120: Dating Service

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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Dating Service
I don't understand why people are so disingenuous! I just want someone to walk with!
Title text: I don't understand why people are so disingenuous! I just want someone to walk with!

Explanation[edit]

Enjoying "long walks on the beach" is a romantic activity stereotypically associated with dating; specifically, it is commonly listed as an interest in dating advertisements and, more recently, online dating profiles. It is among other romantic clichés like "candle-lit dinners" and may, in fact, simply indicate that the person enjoys romantic gestures and activities in general. It is likely that many people who list this in their profiles have never, in fact, taken a walk on a beach or may not live near enough to a beach for it to be a viable suggestion for a date.

In this comic, Randall lists "long walks on the beach" as an interest on a dating profile. However, while a romantic walk might last for half an hour or an hour before, presumably, moving on towards another activity, Randall suggests he likes walks that last several hours or even overnight, suggesting potential mates bring a tent to camp out in.

The title text suggests that those who say they like long walks on the beach are being disingenuous, or not forthcoming. He just wants someone who wants what he does; to walk an indefinite, indeterminate distance well beyond the comfort and expectations of everyone else.

Transcript[edit]

[A computer monitor displays the profile of a man named Randall on an online dating site. His profile contains a picture of a spiky-haired man and some text, which is rendered as dialogue in the panels.]
Randall: Hi, my name is Randall. I like candlelight dinners and long walks on the beach.
Randall: When I say long walks on the beach, I mean LONG walks on the beach. I've met people through these services who CLAIM to like long walks on the beach. But we'll be out there barely an hour before they start in with "I'm tired" and "Don't you think it's time we head back?" BRING A TENT.

Trivia[edit]

  • This is the first xkcd comic featuring Randall Munroe.
  • This was also used in the "about the author" bio of Randall's book Thing Explainer, however, there the picture was of a Cueball and not a Hairy as shown here.


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Discussion

"Other similar activities include piña coladas and getting caught in the rain." This wiki is supposed to explain odd references, not make more of them! -Oxguy3 (talk) 05:18, 11 July 2013 (UTC)

It's now at trivia where it should belong to. I also did add a link to the lyrics.--Dgbrt (talk) 13:37, 11 July 2013 (UTC)
I don't really see why we need it at all, but it's fine there and I won't take it away. --Quicksilver (talk) 04:19, 25 August 2013 (UTC)
Somebody took it away. cries Danish (talk) 22:21, 12 January 2021 (UTC)

I rewrote the explanation and title text. hopefully this is sufficient. 173.245.56.152 03:45, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

He used this in his bio in the Thing Explainer. 08:48 AM, 11 March 2016 (UTC)

Trivia

This was also used in the "about the author" bio of his book The Thing Explainer, however the picture was a cueball and this is a hairy. 108.162.238.95 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

I'm just going to add this to the explanation. Beanie (talk) 10:27, 17 March 2021 (UTC)