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The Angel of Peas!

3 (3.9%)

Give peas a chance!

15 (19.5%)

Peas cannot be achieved through violence.

9 (11.7%)

Imagine whirled peas.

6 (7.8%)

A vision of peas with a Birdseye view.

3 (3.9%)

Peas on hurt; goodwill to all sentient beings.

5 (6.5%)

+5 soothe pain, -5 cause light frostbite.

9 (11.7%)

No justice - no peas.

5 (6.5%)

Peas porridge hot - no Earl Gray.

2 (2.6%)

Peas porridge cold - with a side of waffles.

6 (7.8%)

Space ham and peas?

3 (3.9%)

Can we peas stop the puns?

11 (14.3%)

Total Members Voted: 72

[Madmartigan]

Poor, Emily.  Sometimes you gotta know when to give a bad pun up before something like that happens.

[bhtooefr]

And Hanners was probably the single worst person in-comic to try that pun on.

(Claire at least got the pun, she just stole Emily's thunder there.)

And, count me in the "meh @ Emily" group.

[starkruzr]

Do people ever actually get ANGRY at bad puns? Ever? Or is that just a comic strip trope? 

[westrim]

Emily has poor impulse control and boundary issues. Raven alternately presented brilliance and utter ignorance. Emily =/= Raven

[CleoKat]

The last couple of comics with Emily as a major focus have really cemented why I don't like her character.

Emily appears to be thick headed a bit like Raven is some respects but while Raven had skills that suggested that she was actually an intelligent woman who has a naive streak a mile wide.

Emily thus far seems to be thick headed with no signs of any skills or useful traits in fact I think it will come out soon that she has a mental disorder or two to explain her level of chaos.

It's been a long time since I have last posted but Emily has finally got me riled up enough to come back and post. 

I posted (last week, I think) that I really wasn't enjoying Emily because she's lacking any form of depth. She's just 'zany' and this whole pun thing is really tedious.

A 'mental disorder' is not why she is like she is. I'd be careful of thinking in those terms that weird must equal a mental health/dysfunction issue because it reduces people to a diagnosis and not a person. I trust Jeph not to use that storyline because he's written characters with various disorders and anxiety issues so beautifully before.

I mainly think that Emily hasn't been fleshed out at all. Maybe she has got issues but right now, she's just 'ha ha, oh Emily, you kooky chick!' and that's it. I don't care about her at all, she's a throwaway (with a kickass haircut). I've been hoping that the little hints that Emily's struggled to make and keep friends might be elaborated on (she's gone from loner to a group without much of a reaction/adjustment/trouble), or she could talk about/use her degree (computing stuff?) or perhaps she could have a conversation with someone that isn't played for laughs but so far that hasn't happened. I've come to write-off Emily updates and I'm sad about that because Jeph seems to love her.   

Maybe the next update will be a Hanners and Emily moment where something real and tangible happens. Here's hoping.

[Lostdreams]

Decent pun, terrible character.

It's pretty hard to make that call at this point in time.  Though she's been comic relief in several strips, her character hasn't really gone anywhere yet.  Disappointingly, even through the party arc (at her own house!) she took a backseat to Claire, Hannelore, and even Marigold, and was never really visited except to establish that she has parents, a large house, and no other friends.  Until we see some depth added, she's left witha a very "Outdoors Pint-size" feel, though even Jeph has revealed a deeper side to Pint-size from time to time.

Ninja'd by last post    but I'm keeping it for the Pint-Size bit.

[Delator]

I mainly think that Emily hasn't been fleshed out at all. Maybe she has got issues but right now, she's just 'ha ha, oh Emily, you kooky chick!' and that's it. I don't care about her at all, she's a throwaway (with a kickass haircut). I've been hoping that the little hints that Emily's struggled to make and keep friends might be elaborated on (she's gone from loner to a group without much of a reaction/adjustment/trouble), or she could talk about/use her degree (computing stuff?) or perhaps she could have a conversation with someone that isn't played for laughs but so far that hasn't happened. I've come to write-off Emily updates and I'm sad about that because Jeph seems to love her.

You said basically everything I wanted to say.

I'm thankful for that, cause it saves me the effort.

*tips cap*

[KOK]

Do people ever actually get ANGRY at bad puns? Ever? Or is that just a comic strip trope? 

I don't see anyone getting angry at a pun here. Claire, seeing it coming, steals it. Hannelore just takes the statement at face value. No anger.

It is Emily, who started the whole thing, who gets angry with Claire for stealing her punchline.

[dunnright]

I see Joyce and Daisy.  Anyone else?

YES! I came here specifically to see if anyone else noticed Daisy, but I wasn't sure about the other girl. As soon as I saw you're post I said Yes! Joyce!

