So here is today's comic, and the majority response is an overwhelming "MEH." It's not a complete comedic miscarriage like Wednesday's strip, but it is pretty heavy with the "waaaah, relationship" overtones and the boring, grey feeling that it's been done before.
Basically, if comic 15 and 584 were biologists and went on a first date, this is what they might project their prospective offspring to be (SEE, I CAN MAKE LOADS OF AWESOME REFERENCES TOO, I am a comedy genius.)
It's sort of clever/insightful-- really, who can't think of some mind blowing activity they'd rather do than lie on the couch with their S.O.? It's also got that typical xkcd emo vibe, as boy-stick seems to be really into the relationship, while girl-stick's head is somewhere else. Now, I may be reading more into the strip than what Randall really intended to put there, but given his track record for bringing the melancholy, I don't think it's too absurd an interpretation. Overall, this strip just feels like a warmed-over mashup of "DINOSAURS! SOOOO AWESOME" and the quirky/sad relationship theme.So, with that lackluster strip, my guest week is pretty much done. Thanks to Carl for the awesome title suggestions and to everyone for the warm reception. See you in #xkcd-sucks!
kitty!
ReplyDeleteThis must probably be the lamest, blandest, most MEH inducing xkcd strip in a loooong time. Thank you for somehow managing to make a worthwhile post out of it, Aloria!
ReplyDeletekittyyyyy!!!
ReplyDeletegreat week, aloria =)
Why thank you, Fernie.
ReplyDeleteand amanda!
ReplyDeleteThis one lacked the energy of the usual xkcdsucks review... but, then again, the strip wasn't that much enraging, either.
ReplyDeleteI don't even know if Randall was trying to be funny. This seems like other of those "observational" comics, in which the point is to point out... something, instead of making humor. This, or Randall thinks dinosaurs are "instant lolz".
Again, at least the dinosaur looks cool. It seems he did it separate and scanned it to put on the comic, but, giveth unto Caesar, it looks good.
Congrats aloria, this was a nice week! =3
Aloria! I wanted the kitty to be at least twice as adorable as that! Otherwise, a good end to a great guest week.
ReplyDelete"This, or Randall thinks dinosaurs are "instant lolz"."
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to believe that Randall himself doesn't think like that, but he knows his fans do. Because if Randall seriously thinks the comic becomes funny simply because there's a dinosaur in it, then his sense of humour has gone way beyond rock bottom. The art in the dinosaur is great, indeed, and worthy of praise. But that makes the comic reek even more of "yeah, THIS will give the fans multiple orgasms". And worse: it did.
Kitty! Yay!
ReplyDeleteAloria wins!
I thought it was interesting that Randall set the comic from the female's point of view instead of the male's. Normally it's just Randy angsting over Megan--er, Random Girl--, but seeing it from the female's point of view is Quite Interesting.
ReplyDeleteThis comic was an alright one. I didn't laugh, but I smirked. The art was good. Not a big fan of how they're just sitting on a couch In The Middle Of Nowhere, but whatever. The brontosaurus-esque (or Apatosaurus-esque, if you're pedantic) dinosaur is nicely drawn. (By the way, comic 636 is number five on the Google search for "brontosaurus", for some reason.) [And 636 also is about lackluster relationships and dinosaurs. Hmm....]
Anyway, not a bad comic, but not a real great one. Perfect middle-of-the-line for boring ol' mid-October. I wasn't overwhelmed or underwhelmed, but rather, adequately whelmed.
Well, it's not particularly funny, but this is definitely nowhere near as painful as most xkcd relationship comics. Still, these self-flagellating strips where he makes himself look like a sap/dumbass and his girlfriend look witty and insightful just strike me as kind of a try-hard move, not to mention very trite sitcom-level humor.
ReplyDeleteHe needs to make some comics where the girl is the one being a dumbass. His women are pretty universally paragons of humanity.
