That has to be the hardest to understand XKCD I have ever seen. I had to read the explanation several times and I still find it hard.
Randall is very NT. Notice that the solution is to get social, to do things together. And every second strip is about relationships (usually involving sex)
A rant about XKCD being shallow, mean and hypocriticalI used to be a fan of XKCD, and I do not agree with the old "XKCDSucks" - Randall is still clever. but I think he is fundamentally wrong on a lot of what he says. he simply reflects his own biases (which of course we all do), but he does so in a way that attacks people who disagree with him (as we all so). For example, the previous strip is about being a human being versus being a pickup artist. This is wrong on so many levels:
1. Statistically, the pickup artist will have more success, so "don't be one" is bad advice. As someone who has always tried to be genuine I can assure Randall that most women much prefer pickup artists.
2. "Be a human being" means to be pickup atist (see: biology). people on the spectrum can probably see how fake most dating is, but the daters seem unaware of it.
3. "Be a human being" is a variation of "be yourself" - advice given by rich and popular people because, hey, it works for
them.
4. XKCD is as shallow as they come: like most comics it will do anything for a laugh. The pickup artist has more depth because he is at least true to his genes and millions of years of ancestry, rather than claiming to be something new.
5. The "good" characters in XKCD are always attacking each other, just like the pickup artist,
6. XKCD is itself a pickup line: Randall does it to make money and be attractive to the opposite sex.
My biggest problem with XKCD is, if Randall is so smart, why doesn't he use his intelligence to do something of great lasting worth instead of a comic that confirms the prejudices of a minority (that the newest shiny meme really matters) and makes the majority feel dumb?
To be fair, I feel the same way about Stephen Fry. In his biography he says how he has never had any desire to do anything worthwhile. Obviously if you have great intelligence and wit it is easier to coast, but in the words Spider-Man's Uncle Ben, "with great power comes great responsibility."
My second biggest problem with XKCD is it is so self centred. The nearest thing to being deep or meaningful is when they sit by a lake (a few days ago) or similar. Personal pleasure is its highest form of morality. Even the occasional token charitable effort is just that, a token, it exists to allow the selfishness to continue without cog dis.
I know I am being harsh, but I just expect something better from someone who is smart. You can be clever and moral and successful at the same time. Look at Peanuts. Look at Calvin and Hobbes. Randall does not have to spend his life building a monument to his personal genius - there are other paths.
PS does anyone else find
explainXKCD's use or "their" jarring?
Randall is very NT my butt. For crying out loud his pic on Wikipedia shows him stacking ducks. If any thing this comic is parodying NT communication: you say something, but it doesn't actually convey what you mean, and communication is held up by prejudgements. Id The morale of the story is not "social power ftw", it's "visual instructions work better". And how does making a comic strip about statistics and other nerdy stuff make you attractive to women? Is this whole rant really just about one little comic about pickup artists? Really, it's not like aspies can't be partly motivated by money. If Randall is super NT, then explain the comic "overstimulation" to me.
14 Mar 2012, 6:40 am
