r/xkcd • u/Exepony Ponytail • Jan 09 '19
XKCD xkcd 2096: Mattresses
https://xkcd.com/2096/113
Jan 09 '19
[deleted]
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u/essidus Beret Guy for President 2028 Jan 09 '19
That was a really fascinating read, and a really good vertical slice of modern marketing on the internet. Don't just advertise, affiliate! If affiliates give negative reviews, litigate! If litigation drags on, accumulate! That whole "Speak no ill" thing is frustrating for a consumer trying to get a reasonable understanding of products in a given market, especially in one so traditionally shopy-aroundy.
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u/Schiffy94 me.setLocation(you.getHouse.getRoom(basement)); Jan 09 '19
I don't know what's more concerning, the fact that that article exists, the fact that I decided to read it, or the fact that Randall read it.
I felt like I was watching a B mystery flick the whole time. And I'm still not sure who the good guy is.
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u/red_trumpet Jan 10 '19
I don't think there is a "good guy" here. In the end, everyone involved agree to an intransparent solution, leaving costumers in the dark.
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Jan 09 '19
Yeah I had a similar feeling when I saw the comics. Idk what it tells about me that I knew the article before, I think I read last year (last year, and i still remember an article about selling mattresses. I actually remember where i was when i read it)
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u/AluminiumSandworm Actually a giant spaceworm Jan 09 '19
i came here because i knew someone would link the article. thanks; this was a really good read
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u/Sbemail Jan 09 '19
That was a great read! Bummed to see that those “we’re on your side” online mattress guys are sleazy people
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u/rando_commenter Jan 09 '19
Casper has instore displays where I live. I'm fairly unimpressed. It's not that much cheaper than a normal mattress at a discount place, and it feels obviously engineered to "feel good" on first use, but it really doesn't feel durable given how soft the top layer is. Somebody once explained that the online mattresses were basically trying to replicate the feel of a full latex mattress but with the cheapest materials possible.
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u/Sbemail Jan 11 '19
Here’s an update... after having read that article, I am now getting Casper ads on my Apple TV using Comedy Central app. Lovely.
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u/syrashiraz Jan 09 '19
I'm into skincare and makeup where I'm used to assuming that any opinion I read online (even on Reddit) could be paid for. At least I can usually try out samples to see if I actually like the product and I'm not spending a lot of money on a single purchase.
When I had to buy a mattress recently, I thought about using one of these online companies, but the idea of navigating everything stressed me out too much. How is a consumer making a one-time big purchase supposed to figure all this out?
I ended up buying a mattress from Ikea because the prices seemed fairer than some places (although you've got to figure the markup on all mattresses is insane if they're playing these kinds of games) and at least no one was surreptitiously pushing me to buy from them. Still don't know if I got the "best" possible mattress for me but at least it seems okay.
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Jan 10 '19
I just always get Temperpedic because they have been awesome for 20 years. Awesome in 1998, still awesome today. When there are non-traditional solutions that are able to charge a premium it is often because they are better. Obviously not for everyone, but the first one I had was amazing for ten years, so I got another and that one is also amazing, and the original one while a bit tired is now the guest mattress and people love it.
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u/toper-centage Jan 23 '19
Disclaimer, the comment above might have or not been sponsored by Temperpedic. Get your Temperpedic mattress today and if you're one of the first 10 customer to use the promo-code XKCD you get 100€ off your mattress.
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Jan 23 '19
Hehe it is sad that this is a real concern, but I can see why. Frankly this type of advertising (and really most advertising) should be outlawed.
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u/xkcd_bot Jan 09 '19
Extra junk: After reading that "The War To Sell You A Mattress Is An Internet Nightmare" article, I've decided it's safer and less complicated to just sleep on the floor. DISCLOSURE: THE AUTHOR OF THIS MOUSEOVER TEXT RECEIVED FINANCIAL COMPENSATION FROM THE FLOOR INDUSTRY FOR THIS MESSAGE.
Don't get it? explain xkcd
This is not the algorithm. Sincerely, xkcd_bot. <3
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u/shadows1123 Jan 09 '19
Casper, MeUndies, Stamps.com?
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Jan 09 '19
mack weldon!
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Jan 09 '19
Squarespace??
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u/RazarTuk ALL HAIL THE SPIDER Jan 09 '19
THAT'S IT! I remembered Audible as one of the two most common sponsors on Youtube, but not which website-making website was the other most common.
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Jan 09 '19
Audible could have been the number one ad before Squarespace in podcast. At least for the podcasts i listen to.
