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Tattoo (whilst drunk)

4 (6.8%)

Old tattoo

1 (1.7%)

Tattoo (whilst sober) because Emily insisted

14 (23.7%)

Burn

15 (25.4%)

Damn, Emily is FAST with that felt-tip!

11 (18.6%)

Robo-Hand's recharge socket (hey, it's an older model, okay?)

5 (8.5%)

Pattern on Clinton's flesh-coloured body stocking

9 (15.3%)

Total Members Voted: 54

Voting closed: 08 Apr 2015, 06:50

[Truec]

So it was a tattoo. Damn, I stand corrected. Might as well disguise my scar with a tattoo.

I saw pictures earlier of a guy who had a big splotchy birth mark outlined so it looked like a fantasy world map.

[tywren]

Ok, i'm going to make an early prediction. Once we're done with the date flashback, we're going to see the wrap up with Clinton talking to Claire, and or Marten, and it's goi8ng to be pointed out how well the date actually went, and that Clinton was just too busy worrying to enjoy it.

Clare tells him how the hair cut really works for him, Martin explains that a tattoo should be a reflection of the person getting it, and that he made the perfect choice. Clinton gets home, and tells his room mate about how things went, which earns the reply "Dude, that actually sounds kind of awesome except for the puke part... wait, did you say Emily, as in Emily Azuma? She's totally hot! getting puked on was so worth it. I sir, am impressed!"

Of course all of this is based on my own thoughts on Clinton, which is after getting his hand blown off playing with fireworks, he retreated into a comfort zone where he takes no risks. Emily is dragging him out of that comfort zone (not kicking and screaming, but dragging none the less) and it's only going to be after he's had time to soundboard, process, and look back on the events, that he realizes that he actually did have a good time.

[Rghfrgl]

It's the week for painful webcomic reading. Gunnerkrigg Court has been hurting even more than this arc.

Gunnerkrigg is reinforcing that I really should be reading my story comics by chapter instead of by update. It's making me angry. Which is good and the intent. But since I'm reading by page...it's just making me angry every update with no payoff. I can't keep reading to where either Annie sticks up for herself or Kat or Reynard comes to the rescue.

[Indicible]

It is like watching a trainwreck in slow motion.
You can see each and every rivet deforming, cracking and flying off, while the engine smashes into the wall and gets bent out of shape.
This is in a sense a work of art. But it ends up in blood and tears (and a scrap heap). So, yes, completely comparable to that date.

[Perfectly Reasonable]

Um, WHY does Emily think tattoos are neat? Inquiring minds want to know!
(And I'd really like to see her in a cheongsam.)

Meanwhile, I like tywren's idea that Clinton is benefiting from daring to do things he would never have considered on his own.

[Gladstone]

That look on his face in Panel 1 isn't the look of someone going slightly out of their comfort zone, or someone who will look back on this date as a "good time."  It's more of a blindfold-and-last-cigarette look.  He fucked up and he knows it, and he can't take it back, and he is going to cry himself to sleep tonight.

[BenRG]

There is a painful aspect to this, isn't there? Clinton is so struck by how pretty Emily looks that he seems stuck in a reflexive behaviour to attempt to please and/or impress her. That, in turn, is making him say things that he doesn't mean.

The sad thing is that it's working. Emily is impressed and clearly overjoyed to meet someone with the same whimsical impulses as she has! I just hope that Clinton doesn't blame her for this because, ultimately, all this is due to his weak will! I just hope that he at least gets a kiss out of this! Also... I wonder if Emily will get a matching tattoo or if she'll get one that matches her personality, like a butterfly?

The lesson, children? Bluffing or lying to your date in an attempt to appear more exciting never works. It will always blow up in your face eventually.

[Lubricus]

Well, it might work, depending on what you hope to achieve, but it will certainly blow up in your face at the end.

[improvnerd]

The thing is, Emily hasn't really been acting weird on this date. She's just been making small talk that Clinton is treating as calls to action.

At this point if Emily said "Nice weather for this time of year," Clinton would try to invent a machine to keep the weather from changing.

Also, remember Emily is someone who got her ears pierced on a whim. I think the impulsive tattoo thing is impressing her.

