Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT 15-19 November 2010 (1796-1800)
mickcheese:
Martin's been letting his frustrations build up for a long time and he exploded about a relatively minor indiscretion. If he'd taken the time to actually talk to Dora about his frustration after the last fight they could have avoided this escalation.
As for Dora, her reaction to his overreaction is too dramatic and a bit silly. Fights happen in relationships, and when they get bad hurtful things are said. Take a timeout, go cool off, but that's certainly not "it then".
I hope this arc ends with Martin realizing that being a nice guy doesn't mean ignoring problems and repressing your anger until it explodes and Dora (and half the forum) realizing that the Sword of Damocles isn't hanging over their relationship just waiting for the first chance to end things.
Mayhem:
--- Quote from: Soluzar on 15 Nov 2010, 18:54 ---I don't hate Dora. I think she's a necessary character in the wider QC story, and when she's doing what she does best, she's awesome. Thing is, what she does best isn't dating Marten. It's running the coffee shop with flair and sass. She also needs to stop meddling in the lives of her friends. Even if she has the very best of intentions, she doesn't have the right to tell Hannelore, Faye, Sven or anyone else who they should be fucking, taking on pseudo-dates or otherwise romantically interacting with. Everyone in this strip is an adult, and Dora just isn't that much more mature that she gets to play matriarch. I do give her credit for running a moderately successful business, but that doesn't translate to being an all-round expert on other people's lives.
Especially when her own is only saved from being an emotional trainwreck because she has the most understanding boyfriend ever.
Or should that be had?
Contrary to how all the above might sound, I really don't hate Dora. I just think she should learn to concern herself less with the lives of others, and I also don't believe she's a match for Marten. She's really just suited to being his good friend. Unfortunately it often so happens that when a relationship fails with an acrimonious breakup, the process has poisoned the well of friendship by way of collateral damage.
I don't honestly recall when Marten ever expressed a particular interest in her. Seems to me like he's expressed his interest in Faye and (way back when) in Sara, but not in Dora. I'm frantically plundering the archive right now in order to prove myself wrong, because I don't want to make unsubstantiated assertions, but I fail to see anything that proves Marten is attracted to her. If that's really the case, then maybe they should have stayed friends instead of dating, because I'm pretty sure that's all Marten really ever saw her as... a friend. It's not so unlikely that Marten decided just coast along in a relationship, going with it because it is easy and convenient rather than because he really cares for her in that way.
Comic #564 is the start of their relationship, and the closest I can see to Marten being interested is that he 'kinda doesn't mind' when Dora presses herself against him. For the next few comics he's kinda-sorta-maybe into it, but mostly just in a lukewarm way. Dora is the one who is really into it, and Dora is the one making all the running. I can understand entirely if Marten eventually developed feelings of attachment, because the longer a relationship goes on, the less you want it to end... but still it seems like the flame never burned all that brightly to me. Aside from anything else, a man attracted to Faye probably doesn't find all that much appeal in Dora physically.
I will be glad if this means they are ending it. I just hope Marten has the backbone to say to her that it just isn't working out for him anymore. Whether that means Faye breaks off her nascent relationship with Angus, or not... it's for the best that Marten not be with someone he isn't into. Maybe he'll end up with Marigold, and Tai will end up with Dora. That way everyone can be happy... except Sven. Poor Sven...
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Honestly, when I read the comic the first time, I really did think Marten was into her. For a while before they started dating.
Soluzar:
--- Quote from: tughluq on 15 Nov 2010, 19:12 ---
--- Quote from: Soluzar on 15 Nov 2010, 18:54 ---Aside from anything else, a man attracted to Faye probably doesn't find all that much appeal in Dora physically.
--- End quote ---
I'd like to think that, as a character, Marten's not that one dimensional. Most real people have pretty diverse taste in attractiveness.
--- End quote ---
I guess maybe I'm not that real. My current girlfriend vaguely resembles my first ever crush. She isn't the only one I've dated or crushed on since that first one who fit a fairly recognisable template. It wasn't intentional, I'm just hard-wired for a fairly narrow range of characteristics. Obviously that isn't the only thing I like about the girls I date, but I just don't get that initial spark of interest in people who don't check the boxes.
--- Quote from: MillionDollar Belt Sander on 15 Nov 2010, 19:17 ---For years I dated only extra-busty redheads because that's what I liked. I married a tallish skinny Korean chick because that's who I fell in love with.
No regrets. And she's much less violent than those redheads. ;)
--- End quote ---
Glad it worked out for ya, but I'm just not wired that way. Physical attributes aren't the most important thing, but I just don't seem to notice girls who don't fit the template in 'that way'. They get automatically friend zoned by my brain, it's like a reflex or something. It seems to be working out for me. Hopefully I won't need to go looking again any time soon.
tbones:
--- Quote from: rje on 15 Nov 2010, 18:32 ---Ehhhh that so did not look or sound like an actual apology to me - did it really, to you? It sounded like one of those 'I'm sorry you were offended' non-apology apologies. I mean she even said 'I didn't think it was any big deal' with this look on her face that would make it sound to me like 'I don't think IT SHOULD BE a big deal'
Well I'm sorry, you don't get to decide that, S.O. - I do.
Her reaction is just about the opposite of what it should be. I really hope that's her being defensive because she knows she fucked up and she can't deal with it - that doesn't make me like her behavior any more, but it's better than her being absolutely clueless about her mistake. Willfully so, even.
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that was just the heat of the discussion. Someone posted earlier the 3 (although there should be some more) rules for a relationship fights, and the third one was to let the anger cool down... they were both angry and they were shouting stupidity to each other.
I mean really, a (aparently) break up ONLY 'cause Dora look on Marten's porn? think about it, that's just silly.
Soluzar:
--- Quote from: tbones on 15 Nov 2010, 19:24 ---I mean really, a (aparently) break up ONLY 'cause Dora look on Marten's porn? think about it, that's just silly.
--- End quote ---
That would be silly, but it's just the trigger. They both want out.
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