeleteToday's xkcd is the creepiest one Randy has EVER DONE. EVER. EVER. I am not exaggerating and this is not hyperbole.
Sometimes I will be miserably depressed and i will think of xkcd and become absolutely furious. But then i think of teapotdome and become pretty content!! It is my roundabout to happiness.
ReplyDeleteThe audience response to 557 was the most obnoxious one in a long time. (Also just to ensure I'm not employing constant hyperbole, 556's response was extremely disappointing and misleading, not necessarily any more obnoxious than usual.)
Realist: Whether or not the critique is stupid does not mean the comic has a joke.
ReplyDeleteRamsey: Okay yeah why does Randy always bring up ladies when it comes to current haps? Like his Obama inaugurations and this one... okay well maybe that is only two but that is all I can remember. I mean at least he didn't make the second part of the comparison something like "a roofie colada and a night with your daughter," right? But I think that would be more humorous.
Aisamanra: I CAN RELATE TO YOU! I took a test without knowing I would be taking it! It was a terrible day.
Little teapot!!! I am a big fan. That is all.
Carl your worldless comic made me laugh so much more than this non-comic. But I do think you missed the mark on this one, it's not really about Randy being old and wise (well maybe a little bit), it's more about him saying haha nudge know how this happens? Yeah I know it happens too. Let me draw it for you!
RMD (did you say your name was Mark? I think you did.), what was the audience response to this one? I definitely don't feel like walking into waves of arrogance but if you don't feel like recapping I'll go check it out by myself.
Okay I am too curious for my own good.
ReplyDeleteAmanda: 'roofie colada' would have been funny because it's so obviously creepy. 'Bottle of gin' sounds like he's not really aware it's creepy? Like he doesn't know it's still rape if you get someone drunk so they'll have sex with you?
ReplyDelete@Amanda: That's creepy in itself, but the way the comic is written, it sounds like Randy is talking about HIS daughter.
ReplyDeleteOhhh I didn't think of it that way. That is indeed creepy.
ReplyDeleteAnyway here is a blank 558 (which actually I think is funnier than the comic already) for anyone interested. Here is my attempt to make it even worse. Please, someone do a better job!
garrr fuck you photobucket, here is the one I meant to show you guys.
ReplyDeleteamanda that's great, now I have to go and make my own...give me 15 minutes...
ReplyDeleteI kind of wish that it had been a guy instead of a girl in those two panels, and then the caption could be "being alone sucks."
ReplyDeleteActually when it's blank I think of this pfsc bag.
558 makes me more angry than anything I've seen come out of him lately. Is he an advocate of intelligence or ignorance? Diligence or laziness? According to 558, he's some kind of hypocrite—we just can't tell what kind!
ReplyDeleteAnd I am so glad we have Mr. Munroe around to tell us how we can better educate the plebs about their problems! Surely they are too idiotic to understand what's going on if you use normal English—you'll have to dumb it down for them. This is the most concise yet profound piece of arrogance I've seen in quite a while.
Hypocrisy + arrogance = barrel of laughs, don't you know! Just the kind of wisdom we've come to expect.
My capcha is "ancipent", which isn't a real word but I'm damn sure that if it were it would describe the sheer idiocy displayed in 558.
Carl, if you need extra vitriol to add to the pile on this one (though I sincerely doubt you will) I'd be glad to contribute.
ok that took longer than expected but it was also more awesome than expected.
ReplyDeletebehold!
also: when working on this I noticed that the lower left corner of the "dishonest" box is not quite connected. at first i thought it was my poor erasing skills but no, it's right there in the original AND IT IS DRIVING ME MAD. this must be how you all feel when you see the floating heads.
You are so brilliant Carl. Amazing. The "art" of 558 just made me so mad I decided I wouldn't say anything for fear I might explode. Her arms and body, for example? WHICH IS WHICH YOU CANNOT TELL BUT THAT IS PART OF THE THRILL
ReplyDeleteperhaps she is some tripod creature.
why didn't you fill in that lower corner, Carl
thats pretty good but there's no alt text, sorry carl you'll never be an internet chamillionaire like randall munroe :'(
ReplyDeletewhy don't you look again, my friend!
ReplyDeleteIn response to the original post, it should be noted that the alt-text makes the opposite joke from the original comic, namely that we have all not had that dream. While the comic in itself is not particularly exciting, this is a solid comedic pivot.
