ohyesrobot.ordoliberal.com

reviews

Original: reviews on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

Transcript

Caption (top-left box):
LIFE TIP:
YOU CAN TELL HOW BAD YOU ARE AT SOMETHING BY HOW UNFOCUSED THE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS

The comic is a grid of panels, each with a pink banner header above it. A character in a white shirt (the author) listens to a character in a yellow shirt (the critic/reader) giving feedback that grows steadily less focused and more unhinged.

Panel 1 (header: YOU ARE GREAT AT IT):
Critic: I HAVE TO TELL YOU ALL OF MY FAVORITE PARTS SO LET ME PULL UP MY NOTES!

Panel 2 (header: YOU ARE DECENT):
Critic: THIS IS REALLY NICE WORK OVERALL, BUT I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS. LIKE HERE IN CHAPTER 3...

Panel 3 (header: YOU ARE BAD AT IT):
Critic: YOU KNOW IT WAS AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE READING THE WORDS YOU WROTE.

Panel 4 (header: YOU ARE BAD AND CANNOT BE HELPED):
Critic: YOU KNOW WHAT I LIKE? I LIKE YOU.

Panel 5 (header: YOU SHOULD SET FLAMES TO YOUR CREATION):
Critic: YOUR BOOK? GOOD? BAD? WHAT ARE WE? IS ANY OF THIS EVEN REAL?

Votey:
A close-up of a wide-eyed character, mouth open, flanked by two flame-like shapes.
Character: IS BOOK? AM ME? WHY IS BOOK? WHY IS ME?

Alt text

An SMBC comic that opens with a caption box reading 'LIFE TIP: You can tell how bad you are at something by how unfocused the constructive criticism is.' A series of panels follows, each topped with a pink banner rating an author's work, while a critic in a yellow shirt gives feedback to an author in a white shirt. The feedback degrades as the ratings worsen. Banner 'YOU ARE GREAT AT IT': the smiling critic holds notes and says he has to share all his favorite parts. Banner 'YOU ARE DECENT': he reads from pages, calling it nice work with some thoughts on chapter 3. Banner 'YOU ARE BAD AT IT': he flatly says it was an interesting experience reading the words. Banner 'YOU ARE BAD AND CANNOT BE HELPED': he can only say 'You know what I like? I like you.' Banner 'YOU SHOULD SET FLAMES TO YOUR CREATION': he spirals into 'Your book? Good? Bad? What are we? Is any of this even real?' The votey aftercomic shows a wild-eyed, open-mouthed character ringed by flames babbling 'Is book? Am me? Why is book? Why is me?', the criticism having collapsed into total existential nonsense.

Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.