Editing 642: Creepy

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| title    = Creepy
 
| title    = Creepy
 
| image    = creepy.png
 
| image    = creepy.png
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| imagesize =
 
| titletext = And I even got out my adorable new netbook!
 
| titletext = And I even got out my adorable new netbook!
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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This comic displays [[Cueball]]'s fears that his attempts to strike up a conversation with [[Megan]] will only result in her rejecting him and even humiliating him in front of others for attempting to get to know her - he might even risk getting his picture on {{w|Facebook}} with a warning that he is a creep to be avoided. This is because he worries that others might interpret his behavior as {{w|sexual harassment}}, the exaggerated flip-side of his attempted courtship. It turns out in the fifth and last panel that the first four panels was just one large thought bubble on how Cueball worried an attempt to contact Megan would turn out.  
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In this age, women are at an elevated risk for male harassment... or worse. A result is that women are getting a lot of support to fight against the harassers.
  
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Ironically, however, Megan is actually attracted to Cueball and is dismayed that he has not spoken to her. Therefore, Cueball's fears are unfounded and are even preventing the two from meeting and possibly forming a relationship. Megan could of course also have spoken to Cueball herself, but she expects him to make a move if he is interested. Thus she also prevents herself from making contact because of her own expectations and fears of rejection.
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...but what about the men who truly want a meaningful relationship with women?
  
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The title text is the continuation of Megan's apparent journal entry and further emphasizes the irony of the situation: in the attempt to be alluring to Cueball, Megan took out her "adorable new {{w|netbook}}," the very thing Cueball stopped himself from complimenting in the first place.
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This comic displays a possible situation in which a man, hoping for a springboard to begin his courtship, complements a woman's netbook. The problem is that [http://unwinona.tumblr.com/post/30861660109/i-debated-whether-or-not-to-share-this-story/ harassers can use this technique to get what they want], so the woman, recognizing this risk, immediately tells of the man and warn other people of the supposed harasser. Other people follow suit, even going so far to get his picture on the widely-circulated multinational Facebook in order to warn other people of this unwilling harasser. This above situation worries the man sufficiently to keep to himself instead of pursuing his advances.
  
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This comic comments on the unsettling effects of social change, particularly with respect to the advent of {{w|social media}} and to modern sensitivity toward a woman's (or any person's) right to be left alone in public. It points out that attempting to start a conversation with a stranger has become risky, and we have yet to evolve new customs and conventions [http://store.xkcd.com/products/just-shy to signal openness] to such an approach. The risk is aggravated by social media, by which means an innocent misjudgment may subject one to public humiliation - or even worse someone might expect that you had intention of performing some {{w|Sex and the law|sexual crime}} - if that type of info is published with a picture and/or your name on Facebook or {{w|Twitter}} etc. your life could be ruined without any reason. As a result, opportunities to meet other people are missed, loneliness and social isolation are increased, and one may even experience existential fears of being unattractive. Ironically, some people react to this problem by relying on the same social media to stay connected with others.
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The sad thing is that the woman thinks that the man is "cute," yet she is frustrated that the man is ignoring her. She even got out her "adorable new netbook" specifically for the man to notice her and start a conversation.
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This comic also might imply that "love at first sight" isn't what it seems to be.
 
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
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:[Cueball and Megan are sitting on chairs, presumably on a train.]
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:[Two people are sitting on chairs.]
 
:Cueball: Hey, cute netbook.
 
:Cueball: Hey, cute netbook.
 
:Megan: ''What.''
 
:Megan: ''What.''
  
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:[Zoomed in on Cueball and Megan.]
 
 
:Cueball: Your laptop. I just—
 
:Cueball: Your laptop. I just—
 
:Megan: No, why are you talking to me.
 
:Megan: No, why are you talking to me.
  
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:[Zoomed in on Megan.]
 
 
:Megan: Who do you think you are? If I were even slightly interested, I'd have shown it.
 
:Megan: Who do you think you are? If I were even slightly interested, I'd have shown it.
  
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:[Both Cueball and Megan, with Megan pointing at Cueball.]
 
 
:Megan: Hey everyone, this dude's hitting on me.
 
:Megan: Hey everyone, this dude's hitting on me.
 
:Voice #1: Haha
 
:Voice #1: Haha
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:Voice #3: Let's get his picture for Facebook to warn others.
 
:Voice #3: Let's get his picture for Facebook to warn others.
  
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:[The previous panel fades into a thought bubble of Cueball.]
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:(This panel fades into a thought bubble of Cueball.)
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:[Cueball and Megan are sitting on chairs, on the train, and Megan is typing on her laptop.]
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:[Megan is typing on her laptop.]
 
:Dear blog,
 
:Dear blog,
 
:Cute boy on train still ignoring me.
 
:Cute boy on train still ignoring me.
  
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{{comic discussion}}
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{{comic discussion}}  
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 
[[Category:Romance]]
 
[[Category:Romance]]
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[[Category:Social interactions]]
 

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