ReplyDeleteRelated: the word format in the first panel is fucked up. I think he is going for a sort of ASW-style visual pattern. Maybe he is trying to improve by being more ASW-like?
ReplyDelete(not that he succeeded, it just looks weird)
ReplyDeleteI noticed something today for the first time.
ReplyDeleteRandall has never drawn a stick-figure blowjob.
NEVER.
Captcha: "conhdums" But why? it's just a blowjhob!
type this post without a condhum
ReplyDeleteHEY. I liked this comic.
ReplyDeleteStill, good week.
Ch00f, that would be why I made a stick figure blowjob for him!
ReplyDeleterandy if you are reading this feel free to use that image! less drawing for you, and more equality in your depictions of oral sex!
aren't i just so generous and nice
also agreed with rob about that word format
ReplyDeleteLast comic was terrible but I really liked this one.
ReplyDelete"He needs to make some comics where the girl is the one being a dumbass. His women are pretty universally paragons of humanity."
ReplyDeleteBut that would make him SEXIST!
Also Megan won't sleep with him if he's mean to her in his comic.
ReplyDeleteI can't know if Randy actually thinks this is insightful or not. But if he does, then he needs a healthy dose of perspective. Believe it or not, Randy, most nerds can come to the same obvious conclusions that you did.
ReplyDeleteDangit, why doesn't clicking the comic take me to the website instead of just the picture? I wanna read the alt text!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone else noticed that the stick figure bitch is always the dominant, aggressive one? The independent, disinterested, fickle girl with a huge libido--that's what Randle wants. He wants to be cuddled like a little boy. But what's more likely: a woman being in the arms of a man fantasizing about dinosaurs, or the other way around? But you see, Randle's relationship is so OUT THERE--so unconventional, breaking rules fucking everywhere--that a complete role reversal is cool rather than emasculating. My impression: he's a pussy.
ReplyDeleteYou know? If the roles were reversed, I think the reaction from most people of the general public would be "that guy is an asshole" -- and I'd pretty much agree (but then again, I'm the incorrigible, hopeless idealist who would say "there's nowhere else I'd rather be than here with you" to my woman and actually, truthfully, honestly, 100% no-bullshit mean it). Ok, maybe some of the forumites would still see a "cool" factor in it, but I still think the dinosaur fetis-- fantasising would be seen as negative. But since it's a GIRL, the widespread reaction there is "OMG dinosaurs I love dinosaurs", and the attitude suddenly becomes cool. Ok, so maybe I'm making wrong assumptions here, but after seeing the discussion on that "Friends" strip, in which so many people earnestly, sincerely identified themselves with the absolute scumbag in the comic, I can only expect THE WORST from those people.
ReplyDeleteRandle like a candle?
ReplyDelete'I thought it was interesting that Randall set the comic from the female's point of view instead of the male's. Normally it's just Randy angsting over Megan--er, Random Girl--, but seeing it from the female's point of view is Quite Interesting.
ReplyDeleteYou see, this is the problem. I suspect that actually, this IS Randy's point of view, he's just setting it in the mind of a kawaii girl.
Randall's totally sexist either way.
ReplyDeleteSee, what's the defining feature of women in XKCD? Hair.
In his oh-so-abstractionist art, he reduces women to their hair.
WHAT ABOUT ALL THE BALD CHICKS OUT THERE, HUH? EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, RANDALL?
Your misogyny makes my stomach churn, Munroe.
Randall can't win, can he? If the art's bad, it's because he knows his butt-monkeys--excuse me, I mean fans--will lap it up anyway. If the art's decent, it's because he knows his fellators will extra-love it. If the guy is the independent, disinterested one, it's because Randall's just dreaming up "random shit no one in real life would ever say." If the girl is the independent, disinterested one, it's because Randy's just attracted to that type of woman. Seriously, what happened to the premise that this site is about xkcd criticism?
