2191: Conference Question

2019-08-20T01:11:16Z

Fearcypher: /* Statement is irrelevant, opinion based, and untrue. */

{{comic
| number = 2191
| date = August 19, 2019
| title = Conference Question
| image = conference_question.png
| titletext = I also have an utterance. Less of an utterance and more of an incantation. Less of an incantation and more of a malediction. Less of a malediction and more of a Word of Power. Less of a Word of Power and more of an Unforgivable Curse.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT that's more of a FRIENDLY BUG. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Usually at a conference or other event involving a speaker addressing a crowd, members of the crowd are given the chance to ask questions. This is intended so that people can perhaps ask the speaker to elaborate on a point they've made, or to ask the speaker's opinion on a topic related to their talk.

Occasionally, people at such an event will use (or, rather, abuse) the opportunity to ask a question to instead provide their own (unsolicited) opinion or statement. Such statements are often preceded with something along the lines of "I have a question. Well, less of a question and more of a comment." This formulation in particular has attracted a lot of criticism, eg. [https://jamesmendezhodes.com/blog/2019/4/30/less-of-a-question-more-of-a-comment].

In the comic, this idea is taken to an extreme, with [[Beret Guy]] not only transforming the opportunity to ask a question into an opportunity to make a statement, but through successive transformations, turning this into an opportunity to show off a bug he has found.

:'''Question''' This is what the crowd member is expected to provide, such that the speaker or a panel member could provide a related answer.

:'''Comment''' This is where the crowd member would just say something they believe, without expecting an answer, giving the speaker or panel members nothing to do.

:'''Utterance''' This is making a noise, which may or may not be actual words, or if actual words it may not be a complete sentence.

:'''Air Pressure Wave''' Sounds are literally pressure waves in the air. So this could be a simple sound, or not a sound at all depending on the severity of the wave. It might be the person simply blowing.

:'''Friendly Hand Wave''' Now instead of using his mouth to generate an air pressure wave, he's producing it with his hand, in a manner intended to be interpreted as "friendly". Many times hand waves are done in a friendly manner, designed more for the visual appeal than the amount of air pressure waves they generate.

:'''Friendly Bug''' Now he is no longer doing anything himself, except to point out the fact that he has found a bug or {{w|insect}}, which he {{w|anthropomorphizes}} as being friendly.

:'''Want to meet it?''' After all this talking, he apparently now considers the speaker (who hasn't actually had a chance to speak during this exchange) his friend, and wants to share this wonderful finding with his new friend, by finally asking a question. After doggedly refusing to ask a question, it's ironic to end with one, though presumably not one related to the topic of the speaker's talk.

The title text refers to successively worse forms of magic spells which would, presumably, have a negative effect upon the listener. A malediction is another word for curse (the prefix "mal" being a Latin root meaning "evil"). "Word of Power" could refer to the dragonish form of magic in ''{{w|The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim}},'' or the [https://dungeonsdragons.fandom.com/wiki/Power_word early 1st edition Dungeons & Dragons high level spells]. The term "{{w|Magic_in_Harry_Potter#Unforgivable_Curses|Unforgivable Curse}}" refers to a set of three spells from the Harry Potter series, said to be so evil that their use on another person is unforgivable and illegal. The three spells are able to mind control (''Imperius''), torture (''Cruciatus''), and kill (''Avada Kedavra'') their target.

The title text can be interpreted as a reply by [[Hairy]] (the speaker) to Beret Guy, indicating his annoyance at the topic being derailed. It could also be representative of Randall's feelings towards those who abuse the opportunity to ask a question in order to make a statement. Randall has recently done some book tours and was at {{w|San Diego Comic-Con}} [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/07/15/san-diego-comic-con/ last month] where he served on various panels, so he probably had personal first-hand experience with these kinds of circuitous non-questions.

==Transcript==
:[Hairy stands on a podium having just addressed a crowd of seated people. Beret Guy stands in the middle of the crowd, addressing Hairy. One of Beret Guy's hands is raised at chest height. The front row consists of Cueball, Ponytail, another Hairy, Megan, Hairbun, Danish and another Cueball.]

:Beret Guy: I have a question.
:Beret Guy: Well, less of a question and more of a comment.
:Beret Guy: I guess it's less of a comment and more of an utterance
:Beret Guy: Really it's less an utterance more an air pressure wave.
:Beret Guy: It's less an air pressure wave and more a friendly hand wave.
:Beret Guy: I guess it's less a friendly wave than it is a friendly bug.
:Beret Guy: I found this bug and now we're friends. Do you want to meet it?

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Danish]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Public speaking]]
[[Category:Animals]]

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2191: Conference Question