Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT strips 3741 to 3745 (May 14th - 18th 2018)
Penquin47:
--- Quote from: pecoros7 on 14 May 2018, 22:35 ---
--- Quote from: Onionvolcano on 14 May 2018, 22:06 ---I realize it's not the spirit of the story, but we've seen several AI characters switch bodies. Gender is just another choice for the wearer. If Bubbles uploads into a hunky male firefighter-bot, would things go more smoothly?
--- End quote ---
I disagree. Winslow identified himself as a boy before getting a humanoid chassis. Pintsize seems to be in a genderless chassis but identifies himself as male. It is explained in 347 that gender is software dependent, not hardware; though Winslow stating "I think I'm a boy" suggests that Jeph may be changing that dynamic somewhat as he humanizes the AI characters (and maybe due to taking a more nuanced approach to gender identity in general, e.g. Claire). And Bubbles seems pretty well integrated with her body. Perhaps not as much so as Roko, but certainly more so than Punchbot (who seems completely unfazed by massive physical trauma).
Regardless of how gender functions with AI, should Bubbles fundamentally alter who she is for the sake of Faye's comfort? Even if it was as easy as altering a line in a config file, is it appropriate to treat it as casually as changing shirts?
(Awgiedawgie and Fayelovesbubbles beat me to it, so a massive "Hell, yeah!" to the both of them)
--- End quote ---
There's also Bubbles' attachment to her chassis - she doesn't have the memories and she no longer wears her armor, so her chassis is in some ways her only link to her past. I don't care how much she loves Faye or Faye loves her, asking her to give that up so she can present as male to be more appealing/comfortably appealing to Faye is just wrong.
BenRG:
There's the rub; Bubbles has realised that she isn't as good at controlling her feelings (or at preventing her feelings from affecting her behaviour) than she anticipated. Now, she's terrified that she's scared Faye off and... wow, the way her voice hitches when she mentions Faye touched her back! Whether or not her chassis has a pleasure response to such contacts, she definitely was able to fill in the blanks!
I find it an interesting subtlety the way that Jeph drew Bubbles fiddling nervously with her hair. He's going to a lot of effort to demonstrate just how strongly Faye and Bubbles are being affected by their shifting feelings (and, more importantly, their shifting awareness of them) is affecting their calm and thinking.
Now, I'm going to insist on Jeph making a confession: Jeph, you made Bubbles' hair longer simply because you wanted to draw her hair swirling around her dramatically the way it is in panel 4, didn't you? :-D
Shjade:
It's super nice that the Coffee of Doom staff set up a "Bubbles' Hair" sign for us to really draw attention to the significance of her letting it down.
Is it cold in here?:
One wrinkle is that 347 came from a time when Jeph was handling AnthroPCs completely differently from today and it may no longer be canon.
Bollthorn:
Love panel 4. Bubbles looks lovely with her hair down.
Also please be Faye please be Faye please be Faye please be Faye
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