ReplyDeletethis reminded me of the PBFcomic with the wishing well
ReplyDeletei liked it
*coughs* Math_Mage, um, if poorly written dialogue, weak and overused character tropes, and shitty artwork aren't criticism of a webcomic then every webcomic on the planet is equally kick-ass... or the entire premise of your argument is fucking retarded.
ReplyDeleteI dunno, Math Mage, when the art in xkcd is good, it's generally recognised and praised in here. And the parallel between "Dead Leaves" and this one sounds very, very forced. For one, look at the alt text for each one and you'll see the former had a distinctive pessimist, asshole-ish attitude, while the latter was all giggly and "nerdy-cool". The characters' attitudes may sound "independent and disinterested", but the guy thinks Photoshop is a good way to eliminate the need for "unnecessary" trips (i.e. boring and lazy), while the girl thinks riding dinosaurs is SO COOL AND AWESOME and why the hell wouldn't her boyfriend think like that. You're pushing it too hard, there, and I still stand by my opinion that Randall is a sexist bitch trying to pass himself as an example of cool nerd without prejudices.
ReplyDeletemegan doesn't exist, randall is a creep
ReplyDeletemath mage you are a twat
ReplyDeleteMath Mage:
ReplyDeleteIf the guy is the independent, disinterested one, it's because Randall's just dreaming up "random shit no one in real life would ever say." If the girl is the independent, disinterested one, it's because Randy's just attracted to that type of woman.
I'm failing to see how Randall's bad habit of dreaming up unrealistic dialogue, which typically comes out of a male stick, makes situations which involve a female character saying something immune from criticism.
And no, Randall can't win, because the strip still sucks regardless of what gender is doing the talking.
ReplyDeleteI got a bit of a smirk out of it, but I can't say that I found the comic particularly hilarious either. Overall a very bland one in that it wasn't offensively bad or objectionable, but also not very memorable or clever, outside of the rather arbitrary dinosaur-riding reference. I don't blame you for not saying much.
ReplyDeleteActually, I've been liking xkcd again recently. I don't know which of us has changed, though. I've never been very good at giving feedback.
ReplyDeletePS: Does anyone have a link to the original of that comic in the xkcd sucks book about sexism and the "white kinght" syndrome?
TRiG.
Oops. Wrong Google account. That was me, honest.
ReplyDeleteTRiG.
TRiG:
ReplyDeleteI'm going to go out on a limb and guess you are referring to this chainsawsuit comic?
http://chainsawsuit.com/20080509.shtml
Dudes, you gotta stop hating... Everyone make three comic strips that will be funnier than an average xkcd, and then come back here and continue to hate. Gosh...
ReplyDeleteHow long did it take you to think of that, Me?
ReplyDeleteOk, then please allow me to dress you in really crappy outfits. You're not allowed to complain, since you're not a proficient fashion designer.
ReplyDeleteI did like this comic. The emo with a touch of whimsy vibe was strong in the early xkcd, and I always liked it. I guess it is kind of warmed over and rehashed, but it's been a while since there was this kind of comic, so it felt refreshing.
ReplyDeleteMe. You need to make three blogs that are funnier than the average xkcdsucks post and then come back here and continue to be an idiot. Gosh...
ReplyDeletemath mage = WMH?
ReplyDeletedidn't he say something about using that sn on the fora or some shit?
Me: I don't make comics, but I do write. I have written over 200 things which are better than the average xkcd.
ReplyDeleteWow, the cuddlefish are growing daring: now he's asking for three (3) better comic strips! Back in MY time, the only way for sharing music on the Internet was with MIDI files, Altavista was still the best search engine, and cuddlefish only asked for ONE better strip! Kids these days...
ReplyDelete@Person #1
ReplyDeleteI am almost certain that is correct.
651 - Kind of liked it! Obviously it's really easy to play on resentment toward TSA's inconsistent policies, but he does it while sticking true to the whole "Do it in a nerdy way." The social naivete of the dude is also kind of cute--it's adorable that he thinks he's demonstrated the ineffectiveness of the system and not created a new scare. There's no post-punchline dialogue, either! Alt-text blows, but what can ya do?