I did... I actually said that.....

[CleoKat]

Decent pun, terrible character.

It's pretty hard to make that call at this point in time.  Though she's been comic relief in several strips, her character hasn't really gone anywhere yet.  Disappointingly, even through the party arc (at her own house!) she took a backseat to Claire, Hannelore, and even Marigold, and was never really visited except to establish that she has parents, a large house, and no other friends.  Until we see some depth added, she's left witha a very "Outdoors Pint-size" feel, though even Jeph has revealed a deeper side to Pint-size from time to time.

Ninja'd by last post    but I'm keeping it for the Pint-Size bit.

Oooh, I've ninja'd someone, and I thought I was having a very unproductive day

The Pintsize comparison is really interesting. That strip happens to be one of my favourites as it touched one of a the squishier parts of my heart. Pintsize has a purpose, desires and hobbies (yes, some of them are porn but some of them are making snow Terminators, funny hats and Supa-Roombas etc) and many of his reactions are natural, like when he got upset at being left behind (god that was ages ago) All in all, he's a pretty awesome character.

Oh and @Delator Glad I could save you some effort  

[katsmeat]

Puns aside, she does at least seem to like peas for their own sake, giving the impression of possibly being a connoisseur of them ....

2330

[DrBear]

Emily aims to peas.

[MillionDollar Belt Sander]

Puns aside, she does at least seem to like peas for their own sake, giving the impression of possibly being a connoisseur of them ....

2330

Peas? 

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2340

[Zebediah]

While we were trawling the archives for every reference to peas that has ever occurred in the strip, did anyone think to get a count of other vegetable appearances so that we can do a statistical comparison? Over-analysis is nothing without numerical data.

 

[Sorflakne]

Maybe I'm dumb or something, but I really don't get the joke behind the peas.

[bryntheskits]

Puns aside, she does at least seem to like peas for their own sake, giving the impression of possibly being a connoisseur of them ....

2330

Peas? 

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2340

Totally didn't get the Fibonacci Sequence first time round, as a Math major I love this.

Maybe I'm dumb or something, but I really don't get the joke behind the peas.

It's just puns, lots and lots of puns.

[Loki]

To be fair, she really needs to try it with someone other than the two most enigmatic characters in the QC-verse, outside of an alcoholic hallucination or angry stand-in avian.

Raven is more enigmatic than Claire, imho.

Maybe she has got issues but right now, she's just 'ha ha, oh Emily, you kooky chick!' and that's it.

Yeah, except she has been shown

• to be at times socially clueless
• to have no social circle
• to cry (presumably at realizing she utterly failed to impress her only friends). Today.

I am not sure which of those spell "ha ha" to you.

Maybe I'm dumb or something, but I really don't get the joke behind the peas.

http://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,28913.msg1154040.html#msg1154040

[Pilchard123]

Mach major

You must learn really fast.

• to have no social circle
• to cry (presumably at realizing she utterly failed to impress her only friends). Today.

Found it.

[Method of Madness]

Mach major

You must learn really fast.

Sounds about right.

[Loki]

...that one took me a moment to understand.

[Pilchard123]

Ouch.

[Cheesasaurus]

As someone who also has a tendency to try and throw out very terrible puns every chance I get, I feel Emily's pain. From what I can gather from the story thus far, she's never really had friends before so I'm guessing she's not particularly clear as to how other people tick. I see this being the start of new Emily arc rather than just being simple comic relief.

[ankhtahr]

Pilchard, I'll say it again: sometimes you seem to work really hard on living up to your avatar   

I don't understand why so many people don't like Emily. She's still not really developed as a character, and I don't think she's simple-minded in any way. She's just very quirky and naive at times.

I personally look forward to more Emily strips. Maybe she even manages to become a recurring character after the internship, something I don't think will happen with Gabby. I doubt she will manage to get into the main cast, but I don't think she'll leave forever.

[bryntheskits]

Mach major

You must learn really fast.

Sounds about right.

Damn it, I knew drunk posting relevant stuff on this forum would be a bad idea.

[MillionDollar Belt Sander]

While we were trawling the archives for every reference to peas that has ever occurred in the strip, did anyone think to get a count of other vegetable appearances so that we can do a statistical comparison? Over-analysis is nothing without numerical data.

 

I got nothing better to do.  I'll get right on it.   

[cesium133]

While we were trawling the archives for every reference to peas that has ever occurred in the strip, did anyone think to get a count of other vegetable appearances so that we can do a statistical comparison? Over-analysis is nothing without numerical data.

 

I got nothing better to do.  I'll get right on it.

Just remember that the peaches are not ripe.

[Method of Madness]

Whoa, who said anything about fruit?

