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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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This is yet another comic designed to [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|make people feel old]], following soon after the last one [[1745: Record Scratch]].
+
{{incomplete|Need individual explanations.}}
 +
This is yet another comic designed to [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|make you feel old]].
  
−
The comic takes the form of a table of ages between 16 and 41, and next to each, a list of things that originated approximately half that age ago. Thus, by mentioning those things to a person of that age, that person becomes aware that those things have now been around for the majority of their life. People tend to underestimate how long ago things happened, so the revelation will usually come as a shock and make them realize that things they think of as new and modern are actually a lot older than they thought. This, in turn, will make them feel old.
+
It lists ages between 16 and 41 and links each age to one ore more events that (should have) happened a little over half their life ago. But it seems [[Randall]] has not been very accurate in his measure of what majority means. For instance for a 16-year-old person (born in 2000), it lists the release of GTA IV, which was released in 2008. Thus, GTA IV has only been around for half of their life. For the 41-year-old, though, it fits with Toy Story, which was released almost exactly 21 years before this comic in November 1995, and in that year today's 41-year-olds would only have been 20. So that movie has been in their life for the majority of their life. There is also a real mistake with The Matrix from 1999, which is listed against 35-year-olds, but since it is only 17 years ago that the movie was released, the 35-year-olds would have been 18 years old when the movie was released, and thus it has not yet existed for half of their life, and thus also not for the majority.  
  
−
For example, if talking to a 24-year-old, the relevant sentence would be:
+
This matches earlier attempts to make people feel old by mentioning how long ago it was that, for instance, a movie comes out. When an event seems to have occurred recently to you, like seeing a movie when you were twenty-one (with Toy Story) and then suddenly realizing that this was 20 years ago, you will very likely feel old. Since humans' perception of time is not related to how much time has actually passed but rather to important memories, then memories like seeing the first feature-length animated movie (Toy Story) makes a big impression and may stay vivid in peoples' memories. When they then, after hearing the sentence from this comic, realize that half their life has passed since that event, they realize how much time has passed and that makes them feel old.
−
:"Did you know that {{w|Facebook}} has been around for the majority of your life?"
 
  
−
To a 24-year old, Facebook likely still seems like a new innovation, so they may be shocked to discover that it has been around for more than half their life.
+
This is why it affects a 20-year-old to hear that twitter is ten years old, where this will not have the same impact on a 16-year-old, since they were so young when it came out that they probably feel like it has been around for ever, and you do not feel old by hearing that, for instance, the TV was invented before you were born. It thus makes sense to pick something that happened almost midway through a person's life, because they then realize they are now double as old as when they first heard of Twitter.
  
−
The joke at the end is that the guide isn't necessary for people over 41, since they ''already'' feel old, and are more than capable of providing any number of demonstrative examples.
+
The joke at the end is that people over 41 don't need anything to make them feel old, because they already feel old. He thus teases people above 41 years old by claiming they are old, although many people (above 40) would claim you are not old before you retire. It may be a coincidence, but still interesting, that he stopped the list just before 42, a number Randall has referred to many times.
  
−
It should be noted that the guide is only current for the time it was published, which is why it is billed as the "November 2016 Guide to Making People Feel Old". This is because the examples given in the table are relative to a person's age ''at that time''. However, the title text sneakily suggests a way to get an additional use out of the guide: by noting down the person's age at the time you show them the guide, and then showing it to them again when they are double that age, they will realize that more than half a lifetime has elapsed since the last time they viewed this comic, and will thus feel old again.
+
The title text points out that the same chart can be used for the same person once they are twice as old. So it urges the user to note down the age of the person it was used on, and then wait until their age reaches double that. So for a 16-year-old that would only be 16 more years until they are 32, but for a 41-year-old it would have to wait until they are 82 years old. When showing them this chart, they will remember how old they felt when the user made them feel old the first time by using a line from this list. And then they realize that they are now twice as old, and will thus again feel very very old because of this comic. For about the last half of the list, they will actually have reached an age where many people would consider them old, not just because they might feel old.
  
