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| Overton |
 Title text: I think I accidentally installed an Overton window in my bedroom. A few months ago, the sun wasn't in my face in the morning, but now it is. |
Explanation
Joseph Paul Overton was a political scientist who created the concept of the Overton Window, which is the range of subjects that are politically appropriate to raise during a period of time. The first set of dates, 1960 and 2003, are the years that Joseph Paul Overton was born and died.
It is common for political commentators to state that the Overton window has "moved," meaning that the standard for which political positions are "moderate" or "extreme" changes, and in either direction. In the comic, the "Overton window" instead refers to the time span in which Joseph Paul Overton was alive. In the drawing Overton's gravestone has the dates repeatedly crossed out as the Overton window moves. This creates the ridiculous implication that Overton had multiple lives (4 in the comic), which is impossible.[citation needed]
The title text refers to the seasonal movement of the sun in the sky, where its apparent path across the sky moves further north or south throughout the year. This shift, caused by Earth's tilt, moves between the summer solstice (highest arc) and winter solstice (lowest arc.) However, the character in the text believes that the sunlight that is now being let in by an actual window is because the window is an Overton window, and has therefore moved in some manner, rather than the path of the sun moving. It also can have been perceived to have changed suddenly due to the beginning or end of Daylight Saving Time, as occurred in a number of US states and other countries shortly before this comic was published. This is an issue that Randall has covered multiple times, although apparently not (unless this is a subtle reference) this year.
Transcript
- [A gravestone is shown on some grass. On the inscription, all of the years except the last one are crossed out in red, and all except the first pair of years have the years themselves in red. The inscription is as follows:]
- Joseph Paul Overton
1960-20031965-20111973-2018- 1982 -
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