2815: Car Wash

2023-08-15T00:59:03Z

Heaventwig: /* Explanation */ added description and explanation of the title text

{{comic
| number = 2815
| date = August 14, 2023
| title = Car Wash
| image = car_wash_2x.png
| imagesize = 455x239px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I'm glad modern car washes use synthetic baleen, instead of harvesting it from whales like 1800s car washes did.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SELF WASHING CAR - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Ponytail and Cueball are having a discussion about car washes. Based on Cueball's comment, they're discussing the automatic kind, not events where you bring your car and someone hand-washes it for you (usually done as fund-raisers).

Ponytail is incredulous that Cueball doesn't like them, because everyone else likes them. He points out that you're trapped in your car (a "dark shaking glass box"). The car wash itself is a huge, loud robot, and some of the brushes are like big tongues that lick the car.

After hearing it described this way, Ponytail has come around to Cueball's side. He then mimics the sounds he's described.

The title text implies that modern car washes use "synthetic baleen" for their brushes, contrasting with an imaginary scenario where 1800s car washes (which didn't exist; [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_wash#1946 the first commercial car wash began in 1914]) used real baleen harvested from whales. Real baleen was indeed harvested from whales in the 1800s, most notably for use in fashion. While car washes didn't exist at the time, there might be a visual resemblance between baleen and some modern car wash brushes.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Ponytail looks enthused, whilst talking to Cueball]
:Ponytail: Seriously? How do you not like car washes? – ''Everyone'' likes car washes!

:[Close-up on Cueball alone]
:Cueball: Sure, I love being trapped in a dark shaking glass box that a huge loud robot is licking.

:[Ponytail looks less enthused, once more in a full view of them both]
:Ponytail: Great, now I don't like car washes either.

:Cueball: Vroom, vroom! Slurp!

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

1735: Fashion Police and Grammar Police

2016-09-19T19:45:26Z

Heaventwig: added blank table of explanations for the unnumbered list

{{comic
| number = 1735
| date = September 19, 2016
| title = Fashion Police and Grammar Police
| image = fashion_police_and_grammar_police.png
| titletext = * Mad about jorts
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Table explaining each point in the list below the people needs actual explanations.}}
In this comic, two groups of angry protesters are presented. The left group represents the "fashion police" by holding a sign saying {{w|Crocs}} not allowed (by showing a pair of Crocs shoes in a circle with a strike through it). The right group represents the "grammar police" by holding a sign with three words beneath each other; Their, They're, There. The two groups looks similar, even several of the same persons are standing in front with both [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] in the front line of both groups. [[Hairy]] is only shown with the fashion police while [[Ponytail]] is only shown with the grammar police together with a bald man with glasses.

They are both groups of people who make fun of others by wearing or saying something that doesn't meet their criteria of "good". Fashion police are people who make fun of others who wear clothing that is mismatched, out of style/{{w|fashion}} or straight-up "ugly" to them. Grammar police are people who are "sticklers" to {{w|grammar}} rules and get mad or contradictory if someone uses grammar incorrectly in a sentence. The comic explains how the two groups are similar to each other by listing eight points that can be used on both groups.

In the caption below the comic [[Randall]] notes that he just realized that these are literally the same people because they exhibit the listed same traits. The use of "[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/literally literally]" to emphasize a statement is considered by the grammar police as a dread crime that should be pointed out as such, although the dictionaries already include this definition as acceptable. However it would likely be more appropriate to say figuratively the same people, see [[725: Literally]]. On the other hand, fashion police is known for overusing "literally" in the way the grammar police finds disgusting.

The title is a ninth point on the list with the star in front representing one more bullet:
*Mad about jorts.
"{{w|Shorts#Jorts|Jorts}}" is a {{w|portmanteau}} for a pair of jeans that are made into shorts. The fashion police would be mad about jorts for being unfashionable, while the grammar police would be mad about the word 'jorts' being an inappropriate portmanteau of jeans and shorts, and also for the fact that the sentence could be misinterpreted as if someone like jorts, as in being mad about something in a positive way. Randall has [[:Category:Portmanteau|often used]] portmanteaus as part of his jokes.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Explanation of individual items in the list
!list item
!fashion police meaning
!grammar police meaning
|-
|Judgmental and Smug || ||
|-
|Angry about something deeply arbitrary || ||
|-
| Strong opinions backed by style guides || ||
|-
| Appreciate that the way that you're interpreted is your responsibility || ||
|-
| Understand that there's no way to "opt out" of sending messages by how you present yourself, and attempts to do so send strong messages of their own || ||
|-
|To seem cool and casual, pretend to ignore them while understanding them very well || ||
|-
|Vindictive about things that are often uncomfortably transparent proxies for race or social class|| ||
|-
| Fun to cheer on until one of them disagrees with you|| ||
|-
| Mad about jorts || ||
|}

==Transcript==
[Two aggressive-looking groups of people. One holding signs with a X through a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocs Crocs] shoe and labelled "Fashion Police", and one holding signs with "Their, They're, There" written on them and labeled "Grammar Police".] 
- Judgmental and Smug 
- Angry about something deeply arbitrary 
- Strong opinions backed by style guides 
- Appreciate that the way that you're interpreted is your responsibility 
- Understand that there's no way to "opt out" of sending messages by how you present yourself, and attempts to do so send strong messages of their own 
- To seem cool and casual, pretend to ignore them while understanding them very well 
- Vindictive about things that are often uncomfortably transparent proxies for race or social class 
- Fun to cheer on until one of them disagrees with you 
I just realized that these are literally the same people

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Portmanteau]]

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2815: Car Wash

1735: Fashion Police and Grammar Police