[tywren]

That look on his face in Panel 1 isn't the look of someone going slightly out of their comfort zone, or someone who will look back on this date as a "good time."  It's more of a blindfold-and-last-cigarette look.  He fucked up and he knows it, and he can't take it back, and he is going to cry himself to sleep tonight.

If i'm reading things right, there is no slightly when it comes to Clinton's comfort zone; it's all the way in, or all the way out, with no grey, middle ground to be seen. Like i said, i think he's been that way ever sense he blew his hand off. That's why i said he'll need time to look back, and process, and that he'll only think of it as fun in hind sight. It may also be what leads him to re-discover that gray zone.

[anahata]

This doesn't even make sense. Clinton wasn't ever into Emily, it was just Claire/Marten's offhanded suggestion/tease that he ask her out.

Clinton was, however, desperate for a date with somebody. And I think we are supposed to understand that the moment he sees Emily he's suddenly much more attracted to her than he was prepared for. And then... we already know Clinton over-reacts to anything that excites him, whether it's discovering who Hanner's dad is or being defensive about his sister.

Anyway, Emily's certainly found an outlet for HER power...

ETA:
I think the aftermath of this may be that Clinton will learn, slowly and painfuly, from his mistakes and become a much nicer guy all round. Jeph's above  putting the two weirdest characters together just for cheap laughs: some good has to come of it.
In the end Emily might even be impressed by Clinton's bravery and develop some sort of affection for him, though I'm not taking bets on that one.

[Storel]

This doesn't even make sense. Clinton wasn't ever into Emily, it was just Claire/Marten's offhanded suggestion/tease that he ask her out.

Clinton was, however, desperate for a date with somebody. And I think we are supposed to understand that the moment he sees Emily he's suddenly much more attracted to her than he was prepared for. And then... we already know Clinton over-reacts to anything that excites him, whether it's discovering who Hanner's dad is or being defensive about his sister.

Exactly. Well put.

Anyway, Emily's certainly found an outlet for HER power...

  Very well put!

In the end Emily might even be impressed by Clinton's bravery and develop some sort of affection for him, though I'm not taking bets on that one.

She certainly seems impressed so far. However, we already know he ends up with a black eye and no sign of Emily in the vicinity, so I'm guessing she doesn't stay that way.

[Thrillho]

To me, this whole arc smacks of "Hey, these are the two weirdest characters in the strip right now, let's shove them together, watch it all go to hell, and then point and laugh!", both in-universe (Claire and Marten being mean and messing with Clinton and Emily for kicks) and out-of-universe (Jeph deciding that they must suffer to make a few punchlines).

I'm not looking kindly on this storyline, since I have plenty of experience with being the odd/bookish person in the room/class/group and getting messed with relentlessly because others found it "funny".  So no, I'm not getting a kick out of this one.  If this is Jeph's way of backhandedly making me (and others) sympathize with Emily and Clinton, well, it's working.

On top of that, the contrast between relationships could not be any more stark.  Claire and Marten get a hundred strips of relentless saccharine overkill; meanwhile, Faye and Angus are no more, Dale and Marigold get no screen time, Dora and Tai get one brief strip of one argument, and Emily and Clinton get used as the butt of jokes.  Gee, I totally can't tell who the author's favourites are ...

I'd say you're over-reacting a tad. Jeph wouldn't be doing anything in the comics at the expense of people's real problems, otherwise we'd all be laughing along with him at Faye's alcoholism for example.

[bartman]

She certainly seems impressed so far. However, we already know he ends up with a black eye and no sign of Emily in the vicinity, so I'm guessing she doesn't stay that way.

It's hard to say for sure. I think wacky hijinks are far more likely than Emily smacking him one.

[Traptin]

This doesn't even make sense. Clinton wasn't ever into Emily, it was just Claire/Marten's offhanded suggestion/tease that he ask her out. Why does he want to impress her? Why does she care about tattoos and undercuts all of a sudden? This woman drunkenly cut her own hair off one day. Just...doesn't seem in character for either.

Well Emily is very smart and she was in a class with Clinton. So he may have had an odd fascination for her, plus dates are suppose to let you get to know one another. Going on this date he might discover things about her that he finds attractive.