ReplyDeletethats more like it <3
ReplyDeletealso I know it's been said before, but xkcd is always extra embarrassing when it tries to be topical
"Amanda: 'roofie colada' would have been funny because it's so obviously creepy. 'Bottle of gin' sounds like he's not really aware it's creepy? Like he doesn't know it's still rape if you get someone drunk so they'll have sex with you?"
ReplyDeleteAnd just because people are drunk doesn't mean it's rape.
How the hell is it creepy?
Might not be the best analogy ever, but it takes a lot of reading in to it to get rape or something creepy out of it. Reading in for the sake of, one might say.
Siiiigh.
ReplyDelete1) you are an idiot.
2) Are you familiar with the concept of date rape? How about getting somebody drunk so they will fuck you? There is a word for that! It is called 'rape.'
See, the implication is that, after a bottle of gin and a night with the individual's daughter, something unseemly would happen. Like maybe them having sex!
If the alcohol didn't matter, he wouldn't have included it. 'The difference between thirty minutes with your daughter and a night with your daughter.' On its own, 'a night with your daughter' could just be a nice dinner and a movie date. There is nothing unseemly about spending a night with someone.
But then you add in the bottle of gin, and suddenly the implication is that you are getting ridiculously drunk, and since it's 'with your daughter' and this is Randall 'a webcomic of . . . romance' Munroe, it immediately becomes 'oh God he just got this girl liquored up so he could fuck her, what the fuck.' That is creepy. That is called rape.
Put another way: 'a sip of wine and thirty minutes with your daughter' is relatively innocuous-sounding. 'A bottle of gin and a night with your daughter' is intended to be something you wouldn't let anyone do with your daughter--BECAUSE IT IS FUCKING RAPE.
(incidentally thank you for proving my point more perfectly than I could have ever done on my own)
ReplyDelete(what I am saying is you are a creepy motherfucker)
ReplyDeletei believe that according to some state laws, if either party is intoxicated, it counts as rape.
ReplyDeleteby the way, amanda, did you make up the phrase "roofie colada"? i hope it's not some super popular phrase i'm only hearing for the first time now. because it's awesome
Carl: it is not like super-popular I don't think but I've heard it before. Unless Amanda is the zero patient.
ReplyDeleteUm I am flattered that you think I am so creative Carl but no, I got it from Family Guy. Quagmire and his daterape shenanigans.
ReplyDeleteYou guys should move this blog to a thread on the forums to see what reaction you get.
ReplyDeleteThey already know about it. Something about "No More Classics"... or whatnot.
ReplyDeleteThat and they'd probably ban you. They do that easily.
ReplyDeleteI think having blank xkcd strips and filling in the dialogue is a really good idea. It worked very well for the (horrible) comic strip Mandatory Fun Day. The author posted a blank version of the strip, and people were doing their own versions (some of which were hilarious, unlike the original).
ReplyDeleterealpost I have never looked at the xkcd forums
ReplyDeleteI am kind of afraid to :(
the guy in the black hat raising his hand at a Steve Jobs press conference to ask just what IS the deal with airline food, anyway?
ReplyDeletei wanna see this happen at xkcd. it has the element of surprise i expect from strip comics.
OH MY GOD!
ReplyDeleteIn xkcd#558, Randy's saying that french kissing your daughter is 1000 times okay-er than fucking her senseless.
GUYS! GUYS! I think Chris Hansen would want Randy to have a sit.
Pedobear and Randy are high-fiving for advancing their agenda.
disclaimer: I'm criticizing the strip comic and how Randy made himself appear. I'm not saying that Randy is pedophile or whatever.
Just wanna clear that one up and save my ass from defamation charges.
Oh my god today's makes me sick. I mean, come on, Randy. Sure, $170,000,000,000 is a lot more then $165,000,000, but it's still more then you will make in a lifetime. Of taxpayer money.
ReplyDeletehttp://cultofray.net/xkcd-558-fixed.png
ReplyDeletedig that one fellow xkcd haters
I would like to add that this dream (though I've never had it, I think I'll adapt robs reasoning, because it seems spot on, get out of my head, rob!) was in every sitcom ever. In every. sitcom. ever.
ReplyDeleteNow that might throw the average person a hint that it's overused and probably not that funny, because sitcoms usually aren't, but nooo.