[CleoKat]

Maybe she has got issues but right now, she's just 'ha ha, oh Emily, you kooky chick!' and that's it.

Yeah, except she has been shown

• to be at times socially clueless
• to have no social circle
• to cry (presumably at realizing she utterly failed to impress her only friends). Today.

I am not sure which of those spell "ha ha" to you.

So this is the point where I whip out links to prove things, right? I'm on a break so I'll do a few. This means you have to bring out the links too though 

Exhibit A: 2298 This is where we find out that Emily has no other friends coming which for me personally would be quite a vulnerable moment (actually, quite close to home for me) and Emily says "I like greem peperth!"

Exhibit B: 2300 When she accidently gives Hannelore tanning lotion her response is her usual obliviousness played for laughs.

Exhibit C: 2282 I suppose this is an example of socially awkward Emily making Claire feel uncomfortable for a moment as she doesn't know if Emily's really annoyed being played for laughs. This isn't me pointing out things that are wrong or should have been done differently but that Emily is generally joke-fodder (QC is generally is a hybrid joke-a-day/slice of life comic so I'm keeping my expectations in check but when you have characters like Hanners, Faye and Marigold I know that Jeph can balance a character with humour). In the next strip 2283 she has a discussion with Momo about her having an 'owner' and that ends up being about Emily wanting to be a toaster with Momo looking a little perturbed.

Exhibit D: (I'm reading the Momo and Emily convo if you haven't guessed already) 2284 Emily's a computer science major who spent all of AI 101 looking at cat gifs. Oh Emily, she's such a kook!

Ok, I'm running out of time but can you see where I'm coming from yet? Yes she's been shown to be socially clueless and awkward but my complaint is that these facets haven't been fleshed out and are treated in a superficial way. That's fine if Emily crops up only every now and then (I loved her giggling at Tai's hair for example) but she's pretty regular and I either want less of this Emily or more depth. As for her crying today well I guess we'll see how tomorrow plays out but I don't really sense that this is a big moment for Emily's character but more to do with a comedic overreaction.

Whoa, time is up for me. God those links better work, if they don't I'll fix them later. I hope that makes where I'm coming from a bit clearer. We're all going to have characters that don't hit the spot and internet forums to let strangers know how we feel

[Loki]

Woha. I am still not sure if you managed to change my mind, but I definitely tip my imaginary hat to commend your effort. (I need a real hat.)

And yes, I would like to see more depth to Emily too. I really hope the current developments will introduce that.

I was just opposing the notion that she is only played for laughs. I think she is... kind of a sad character, much like Faye pre-500.

And shit, I really felt shitty for a moment for wanting Jeph to use Emily's angst for character development. My brain was like "Dude, you are wishing for someone to suffer just for advancement of 'plot'. You are bad and you should feel bad.' Then my brain was like "Dude. She is fictional. She is not actually hurt. No need to feel bad about it."

[cesium133]

Woha. I am still not sure if you managed to change my mind, but I definitely tip my imaginary hat to commend your effort. (I need a real hat.)

I've been thinking of getting a cowboy hat. I feel like I don't fit in in this part of the country without one.

[Is it cold in here?]

Is it sad that I feel sad for a fictional character?

Isn't that what fiction is for, so we can share the experiences of the fictional characters?

Say this out loud and you'll realize why you should never use this pun again.

It probably sounds pretty matter-of-fact to someone who works at a hospital.

While we were trawling the archives for every reference to peas that has ever occurred in the strip, did anyone think to get a count of other vegetable appearances so that we can do a statistical comparison? Over-analysis is nothing without numerical data.

If there's a prize for nerdiness, I think you could win it by adding a "Vegetables in Questionable Content" entry to the wiki.

Maybe I'm dumb or something, but I really don't get the joke behind the peas.

The original in-comic pun depends on a cultural reference. If you're wondering why the rest of us are running with it, it's just one of those group fun things.

I don't feel like I fit in in this part of the country

Get a hat from the National Restaurant Association. You'll fit in fine with an NRA hat.

[CleoKat]

Woha. I am still not sure if you managed to change my mind, but I definitely tip my imaginary hat to commend your effort. (I need a real hat.)

And yes, I would like to see more depth to Emily too. I really hope the current developments will introduce that.

I was just opposing the notion that she is only played for laughs. I think she is... kind of a sad character, much like Faye pre-500.

And shit, I really felt shitty for a moment for wanting Jeph to use Emily's angst for character development. My brain was like "Dude, you are wishing for someone to suffer just for advancement of 'plot'. You are bad and you should feel bad.' Then my brain was like "Dude. She is fictional. She is not actually hurt. No need to feel bad about it."

