2012-04-16
Original: 2012-04-16 on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1: A man with glasses holds a graphing calculator up, looking at it.
Man: HOW IS IT THAT COMPUTERS ARE MILLIONS OF TIMES FASTER AND FAR FAR CHEAPER, BUT GRAPHING CALCULATOR PRICES REMAIN COMPLETELY STABLE?!
Panel 2: The same man, smaller in frame, declaring.
Man: I'M GOING TO THE ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT SO THEY CAN EXPLAIN THIS NONSENSE!
Panel 3: The man stands holding the calculator, speaking to an older economist seen from behind.
Man: IT WAS EXPENSIVE 20 YEARS AGO. IT WAS EXPENSIVE 10 YEARS AGO. IT'S EXPENSIVE NOW, DESPITE EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE MEANTIME!
Panel 4: Close-up of the older economist (gray hair, glasses, suit) holding his chin thoughtfully as a hand offers him the calculator.
Economist: HMM... THAT'S INTERESTING. LET ME TALK TO SOME OTHER ECONOMISTS.
Panel 5: A banner reads "SOON...". The economist stands at a podium holding a paper.
Economist: IN THIS PAPER, WE PROPOSE GRAPHING CALCULATORS AS THE WORLD'S RESERVE CURRENCY.
Votey:
A bearded man at a computer (with a bespectacled woman behind him).
Voice: GRAPHING CALCULATOR HUMOR? YOU'VE REACHED NERD LEVEL 42.
Bearded man: PEACE BE UPON YOU
Man: HOW IS IT THAT COMPUTERS ARE MILLIONS OF TIMES FASTER AND FAR FAR CHEAPER, BUT GRAPHING CALCULATOR PRICES REMAIN COMPLETELY STABLE?!
Panel 2: The same man, smaller in frame, declaring.
Man: I'M GOING TO THE ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT SO THEY CAN EXPLAIN THIS NONSENSE!
Panel 3: The man stands holding the calculator, speaking to an older economist seen from behind.
Man: IT WAS EXPENSIVE 20 YEARS AGO. IT WAS EXPENSIVE 10 YEARS AGO. IT'S EXPENSIVE NOW, DESPITE EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE MEANTIME!
Panel 4: Close-up of the older economist (gray hair, glasses, suit) holding his chin thoughtfully as a hand offers him the calculator.
Economist: HMM... THAT'S INTERESTING. LET ME TALK TO SOME OTHER ECONOMISTS.
Panel 5: A banner reads "SOON...". The economist stands at a podium holding a paper.
Economist: IN THIS PAPER, WE PROPOSE GRAPHING CALCULATORS AS THE WORLD'S RESERVE CURRENCY.
Votey:
A bearded man at a computer (with a bespectacled woman behind him).
Voice: GRAPHING CALCULATOR HUMOR? YOU'VE REACHED NERD LEVEL 42.
Bearded man: PEACE BE UPON YOU
Alt text
A five-panel comic. Panel 1: a bespectacled man holds up a graphing calculator and rants, "How is it that computers are millions of times faster and far far cheaper, but graphing calculator prices remain completely stable?!" Panel 2: he announces, "I'm going to the economics department so they can explain this nonsense!" Panel 3: he confronts an older economist, insisting the calculator was expensive 20 years ago, 10 years ago, and is still expensive now despite everything. Panel 4: the economist strokes his chin and says, "Hmm... that's interesting. Let me talk to some other economists." Panel 5: under a banner reading "Soon...", the economist stands at a podium and declares, "In this paper, we propose graphing calculators as the world's reserve currency" — the joke being economists rationalize the absurd price stability rather than fixing it. Votey: a crude black-and-white panel where someone tells a bearded man at a computer, "Graphing calculator humor? You've reached nerd level 42," and he replies, "Peace be upon you."
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.