I started reading this blog a week or two ago, and while I didn't find these kind of strips funny then, I didn't really realize what they were doing, but now that you have "enlightened" me, you start looking at xkcds differently. More focused on the author, you could say. Though I think sometimes your critique is complete bullshit, Carl. Sometimes.
God, today's xkcd PISSES ME OFF. Yeah, Randall, because everyone but you is too stupid to realize 170 billion is 170,000 million; let's just get rid of the natural tendency to use concise wording.
ReplyDeleteToday's xkcd is quite possibly the worst in recent memory, and that's saying a lot.
ReplyDeleteYour comments are very suggestive, and since you have so many good ideas, I'd like to humbly challenge you to draw your own web comic and subject it to our criticism.
ReplyDeleteI mean it.
You know, John Solomon had a bingo sheet of shit criticisms. "Where's your comic?!" is one of them and note: It doesn't make xkcd better.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many movie directors have told Roger Ebert (or whoever) "Oh yeah? Where's your movie??"
ReplyDeleteProbably none, because that's the dumbest rebuttal to criticism possible.
What's with all the "intelligent" fans using incredibly dumb logic for? It's weird, but par for the course I guess.
ReplyDeleteJohn: Watch your fire. I'm not detecting any sarcasm in that post.
ReplyDeleteI was replying to the post two above mine; I was agreeing with the one directly above. Sorry if that wasn't clear.
ReplyDeleteBut still, the notion that somehow someone isn't qualified to criticize an end product because they've never created one themselves is silly.
This isn't high art that us laymen aren't fit to judge. It's designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator.
Of course, a billion is actually a million million.
ReplyDeleteMeh.
Oh, and, erm, what does this comic have to do with someone called Megan?
ReplyDeleteOnly if you're in Britain, right? And xkcd is very Amero-centric.
ReplyDeleteAlso I think they have stopped using the "million million" definition in GB.
See Troubled Romance: ... And they tend to feature people named Megan a lot, no?
ReplyDeleteand then go through the comments and find the xkcd parody comic.
Cuddlefish of Webcomic Skepticism: if you can find me an artist who wants to work with me and is preferably in the Boston area, I will draw you one.
ReplyDeletethis goes for me too, though i do not demand a particular region as i have the power of the internet at my disposal
ReplyDeleteI just want to be able to meet up and brainstorm, which is easier/more fun when you have whiteboards.
ReplyDeleteDip your penis in paint and slap it on a canvas. The Internet will find it hilarious.
ReplyDelete(Link is NSFW)
Why do you need an artist? Just use stickfigures!
ReplyDeleteBut using stickfigures is high art!
ReplyDeleteyou are obviously joking but:
ReplyDeleteIf I'm going to make a webcomic I want that webcomic to be the best possible webcomic, not a half-assed badly drawn stick figure. That market is saturated anyway. I also want actual characters, with actual characterization, and stories, which doesn't work in stick figure comics.
Rob what kind of variation in expressions are you looking for here cuz I might be able to do really simple drawings but they would be um simple and take forever. Also they would be bad.
ReplyDeleteNevermind. But if you need a last resort, think of me!
You could always make a SPRITE COMIC!!!
ReplyDeleteSeriously don't do that, though. I will punch you. With my face.
I do not usually post comments but I would like to say that you are doing an excellent service to the Internet.
ReplyDeleteThere are some awesome sprite comics...
ReplyDelete"There are some awesome sprite comics..."
ReplyDeleteScreenshots or it didn't happen.
8 Bit Theater was pretty good for a while, as was A Modest Destiny (which had original sprites that the author made, quite charming).
ReplyDeletenuklearpower.com and squidi.net respectively
"Milquetoast," really? I'm not a fan of needlessly big words in general, and especially when they are used wrong. Milquetoast is a noun, milquetoasty, which I know sounds ridiculous, is the adjective form. If you're going to go around using these unnecessarily big words, at least do it right.
ReplyDeleterob, what exactly did you have in mind? I might be able to do the art, if it sounds interesting to me.
ReplyDeleteemail me at mysterioustaffer@gmail if you are interested, we can discuss it.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed your remake of the comic. Punchline wasn't in the style of XKCD, but it had humor that was good in its own way. Thanks for the enjoyable read.
