Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT Strips 3221 to 3225 (16 - 20 May 2016)
JimC:
Every generation has its own faults, and I'm beginning to suspect that hindsight may come to think that one of this one's is that, in seeking to be proactive about inclusiveness, its has maybe become a bit too keen on labelling people as being in need of inclusion.
mikmaxs:
--- Quote from: Gyrre on 16 May 2016, 20:32 ---
--- Quote from: mikmaxs on 16 May 2016, 00:59 ---And if it is Autism that drives her character's unusual traits, I can't say I'm a particular fan of the representation here. (Amd it seems weird that she was so acute and on point in 3215.)
--- End quote ---
As an aspie, I'm going to have to ask you to clarify. Today's been an off day.
--- End quote ---
In reference to comic 3215, she's apparently able to quickly and easily discern the real source of Clinton's conflict, get right to the heart of the matter, and precisely steer him towards a clear and immediate self-realization. As an aspie myself, I only have my own experiences to go off of, but I can't possibly see that kind of immediate and precise social navigation ever being in my wheelhouse of skills.
In regards to her characterization as a whole, I just don't find her all too pleasant. Prior to the fire, she's willfully unhelpful, threatens Clinton for no good reason, and seems to dislike helping customers. After the fire she's not been as bad, though she's still done little to endear herself to me besides being in a sympathetic position. I can't easily care for someone who acts like an unhelpful dick most of the time, even if they're amusing and willing to be *less* of a dick if you call them out on it.
I'm all for representation, but I'd rather that representation be with positive characters.
Morituri:
Indeed. I've known a lot of unusual people in my life, and while I form opinions about how they think and react, I think of those opinions as just getting to know someone's personality. I'm always fairly startled when someone refers to the personality of someone I know using a medical term - although, in some cases, they're correct, I can't help but thinking most cases "oh, the medical community has so trivialized that definition that it now applies to people whose problems aren't even serious. As well as those whose problems are."
Besides, a lot of those traits, while their bearers are unhappy people, are important to the proper functioning of a group. You need a depressive around to temper the stupid optimism of most normals. You need a few manic optimists and adrenaline junkies to explore and make new discoveries for your people, even if a bunch of them do get killed in the process. You need obsessives if anything important is ever going to get done. You need an insomniac if someone is going to warn you when something is threatening your group at night. You need the maladapted, to lead the way when it's necessary to adapt to a new situation. You need a paranoid to warn you when someone really is out to get you - normal people never notice until it's too late. You even need people who don't go into hysterics at a disaster if you're going to have an immediate and appropriate response.
It's the mix of different people that survives. If everybody were normal, the group would have too limited a range of responses and would fall into a sterile routine where nothing new ever happens, no new discoveries are made, no one has a clue how to adapt to anything new, and while most disasters would get a correct response, the group would be wiped out by the first few that they just don't have the right person to deal with.
So, yeah. There are a bunch of personality types that have unhappy lives most of the time. The current fad is to try to medicate them out of existence. But the traits that are problems for them personally, are often traits that society as a whole needs a few people to have.
pwhodges:
--- Quote from: Morituri on 17 May 2016, 09:04 ---If everybody were normal,
--- End quote ---
Perhaps "average" would be a fairer word to use.
--- Quote ---a bunch of personality types that have unhappy lives most of the time.
--- End quote ---
In many cases this unhappiness is not inherent, but the result of society's response to them. When society is more accepting, things improve for everyone.
Eastrim:
--- Quote from: Akima on 17 May 2016, 03:44 ---I too find a bit tiresome this frenzied "medicalisation" of any variation from the way someone thinks "normal people" behave. Not everyone flies into hysterics under stress, as can be observed in TV coverage of disasters today, or old newsreels of bombed cities for that matter. Cultures also vary greatly in how far public displays of emotion are acceptable. People can be different without needing us to thumb through the DSM.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: JimC on 17 May 2016, 06:31 ---Grief folks. Like I said I've been in this situation (leave burning house carrying only what was to hand in the middle of the night) and I hope none of you ever have or ever will be, but the superficially calm demeanour is exactly the way all 4 of us in that house and the 2 people in the house next door behaved. This is not unusual behaviour in real life, at least in the UK.
--- End quote ---
This meme (in the sense of shared idea, not rickrolling) will probably die down as we get more interactions with Brun, but it bears nipping in the bud; It's not just her behavior after the fire that's atypical, so is her behavior and syntax before the fire. It may just boil down to a form of Comedic Sociopathy as IICIH opines, but she's been consistently characterized before and after she has a major event to react to as stoic and laconic, so focusing only on after the fire does her a disservice. I still suggest immigrant with English as a second language, combined with a turbulent history (Valkyrie is probably not on the table). We shall see.
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