−
==Table for the guide==
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==Table==
 
{| class = "wikitable"
 
{| class = "wikitable"
 
! Age
 
! Age
 
! Birth year
 
! Birth year
−
! Date of occurrences
+
! Date of things
−
! Occurrences
+
! Things
 
! Explanation
 
! Explanation
 
! Half age
 
! Half age
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| April 29, 2008
 
| April 29, 2008
 
| ''{{w|Grand Theft Auto IV}}''
 
| ''{{w|Grand Theft Auto IV}}''
−
| Popular video game published by {{w|Rockstar Games}}; the 11th title in the ''{{w|Grand Theft Auto}}'' series. The games are often rated as Mature (and thus aimed at adults) and this entrance should not really affect 16 year olds, who may have tried the game now, but should not have played the game when they were only 8 years old.
+
| Popular video game published by {{w|Rockstar Games}}; the 11th title in the ''{{w|Grand Theft Auto}}'' series
 +
| 8
 
| 8
 
| 8
−
| 8.5
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 17
 
| 17
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| May 2007
 
| May 2007
 
| {{w|Rickrolling}}
 
| {{w|Rickrolling}}
−
| A prank and internet meme involving an unexpected appearance of the music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song "{{w|Never Gonna Give You Up}}", a bait and switch which has been [[:Category:Rickrolling|referred to often]] in xkcd. Since this was aimed at people who knew the song (from 1987) and were online (mainly young adults in 2007), this entry should not really affect 17 year olds who are unlikely to have been rickrolled when they were only 8.5 years old.  
+
| A prank and internet meme involving an unexpected appearance of the music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song "{{w|Never Gonna Give You Up}}". A type of bait and switch.
 
| 8.5
 
| 8.5
−
| 9.5
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 18
 
| 18
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| April 13, 2007
 
| April 13, 2007
 
| ''{{w|Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters}}
 
| ''{{w|Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters}}
−
| American Flash animated surreal comedy film based on the {{w|Adult Swim}} animated series ''{{w|Aqua Teen Hunger Force}}''. This seems to be a joke, as both this movie and the one it was based on are for adults, and the people this targets would only have been 9 when it was released, and probably won't recognize the reference. The joke will fail, because they will not feel old. Very few people have ever heard of this movie, which is probably part of the joke.
+
|  
 
| 9
 
| 9
−
| 9.6
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 19
 
| 19
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| November 19, 2006
 
| November 19, 2006
 
| The {{w|Nintendo Wii}}
 
| The {{w|Nintendo Wii}}
−
| 2006 is the time when the Nintendo Wii was released, with the Wii dominating 2006-2012. Ten year olds were likely to play Wii, and thus as 20 year olds remember and be surprised at how long it is since the first time, and feel old. This is the first entry that might actually work.
+
| From 2006 onwards is the time when the Nintendo Wii brand (Wii - Wii U) was released, with the Wii dominating 2006-2012 and the Wii U being *a small* part of 2012-2016.
 
| 9.5
 
| 9.5
−
| 10.0
+
|  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 20
 
| 20
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| March 2006
 
| March 2006
 
| {{w|Twitter}}
 
| {{w|Twitter}}
−
| 2006 was a big year. Twitter was created. There were probably only a few 10-11 year olds that used Twitter in the first year of its release, and thus not many twenty year old people today would have been active on Twitter at the very beginning. This will only make that minority of people feel old.
+
| 2006 was a big year, in that it lead to the creation of Twitter, a social networking service that is still used to this day.
 