Anyway, here is the strip about her project.

Side note, I honestly didn't think Clinton was that creepy he was just... passionate.

One of the background characters look like Faye with black hair!

[MrNumbers]

Here's my bet.

This is going to continue escalating.

He will grow more and more frustrated.

The pretty girl in the sundress is going to give him a kiss on the cheek goodnight and say she had a lovely time.

Yes there will be a second date.

Clinton will think everything went absolutely perfectly for the length of time it takes the pretty girl in the sundress to skip away.

Reality will come crashing back down the second she is no longer in his field of view.

[snubnose]

Seriously ?

First to the barber, NOW a tattoo ???

And Clinton never ever stopped and thought "maybe I just, you know, DO THE DATE" ?

This is getting really painful to watch.

[Lubricus]

What's next? Donating a kidney? 

[BenRG]

I am honestly expecting Clinton to tell Emily it wouldn't work because "you bring out the worst in me". I also expect Emily to weird out Claire by telling her about the date in such a way that all of her quirks (acting out weird impulses, strange interests and uttering random non-sequeteurs) sound like they are Clinton's quirks and they freak her out. "Will I ever find a normal guy?" she'll ask wistfully.

Meanwhile, Clinton will find that he has developed credibility with his dorm-mates because of the new 'do, the tattoo and because: "Dude! He actually dated that freaky Emily girl from Advanced Comp Sci!"

[tywren]

Meanwhile, Clinton will find that he has developed credibility with his dorm-mates because of the new 'do, the tattoo and because: "Dude! He actually dated that freaky Emily girl from Advanced Comp Sci!"

This i can agree with, the rest? Not so much.

[anahata]

In the end Emily might even be impressed by Clinton's bravery and develop some sort of affection for him, though I'm not taking bets on that one.

She certainly seems impressed so far. However, we already know he ends up with a black eye and no sign of Emily in the vicinity, so I'm guessing she doesn't stay that way.

My projection was intended for the days following, not the rest of this evening. The theory's already been advanced that Clinton gets the black eye from trying to defend Emily from someone else; that could lay the ground for a positive response from Emily the next day. Remember how impressed she was with Marten's impulsive (if rather misguided) old-fashioned heroism saving her from a harmless snake bite.

[anahata]

And Clinton never ever stopped and thought "maybe I just, you know, DO THE DATE" ?

He doesn't actually know how to do that. The barber and tattoo are convenient displacement activity.

[BenRG]

And Clinton never ever stopped and thought "maybe I just, you know, DO THE DATE" ?

FWIW, my reading of this is that Clinton went to the barbers, then they had the dinner and the walk along the bike trail. The conversation about tattoos took place whilst sitting on a bench somewhere along the trail.

You see, Clinton has reached the end of his Plan and, I think, he is now improvising. They are making conversation about personal things such as likes, dislikes and aesthetics. This is so subjective that the social pressures are rising continually. This is not a good thing for someone like Clinton, or so the evidence suggests.

[ZoeB]

As regards unfortunate and regrettable actions that can't be undone... these are mild and mostly harmless. Thank goodness.

Learning experiences of the "OMG what have I DONE!!" variety rather than the more prosaic and tragic ones, such as wrapping a car round a tree, taking a pill that's far too potent, or even getting blotto and falling victim to those who'd take advantage. Not very serious mistakes with horribly serious consequences.

This one - could be a heck of a lot worse. I wonder if Emily will realise her power - and maybe think things through a bit more, as Clinton is too besotted to. The power of a pretty girl with a sunny personality - and a sun dress to match.

[TinPenguin]

Oh my, what an assertive, impulsive young man who knows his own mind. My heart's all a-flutter.

[CM_albion]

I think the major issue is a combination of two factors

Point 1: Emily says and does any random shit that comes into her mind at that specific moment. most of the rest of the cast treat this politely as her Emily-ness and while they will indulge her with conversation to a point, they never let it go too far. (eg. she cut her own hair on a whim and tried to do the same to Claire)

Point 2: Clinton is a complete twit. he really is. he is the Arnold Rimmer of QC, without the narcissism. right now he up the river NoComfortZoneInSight, with no paddle and no direction. we saw in the haircut strip he seems to be so worried that Emily might be into other men (on a first fekking date no less, you twit) that he's gone full panic mode and agreeing to everything.

in short, what we have in a scenario where Emily's strange whims, thought patterns and interests are being indulged rather than curtailed. this may well lead to her considering this "best date ever" precisely because of that. 

