Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT Strips 3976-3980 (April 8th-12th, 2019)
Is it cold in here?:
--- Quote from: jessic ---Yeah I don't get it either. Marten has a life he's happy with, he's not in debt or anything. I don't see the issue. Is it an American thing to be bothered by "unambitious character is not motivated to improve his prettty-damn-okay life", maybe? I have no idea. :?
--- End quote ---
He does have student loans, but that's a minor point. Your main point is much more interesting. Maybe it is an American thing. We've got an industry of motivational speakers urging people to take chances and try for more. We've got a beloved former President who said
--- Quote ---"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never tasted victory or defeat."
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A less dramatic version predates America. One author (American btw :-)) summarized the ancient Greek path to happiness as "the exercise of vital powers along lines of excellence in a life affording them scope". Marten's not getting that. Touring with the band and making a poor and irregular income, he would be getting that.
Mr Intrepid:
--- Quote from: cybersmurf on 11 Apr 2019, 00:46 ---
--- Quote from: Jedit on 11 Apr 2019, 00:39 ---
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Shouldn't the toilet(s) be back there, too?
Well, also the alley. Where Marten can go grab his knees and hyperventilate in sheer panic.
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DSL:
It's true we in the USA are supposed to extol the successful striver, but there is an interesting countermovement (or at least a couple TED Talks) of people telling us we need to redefine personal success and learn maybe to at least question whether we need all that money and Stuff(TM). Of course, this advice is coming from people who have already made their pile, or who are making their pile telling us we don't need to make a pile.
Emperor Norton:
... You know, the fact that Dora is so matter of fact about how important the relationship is to her, yet they have never actually talked about it to the degree that it was obvious it was this important kind of...
doesn't sit right with me?
Like, one of the biggest problems in all marriages is communication, and not saying things because you think that the other person should already know is not really a good sign.
Idk, it really feels like their relationship has kind of skipped several steps where they actually seriously talk about their idea of the future and what importance the other has in it, especially if it jumps to marriage here.
Then again, that could just be a contrast to all the other relationships in the comic that just seem to reach a certain point and then stagnate until they self destruct.
TheEvilDog:
With regards to Marten and the future, I think its just more about having a sense of stability and knowing that you can have things covered. Yeah, Marten can be and is happy with his life as it is now, but it is still living from day to day and that isn't really sustainable in the long run. He's hitting stasis and stagnation while the people in his key relationships are changing some aspect of their lives. Hanners picked up sticks and took to travelling around the world, Faye and Bubbles not only began a relationship but also a business, Dora and Tai's relationship is growing and providing stability for the both of them.
With Claire taking her exam, she is getting to a stage where she needs to think about where her life is taking her and where she would like it to go. There is the possibility that if Claire does pass her exams, she might not be able to get a job locally. It might be time for Claire to spread her wings and leave, with Marten's arc potentially about growing or staying in stagnation.
Back to Dora and Tai, I agree with Emperor Norton, we've never seen indication that the two have ever had the talk. Now, this could be Tai joking or we might be seeing something shaking up, because Dora looks overwhelmed. If it is Tai joking, it could backfire big time. Whatever it might be, this storyline is setting the stage for something major.
Honestly, my original thought was that Claire failed her exam and having to deal with that. With Marten now, I thought it could be about him deciding whether or not he's going to "grow up". And now Tai and Dora. And with less than a month until the 4000th comic, we're building up to something big.
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