| 10
 
| 10
−
| 10.7
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 21
 
| 21
 
| 1995
 
| 1995
−
| November 22, 2005 (Xbox 360),<br>September 30, 2005 (xkcd)
+
| November 22, 2005 (Xbox), September 2005 (xkcd)
−
| The {{w|Xbox 360}},<br>{{w|xkcd}}
+
| The {{w|Xbox 360}}, {{w|xkcd}}
−
| 2005 saw the creation of the Xbox 360, another successful console. [[Randall]] also decided to throw in a 'reference joke', referring to the fact that xkcd was also created in 2005 where the [[:Category:First day on LiveJournal|first 13 comics]] where released on [[LiveJournal]] on September 30, 2005. As a callback, he has two x words in the same sentence, referring to [[1750: Life Goals]]. The same two words were both in that comic. (Average release date for the two was October 25, 2005). The Xbox will work on the twenty-one year old, for the same reason the Wii above would work. xkcd would not, because it is not directed at pre-teens. They would not have any feelings towards the comic. It is included to make faithful xkcd readers feel old. "Is it really more than 10 years ago I read it first..." (and also for the self-reference).
+
| 2005 led to the creation of the Xbox 360, another successful console. Randall Munroe also decided to throw in a 'reference joke', referring to the fact that XKCD was also created in 2005 and fits the criteria of the comic.
 
| 10.5
 
| 10.5
−
| 11.0
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 22
 
| 22
 
| 1994
 
| 1994
−
| 2005 (no specific date)
+
|
 
| {{w|Chuck Norris Facts}}
 
| {{w|Chuck Norris Facts}}
−
| Satirical factoids about martial artist and actor {{w|Chuck Norris}} began to appear on the Internet in early 2005. To begin with, they where not centered on Norris, instead focusing {{w|Vin Diesel}}. This makes it difficult to put a precise date on their appearance than "During the year 2005." Chuck Norris has {{w|Chuck_Norris_facts#Norris.27_response|replied to these factoids}} more than once, but the first time was in December 2006, almost two years after the {{w|meme}}s began appearing. The "facts" are mainly based on his series {{w|Walker, Texas Ranger}}, which ran from 1993-2001. Since the series ended when the twenty-two-year-old of today was 7, they were not the target group for the crazy Chuck Norris Facts. It seems unlikely that this entry would work.
+
| Satirical factoids about martial artist and actor {{w|Chuck Norris}}
 
| 11
 
| 11
−
| 11.5
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 23
 
| 23
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| January 25, 2004
 
| January 25, 2004
 
| {{w|Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity}}'s Mars Exploration
 
| {{w|Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity}}'s Mars Exploration
−
| {{w|Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity}} is a {{w|Mars rover}} that landed on Mars on January 25, 2004. Mars Rovers are a [[:Category:Mars rovers|recurring subject]] on xkcd. Even people who were not interested in science were very aware of Opportunity's voyage--it was covered in every type of news medium for a long time.
+
| {{w|Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity}} is a Mars rover that landed on Mars on January 25, 2004
 
| 11.5
 
| 11.5
−
| 12.8
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 24
 
| 24
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| February 4, 2004
 
| February 4, 2004
 
| {{w|Facebook}}
 
| {{w|Facebook}}
−
| Facebook is a social networking service created in 2004 as a competitor to {{w|Myspace}}. It grew quickly to become the #1 social networking service. Since kids under thirteen are not allowed on Facebook, twenty-four-year-olds could not have signed up at the time of its foundation. When it was opened up for anyone in 2006, they would have been fourteen, but that would then only have been 10 years ago. However, today everyone knows about Facebook (and many preteens created accounts by lying about their ages), and to learn that it has existed for half of your life may make you feel old even if you didn't sign up immediately.
+
| Facebook was a social networking service created in 2004 as a competitor to Myspace and quickly dominated as the #1 most used social networking service of all time.
 
| 12
 
| 12
−
| 12.8
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 25
 
| 25
 
| 1991
 
| 1991
−
| April 1, 2004 (Gmail),<br>July 9, 2003 (''Pirates of the Caribbean'')
+
| April 1, 2004 (Gmail), July 9, 2003 (Pirates of the Caribbean)
−
| {{w|Gmail}},<br>''{{w|Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|Pirates of the Caribbean}}''
+
| Gmail, ''Pirates of the Caribbean''
−
| Gmail is an email service created by Google. It was originally invitation-only (until 2007), and not marketed to kids, so it is unlikely that many thirteen year olds would have been using it in 2004; however, it has since been opened to anyone, and a lot of 25 year olds use it today. The first movie in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' franchise, {{w|Curse of the Black Pearl}}, debuted in 2003. Three more movies followed before the release of this comic (average date is November 4, 2003). The movie was rated PG-13 and would likely have been a hit among 12-13 year old kids, so this would make many people born in 1991 feel old.
+
| Gmail is an email service created by Google as a replacement to Hotmail. Pirates of the Caribbean, a popular movie franchise, had its first movie (Curse of the Black Pearl) debut in 2003.
 