[Welu]

he is the Arnold Rimmer of QC, without the narcissism.

I like you.

[bhtooefr]

The thing that really bothers me? I don't think Clinton is seeing Emily as a person. He's seeing Emily as a woman, but not a person, I think. That, of course, has somewhat creepy implications.

And, if I'm reading things right, he's desperate enough for a Standard Attractive Woman (and so, so inexperienced) that he's going along with whatever Emily wants even if he thinks it's a terrible idea, rather than being himself (or at least a little bit himself). That's not fair to Emily, that's not fair to himself.

[Endellion]

Clinton's face, meanwhile, says "I am going to a place I have never gone before, and whence I may never return, and I am afraid of it. I have to keep staring straight ahead, because the moment I let my eyes stray, I will turn back and run". It is the face of a soldier going into his first battle; the face of an emigrant boarding the ship to Australia.

tl:dr Love is a battlefield

I would follow this up with the comic punchline but that sounds a little morbid from you or to you.

[Thrillho]

The thing that really bothers me? I don't think Clinton is seeing Emily as a person. He's seeing Emily as a woman, but not a person, I think. That, of course, has somewhat creepy implications.

And, if I'm reading things right, he's desperate enough for a Standard Attractive Woman (and so, so inexperienced) that he's going along with whatever Emily wants even if he thinks it's a terrible idea, rather than being himself (or at least a little bit himself). That's not fair to Emily, that's not fair to himself.

Best analysis I've seen so far.

[Zebediah]

Meanwhile, Clinton will find that he has developed credibility with his dorm-mates because of the new 'do, the tattoo and because: "Dude! He actually dated that freaky Emily girl from Advanced Comp Sci!"

When they first meet Emily: "Dude, your girlfriend is a babe!"
Clinton: "I know!"

Five minutes after meeting Emily: "Dude, your girlfriend is weirder than you are."
Clinton: "I know."

Ten minutes after meeting Emily: "Dude, I'm not sure if the babe-ness is enough to compensate for the weirdness."
Clinton: "I'm still trying to figure that out myself."

[Gnomeybum]

A little bit of an aside from the comic, though still relating to Emily, I think I am correct in thinking that she is of Japanese descent, yes? I THINK it has been explicitly stated, but otherwise I am basing that on the surname Azuma as well as the heavy mix of Sakaki/Osaka influences in her character.

So yeah, working on that assumption, the desire to see her in a qipao/cheongsam/ao dai is a little bit of shaky ground racially, as two of those are traditional Chinese dresses and the other is, according to Wikipedia, Viatnamese. I'm not saying it wouldn't be amazing to see Emily in some sort of traditional dress, but I think we have to be careful when making statements like that because it does almost become a case of 'all Asian is the same Asian'.

Sorry, that was a bit of a 'rain on everybody's nice time'  kind of post, but I think it is something we should be aware of. Please continue to have a nice time!

[CaptainFish]

So far I'm 2/2 on my self-inflicted prediction from last week. >_>

I'm sure now that he's reflected a little bit he'll stop doing whatever Emily happens to mention, right? 

As someone who can be pretty easily convinced to do stuff for others, I kinda understand Clinton's troubles. However, the presentation is a little bit too wacky for me to actually feel much of anything about them. It is a bit of a bummer that he is stuck with an idea he came up with on the spot for the technology he cares so deeply about. I hope he's fine with the power outlet idea later.

[osaka]

Emily appears much more joyful in today's last panel than in yesterday's last panel. Could it be that she's genuinely enjoying what Clinton is doing right now? Not as in "being shaped up to Emily's ideas" but as in "Getting a tattoo".

On the other hand, while Clinton looked absolutely jaded yesterday, he looks worried today. Pretty sure he doesn't want the tattoo.