ReplyDeleteAlso I recognize that "Shitty, unrealistic dialogue" is a reasonable charge to make against this comic, I think the payoff is decent enough.
Dresden Codak has a strip called "Naked and riding a dinosaur" that is really similar to this.
ReplyDeleteI didn't like it because it's just presenting something that a zillion people have thought/pointed out before as if it's particularly insightful. Oh, look how clever know-it-all Randall is. It's not like this was discussed in depth YEARS ago when all those laptop batteries started randomly exploding. Oh, wait...
ReplyDeleteThat's... Not really similar to this at all.
ReplyDeletehttp://dresdencodak.com/2006/04/07/naked-and-riding-a-dinosaur/
longcat is loooooong?
ReplyDeletecan someone please post a link to the IRC channel? I've tried to find it but for some reason, the search results won't give me the #xkcd_sucks channel :(
ReplyDeletefrom any IRC client, connect to Foonetic, then type /join #xkcd-sucks
ReplyDeleteit will not let me make an irc link in the comment box
CAM HERE YOU GO
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm pretty sure I saw the joke from 651 in EVERY AMERICAN STAND-UP ROUTINE AND/OR LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOW SINCE 9/11. And probably a bunch before that.
ReplyDeleteOkay, granted, maybe not the nerdy "overvolting a laptop battery" part. But seriously, "Lists of what you can and can't take on a plane sure are silly and inconsistent" and "Everyday objects can be used as deadly weapons"... them's old jokes, man. Come on now.
THANK YOU, AMANDA.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, been looking for that shit forever.
Like CP said: 651 is an old, played out joke, once again has way too much text after the punchline (everything after "sizable explosion" is too much), and that last line is some horrible dialogue.
ReplyDeleteLint of Death: Thanks.
ReplyDeleteTRiG.
I had a chuckle with the last strip. Yeah, it has flaws, the alt-text is horrible, and it must be about 8 years too late. So... well, I don't know if I like it or don't, but it's at least well executed.
ReplyDeleteI liked it too. Randall is giving a class about Energy in MIT soon, which compares this kinda stuff
ReplyDeleteFred: Except removing what you call "too much text after the punchline" (and what I call "the actual punchline") would do nothing but ensure that only the old, played out joke remains.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what to say on today's strip... It's over the top with the "stupid nerd guy/sensible woman" feeling, and the art is ridiculous(which strikes me as weird, since I was starting to see a pattern on Monday strips being artistically better). Again, we have stick figures with dettached heads. Ugh, Randall...
ReplyDeleteI'm just on "meh". If Randall doesn't disappoint me much again, I'll just stick around...
The dinosaur in question isn't a velociraptor, which actually makes this one of the most innovative and creative xkcds in quite some time.
ReplyDeleteIdea for an XKCD comic:
ReplyDeleteMY HOBBY: Going into sexual roleplay chatrooms and talking about D&D.
BONUS NERD POINTS: Use GURPS instead of D&D.
Events:
ReplyDeleteStick1 tells Blackhat that he hacked into the US government or whatever.
Blackhat calls Stick1 an idiot.
Stick1 says he can't be caught because he deleted his internet history
i once knew this guy who needed a dll but had no internet
ReplyDeleteso he made an empty text file, renamed it to whatever.dll
and put it in his system32
What a baller.
ReplyDelete@Femaletoth:
ReplyDeleteALTERNATE BONUS POINTS: Competently defend THACO
@The_P: Impossible.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason I check out XKCD is because of this blog. The comic really does suck, it's gone WAY beyond the point of "It used to be good, but it's getting lame." Now it just flat out sucks.
ReplyDeleteIt did used to be good though... which makes me think...