| 12.5
 
| 12.5
−
| 13.0
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 26
 
| 26
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| January 7, 2003
 
| January 7, 2003
 
| {{w|In da Club}}
 
| {{w|In da Club}}
−
| Rap song by {{w|50 Cent}}. The song was a #1 hit on multiple charts and in multiple countries. It is very likely that people who were thirteen at its release would have been aware of it, even if they were not "clubbing" themselves yet.
+
| Rap song by {{w|50 Cent}}
 
| 13
 
| 13
−
| 13.8
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 27
 
| 27
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| September 20, 2002
 
| September 20, 2002
 
| ''{{w|Firefly (TV series)|Firefly}}''
 
| ''{{w|Firefly (TV series)|Firefly}}''
−
| ''Firefly'' is a space western drama TV series created by {{w|Joss Whedon}}, that became a cult classic. This may be Randall's favorite TV series, and it has been [[:Category:Firefly|referenced often]] in xkcd.
+
| ''{{w|Firefly (TV series)|Firefly}}'' is a space western drama TV series created by Joss Whedon, that became a cult classic
 
| 13.5
 
| 13.5
−
| 14.1
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 28
 
| 28
 
| 1988
 
| 1988
 
| October 7, 2001
 
| October 7, 2001
−
| The {{w|War in Afghanistan}}
+
| The War in Afghanistan
−
| The United States of America invaded Afghanistan shortly after the {{w|September 11 attacks}} (popularly known as 9/11), in an effort to eliminate the terrorist group {{w|al-Qaeda}}. Almost anyone who was 14 in 2001 would have been aware of the war.
+
| The United States of America invaded Afghanistan shortly after the events of September 11, 2001, in an effort to eliminate the terrorist group al-Qaeda.
 
| 14
 
| 14
−
| 15.1
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 29
 
| 29
 
| 1987
 
| 1987
−
| October 23, 2001
+
| 2001
−
| The {{w|iPod}}
+
| The iPod
−
| The iPod was a music playing device created by {{w|Apple Inc.}} in 2001. This would probably make lots of 29 year-olds feel old. 14-15 year old kids were likely to have had (or wished they had) an iPod.
+
| The iPod was a music playing device created by Apple in 2001 as a replacement for MP3 players.
 
| 14.5
 
| 14.5
−
| 15.0
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 30
 
| 30
 
| 1986
 
| 1986
−
| May 18, 2001 (''Shrek''),<br>January 15, 2001 (Wikipedia)
+
| May 18, 2001 (Shrek), January 15, 2001 (Wikipedia)
−
| ''{{w|Shrek}}'',<br>{{w|Wikipedia}}
+
| Shrek, Wikipedia
−
| ''Shrek'' is a popular parody film about fairy tales. It quickly gained a cult following and became a mega-hit, earning it three sequels and a franchise. It was a big hit popular for ages. Fifteen-year-olds were likely to know and love the movie, so they would probably feel old as 30-year-olds realizing it came out half their life ago.
+
| Shrek is a popular parody film about fairy tales based on the book of the same name. It quickly gained a cult following and became a mega-hit, earning it 3 sequels and a franchise. Wikipedia is a website with articles dedicated for looking up information based on specific tops, created in 2001.
−
 
 
−
Wikipedia is a an online encyclopedia created in 2001, which anyone can edit. (It is massively linked to from [[explain xkcd]] which has a [[:Category:Wikipedia|Wikipedia category]] for comics like this that reference the website directly).  (Average date is March 17, 2001). It is questionable how many kids used Wikipedia during the year it launched. Of course, realizing that before Wikipedia, you had to use a paper encyclopedia may still make a 30 year old feel old.
 
