Editing 1435: Presidential Alert
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: | ||
[[File:Eas_new.svg|thumb|150px|Current EAS logo]] | [[File:Eas_new.svg|thumb|150px|Current EAS logo]] | ||
==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
| − | The {{w|Emergency Alert System}} allows the U.S. President to address the country in the event of a national emergency, by broadcasting a message over all television and radio channels. Despite | + | The {{w|Emergency Alert System}} allows the U.S. President to address the country in the event of a national emergency, by broadcasting a message over all television and radio channels. Despite the system's having existed in various forms for over 60 years, no president has ever used it, even during the {{w|September 11 attacks}}. |
| − | In this comic, the US President accidentally activates the system by pressing a button, apparently located on the {{w|Resolute Desk|''Resolute'' Desk}} in the {{w|Oval Office}}. Surprised by being on television, he tries to think of something important to say on the spot, but cannot think of anything other than a piece of generic dental-hygiene advice – a rather non-urgent | + | In this comic, the US President accidentally activates the system by pressing a button, apparently located on the {{w|Resolute Desk|''Resolute'' Desk}} in the {{w|Oval Office}}. Surprised by being on television, he tries to think of something important to say on the spot, but cannot think of anything other than a piece of generic dental-hygiene advice – a rather non-urgent message. |
| + | |||
| + | An alternative explanation is that he is actually supposed to tell everyone some really bad news, something totally cataclysmic, only to chicken out and try to explain that the alert was a mistake. This version also explains why he begins to speak to the public and then changes his mind. | ||
The concept of the President mistakenly hitting an important button has long been a source for jokes, often somewhat morbidly involving the {{w|nuclear football}}. | The concept of the President mistakenly hitting an important button has long been a source for jokes, often somewhat morbidly involving the {{w|nuclear football}}. | ||
| − | The title text references the typical conclusion to presidential speeches: "Goodnight, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America," or some variation thereof. As "goodnight" is the typical conclusion to a day, the title text jokes that {{w|Barack Obama|President Obama}}, out of habit, has a hard time stopping at goodnight when saying that to his children | + | The title text references the typical conclusion to presidential speeches: "Goodnight, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America," or some variation thereof. As "goodnight" is the typical conclusion to a day, the title text jokes that {{w|Barack Obama|President Obama}}, out of habit, has a hard time stopping at goodnight when saying that to his children. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
| Line 20: | Line 22: | ||
:Screen reads: "E.A.S Incoming Presidential Alert" | :Screen reads: "E.A.S Incoming Presidential Alert" | ||
| − | :[ | + | :[Person in an office is on the television.] |
:My fellow Americans. I, uhhh. Wow. | :My fellow Americans. I, uhhh. Wow. | ||