ReplyDeleteNormally when I read xkcd I might sort of chuckle or maybe smile or feel disappointed. But up to now I've never actually been furious at Randy. =(
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, there's just so much that's wrong with this... For one, people are not idiots and can tell the difference between billion and million. Those who can't are probably illiterate preteens (granted I bet I could've told the difference when I was 7 or 8) or mentally ill, and neither of those vote nor make any kind of effectual decision which would use news information.
Now as an aside, for me this is worse because I have nasty habit of rationalizing things, and I end up with this impression that Randy routinely gets confused by this and his ability of making important life decisions is hampered by the media's refusal to always print every number with full precision in binary.
I think that is sad, or I would be if the attitude of the comic wasn't so... Arrogant. Randall is not content to be infuriatingly pedantic, he drags everyone else down to his level by suggesting that the media should cater to his tastes. Or perhaps he does not believe the rest of us people who are able to grasp such heinous, knavish concepts as "having names for certain large powers of ten and using them" don't matter?
Then this other thing: Newspapers have a very legitimate reason for using that format, which it seems would be apparent to everyone with half a brain; printing a useless triad of zeros and a comma is not space efficient! And even if you don't have the half, you still have no excuse: It's bloody obvious from Randy's own example just how impractical his approach would be!
And lastly, you think when people talk about dishonest journalism, this is what they mean? Sometimes using "billion" to save space? Really, Randy? You poor naive child. I don't even know where I'd begin with this... The comic is an insult to the journalistic profession as a whole. (Though obviously a far too slight one to make much of an impact, Randall's arrogance has really gotten on my nerves in this.)
By the way, the fixed strips were great! I think I liked Carl's the best, for get out of my head reasons mostly. =P
I think Randy wasn't /trying/ to be a douche with the latest comic. He was just saying that people tend to, when reading numbers, read only the "number" part of the number.
ReplyDeleteSadly, the comic came across as hugely condescending. And even more sadly, the xkcd audience are fully agreeing: "People don't read nowadays. They skim." or "omg this is so true!" LRN 2 RD PLZ
Well, calling it "rape" to get someone drunk and fuck them is a little excessive, and takes away from actual cases of rape - this is almost like the feminists who call it "rape" when a husband wants sex and the wife doesn't and then he asks her again and she decides OK.
ReplyDeleteI mean, it trivialises a very serious concept when it starts becoming everything, is all I'm saying.
Getting people drunk to fuck them IS creepy as hell, though. The anonymous commenter probably does it all the time himself or something =/
I read that in the comic and I was like "Oh my God, he did not just say that". Like, seriously. Randall. Seriously.
OK I don't really know what I"m typing anymore whatever5 ^^
The idea isn't that people don't get the difference between a million and a billion at some cognitive level, the idea is just that how you present something has implications for how it's received even if the factual content is the same. The point is basically right, people make it all the time, and it's hardly arrogant or condescending. And it would be perfectly legitimate to bring it up in some essay about good reporting or whatever.
ReplyDeleteAs a comic, it really sucks. WTF is the drawing even supposed to mean? Total waste of the comic form, and too preachy for Randall anyways. I thought he was avoiding politics. Also the analogy falls flat. It would be a much better (but still sucky) comic if he drew the analogy and made the same point, instead of too identical and nearly empty panels. I'm sure you guys would think that even creepier, but at least it would justify the use of comic form.
Realist is actually correct for once. The way you present information matters on a psychological level--people are more likely to buy something that costs $19.99 as opposed to $20. It's a weird mental hack.
ReplyDeleteCuddlefish: There is a difference between drunken sex, and getting someone drunk so you can have sex with them. While feminists have a tendency to take things too far, date rape is a serious issue.
The argument is pretty across the board on the LJ feed, kind of rare for xkcd. As some journalist types pointed out, though, writing "$100,000 million" contradicts AP reporting guidelines. They have style standards for this kind of thing.
ReplyDeleteLink goes here: http://syndicated.livejournal.com/xkcd_rss/138387.html?thread=17550739&style=mine#t17550739
So it's taking it too far if a woman decides she doesn't want to entertain her husbands god given matrimonial right to have sex at any hour he so desires? I haven't heard any feminists saying that if someone says 'it's OK' it's rape unless 'asking again' constitutes pressuring someone into having sex until they give in, in which case it IS rape. I wouldn't call that taking things too far Rob. Jeez
ReplyDeleteOh hello there Strawman Argument Cuddlefish! I almost didn't see you there. I have a blind spot for utter fuckwits, you see. I tend to not see them.