 
| 15
 
| 15
−
| 15.8
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 31
 
| 31
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| July 14, 2000
 
| July 14, 2000
 
| Those X-Men movies
 
| Those X-Men movies
−
| The {{w|X-Men (film series)|X-Men}} film series, probably only referring to the first trilogy (''{{w|X-Men (film)|X-Men}}'' (July 14, 2000), ''{{w|X2 (film)|X2}}'' (May 2, 2003), ''{{w|X-Men: The Last Stand}}'' (May 26, 2006) - us release dates). The release date refers to the first of these three movies. Presumably Randall is counting the series as existing from the time of the first release. 15-16 year old kids are likely to have loved ''X-Men'', and feel old when they realize it came out half their life ago.
+
| The X-Men series (X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand)
 
| 15.5
 
| 15.5
−
| 16.3
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 32
 
| 32
 
| 1984
 
| 1984
 
| February 4, 2000
 
| February 4, 2000
−
| ''{{w|The Sims}}''
+
| The Sims
−
| ''The Sims'' is a simulation video game created by Maxis in 2000 in which you build homes, cities, and families. It was an immediate success upon launch. It seems likely that many people would have played The Sims, and thus many 32 year old people would feel old. This was the one that Randall could have used on himself to feel old. He turned 32 a few weeks before the release of this comic.
+
| The Sims is a video game created by Maxis in 2000 as a simulation game where you build homes, cities, and families. It was an immediate success upon launch.
 
| 16
 
| 16
−
| 16.8
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 33
 
| 33
 
| 1983
 
| 1983
−
| October 19, 1998
+
|
 
| Autotuned hit songs
 
| Autotuned hit songs
−
| 1998 was when non-audio-professionals became aware of {{w|Auto-Tune|autotuning}} songs. {{w|Cher|Cher's}} song ''{{w|Believe (Cher song)|Believe}}'', released October 19, 1998 {{w|Auto-Tune#In_popular_music|may be the first time}} that most people really noticed autotuning. This is the only entry where there seems to be more than one year between the age of the thing and the half age of the person. However, it is also one of the entries where specific dating is difficult. Because the dates are not specific, it is difficult to judge how it would affect 33 year old people. Autotuning has been a standard for years, so it may make one feel old to know it has around for half your life.
+
| 1983 was the time period when people realized the capabilities of autotuning songs.
 
| 16.5
 
| 16.5
−
| '''18.1'''
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 34
 
| 34
 
| 1982
 
| 1982
 
| May 19, 1999
 
| May 19, 1999
−
| The {{w|Star Wars Prequels}}
+
| The Star Wars Prequels
−
| The Star Wars prequel trilogy (''{{w|Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace}}'' (May 19, 1999), ''{{w|Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones}}'' (May 16, 2002), ''{{w|Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith}}'' (May 19, 2005), us release dates). The {{w|Star Wars}} universe is most likely the [[:Category:Star Wars|most referenced]] movie universe in xkcd. The release date refers to the first of these three movies, because even only taking the first two movies, the average would only be 16 years ago, less than half the age of a 34 year old. These movies were awaited eagerly by many 17 year old kids, so they would remember the release well and feel very old.
+
| The Star Wars prequel trilogy (Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith)
 
| 17   
 
| 17   
−
| 17.5
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 35
 
| 35
 
| 1981
 
| 1981
 
| March 31, 1999
 
| March 31, 1999
−
| ''{{w|The Matrix}}''
+
| The Matrix
−
| Action film created by {{w|The Wachowskis}} (formerly known, at the time of ''The Matrix'', as The Wachowski Brothers). Two more films followed, although they were widely regarded as inferior to the first (by for instance by Randall as seen in [[566: Matrix Revisited]]). ''The Matrix'' was something new and is likely to have influenced 17-18 year old kids, so this entry would likely to produce feelings of age.
+
| Science action film created by the Wachowskis
 
| 17.5
 
| 17.5
−
| 17.6
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 36
 
| 36
 
| 1980
 
| 1980
−
| September 28, 1998
+
| 1998 (outside Japan)
−
| {{w|Pokémon Red & Blue}}
+
| Pokemon Red & Blue
−
| A popular video game franchise in the {{w|Pokémon}} series, a series [[:Category:Pokémon|often referenced]] in xkcd. The game was first released in Japan in 1996, but not in North America until 1998. It seems likely that many people interested in playing computer games would have played Pokémon games. and in particular this one, which was released when the target group was 18 years old. And now that's half their life ago, perhaps making them feel old.
+
| A popular childrens' video game franchise
 
