Explain SMBC — the wiki for Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

variation

2026-01-08 View on smbc-comics.com → 1 revision
variation
Votey panel for variation
This explanation is incomplete or may contain errors. It was generated by AI and has not yet been reviewed by a human editor.

Explanation

A businessman proudly announces to colleagues: "Thanks to new customization technology, we can offer our customers real variety in every single purchase!" A woman responds: "You're fired. You know that, right?"

The bottom caption reveals: "Nobody liked my idea of making OCD meds all be slightly different sizes."

The humor lies in the spectacular mismatch between "customization" as a business buzzword and the specific product being customized. OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) is a mental health condition often characterized by a need for order, symmetry, and consistency. Many people with OCD are distressed by things that are irregular or not uniform.

Making OCD medication pills come in slightly different sizes would be uniquely cruel to the exact population taking them -- people who are specifically bothered by inconsistency and irregularity. The "variety" and "customization" that might be a selling point for almost any other product becomes a source of distress for this particular customer base.

The joke works because it takes the corporate enthusiasm for product differentiation and "disruption" to its most counterproductive possible application. It also plays on the common misunderstanding of OCD as merely being "particular" about things, while also acknowledging the real distress that irregularity can cause people with the condition. The woman's deadpan "You're fired" response underscores just how obviously terrible the idea is to everyone except the oblivious presenter.

View History (1) Original Comic
← Previous Comic Next Comic →