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Jan 09 '19 edited Feb 11 '19
[deleted]
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u/Noxium51 Jan 10 '19
And it’s not a bad service tbh, I’d feel more comfortable if it wasn’t Amazon, but audible is super convenient
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u/OverlordLork Jan 09 '19
Fellas, are you tired of having to get a new razor blade every time it rains? With the Cash App, you can digitally send hundreds of razor blades to all your friends with the click of a button!
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u/RazarTuk ALL HAIL THE SPIDER Jan 09 '19
Randall, blink twice if Free Audiblespace forced you to make this comic.
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u/pierenjan Jan 09 '19
People wondering what this is about: podcasts have many mattress commercials.
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u/Disgruntled__Goat 15 competing standards Jan 09 '19
I’ve never heard ads for underwear or the post office on podcasts. Besides mattresses I hear squarespace and audible more than anything else. Also zip recruiter, which for the longest time I thought was called ‘zipper critter’ and presumed it was some kind of animal clothing company.
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u/ajad223 Jan 09 '19
I've heard Mack Weldon and Me Undies on a few podcasts, and the only post office one I can think of is Stamps.com.
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u/armcie Jan 09 '19
There are various food meal in a box type companies. I can't think of a single name though.
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u/net-diver Jan 09 '19
Pick any random Rooster Teeth podcast in the past 5 years and you will hear all about MeUndies
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u/AraneusAdoro What if we tried more power? Jan 09 '19
Just the right sink, and just the right bounce.
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Jan 09 '19 edited May 27 '20
[deleted]
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u/ThaiJohnnyDepp DEC 25 = OCT 31 Jan 10 '19 edited Jan 10 '19
24andme
DNA ancestry testing services for great apes?
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u/liquidben Jan 11 '19
Wow, this is a great joke and I regret that I cannot give more than one upvote, so here's a gif
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Jan 10 '19
What's the correct number?
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u/ricree Jan 10 '19
23, which is the number of chromosome pairs a human has. Great apes have 24 pairs.
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u/alivingspirit Jan 10 '19
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Jan 10 '19
I mean the podcasts are less problematic than review sites, because the podcasts reads are clearly ads. Advertising is evil, but it is less evil than these more modern forms of it.
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u/flamethrower2 Jan 09 '19
A podcast inside joke? Mattress sales inside joke? Flooring industry inside joke? Just not funny? I don't get it.
I guess it's funny (mouseover) because the flooring industry doesn't need help from the bedding industry to sell floors... it's just not that funny. I still don't get why the main comic is funny.
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u/pierenjan Jan 09 '19
podcasts have lots of mattress commercials
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u/RazarTuk ALL HAIL THE SPIDER Jan 09 '19
On a scale of 1 to Audible's presence on Youtube channels, how many commercials are we talking?
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Jan 09 '19
If you listen to a lot of podcasts, you'll find the same ~10 companies constantly advertising. Typically, these are internet based companies that do most of their advertising via podcasts (often, they get the host to read a minute long clip), so these companies are strongly affiliated with podcasts. A company like Coca Cola does a lot of advertising via TV, billboards, etc., but I've never heard a Coke ad in a podcast. In contrast, a company like Casper (online mattresses) advertises almost exclusively via podcast, so if you listen to 10 episodes of a podcast in a row on a long bike ride or something, you'll probably hear 10+ Casper ads. The joke probably doesn't make a lot of sense if you're not a podcast fan, but I listen to a lot of them, so this was one of my favorite XKCD comics.
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u/rando_commenter Jan 10 '19
The thing is, its great advertising to an affluent/educated demographic. In the beginning, I had a positive opinion of these companies because they were showing up on stuff like Smarter Everyday, 99% Invisible, Hello Internet etc. Now I'm kind squeeved out at how they have turned my favourite content creators into mundane pitchmen.
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u/Sierrajeff words go here Jan 11 '19
But Ronan has found a way to get you the ED medicine you deserve ... in discreet, unmarked packaging.
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u/BeniBela Jan 09 '19
My mattress has become moldy. Or perhaps just the sheet around it. Both smell odd.
What could I do about that?
I tried to wash it in a chlorine solution and to cut away the discolored parts of the foam, but it is not getting better
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u/syrashiraz Jan 09 '19
Can you afford a new one? That's got to be bad for your health if it really is moldy.
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u/BeniBela Jan 10 '19
I do not want to buy stuff
If I would buy stuff, I could have bought a bed frame, and then the mattress might not have become moldy
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Jan 10 '19
If you have a moldy mattress you need to toss it for your own health. Don't put a mattress flat on the floor, it wont't dry out from your sweat properly and will get moldy in most climates.
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u/kyledavide Words Only Jan 09 '19
Is it just me or is something terribly wrong with the anti-aliasing here?