| 18
 
| 18
−
| 18.1
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 37
 
| 37
 
| 1979
 
| 1979
−
| August 29, 1997 (Netflix),<br>June 26, 1997 (Harry Potter),<br>September 15, 1997 (Google)
+
| April 29, 1997 (Netflix), June 26, 1997 (Harry Potter), September 15, 1997 (Google)
−
| {{w|Netflix}},<br>{{w|Harry Potter}},<br>{{w|Google}}
+
| Netflix, Harry Potter, Google
−
| All three are still major things 19 years later. "Harry Potter" refers to the original publishing date of ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone}}''. Google refers to the date that the Google domain name was registered. (Average date is 03-07-1997). Harry Potter is widely read, but at the time of its release it was probably not at first taken up by those of 18-19 year old. That may have first come later, maybe with the release of the {{w|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|first movies}} in 2001, four years later. This may not be the best example for this age group. Also using Google and Netflix just when they where launched may also not have been so popular among 18-19 year olds in 1997. Still, all three things are big, and to realize that they have been around for half of a life may still make someone feel old.
+
| "Harry Potter" refers to the original publishing date of ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone''. Google refers to the date that the Google domain name was registered.
 
| 18.5
 
| 18.5
−
| 19.4
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 38
 
| 38
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| May 11, 1997
 
| May 11, 1997
 
| Deep Blue's Victory
 
| Deep Blue's Victory
−
| {{w|Deep Blue (chess computer)|Deep Blue}} was a {{w|chess computer}}, who defeated {{w|Garry Kasparov}}, the reigning chess champion, in a match in 1997. It was the first chess computer to defeat a world champion under tournament conditions. Randall has a great interest in {{w|chess}} and it is a [[:Category:Chess|recurrent subject]] on xkcd. Unless a 38 year old is interested in chess, they may not even know what Deep Blue is, let alone have any impression of long ago the victory occurred. Chess players and computer nerds (both of whom are very likely to be xkcd fans) would certainly be aware of this particular day.
+
| Deep Blue was a chess computer, who defeated Garry Kasparov, the reigning chess champion, in 1997. It was the first chess computer to defeat a world champion under tournament conditions.
 
| 19
 
| 19
−
| 19.5
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 39
 
| 39
 
| 1977
 
| 1977
 
| September 13, 1996
 
| September 13, 1996
−
| {{w|Murder of Tupac Shakur|Tupac's Death}}
+
| Tupac's Death
−
| {{w|Tupac Shakur}} was an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in 1996. Eight of his albums are certified platinum (five released after his death), and he has been ranked as one of the greatest artists of all time. (Rolling Stone ranked him 86/100). It seems likely that many 39 year olds would feel old realizing that 2Pac has been dead for half of their lives.
+
| Tupac Shakur was an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in 1996.
 
| 19.5
 
| 19.5
−
| 20.2
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 40
 
| 40
 
| 1976
 
| 1976
 
| December 31, 1995
 
| December 31, 1995
−
| The [http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/12/31 last ''Calvin and Hobbes'' strip]
+
| The last Calvin and Hobbes strip
−
| ''{{w|Calvin and Hobbes}}'' is a comic strip by {{w|Bill Watterson}} that ran from November 18, 1985 to December 31, 1995. It is a [[:Category:Calvin and Hobbes|recurring subject]] on xkcd . This comic had a lot of fans among people that are 40 today. Even those who didn't read it during its run may have discovered it later. Even those who didn't notice the ending at the time, might still feel old realizing it was so long ago.
+
| Calvin and Hobbes is a comic strip by Bill Watterson that ran from November 18, 1985 to December 31, 1995
 
