159: Boombox

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
Revision as of 22:03, 3 August 2012 by Rikthoff (talk | contribs) (Description)
Jump to: navigation, search

Template:ComicHeader

boombox.png

Image Text

And she's gonna feel like a jerk when she realizes it was actually Under Pressure.

Description

First, off for the comic. As we can see, Cueball declares his love for Megan in a very classical way, namely, by imitating the "balcony scene" from William Shakespeare's book and play Romeo and Juliet. In the play, Romeo and Juliet stem from rivalling families. Juliet gets an offer to marry a handsome prince, but resigns. When Romeo seeks into the rivalling families feast, and the two meet, they know their love cannot be out in the public. They both leave the feast depressed by this, but Romeo seeks an intimate way, which enters the "balcony scene". Romeo, with a mandoline, enters the house of the family, takes place under Juliet's window and hears her whisper her longing for him. He then calls her name, and when she opens the doors, starts to play while declaring his love for her.

In the comic, we see an modern day version of that scene. Cueball is holding up a boombox (which, for the youngsters, was a kind of iPod weighing in at 50 pounds your parents carried around neighbourhood to get some music going) while declaring his love for Megan. She first is startled, then is despised by the 1990 hit single Ice, Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice playing on the boombox. Cueball then admits he "is not good at this" which probably means he took a shot at copying the Balcony scene, but failed.

The image text refers to the fact that the music used in Ice Ice Baby is a loop of the intro of "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie. Which is some sort of a rock classic. Which then would interfere with Megan's decision to abandon the balcony scene. Which she will feel bad of. Of some sorts.