As any seasoned Discord crusader would be well familiar with, quotes taken out of context are one of the most compelling, sophisticated and timeless manners of humourous delight known to humanity. There are few activities as invigorating as imagining a friend collapsing in , nor are there many problems that incite as much thought as contemplating a quote’s context.1
Yet out-of-context quotes are more than just a mere joke. It is an art form.2 Capturing a hearty hair-tearing quote is no different to filming the stars or writing a beautiful integral. It is an enduringly creative endeavour, and unlock an insight into their capturer as much as they do the author. They lay bare the very nature of society as a timeless emblem of modern internet humour, and above all, underscore the cruciality of context – arguably one of the most aspects of language.3
The Game
The exceeding majority of out-of-context quotes are sexual in nature or implications. This is surely a symptom of the internet and its natural gravitation toward humour of this variety. It is immature, it is crude, but it also so damn funny.
| It was so long and hard man. |
| Figure 1. Instance of an out-of-context quote. |
The Unspoken Rules
The game of extcontext rests upon a set of unspoken but paramount axioms. These are the very heart of the game, and without them its character is shattered like glass on a phone screen.
Never provide more than is necessary
Less is more. The concentration, or density, of hilarity packed into a single screenshot is
Never take quotes seriously
As a receiver of out-of-context quotes, do not let their content permanently warp your perception of their author. The game of extcontext is played in good humour. If one insists, the content in quotes should always be assumed sufficiently justifiable, no matter how outlandish or outrageous it would seem. Quotes are not shared to defame or expose (though this can be, and often is, jokingly posited as the intent), but for sh*ts and giggles.
Never leak the context
Even for the absolute worst. Quotes which seem like no context could possibly justify them.
This is the most vital law of the game, which must be upheld at all costs. Leaking the context is like dissecting a frog: you may finally see the insides of the frog, but it dies – and with it, the entire game is rendered null. One case sets a precedent for future cases, and it becomes increasingly difficult to justify hiding context for future quotes.
As a receiver it is one’s duty to accept the quote without its context, and to inquire about it with the intention of obtaining context is the highest treason.4
Context is Everything
The game of extcontext vividly reveals the importance of context.
Even in the apparent absence of context, it is still there – one just has to look further. Out-of-context quotes are shared under the appreciation that they are, indeed, out-of-context quotes.