Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT - October 24th to October 28th, 2022 (strips #4901 to #4905)
Wombat:
--- Quote from: Tova on 28 Oct 2022, 01:01 ---
--- Quote from: Perfectly Reasonable on 27 Oct 2022, 06:48 ---
--- Quote from: Gyrre on 25 Oct 2022, 20:30 ---Also, today's strip: PRONOUN CONFUSION.
--- End quote ---
When two named female characters talk about another character using pronouns...
--- End quote ---
Fine, I will elaborate.
“My best friend Emmett is from Canada! They…”
They as in Emmett not as in Canada. An easy one. After completing the sentence and backtracking.
“…can give you tips on how to navigate their…”
They as in Canada not Emmett. Also easy but requires backtracking once you get to the end of the sentence.
“My Dad’s always anxious about Emmett because of their chequered past…”
Probably their as in Emmett but it could legitimately refer to Dad and Emmett, so ambiguous.
“their rich and unique culture.”
From context presumably Canada this time buy could be Emmett, or it could be Dad and Emmett…
Nothing dramatic really, just my little joke.
--- End quote ---
Yes, pronouns are often less clear than repeatedly using someone's name, but we make do.
If Emmett used he/him pronouns, part of the sentence would have read, "My dad's always anxious about Emmett because of his checkered past..."-- Emmett's past, or Sam's dad?
If Emmett had a sibling, and Sam started off talking about both of them and then used "they/them/their," all the stuff about how that could refer to Canada would hold true.
If those scenarios were the case, would you have made the same joke? Because I get sometimes needing to seek out clarification when pronouns are used and it's not clear who they're referring to, but as someone who uses "they/them" pronouns and has had a number of people over the years flat out decline to refer to me correctly because it was "confusing," I find the joke to be not very funny.
Tova:
--- Quote from: Wombat on 28 Oct 2022, 03:25 ---Yes, pronouns are often less clear than repeatedly using someone's name, but we make do.
--- End quote ---
Yes of course, I don't suggest otherwise.
I did get momentarily confused. Sorry. That's just how it was.
I would find refusing to use the correct pronoun for that "reason" to be obnoxious and rude, just to be clear.
Mr_Rose:
So, Veronica’s face in the last panel? Pretty much exactly what I looked like by the end of that saga.
In another continuity they would be Dennis the menace, except Dennis’s shenanigans only rarely involved heavy machinery….
--- Quote from: Torlek on 27 Oct 2022, 18:44 ---Emmett and Cosette must never meet, all the bad luck rushing to that one point would implode the universe.
--- End quote ---
Unless it’s like multiplying negative numbers? Put them together and they somehow end up owning several casinos in Vegas…
Perfectly Reasonable:
I meant to suggest a mutant version of the Bechdel test (there are several) if that's any help.
Who is to blame for pronouns anyway? We may never know. Proto-Indo-European seems to have had them.
If the cat's owner has rabies, Emmett-mom will definitely need rabies treatment. It takes several shots and is expensive, so hopefully it can be avoided.
Soy milk should not be given to cats. It isn't good for them.
hedgie:
--- Quote from: Wombat on 28 Oct 2022, 03:25 ---If those scenarios were the case, would you have made the same joke? Because I get sometimes needing to seek out clarification when pronouns are used and it's not clear who they're referring to, but as someone who uses "they/them" pronouns and has had a number of people over the years flat out decline to refer to me correctly because it was "confusing," I find the joke to be not very funny.
--- End quote ---
I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the intent there. Even though the singular “they” has a long history in the English language, and even though I am someone who uses it personally, I’m really not a fan.[1]. I only use it for myself because nothing better has come along and become widely adopted.
[1] Obviously, when referring to others, I’ll use whatever their preference is out of respect[2] and decency
[2] Unless that other person in question isn’t the sort who respects my pronouns out of malice and/or general dickishness. In that case, I am petty enough to say “fine, two can play at this game, you’re an ‘it’”
[3] I’m forgiving if people forget or just don’t necessarily think
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