Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT 29 Nov-3 Dec (1806-1810)
tbones:
Tasmanian devil's growl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU44KwIfBXM
Wolverine's growl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2JUv9QsE6o <- seconds 2 to 5 :P
Boy youtube has a video of everything!!!
...well everthing besides porn :/
Wiregeek:
--- Quote --- "IGNORE ME AT YOUR PERIL, DORA BIANCHI."
--- End quote ---
I read that as 'Ignore meat at your peril', which has a whole different connotation.
Teletheus:
--- Quote from: sidpatt on 01 Dec 2010, 02:29 ---I realize I might be offending some here, and if that's the case, you're more than free to educate me. But to me, therapy when triggered by something like a breakup or other "common" occurrences is an easy or lazy way out. It's saying, hey, none of us want to help you work through this, go talk about it with someone else.
--- End quote ---
I'm really, really having trouble figuring out how someone could say that seeing a therapist is an "easy or lazy way out." I just can't wrap my head around it.
When you're sick, you don't go to your friend who's an amateur nutritionist/physical trainer (i.e., s/he eats well and works out regularly). When you're building a house, you don't go to your friend who put together a table from Ikea last weekend.
If you're only dealing with minor problems, then sure, maybe talking things through with your friends can be enough -- but even then, you shouldn't be faulted for going to someone who's a professional and has specialized training in how to work through them. Dora isn't dealing with minor problems, either.
DJRubberducky:
--- Quote from: sidpatt on 01 Dec 2010, 02:29 ---But to me, therapy when triggered by something like a breakup or other "common" occurrences is an easy or lazy way out. It's saying, hey, none of us want to help you work through this, go talk about it with someone else.
Sure, Dora has "issues." I guess this is my own way of saying, I still don't really buy that line of reasoning, as I don't think we've seen a lot more than Dora's insecurities with Marten, and maybe we'll see more if we go in to therapy with her, and it might be a really good piece of character development on Jeph's part (or maybe she'll just bang her therapist).
--- End quote ---
In my opinion, one of the main reasons that you "don't get it" is that you *are* relatively well-adjusted. I'm not offended by your remarks, as you apparently feared, but they are to me indicative of someone who has never been in Dora's or my position. This is not a bad thing; I envy you. But since you wanted education, here ya go. :laugh:
Okay, I'll be nice - the TL; DR version is that IMO Dora is too insecure for her friends to be any effective help.
I've read ahead in the thread before coming back to this, so I know some of this will be an echo or rhyme of what has already been said, but I offer the following analysis and speculation anyway because it's unique in that it's based on my own experiences:
* The first and obvious assertion I must make is that Dora's insecurities run much deeper and touch much more of her life than anything which could be "gotten out of one's system" merely by "venting". While this may be 'cause they happened to her at a time when she couldn't or wouldn't seek someone out to talk to, and while it may be that if she'd had the strong circle of friends that you do she wouldn't have ever been in this place, that doesn't help now. She's beyond what friends can do for her, and I'd suggest you continue to treat your friends as well as you possibly can if they're keeping you from getting to that point.
* It's been established that Dora has insecurity based on how people in her past have treated her. What's especially relevant is that in her past, people have pretended to be her friend because she had something they wanted (her brother Sven). Now, she seems to be pretty functional when it comes to handling friendships, but it wouldn't surprise me if her memories of these "frie-tenders" make her hesitate to really confide insecurities to the people she currently calls friends - she may not want to risk finding out that one or more of them are less sincere than she'd like to believe.
* Further complicating matters is the observation that everyone whom we've observed as being one of Dora's friends has also been or become friends with *Marten*. Marten's lucky in that he at least has Steve - I don't expect Steve to be any huge font of wisdom any time soon, but at least Marten does have someone to whom he can lament without that person having to feel like they're taking sides. I personally believe it's *rude* to put someone in that position, and once when my husband and I were in a bad place I ended up calling a friend four states away, with whom I hadn't spoken in years, because he was one of my few remaining non-mutual friends. And even if Dora doesn't think it's rude like I do, I wouldn't be surprised if she'd be afraid to put someone in that position and find out the hard way they're not on her side (sort of rhyming with my previous point there).
* Again because of Dora's insecurities, I believe it'd be a *really* bad idea to expect one of her friends to be an effective counselor because one thing a counselor needs to do for you sometimes is be "tough" and say things that you may not want to (or be ready to) hear. Now, clearly someone like Faye has no problem speaking her mind on things, but if *Faye* speaks uncomfortable truth to Dora, Dora can justify not listening by saying something like "she's just saying that because she wants my man". The super-huge benefit of paying a professional in this case is that aside from the occasional risk of brainwashery or sex-slavery, you can rest assured that the counselor has no ulterior motives for saying what s/he's saying. Even more so because of their practice of never recommending themselves for somebody if you say "a friend of mine wants to start coming to therapy" - there's no danger that your next session is being colored by what your friend possibly said about you in their previous session.
* Similarly, it's occasionally noticed (and often lamented) that people will just in general take a statement more seriously if it comes from someone outside the situation. I know my high school choir teacher always got frustrated because she'd tell us something and we'd blow her off, but then the adjudicators at the competitions would say the same thing and suddenly we'd listen.
* Moreover, this is just one example of how people will automatically think something is (more) valuable if they had to pay (more) for it. Even if Faye could help Dora through her insecurities - even if we never see the counselor say anything that Faye couldn't have thought of - Dora may progress faster just because she takes it more seriously since she's paying someone to tell her this stuff.
I feel the need to say again that I can understand why you would be confused by the whole "go see a shrink already!" attitude. And frankly, if I had someone recommend therapy to me who had never themselves been for any reason, I would be similarly wary. But I have benefited from therapy, I still *am*, and I've even found that I benefit from low-dose medication - something to which I was EXTREMELY resistant for YEARS. So, speaking as someone who's been there, and as someone who's had to have the friends (figuratively) shove her kicking and screaming to get professional assistance...sometimes it's not just the best way to get through your issues; it's sometimes the only way.
By the way, hi. Long-time reader, first-time poster. Sorry to start my Serious Pony career with such a wall of text.
The Duke:
--- Quote from: iduguphergrave on 01 Dec 2010, 06:35 ---I like how in the second-to-last panel Faye's teeth aren't bared, implying that that "rrrrRRR" sound is coming from deep in her throat, which is way scarier. I imagine that sound to be something like a wolverine, or a Tasmanian devil.
--- End quote ---
Or like Adam Baldwin does as John Casey from Chuck.
That show has totally jumped the shark but damn can that guy do a hell of a menacing growl.
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