| 20
 
| 20
−
| 20.9
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 41
 
| 41
 
| 1975
 
| 1975
 
| November 22, 1995
 
| November 22, 1995
−
| ''{{w|Toy Story}}''
+
| Toy Story
−
| The {{w|Pixar}} animated film ''Toy Story'' was the first feature length digitally-animated film to be released theatrically (and also Pixar's first feature film). Given that this was the first film of its kind, many 20-21 year olds would have seen it. For xkcd fans, such movies might be a big thing. For anyone who saw this movie (and the sequels) this could cause feelings of age. Side note: 41 year olds might actually feel young when reading this comic in November 2016, because they are the last people to still be expected to feel young before Randall deliberately destroys the feeling.
+
| The Pixar animated film ''Toy Story''
 
| 20.5
 
| 20.5
−
| 21.0
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
| >41
 
| >41
 
| Before 1975
 
| Before 1975
−
| N/A
+
| n/a
 
| [Don't worry, they've got this covered]
 
| [Don't worry, they've got this covered]
−
| This joke is that people who are legitimately old already feel old. This could also be a reference to the number 42, 42 being the "{{w|Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything}}" in the {{w|Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}. He has referenced this number more than once before, for instance in [[1213: Combination Vision Test]] and in the [[1608#Messages_in_Play_Area|messages in the ''Play Area'']] of [[1608: Hoverboard]]. Showing people 42 years or more old this table will make them feel old, when they look for their age and find this. Also, it may disappoint older readers of xkcd, as they do not to get their own humorous half-your-life entry. (See the opposite effect mentioned for the 41 years old above).
+
| This jokes that people legitimately old already feel old.
 
| >20.5
 
| >20.5
−
| N/A
+
|
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
−
:[Caption above the panel:]
 
−
:The November 2016
 
−
:Guide to making people
 
−
:'''feel old'''
 
−
:
 
−
:[A chart with a list of items to be put into the two first lines above the chart. First there are a line using the first column, then there are two lines using the second column. Below those lines are the two columns with underlined captions above. Between the columns are a long line connecting the two.]
 
−
:If they're [age], you say:
 
−
:<big>"Did you know</big> <u>[thing]</u> <big>has been around for the majority of your life?"</big>
 
−
:
 
−
:;<u>Age</u>
 
−
::<u>Thing</u>
 
−
:
 
−
:;16
 
−
::Grand Theft Auto IV
 
−
:
 
−
:;17
 
−
::Rickrolling
 
−
:
 
−
:;18
 
−
::''Aqua Teen Hunger Force <br> Colon Movie Film for Theaters''
 
−
:
 
−
:;19
 
−
::The Nintendo Wii
 
−
:
 
−
:;20
 
−
::Twitter
 
−
:
 
−
:;21
 
−
::The Xbox 360, xkcd
 
−
:
 
−
:;22
 
−
::Chuck Norris Facts
 
−
:
 
−
:;23
 
−
::Opportunity's Mars Exploration
 
−
:
 
−
:;24
 
−
::Facebook
 
−
:
 
−
:;25
 
−
::Gmail, ''Pirates of the Caribbean''
 
−
:
 
−
:;26
 
−
::In da Club
 
−
:
 
−
:;27
 
−
::''Firefly''
 
−
:
 
−
:;28
 
−
::The War in Afghanistan
 
−
:
 
−
:;29
 
−
::The iPod
 
−
:
 
−
:;30
 
−
::''Shrek'', Wikipedia
 
−
:
 
−
:;31
 
−
::Those X-Men movies
 
−
:
 
−
:;32
 
−
::''The Sims''
 
−
:
 
−
:;33
 
−
::Autotuned hit songs
 
  
−
:;34
+
The November 2016
−
::The ''Star Wars'' prequels
+
Guide to making people
−
:
+
feel old
−
:;35
 
−
::''The Matrix''
 
−
:
 
−
:;36
 
−
::''Pokémon Red&Blue''
 
−
:
 
−
:;37
 
−
::Netflix, ''Harry Potter'', Google
 
−
:
 
−
:;38
 
−
::Deep Blue's Victory
 
−
:
 
−
:;39
 
−
::Tupac's Death
 
−
:
 
−
:;40
 
−
::The last ''Calvin and Hobbes'' strip
 
−
:
 
−
:;41
 
−
::''Toy Story''
 
