11 Comments

1. 

   Personally I didn’t recognize the song titles immediately but Tool is famous enough that I drew the connection anyway based on him “listening” to the titles. Probably helps that I know offhand what a tool-assisted speedrun is.

   LikeLike

2. 

   Yep, I was in the same boat as Andrew.

   LikeLike

3. 

   I shared this comic in another forum with a caption that wondered if he would have gotten better times if he had listened to Rush instead!

   Anyway, Tool is a Alt/Progressing heavy metal act, and Ænima and Lateralus are two its two top-tier releases from the late 90s and early 00s.

   LikeLike

4. 

   I got it right off, and I didn’t even know any Tool songs. I saw the punchline, an expression I’m very familiar with, and assumed the songs mentioned must be Tool songs.

   LikeLike

5. 

   I’m obviously a bit of an outlier in this group, then. I didn’t get this on both fronts. I had no idea what speedrunning is and while I’ve heard of “Tool” the musical group, they aren’t an immediate connection when I hear “tool.”

   LikeLiked by 1 person

6. 

   I had enough of a vague understanding that this didn’t bother me – that I didn’t really understand it. Of course it’s xkcd, where that’s normal for me… I have a vague idea what speedrunning is (going through a game fast) and while I’ve never heard of the band Tool I figured the referenced songs had some connection to tools. It got a nod and pass on.

   LikeLike

7. 

   I had no idea before or after the explanation.

   LikeLike

8. 

   Ah, thank you, Max (3). I guess “speedrunning” is a new word for racing, and I have no knowledge of obscure pop/rock bands.

   LikeLike

9. 

   Boise Ed – speedrunning is getting through a video game as quickly as you possibly can. I supposed you can consider it “racing” other gamers to see who can finish the fastest, but it certainly isn’t a race in the sense of a foot race.

   LikeLiked by 1 person

10. 

    Ah, thank you, TedD (9). That wasn’t the least bit clear from the comic

    LikeLike

11. 

    Like TedD did not get the references – and in my case did not know what speedrunning is either.

    (On the other hand the head/first bear of the den of Teddy bears and their friends who reside here is known to the other bears – and husband and myself – as Ted D. Bear Sr. for Theodore David Bear. He does have 3 sons named Ted D. Bear Jr., Ted D. Bear III, and of course Ted D. Bear IV – his wife is Tedette Bear. He was the first bear of my collection and enjoys his seniority in the den. ) Is TedD a relative of theirs by some chance? :-)

    LikeLike