ReplyDeleteThere are feminists that will (and have!) tell you that it is rape if a woman has any reservations about having sex, even if she does not protest in any way. That is "taking things too far" in my opinion. That is to say: if Bob asks his girlfriend if she wants to have sex, and she says yes despite not actually wanting to--perhaps because she thinks Bob is a great guy and doesn't want to ruin the relationship, but she's not ready for sex just yet--there are feminists, AND I HAVE KNOWN THESE PEOPLE PERSONALLY, who will tell you she was raped.
Note that he is not pressuring her in this scenario, he is just asking. She is not giving any signs of saying no.
That is my definition of 'too far.' Please go fuck yourself and die in a fire.
No pressure, just asking? Doesn't give a sign of saying no?
ReplyDeleteThat's not rape, man.
THAT IS WHAT I JUST SAID YOU MISERABLE PIECE OF SHIT
ReplyDeleteRob please calm yourself! Cuddlefish I will strike you with my bear arms!
ReplyDeleteGetting someone drunk with the intent to fuck them is, to me, a form of rape: you are essentially drugging them, no? This is not the same as a husband asking again for sex because the woman is assumed to be fully cognitive in this case.
Are you fucking retarded Rob? "No Pressure"? Fucking bullshit. It may not be the type of rape you could charge someone with and send them to prison (Of course, that would be ridiculous, are we supposed to take their word?) but it's still fucking rape.
ReplyDeleteSubtle power imbalances exist all the god damn fucking time in relationships. I know women who have said 'yes' to sex shortly after breaking up because they fully believed that the man would violently assault/rape them if they didn't let them. Is that not rape?
[b]Not[/b] protesting doesn't mean they suddenly want it, fuck head. It's men like you that ruin it for guys like me, asshole. I don't expect people to be put in jail for stuff like that that you cannot prove properly though. But I still expect people who think they aren't fucking retarded to realize that it's still fucking WRONG.
I sincerely fucking hope you don't have those opinions due to experience and I fucking hope you never make a decision based on that ridiculously bullshit position because one day you'll end up FUCKING SOMEONE'S LIFE UP.
God damn fucking assholes get me so god damn pissed off.
What, really? It's rape because someone has reservations even if she MAKES NO FUCKING ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE THIS FACT? Do you, like, expect people to be psychic? To just somehow know that she has reservations?
ReplyDeleteSo what you're saying is all sex is rape, unless the woman initiates it? Except, I've had women make unwelcome sexual advances on me, and I didn't express my reservations. Does that mean they raped me? Or is it only men who can rape, you idiot White Knight fuck?
And yes, No Pressure. He is not begging or pleading. He asked; she said yes. He was not being threatening or otherwise coercive. He asked. She said yes. Are you saying expressing your consent no longer counts as consent? Despite not being under duress or anything?
Do you want people to be like "Are you sure? There's no pressure if you don't want to" every time? Isn't that putting more pressure on her? Isn't that just going to make her more uncomfortable? I mean, what the fuck do you expect people to do?
Indeed, rape implies that one of the parties is not consenting, either because they said "no" or otherwise expressed a lack of consent, or because they were incapable of consenting, either because they were too drunk, unconscious, not old enough to be considered capable of making informed consent, etc.
You appear to be saying that, even if someone consents under no duress or threat, it doesn't count? And that somehow people should know, despite the fact that it was in no way communicated? And that if you ever are unfortunate enough to have a sexual relationship with someone who had reservations but didn't act on them or express them in any way, that you instantly become a rapist?
Does that work in retrospect? If you look back on a decision and say "man, I wish I hadn't had sex with that person" does that person become retroactively a rapist?
Gender politics does not make something Rape. If anything it highlights the important of full and open communication in relationships. The ball is in the court of the person with reservations here! If you don't want to, make it clear. Taking action on your reservations is what gives you power. Inaction makes you passive, and passivity has no power.
I hope that helped you stop sucking as a human being!
Wow you really are fucking retarded.
ReplyDelete"Duress" does not mean I have a knife at your throat, you ignorant fuck.
"Pressure" does not mean begging or pleading, you ignorant fuck.
You probably wouldn't even fucking realize if I didn't tell you, because I doubt you've ever been in a relationship where the power balance doesn't tend towards you (thanks to society).