[Zebediah]

A little bit of an aside from the comic, though still relating to Emily, I think I am correct in thinking that she is of Japanese descent, yes? I THINK it has been explicitly stated, but otherwise I am basing that on the surname Azuma as well as the heavy mix of Sakaki/Osaka influences in her character.

So yeah, working on that assumption, the desire to see her in a qipao/cheongsam/ao dai is a little bit of shaky ground racially, as two of those are traditional Chinese dresses and the other is, according to Wikipedia, Viatnamese. I'm not saying it wouldn't be amazing to see Emily in some sort of traditional dress, but I think we have to be careful when making statements like that because it does almost become a case of 'all Asian is the same Asian'.

Sorry, that was a bit of a 'rain on everybody's nice time'  kind of post, but I think it is something we should be aware of. Please continue to have a nice time!

The point was that she would look good in any of those. I'd be strongly opposed to anyone saying she shouldn't be allowed to wear something because she isn't of the "proper" ethnicity.

[valkygrrl]

Claire: How did the date go?
Emily: No matter what I talked about Clin-ton turned it around to be about himself. I mentioned hair and he just _had_ to have a haircut. Tattoos, he had to have a tattoo, everything had to be about him. He's so self-centered!
Claire: I'm sorry, I guess insecure guys can sometimes...
Emily: I have cat pictures on my phone.
Claire: Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

[Rghfrgl]

Also... I wonder if Emily will get a matching tattoo or if she'll get one that matches her personality, like a butterfly?

The next workday we join Claire in the library talking to Tai..

"It took me months, but I finally got the courage to get this cute little heart tattoo on my shoulder!"
*Emily walks in with a full body dragon tattoo*

[Sullivan]

It's the week for painful webcomic reading. Gunnerkrigg Court has been hurting even more than this arc.

The expression on Emily's face is cute but more than a little alarming.

Indeed. In the haircut strip she looked concerned. "Getting a haircut is not something you do on a date. I didn't mean to... uh..." But in the tattoo parlor... getting a tattoo IS something one might do on a date, and she's clearly happy. It's not just her smile, it's also her body language - she's leaning into it.

Maybe it's just that she loves tattoos. It's certainly partly that.

But maybe it's "Clinnntonn will do anything I want! Muahahahahah!"

Let's take inventory:

• Haircut - accounted for
• Tattoo - accounted for
• Puke on shirt
• Loss of bow tie
• Loss of suspenders
• Boots with reinforced toes
• Rolled-up pants to accommodate boots (probably not new pants - if he'd gotten new pants he'd have gotten boot cut)
• Black eye

Maybe they went to "Purgatory", that burger joint in Real Genius.

Somehow I doubt this story will be completely told by the end of this week. Just a feeling.

[Gnomeybum]

A little bit of an aside from the comic, though still relating to Emily, I think I am correct in thinking that she is of Japanese descent, yes? I THINK it has been explicitly stated, but otherwise I am basing that on the surname Azuma as well as the heavy mix of Sakaki/Osaka influences in her character.

So yeah, working on that assumption, the desire to see her in a qipao/cheongsam/ao dai is a little bit of shaky ground racially, as two of those are traditional Chinese dresses and the other is, according to Wikipedia, Viatnamese. I'm not saying it wouldn't be amazing to see Emily in some sort of traditional dress, but I think we have to be careful when making statements like that because it does almost become a case of 'all Asian is the same Asian'.

Sorry, that was a bit of a 'rain on everybody's nice time'  kind of post, but I think it is something we should be aware of. Please continue to have a nice time!

The point was that she would look good in any of those. I'd be strongly opposed to anyone saying she shouldn't be allowed to wear something because she isn't of the "proper" ethnicity.

I mean, I think there is an element of wilful misunderstanding going on here.

For starters, I think that it's no coincidence that no one was talking about how great she would look in lederhosen (though I think that we really should be, coz, wow). There is a selection there of a handful of cultures there that are frequently mixed or confused, which can be a sore point; as someone of Afghan descent, people often lump my ethnicity in with Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, etc, and it is not maliciously done but it can feel quite dismissive - I mean, we're all a bit brown, right? What's the difference? You can see how someone could find that offensive, even if understanding that it is not done with ill will, something I never suggested.

