I don't get it. Is that funny?

Chirp | April 09, 22:30 CET

I was wondering if this is gonna get posted here, what with the Buffy slam and all. I doubt Greg even really has an opinion on Buffy, it was probably only used to get to the "joke".

ringworm | April 09, 22:39 CET

I honestly dont get it. What was the ssssnap? And what's up with the growths on their chins?

electricspacegirl | April 09, 22:46 CET

Okay, I didn't get it either and also wondered what the "ssssnap" meant. I get the part about his comments that Firefly is so great and better than crap like Buffy then to be told it's the same writer (even though I am very sensitive to any jokes about any Whedonesque show because they are the BEST shows ever!!) but I just didn't get the snap part.

So could someone with a clue explain it?

Firefly Flanatic | April 09, 22:53 CET

Huh?

cjl | April 09, 22:54 CET

I think his brain snapped under stress from the apparent paradox.

ringworm | April 09, 22:59 CET

I thought he whipped his head around so fast that his neck broke.

Tycho | April 09, 23:14 CET

Also with the not getting. Is it me? Has my hip card finally expired? Blasted kids and their comics... Get off my lawn!

bogu_salias | April 09, 23:35 CET

Snyder: "I don't get it. What is it? Avant-garde?"

Personally I agree with ringworm's interpretation.

prufrock | April 10, 00:05 CET

I also didn't get it. The characters' body positions don't change, or their expressions (much), which would have helped to convey the meaning of the third panel. And the fourth panel is kind of a let-down. If it had tied back into the Buffy or Firefly mention, then it would have been funny; instead, it's just sort of 'duh' observational commentary. Oh well. At least the guy picked some cool shows to name-check.

I'm going with the 'brain snap' theory until someone who knows more says different.

Wiseblood | April 10, 00:16 CET

It's a brain snap thing. Reconciling that the man who crafted "the best series on television" also brought forth "crap like Buffy."

Not the best Real Life strip ever, I think PVP's storyline a bit back was funnier.

kishi | April 10, 01:59 CET

From my understanding, 'snap' is like a new type of lingo that seems to be used in response to someone being either corrected or insulted. Kind of a 'He TOLD you!' thing. Something that's said when someone has been put in their place, I guess. I could be completely wrong, but I've heard it used in this context in a lot of newer movies, though.

And I'm assuming he thought it was entertaining to have corrected the guy in such a way that he felt like a tool and was left speechless.

Greyflowers | April 10, 02:05 CET

I think I finally get it. kishi's explanation makes the most sense. I don't see why it would be funny, though.

Invisible Green | April 10, 02:06 CET

Maybe it's only funny to people who don't like Buffy?

electricspacegirl | April 10, 02:14 CET

Thank goodness! I thought I was stupid or something. I didn't get it, but now I see no one else does either.

And also the guy that goes 'snap' suddenly has his mouth open like he's saying 'snap'. But it's clearly a sound-effect and not a text balloon. And the guy that says 'good lord this is entertaining', does he mean the showis, or the other guy going 'snap'??? And if it's indeed just that his mind goes 'snap', there must be a zillion better ways to draw that than this....

EdDantes | April 10, 03:17 CET

I was relieved earlier to see I wasn't the only one in the dark. I just read it again though and I think that not being familiar with the characters it is just out of context.

I honestly don't think the "joke" is about BtVS not being good but that the guy who says "...this is entertaining" probably regularly revels in making a fool out of the other character--like how Xander picks on Cordy first season ("I don't know what everyone's talking about--that dress doesn't make you look like a hooker!")or the way the rest of the crew responds to Jayne in Firefly. I went to this page of the site and it seems to confirm my hunch about character relationships.

For a first-time reader like me it makes a lot more sense without the last panel.

marmoset | April 10, 03:39 CET

Good point Stakeholder about the writer not really making fun of Buffy. I think there are a lot of people who ridicule people who are BtVS fans and they've never seen the show at all. They automatically think it's stupid or crap and don't get why those of us who watch it are fans. That could've been more a dig at those people. Here's this guy watching an excellent television show not having any idea of the background of the creator of the show and admiring the fantastic writing and then being told it's the same writer as a show that he's ridiculed in the past without even seeing. Just my guess anyway.

Firefly Flanatic | April 10, 06:47 CET

I think it's a generation thing. Lots of people have older siblings who are foaming about Buffy and so it's kind of worn out. Now Joss has laid another trap for critical victims trying to find something to be excited about.

futile | April 10, 13:59 CET

Exactly blwessels. Only you made much more sense out of what I was trying to say than I did.

Mental note to self: Don't post comments whilst in the middle of writing a paper.

marmoset | April 10, 20:27 CET