−
:
 
−
:;>41
 
−
::[Don't worry, they've got this covered]
 
  
−
==Trivia==
+
[In rectangle]
−
* The comic [[891: Movie Ages]], released 5 years earlier, used a very similar technique to make people feel old, by giving the number of years that had elapsed since landmark movies were released. Some of those movies (''Toy Story'', ''The Matrix'', ''Shrek'') also appear in this comic. That same comic also ended with a similar punchline, by ending the chart at 35 (with people over 35 considered as "too old" for the chart). It is possible that Randall's increasing of the limit to 41 reflects his own increasing age; perhaps he no longer thinks people at 36 are too old to try to make them feel old.
+
If they're [age], you say:
−
* Other comics with date-based titles include:
+
"Did you know <u> [thing] </u> has been around for the majority of your life?"
−
** Month-day format: [[656: October 30th]], [[680: December 25th]]
 
−
** Month in the name: [[1595: 30 Days Hath September]]
 
−
** A single year: [[998: 2012]], [[1311: 2014]], [[1624: 2016]], [[1779: 2017]]
 
−
** The comic [[1898: October 2017]], released almost a year later, uses the same title format as this comic, and is also about making people feel old.
 
  
 +
{| class = "wikitable"
 +
! <u>Age</u>
 +
! <u>Thing</u>
 +
|-
 +
| 16
 +
| Grand Theft Auto IV
 +
|-
 +
| 17
 +
| Rickrolling
 +
|-
 +
| 18
 +
| <i>Aqua Teen Hunger Force <br> Colon Movie Film for Theaters</i>
 +
|-
 +
| 19
 +
| The Nintendo Wii
 +
|-
 +
| 20
 +
| Twitter
 +
|-
 +
| 21
 +
| The Xbox 360, xkcd
 +
|-
 +
| 22
 +
| Chuck Norris Facts
 +
|-
 +
| 23
 +
| Opportunity's Mars Exploration
 +
|-
 +
| 24
 +
| Facebook
 +
|-
 +
| 25
 +
| Gmail, <i>Pirates of the Caribbean</i>
 +
|-
 +
| 26
 +
| In da Club
 +
|-
 +
| 27
 +
| <i>Firefly</i>
 +
|-
 +
| 28
 +
| The War in Afghanistan
 +
|-
 +
| 29
 +
| The iPod
 +
|-
 +
| 30
 +
| <i>Shrek</i>, Wikipedia
 +
|-
 +
| 31
 +
| Those X-Men movies
 +
|-
 +
| 32
 +
| <i>The Sims</i>
 +
|-
 +
| 33
 +
| Autotuned hit songs
 +
|-
 +
| 34
 +
| The <i>Star Wars</i> Prequels
 +
|-
 +
| 35
 +
| <i>The Matrix</i>
 +
|-
 +
| 36
 +
| <i>Pok&eacute;mon Red & Blue</i>
 +
|-
 +
| 37
 +
| Netflix, <i>Harry Potter</i>, Google
 +
|-
 +
| 38
 +
| Deep Blue's Victory
 +
|-
 +
| 39
 +
| Tupac's Death
 +
|-
 +
| 40
 +
| The last <i>Calvin and Hobbes</i> strip
 +
|-
 +
| 41
 +
| <i>Toy Story</i>
 +
|-
 +
| >41
 +
| [Don't worry, they've got this covered]
 +
|}
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
  
−
[[Category:Charts]]
 
 
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]
 
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]
−
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
 
−
[[Category:Music]]
 
−
[[Category:Fiction]]
 
−
[[Category:Video games]]
 
−
[[Category:Pokémon]]
 
−
[[Category:Rickrolling]]
 
−
[[Category:Social networking]]
 
−
[[Category:Mars rovers]]
 
−
[[Category:Firefly]]
 
−
[[Category:Wikipedia]]
 
−
[[Category:Star Wars]]
 
−
[[Category:Chess]]
 
−
[[Category:Songs]]
 
−
[[Category:Calvin and Hobbes]]
 
−
[[Category:Harry Potter]]
 
−
[[Category:The Matrix]]
 

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