As for the idea of being able to wear something if you aren't the 'proper' culture? I have no intention of getting into the discussion of cultural appropriation, because that is not what I was talking about in the first place, and because it can be a very grey area and I feel ill suited to be the pioneer of that particular topic. However, I do think it is a very worthy topic of discussion in general.

Tl;dr, I am not suggesting that it was done maliciously, or that anyone would even be offended by it in the first place, and I am certainly not calling out the people who said it, but I think it is always wise to consider the implications of our own assumptions or comments.

[retrosteve]

Smart and crazy is a hard combination to resist, add pretty and I can definitely see how it could jam his circuitry.

Definitely. Dunno about y'all, but Emily, if she were real, would be my type for sure. I've been mystified from the start about why Marten isn't interested in her!

And if I were 21 and on a date with Emily, I'd probably do about as well as Clinton's doing.

[Zebediah]

Dunno about y'all, but Emily, if she were real, would be my type for sure.

I would probably not pursue a relationship with someone like Emily in real life. I learned a long time ago that any relationship in which I am the more stable and grounded person is doomed to spectacular failure.

[retrosteve]

Dunno about y'all, but Emily, if she were real, would be my type for sure.

I would probably not pursue a relationship with someone like Emily in real life. I learned a long time ago that any relationship in which I am the more stable and grounded person is doomed to spectacular failure.

Oh, me too. I didn't say it wouldn't be doomed. But I'd sure try. Smart + crazy + pretty is like a flame to my moth.

[Is it cold in here?]

So yeah, working on that assumption, the desire to see her in a qipao/cheongsam/ao dai is a little bit of shaky ground racially, as two of those are traditional Chinese dresses and the other is, according to Wikipedia, Viatnamese. I'm not saying it wouldn't be amazing to see Emily in some sort of traditional dress, but I think we have to be careful when making statements like that because it does almost become a case of 'all Asian is the same Asian'.

Sorry, that was a bit of a 'rain on everybody's nice time'  kind of post, but I think it is something we should be aware of. Please continue to have a nice time!

Alertness and awareness are good things.

I am highly confident that Akima was not falling into ignorant racial insensitivity when she imagined Emily in non-Japanese East Asian garments.

[themacnut]

And, if I'm reading things right, he's desperate enough for a Standard Attractive Woman (and so, so inexperienced) that he's going along with whatever Emily wants even if he thinks it's a terrible idea, rather than being himself (or at least a little bit himself). That's not fair to Emily, that's not fair to himself.

Of course he's not trying to be himself; it's the classic mistake many an insecure, inexperienced guy makes. He believes that being himself is simply Not Good Enough to keep a girl interested (or even attract her interest in the first place) so is trying desperately to figure out what to change to make himself more attractive. In this state he would turn himself inside out and backwards if he thought it would keep Emily around. It's rather pathetic, but it's something I'm sure many a man in Clinton's circumstances can relate to.

[CM_albion]

So yeah, working on that assumption, the desire to see her in a qipao/cheongsam/ao dai is a little bit of shaky ground racially, as two of those are traditional Chinese dresses and the other is, according to Wikipedia, Viatnamese. I'm not saying it wouldn't be amazing to see Emily in some sort of traditional dress, but I think we have to be careful when making statements like that because it does almost become a case of 'all Asian is the same Asian'.

Sorry, that was a bit of a 'rain on everybody's nice time'  kind of post, but I think it is something we should be aware of. Please continue to have a nice time!

Alertness and awareness are good things.

I am highly confident that Akima was not falling into ignorant racial insensitivity when she imagined Emily in non-Japanese East Asian garments.

so happy to see a mature approach to this discussion. says a lot of these forums.

[ZoeB]

as someone of Afghan descent, people often lump my ethnicity in with Pakistani

I have difficulty picking Afghan Pushtun from Pakistani NW Frontier Pushtun. Or Afghan Tajik from NW Frontier Tajik. But I don't mistake Tajik for Pushtun!

An Afghan student doctor saved my life in the late 70s. Long story. That was before things all turned to custard.

