Was it meant to be funny or meant to lampshade a problem?
IMO it was meant to lampshade
But again: not all comics are meant to be funny. Webcomics or otherwise. There’s a MASSIVE swathe of genres in all forms of media and creators are free to dance all over the genres as they wish.
“0/5 - Not funny. This is a COMIC therefore it is supposed to be comedic in nature.” It’s what you (and many others in this comment section) sound like right now.
To lampshade (or lampshading) as a verb means to intentionally call attention to an improbable, clichéd, or absurd element in a story to neutralize audience disbelief.
Most users on Reddit agree that the term comes from the metaphor of “hanging a lampshade” on something—making an awkward or glaring object even more conspicuous rather than trying to hide it.
The term has existed for a long long time and the concept behind the term even longer
If you wanna read more about the concept and see a nice list of examples in fiction over the years here’s a link to the TVTropes page on lampshading. Be warned though, TVTropes is a rabbit hole of learning about media tropes that can be like getting trapped in the gravity well of a star. Great adventures can be had, but your sleep schedule is likely to fall victim to it.
The birds will be chirping to the dawn and you’ll be wondering why you’re on a page about a show that you’ve never heard of learning the tropes it shares in common with works of fiction older than the country you live in.
10/10 - bring a warm drink, a soft blanket, and some cozy socks. It’s gonna be a wild ride.
Was it meant to be funny or meant to lampshade a problem?
IMO it was meant to lampshade
But again: not all comics are meant to be funny. Webcomics or otherwise. There’s a MASSIVE swathe of genres in all forms of media and creators are free to dance all over the genres as they wish.
“0/5 - Not funny. This is a COMIC therefore it is supposed to be comedic in nature.” It’s what you (and many others in this comment section) sound like right now.
TIL
The term has existed for a long long time and the concept behind the term even longer
If you wanna read more about the concept and see a nice list of examples in fiction over the years here’s a link to the TVTropes page on lampshading. Be warned though, TVTropes is a rabbit hole of learning about media tropes that can be like getting trapped in the gravity well of a star. Great adventures can be had, but your sleep schedule is likely to fall victim to it.
The birds will be chirping to the dawn and you’ll be wondering why you’re on a page about a show that you’ve never heard of learning the tropes it shares in common with works of fiction older than the country you live in.
10/10 - bring a warm drink, a soft blanket, and some cozy socks. It’s gonna be a wild ride.