1682: Bun

2016-05-18T12:31:50Z

Mlittman: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1682
| date = May 18, 2016
| title = Bun
| image = bun.png
| titletext = If a wild bun is sighted, a nice gesture of respect is to send a 'BUN ALERT' message to friends and family, with photographs documenting the bun's location and rank. If no photographs are possible, emoji may be substituted.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, [[Ponytail]] is teaching a class about an animal referred to as a "bun". The word "bun" is an informal term used instead of a rabbit or a hares, two animals that are often mistaken for another. The comic lampoons the many misconceptions there exist about these animals.

Megan goes to a Biology class to expect to learn about rabbit and hares which are both lagomorphs, the technical subclass of mammals both rabbits and hares belong to.
The teacher on the other hand, uses the word bun instead, which is an informal way to describe a small rabbit and says buns are the scientific term, whereas hares and rabbits (the correct names of the animals) are the informal names.

The teacher tells that the smaller the bun, the higher ranking it is. Here, Randall pushes the notion that baby buns are often considered cuter than their adult version to an extreme, but obviously this is not true in the animal kingdom.
(it is unclear what is meant by "rank" in reference to rabbits - in reality, rabbits live in groups where they are equal peers; there is no ranking among rabbits like there is with wolves in a pack).

In the next panel, Ponytail states that "at this time of year, a lucky few may catch a glimpse of a king bun" - referring to young rabbits (the smallest and thus, in the comic, the highest-ranking, hence the term "king buns") being born in Spring (when the comic was released). The comic ends with [[Megan]] clarifying that she has the correct understanding of what a "bun" is (which is probably what the reader is thinking at the same time), to which Ponytail replies that "bun" is the scientific term. It is noteworthy that Megan quotes the true scientific term for rabbit-like mammals, "lagomorphs", but Ponytail corrects her by stating that "bun" is actually the scientific term, when in reality "bun" is the most contracted and informal name for a rabbit.

The title text is presumably referring to photographing a rabbit and, for example, posting it on social media - something which would typically be done today if someone sees a rabbit in the wild. If the poster had failed to photograph the rabbit before it ran away, they may typically post a message saying something like "I saw a really cute bunny today!" with an emoji depiction of a rabbit, hence the second part of the title text.

==Transcript==

:[Ponytail is holding a pointer to a picture of a rabbit on a board.]
:Ponytail/Teacher: Good morning class! Today, we will be learning about the bun.

:[Two rabbits are shown, one slightly smaller, and a greater than symbol is pointed at the smaller one.]
:Ponytail/Teacher: Buns have a heirarchy.
:Ponytail/Teacher: A bun's rank is determined by its size. Smaller buns are higher-ranking.

:[Two larger rabbits are around a very tiny rabbit. The smaller rabbit appears to give off a radiant light.]
:Ponytail/Teacher: Most buns you see are relatively low-ranking.
:Ponytail/Teacher: But this time of year, a lucky few may catch a glimpse of a ''king bun''.

:[Megan is sitting at a desk with a few books on it, pencil in hand.]
:Megan/Student: Ok, hang on.
:Megan/Student: We're talking about rabbits and hares, right? Lagomorphs?

:[Ponytail is holding her finger up on her left hand, and is holding her pointer at her side with the other.]
:Ponytail/Teacher: Informally, yes. But in this course, we use the ''scientific'' term, "bun".
:Megan/Student: (off-panel) Are we sure this is the right room for ''introductory mammalogy?''
:Student #2: (off-panel) I'll check online.
:Student #3: (off-panel) ''Shh!'' Show respect! We look upon the image of a king!

{{comic discussion}}

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1682: Bun