Randal must have had some interesting friends in college. Ones he lost touch with. His older comics are probably based off of ideas or jokes he and his friends made back at school, now that school's over and he's on his own.... he can't pull it off anymore.
My theory.
Posting about the new comic (651).
ReplyDeleteFor a moment, I thought it was pretty cool for once, thinking "It's been a while since I've seen one this good". Then I got up to grab a drink from the fridge, and was literally hit with fridge logic (http://bit.ly/11WwIi).
I'm pretty sure a battery can't be THAT dangerous, we've got batteries all around the place, almost certainly if a battery can be as dangerous as a hand grenade either someone will have found a fix, or terrorists would be using batteries (you know, instead of slightly more hard to come by, REAL grenades).
So I did what every geek has to do when in doubt : GOOGLE IT!
and this is THE most powerful explosion video of a battery I can find : http://gizmodo.com/214322/actual-video-of-an-exploding-laptop-battery
Pretty impressive I guess, would definately cause a bit of chaos on board a plane, especially if a couple of these are thrown into the cockpit or something, but not THAT bad that laptops could ever be used as an effective way to cause damage.
So today's comic was, based on a funny idea, I guess, just a pity that you can actually cause way more damage with a few lighters, which happen to be OK to take aboard a plane too, but just don't have the geek value.
good point
ReplyDeleteIt's about the stored energy, I guess. Laptop batteries have as much as a grenade, but are unable to release it quickly enough to actually make a sizable explosion.
but you know, whatever, it's just a comic
Well like if you think about "stored energy" in terms of the rest mass energy included in the laptop battery as expressed by the equation E is equal to m c^2 over the square root of one minus the square of the ratio of the object's velocity to the speed of light (with zero substituted for the object's velocity to yield mc^2) then you get A LOT MORE ENERGY THAN A GRENADE imo
ReplyDeleteUnless you also count the rest mass energy of the grenade as part of its stored energy.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention the kinetic energy of a laptop sitting in an airplane traveling ~500mph.
ReplyDelete"the kinetic energy of a laptop sitting in an airplane traveling ~500mph" is zero, according to the inhabitants of the airplane.
ReplyDeleteI love how it seems that in all your crying about his drawing when he does draw stuff likely you completely ignore it. Confirmation bias much?
ReplyDeleteI don't have time to go through the archives and link to every one where we praise the artwork despite the comic sucking. Can someone else do that?
ReplyDeleteAlso, can we please, PLEASE murder the geek who started using "confirmation bias" as an insult? It is a psychological shortcut that literally every living human has. If you are going to start insulting people for being human you should probably pick something more interesting than the human brain's tendency to be less than scientifically rigorous.
ReplyDeleteI love how it seems that in all your crying about his criticism when he praise Randall's drawings you completely ignore it. Confirmation bias much?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteoh wait you weren't just posting the exact same thing. cuddlefish 8:18 you are a new national hero
ReplyDeleterob you are so lame, not only do you use RSS but you are a filthy human. seriously, get off my website.
ReplyDeletealso, i think i said nice things about this comic's art.
carl let me just warn you that you tread on thin ice with rob here and you ought not to force his hand
ReplyDeletedo you think he wants to hit you
his weak human hand cannot harm my iron exoskeliton. DO YOUR WORST, "ROB".
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, it took me some 2 minutes to read two posts, write my comment and hit Submit.
ReplyDeletealoria, you are not forced to read xkcd, but you are "forced" to wear some clothes, right?
Ch00f, I don't find this blog funny at all, however xkcd's quality may have (and has) dropped recently. But now it is funny for me to see how many comments my comment has got :D
Rob, then you should become popular or smth. Why do you keep wasting your time reading the unfunny xkcd AND this blog?
I mean, I don't have any personal interest to defend xkcd or anything, I'm just saying that this is just a huge waste of time. That being said, I'm off (although I am expecting some 10 more re-comments now :D )
Why do so many non-fans feel compelled to troll for xkcd?
ReplyDelete