Editing 1238: Enlightenment
Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
The edit can be undone.
Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision | Your text | ||
Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | This comic is a reference to a scene | + | This comic is a reference to a scene from {{w|Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace}} in which {{w|Yoda}} expresses doubt in a young {{w|Anakin Skywalker|Anakin}}'s potential to join the {{w|Jedi}} order. Yoda delivers a speech similar to the one that [[Ponytail]] gives here, except that the end of the sequence he presents is {{w|Dark side (Star Wars)|the dark side}}. Yoda is ultimately correct; Anakin's fears lead him to join the dark side so that he may keep his loved ones from dying; this is at the expense of the stability of the galaxy, however, and his actions are in vain, as {{w|Padmé Amidala|his wife}} dies nonetheless. The circle on the ground is also taken from the ''Star Wars'' scene, and [[Cueball]] is presumably in the {{w|Mace Windu}} role. |
Here, [[Randall]] compares Anakin's decision to join the dark side to the propensity of many Internet commenters to correct others on their spelling and grammar, and to the extreme prevalence of criticism over commendation or confirmation. Randall's point is that correcting people, like joining the dark side, ultimately stems from insecurity. | Here, [[Randall]] compares Anakin's decision to join the dark side to the propensity of many Internet commenters to correct others on their spelling and grammar, and to the extreme prevalence of criticism over commendation or confirmation. Randall's point is that correcting people, like joining the dark side, ultimately stems from insecurity. | ||
− | Ponytail and Cueball challenge [[Megan]] to type the sentence "I heard you're idea's and their definately good", which contains four {{w|Commonly misspelled words|common misspellings}} (''{{w|wikt:you're|you''''re'''}}'' instead of ''{{w|wikt:your|you'''r'''}}'', ''{{w|possessive|idea'''''''s}}'' instead of ''{{w|wikt:ideas|ideas}}'' [see {{w|greengrocers' apostrophe}}], ''{{w|wikt:their|the'''ir'''}}'' instead of ''{{w|wikt:they're|the'''y're'''}}'', and ''{{w|wikt:definately|defin'''a'''tely}}'' instead of ''{{w|wikt:definitely|defin'''i'''tely}}'' | + | Ponytail and Cueball challenge [[Megan]] to type the sentence "I heard you're idea's and their definately good", which contains four {{w|Commonly misspelled words|common misspellings}} (''{{w|wikt:you're|you''''re'''}}'' instead of ''{{w|wikt:your|you'''r'''}}'', ''{{w|possessive|idea'''''''s}}'' instead of ''{{w|wikt:ideas|ideas}}'' [see {{w|greengrocers' apostrophe}}], ''{{w|wikt:their|the'''ir'''}}'' instead of ''{{w|wikt:they're|the'''y're'''}}'', and ''{{w|wikt:definately|defin'''a'''tely}}'' instead of ''{{w|wikt:definitely|defin'''i'''tely}}''). |
− | Regarding the content, this sentence is one that is highly unlikely to be ever read in an internet argument, as almost | + | Regarding the content, this sentence is one that is highly unlikely to be ever read in an internet argument, as almost everytime time people still have things they claim to know better about. |
− | Megan thus can't bring herself to | + | Megan thus can't bring herself to typing this sentence, having spent so much time judging others for their trivial errors, even when they're saying helpful things like the sentence in question. Instead, she smashes the computer and runs away — demonstrating the sort of anger that [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Grammar%20Nazi "Grammar Nazis"] and internet wiseacres like her can feel about punctuation and spelling errors, and about content-related errors respectively. Cueball and Ponytail remark on this, both failing to use {{w|apostrophe}}s. |
− | The title text refers to {{w|Terry Pratchett}}'s novel | + | The title text specifically refers to {{w|Terry Pratchett}}'s novel {{w|Equal Rites}}, in which the characters discover that the most powerful magic is not using magic — with the distinction that not using magic because you don't know how is not the same as choosing to refrain from using magic when you do know how. Randall is comparing this with use or misuse of the rules of English: not even knowing the rules is not admirable, whereas knowing the rules but choosing to disregard them is. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
Line 22: | Line 22: | ||
:Ponytail: To achieve '''internet enlightenment''', you must free yourself from insecurity. | :Ponytail: To achieve '''internet enlightenment''', you must free yourself from insecurity. | ||
:Megan: But insecurity keeps me humble! | :Megan: But insecurity keeps me humble! | ||
− | + | :Ponytail: No. Insecurity leads to conceit. Conceit leads to judgment. Judgment leads to being an asshole. | |
− | |||
− | :Ponytail: No. Insecurity leads to conceit. Conceit leads to judgment. | ||
− | |||
− | |||
:[A laptop is placed on a stand in front of Megan.] | :[A laptop is placed on a stand in front of Megan.] | ||
:Megan: I'm ready. How do I begin? | :Megan: I'm ready. How do I begin? | ||
Line 32: | Line 28: | ||
:[White text on black background.] | :[White text on black background.] | ||
:I heard you're idea's and their definately good. | :I heard you're idea's and their definately good. | ||
− | + | :[The laptop has been smashed to the floor. The circle, once full of hope and excitement, is now full of despair and no Megan.] | |
− | :[The laptop has been smashed to the floor. | ||
:Ponytail: She wasnt ready. | :Ponytail: She wasnt ready. | ||
:Cueball: Its a difficult road. | :Cueball: Its a difficult road. |