Editing 1932: The True Meaning of Christmas
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
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| − | It is making fun of the common trope in popular media that the {{tvtropes|TrueMeaningOfChristmas|true meaning of Christmas}} is about family, friends, and sharing the Christmas Spirit. It subverts the trope by suggesting that once the stories of the "True Meaning of Christmas" become sufficiently common, the real true meaning becomes to spread those stories. Thus the search for the "True Meaning of Christmas" is itself the meaning of Christmas, in a sort of "the journey is the reward" discovery. | + | This is the first of two [[:Category:Christmas|Christmas comics]] in a row. It is making fun of the common trope in popular media that the {{tvtropes|TrueMeaningOfChristmas|true meaning of Christmas}} is about family, friends, and sharing the Christmas Spirit. It subverts the trope by suggesting that once the stories of the "True Meaning of Christmas" become sufficiently common, the real true meaning becomes to spread those stories. Thus the search for the "True Meaning of Christmas" is itself the meaning of Christmas, in a sort of "the journey is the reward" discovery. |
In the last panel and title text, "Autometalogolex" is a {{w|neologism}} of Randall's, which can be broken down to its various prefixes and the root: | In the last panel and title text, "Autometalogolex" is a {{w|neologism}} of Randall's, which can be broken down to its various prefixes and the root: | ||
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Thus, "Autometalogolex" would literally mean "A word that refers to itself in the dictionary," or more precisely "the act of looking up the definition of autometalogolex", which leads to a recursion, as all ''meaning of Christmas'' stories do. Recursion and self-reference is a [[:Category:Self-reference|recurring theme]] in xkcd. | Thus, "Autometalogolex" would literally mean "A word that refers to itself in the dictionary," or more precisely "the act of looking up the definition of autometalogolex", which leads to a recursion, as all ''meaning of Christmas'' stories do. Recursion and self-reference is a [[:Category:Self-reference|recurring theme]] in xkcd. | ||
| − | The term Autometalogolex might also refer to autological words, words that refer to a property of the word itself. ("noun" is a noun, "pentasyllabic" is pentasyllabic [has 5 syllables]). "Autometalogolex" is a 'meta' version of the looking up (lex) of an autological word. | + | The term Autometalogolex might also refer to autological words, words that refer to a property of the word itself. ("noun" is a noun, "pentasyllabic" is pentasyllabic [has 5 syllables]). "Autometalogolex" is a a 'meta' version of the looking up (lex) of an autological word. |
| − | [[Cueball]] finally states that Autometalogolex is his least favorite of {{w|Santa Claus's reindeer}}. This is not among the commonly quoted list of names: ''Dasher'', ''Dancer'', ''Prancer'', ''Vixen'', ''Comet'', ''Cupid'', '' | + | [[Cueball]] finally states that Autometalogolex is his least favorite of {{w|Santa Claus's reindeer}}. This is not among the commonly quoted list of names: ''Dasher'', ''Dancer'', ''Prancer'', ''Vixen'', ''Comet'', ''Cupid'', ''Donner'', and ''Blitzen''. As the title text reveals this ninth reindeer could be a reference to {{w|Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer}}, who was not accepted by the others until Santa had problems and asked it to lead the other reindeer pulling the sleigh. The title text may also imply the only effective outcome of Autometalogolex (or the newly defined Christmas) is giving headaches, as with many self-referential concepts. As headaches generally are bad, Autometalogolex is not accepted, but - as in a typical Christmas story, here driven into the absurd realm - Santa needed a headache, and Autometalogolex was there to save the day. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
*At the time this comic was released the expression ''Autometalogolex'' did not exist. But only a few hours later at {{w|Urban Dictionary}} this phrase got its first entries: [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Autometalogolex Urbandictionary Autometalogolex]. | *At the time this comic was released the expression ''Autometalogolex'' did not exist. But only a few hours later at {{w|Urban Dictionary}} this phrase got its first entries: [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Autometalogolex Urbandictionary Autometalogolex]. | ||
| − | *It appears that HopJacker Brewer makes a beer named ''Autometalogolex'', presumably named after this comic. There are [https://untappd.com/b/hopjacker-brewery-autometalogolex/2550579/photos multiple] [http://www.rutlandcamra.org.uk/2018/02/27/empingham-cricket-club-beer-festival-beer-list/ references] to it online, though it doesn't appear on [http://hopjacker.co.uk/beers/ HopJacker's own webpage], so it is possible that this beer doesn't exist and folks are just trolling beer drinkers to get them to | + | *It appears that HopJacker Brewer makes a beer named ''Autometalogolex'', presumably named after this comic. There are [https://untappd.com/b/hopjacker-brewery-autometalogolex/2550579/photos multiple] [http://www.rutlandcamra.org.uk/2018/02/27/empingham-cricket-club-beer-festival-beer-list/ references] to it online, though it doesn't appear on [http://hopjacker.co.uk/beers/ HopJacker's own webpage], so it is possible that this beer doesn't exist and folks are just trolling beer drinkers to get them to autometalagolex. |
*Some believe that the Santa Hat character is actually [[Black Hat]], owing to the Santa hat in question being black (the character's behavior, and [[Cueball]]'s comment that Santa Hat doesn't seem to be the type to enjoy Christmas match Black Hat's personality perfectly). However, the Santa hat may actually be meant to be red but rendered as black because the comic is in black-and-white (although it's worth nothing that in [[361: Christmas Back Home]] and [[838: Incident]], Christmas clothing was shown as red, not black). Santa Hat's identity is therefore unclear. But that was of course [[:Category:Comics with color|Comics with color]] which is not the norm in xkcd, which is why there is a category for those. In black and white comics it makes no sense to discuss that a black Santa hat must be black. | *Some believe that the Santa Hat character is actually [[Black Hat]], owing to the Santa hat in question being black (the character's behavior, and [[Cueball]]'s comment that Santa Hat doesn't seem to be the type to enjoy Christmas match Black Hat's personality perfectly). However, the Santa hat may actually be meant to be red but rendered as black because the comic is in black-and-white (although it's worth nothing that in [[361: Christmas Back Home]] and [[838: Incident]], Christmas clothing was shown as red, not black). Santa Hat's identity is therefore unclear. But that was of course [[:Category:Comics with color|Comics with color]] which is not the norm in xkcd, which is why there is a category for those. In black and white comics it makes no sense to discuss that a black Santa hat must be black. | ||
**But already in the next comic where the "real" Santa is described his red Santa Hat is drawn black, thus proving that it is not a black hat because it is black in the comic. | **But already in the next comic where the "real" Santa is described his red Santa Hat is drawn black, thus proving that it is not a black hat because it is black in the comic. | ||
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[[Category:Christmas]] | [[Category:Christmas]] | ||
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | ||
| − | [[Category:Characters with | + | [[Category:Characters with Hats]] |
[[Category:Animals]] | [[Category:Animals]] | ||
[[Category:Self-reference]] | [[Category:Self-reference]] | ||
[[Category:Language]] | [[Category:Language]] | ||