I can see the potential for her to be a sad character, she's got the building blocks for it, but I don't think it's been meaningfully realised in canon (in the canon? I'm never sure how to use the word canon). Pre-500 Faye was so much more, sarcastic, confusing, complex, funny, emotional yet so guarded, there were many colours to pre-500 Faye (and post-500). I think I'd struggle to list that many character traits for Emily and think of moments or a string of comics where those traits were touched on.

You're definitely not a bad person for wanting a little angst, it's a good tool for character development if it's been incorporated in a manner that feels integrated to that person and not tacked on. There's lots of ways to develop a character but for my self purposes as a greedy devourer of QC, subtle angst is one of my favourites. Other favourite include 'Career Development' (I love stories where Faye is working on her art or Marten's doing band stuff. Dammit Marten, do more band stuff! I love drumming Hanners so much!) 'Friendship building' (Hanners and Marigold WoW, Marten and Claire, Dora telling Faye to do something) and 'Subtle romances' (Marigold... someone likes yoooo)

I'm so wired right now (you can tell by how many brackets I use. I practically speak like this when I need sleep badly) so I'll stop rambling and post this. I haven't given up on Emily, I figure I should give it a year in real world time considering the pace of QC, but she ain't winning my heart at the moment.

Also, you should definitely get a hat asap.

[Mad Cat]

To be fair, she really needs to try it with someone other than the two most enigmatic characters in the QC-verse, outside of an alcoholic hallucination or angry stand-in avian.

Raven is more enigmatic than Claire, imho.

I'll buy that for a dollar.

[JohnTheWysard]

Do people ever actually get ANGRY at bad puns? Ever? Or is that just a comic strip trope? 

Umm...

Yes.

I'm an inveterate (not to be confused with an invertebrate) punster, and I've gotten annoyed and even angry reactions when I make a pun in an inappropriate context.

Then there was the time at the party where the other folks got so angry they locked me in a closet and said they wouldn't let me out until I made a pun on the situation. I immediately cried out "Oh! Pun the door!"

[tassaron]

I don't dislike Emily, she just doesn't appeal to my sense of humour much. Ergo she's sort of boring since her sole purpose seems to be comic relief.

[Is it cold in here?]

Even Pintsize has figured out that being wacky eventually loses its entertainment value.

[jwhouk]

"Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains."

- Some guy named Solomon.

[mtmerrick]

huh. who is that guys? He's obviously pretty smart, but i don't think he's anyone anyone here has ever heard of [/s]

[Sorflakne]

Maybe I'm dumb or something, but I really don't get the joke behind the peas.

http://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,28913.msg1154040.html#msg1154040
[/quote]
Ah, a tomato-tomato pronunciation thing then, as I've always heard "peas" pronounced as "peezz", not as "peace" with the stop (can't remember what it's called)  in the middle of the S sound.

[Method of Madness]

Well, yeah, you can hear the difference, if they sounded exactly alike it wouldn't be funny. I've never heard "peas" pronounced like "peace".

[mtmerrick]

It's not as much of a mispronounciation of peas,  as much as people slurring peace.

[Storel]

Ah, a tomato-tomato pronunciation thing then, as I've always heard "peas" pronounced as "peezz", not as "peace" with the stop (can't remember what it's called)  in the middle of the S sound.

No, we pronounce them differently too, but they're close enough for the pun to work.

Peas = "peeze"
Peace = "peece"

But if you've never heard the phrase "give peace a chance" then it could be hard to get the pun, so it's probably more of a difference in pop culture than a difference in pronunciation.

[westrim]

All we are saying is, give peas a chance (to sound kinda sorta like peace. There's a reason it's a bad pun).

[Method of Madness]

it's a bad pun

(Heard it in my head after I saw your post, had to find it)

[willpell]

This is proving to be a rather surreal week, even by QC standards....

[Method of Madness]

Still one more!

[Masterpiece]

But if you've never heard the phrase "give peace a chance" then it could be hard to get the pun, so it's probably more of a difference in pop culture than a difference in pronunciation.

I'd never cared much about John in his post-Yoko period.

[westrim]

it's a bad pun

(Heard it in my head after I saw your post, had to find it)

Bad in the objective, not a perfect homophone sense. But yeah, whatever Dude (I only finally saw that movie about a month ago, so many references I finally get).

[Kugai]

For Emily, this entire pun has gone to peaces

[Sidhekin]

But if you've never heard the phrase "give peace a chance" then it could be hard to get the pun, so it's probably more of a difference in pop culture than a difference in pronunciation.

I'd never cared much about John in his post-Yoko period.

Post-Yoko?!

As in, after December 8th, 1980?

Yeah, I don't care much either.  But what does that have to do with "give peace a chance"?