That's cute how you think you know how my relationships have been! Actually my girlfriend has pretty much always been dominant in my relationships, for a number of reasons.
ReplyDeleteCould you respond to my points, please? I realize you're too stupid to comprehend them, but it'd amuse me.
can i declare this fight over, please, it is going to give everyone heart attacks.
ReplyDeletealso: way too serious a topic for this innocent little blog.
White Knight XKCD fans ruin everything :(
ReplyDeleteYour points are fucking absurdities meant to make my point stupid, even though they have NOTHING to do with my point.
ReplyDeleteOh amazing your woman is dom? Way to TOTALLY MISUNDERSTAND what I mean. Power imbalance =/= domming/subbing etc. It's about the passive benefits and subtle stereotypes that play into effect because you're a male and society is a misogynistic asshole.
Your other points were about "Retroactive rape" or some bullshit like that (couldn't be fucked to reread the exact phrase you used in that tripe you posted). Uh yeah, refer to my first paragraph in this post.
You fucking cry about me not addressing your absurdities, so now how about you address MY points.
Duress and Pressure are not what you think they are, they're much more subtle things afforded you by a fucked up society and evolution.
Do you want me to post articles from people WHO WERE ACTUALLY RAPED talking about how they "Couldn't say no" even though they weren't begging or even though they didn't have a knife?
Will you cry out that those people just need to get over themselves and that they weren't fucking raped? Fuck you, you misogynistic cunt.
Oh Namesy. I can't stay mad at you. Let's be BFFles forever!
ReplyDeleteOriginal 'Strawman Argument Fuckwit Cuddlefish' here. Rob, I was talking about what ANOTHER Cuddlefish said that you seemed to support:
ReplyDelete'this is almost like the feminists who call it "rape" when a husband wants sex and the wife doesn't and then he asks her again and she decides OK.'
I haven't studied logical fallacies, so I guess mine might have been a strawman argument, I don't really know. Maybe it depends which way you look at it. Saying 'No then OK' would be alright if everyone was happy about it, the woman wasn't just doing it for the sake of trying to diffuse the situation.
But I suppose when I read that I was thinking of my own experiences as a teen with an older boyfriend who used to repeatedly ask me to have sex until I said yes. In the end I usually did, not because I wanted to but because as a young girl I was naive and thought that was what a good gf did (because thats what he kept telling me). I can believe that many wives can find themselves in the same situation for different reasons.
I wouldn't call what happened to me rape in practice (for one thing it would cause wayyy more problems for me) he's seen as just a typical nice guy and in many ways he is, I would just be seen as a bitch. However I think that says something about our society and I definitely see how it's rape in theory, in that it is getting someone to do something they don't want to do (this is implied, even if something different is expressed) by asserting power over them. THERE'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING FISHY ABOUT IT ANYWAYYY, *SNIFF SNIFF*!
So duh, it's a complex issue! I'm probably making all sorts of fallacies now, tee hee! Anecdotal doo-doo. But the main point of this post is ROB CHILL THE FUCK OUT! Stop attacking the people who contribute to discussion on your site and refocus that rage into a laser-like beam, and then point that laser beam at Randy's skull. GODDAMN! I check your site every other day, and also think XKCD SUCKS. Maybe you wouldn't have attacked me with such vitriol if I had a blogger name but it was late when I posted so OH WELLLLL. I say 'Jeez' and you push a wall of pain on my face. Suddenly you've fallen from internet god to a place much much closer obnoxious arrogant twat, oh booohooohoooo for me, no more heroes. You love that shit though, don't you?
Internet is srs bsns, blah blah de blah
Captcha: geniabil - kinda like genial, which is how we should argue children. Nicely.
I am just going to say, there's nothing quite so annoying as being attacked on both sides when you are trying to say something. It is easy to get distracted.
ReplyDeleteI'm of the opinion Rob doesn't know what rape is. Especially since he keeps shifting viewpoints...
ReplyDeleteNo I have been consistent the entire time actually.
ReplyDeleteThis comic is seroiusly fucking infuriating. It's like he stole a joke from Top Secret, and removed EVERYTHING THAT WAS FUNNY IN IT, before making it an xkcd comic.
ReplyDeleteI bet teapotdome is Randall in disguise, because how much sense does it make to complain about somebody complaining about a comic?
ReplyDeleteDoes that put you on a higher level of complaint or something?