[WareWolf]

I am apparently the only person here who didn't realize Emily is supposed to be Asian.

[pwhodges]

So yeah, working on that assumption, the desire to see her in a qipao/cheongsam/ao dai is a little bit of shaky ground racially, as two of those are traditional Chinese dresses and the other is, according to Wikipedia, Viatnamese. I'm not saying it wouldn't be amazing to see Emily in some sort of traditional dress, but I think we have to be careful when making statements like that because it does almost become a case of 'all Asian is the same Asian'.

Sorry, that was a bit of a 'rain on everybody's nice time'  kind of post, but I think it is something we should be aware of. Please continue to have a nice time!

Alertness and awareness are good things.

I am highly confident that Akima was not falling into ignorant racial insensitivity when she imagined Emily in non-Japanese East Asian garments.

so happy to see a mature approach to this discussion. says a lot of these forums.

Indeed.  But then, a mature response would have considered what was actually said by Akima in the first place:

Now I have the mental image of Emily wearing a kimono or a qipao...

Or an ao-dai, or any other Chinietnapanorean dress... I'm sure Emily would like nice in any of the above.

"Chinietnapanorean" - note the sarcasm relating to the lack of precision in identifying Asians (because the two garments named in the post she's responding to are from different countries).

[themacnut]

And, if I'm reading things right, he's desperate enough for a Standard Attractive Woman (and so, so inexperienced) that he's going along with whatever Emily wants even if he thinks it's a terrible idea, rather than being himself (or at least a little bit himself). That's not fair to Emily, that's not fair to himself.

Of course he's not trying to be himself; it's the classic mistake many an insecure, inexperienced guy makes. He believes that being himself is simply Not Good Enough to keep a girl interested (or even attract her interest in the first place) so is trying desperately to figure out what to change to make himself more attractive.

One more thing that should be mentioned about this: remember, when it comes to dating Clinton is apparently a total noob. He had to look up dating etiquette on the Internet, after all. I can easily imagine him being totally ignored by girls for most of his life before now, or even worse, being dissed and actively dismissed by them. He is only now getting to do an activity with a girl that more well-adjusted guys started doing back in junior high school/secondary school or earlier, and he has NO idea what the heck he's doing. And on top of all that, for his first date ever, he's got the likes of Emily, the very definition of Cloud Cuckoolander if ever there was one. It is any wonder said first date is an unfolding disaster?

[vforvancouver]

A little bit of an aside from the comic, though still relating to Emily, I think I am correct in thinking that she is of Japanese descent, yes? I THINK it has been explicitly stated, but otherwise I am basing that on the surname Azuma as well as the heavy mix of Sakaki/Osaka influences in her character.

So yeah, working on that assumption, the desire to see her in a qipao/cheongsam/ao dai is a little bit of shaky ground racially, as two of those are traditional Chinese dresses and the other is, according to Wikipedia, Viatnamese. I'm not saying it wouldn't be amazing to see Emily in some sort of traditional dress, but I think we have to be careful when making statements like that because it does almost become a case of 'all Asian is the same Asian'.

Sorry, that was a bit of a 'rain on everybody's nice time'  kind of post, but I think it is something we should be aware of. Please continue to have a nice time!

I can't speak but for me, and I based my desire in a) Emily is tall, b) Emily is slim, and c) Emily has just the body type for that sort of dress. One of my nieces has that body type, and she chose to wear a qipao for her Quinceaños, which is the Mexican equivalent (soft of) for the American Sweet Sixteen. You look at her, and while there's no doubt she's not Asian, the dress fits quite nicely. As a matter of fact, in Mexico, having an epicanthal fold in your eyes is not that rare: we call them "ojos almendrados" (almond eyes) and part of my brain refuses to assume someone having epicanthal fold in their eyes is Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Mongolian, Mexican, or Filipino, or something. 

Emily will look good in a qipao; so would Dora. Both would look good as Charras, or as Adelitas, too, but I live surrounded by those images, so I don't feel as appealed to those images. Faye would look amazing as a rejoneadora in a suit of lights.

And now I can't get out of my head an image of Faye as Mónica Serrano. She's a nice gal I have the honour to know from when I lived in Mexico City.