Talk:988: Tradition

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
Jump to: navigation, search

Redacted the following from the explanation:

It would be interesting to see this research, because the most popular Christmas album of all time was not released until 1994, "Merry Christmas" by Mariah Carey. This album featured what is considered to be the most ubiquitous song around this time of the year which is "All I Want For Christmas Is You" which is also featured prominently in the very popular (and frequently replayed) movie Love Actually from 2003. The song is the only holiday song and ringtone to reach multi-platinum status in the U.S. So, usually the information that Randall presents to us doesn't immediately present itself as egregiously incorrect, but this one just seems to not factor in the popular success of a mid-90s release.

because the list on which Randall based his graph is linked later in the explanation, and Randall doesn't have control over its data (unless he's using Data Over Billboard Charts). Noëlle (talk) 12:35, 13 December 2012 (UTC)

Couldn't this be when all the older Christmas carols and such were popularly released, id est, when radios were becoming common? 107.204.46.198 15:13, 13 January 2013 (UTC)

It also doesn't include Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer which is also played incessantly. 63.239.65.11 20:26, 21 May 2013 (UTC)


And what about the alt-text? Is it perhaps suggesting that tradition is not as it is made out to be? 173.245.48.63 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Eric Harvey of The Atlantic responded to this comic by pointing out that the period between radio's coming to dominance during the Depression and the onset of rock'n roll was the point where mass media was at its' most *mass* before segmentation took hold. http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/12/why-the-christmas-song-canon-has-a-baby-boomer-bias/250344/ 173.245.52.70 13:44, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Isn't all traditions just that? Something some people did on a regular basis long time ago and we just carry on doing...that's why i don't give a damn about traditions.198.41.229.24 15:04, 14 December 2016 (UTC)

The point is more that these particular traditions are a lot more recent than people, even baby boomers, assume. - 172.69.55.118 22:10, 23 November 2019 (UTC)

What about Last Christmas, is that not also very popular now in the US? --Kynde (talk) 10:49, 19 April 2018 (UTC)

Not that much as in Europe, look here. In Germany before Christmas you feel like Wham!rolled, switching on the radio: "Laaaast Christm...". It's annoying. --Dgbrt (talk) 13:22, 21 April 2018 (UTC)
reminds me of Flappie141.101.77.84 18:18, 10 October 2021 (UTC)

I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Do the red and green colors of this comic contain any pun? --ColorfulGalaxy (talk) 08:07, 24 December 2022 (UTC)

"Pun"? Not sure I'd use that word, like that. Possibly the borrowed term "visual pun", insofar as it (maybe) references the traditional christmas colour combination of green and red for holly and berries, the robes of the Three Wise Men, a tree with wrapped gifts beneath, The Grinch in a Santa costume, whatever your own cultural reference is... And perhaps meant to look like stacked festive boxes.
Not having recently read the article (only just rechecked the image), not sure how to write this sort of thing in – any bit that's not already there. Open to edits by whoever, though, if you feel strongly about it. 172.70.90.223 12:44, 24 December 2022 (UTC)