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Comic Discussion => QUESTIONABLE CONTENT => Topic started by: Deadcoder on 13 May 2015, 22:28

Title: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: Deadcoder on 13 May 2015, 22:28
A few hundred comics ago, Momo mentioned that evangelicals have come to view AI as another product of the devil. In today's comic "2959", Momo stated that she believes most people, despite their flaws, are kind accepting creatures, based on who she has met.
Given that we're pushing the big 3000 "I smell a plot coming", I expect Momo will encounter something so horrifying, it will shake her views of humanity in general. Perhaps she will be assaulted or encounter and defend another android being attacked, IDK. This would shake the foundation of the character, and perhaps bring about a more epic storyline.
Just shooting a theory. I hope it's false.
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: ZoeB on 14 May 2015, 02:48
Quote from: Deadcoder on 13 May 2015, 22:28
A few hundred comics ago, Momo mentioned that evangelicals have come to view AI as another product of the devil. In today's comic "2959", Momo stated that she believes most people, despite their flaws, are kind accepting creatures, based on who she has met.
Given that we're pushing the big 3000 "I smell a plot coming", I expect Momo will encounter something so horrifying, it will shake her views of humanity in general. Perhaps she will be assaulted or encounter and defend another android being attacked, IDK. This would shake the foundation of the character, and perhaps bring about a more epic storyline.
Just shooting a theory. I hope it's false.
Me too.

But it wouldn't shake her faith, trust me.

She already is perfectly aware of any such things happening.
https://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,28457.msg1319416.html#msg1319416

It might emotionally affect others though, and that is something she would care about.
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 14 May 2015, 11:18
There's no record of Jeph doing anything quite that dark so far.

It must exist in his world, given that hate groups and open discrimination exist.

We don't know how trauma affects AIs. Their emotional makeup is so human-like that the same destruction of ability to trust might happen to them as well.
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: Kugai on 14 May 2015, 15:24
Just so long as there isn't an AI version of Al Sharpton, we're OK
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: DonInKansas on 14 May 2015, 16:13
Quote from: Kugai on 14 May 2015, 15:24
Just so long as there isn't an AI version of Al Sharpton, we're OK

AI Sharpton?  I find the thought truly horrifying.
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: ZoeB on 14 May 2015, 23:05
Quote from: Is it cold in here? on 14 May 2015, 11:18
We don't know how trauma affects AIs. Their emotional makeup is so human-like that the same destruction of ability to trust might happen to them as well.
I like to think I'm human.... anyway, my emotional makeup is objectively human-like. And my world-view corresponds pretty well with Momo's, despite the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. It's because she's so human-like - as is May in other areas - that I'm confident she'd be more concerned about the effect of a torture/destruction session (with her as victim) on her friends than herself.

Not because she's AI. But because she's Momo.
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: Nepiophage on 15 May 2015, 08:22
I can't see any actual violence happening -- that would be much darker than anything JJ has done in the strip. However, I could see someone being offensive in some less violent way -- refusing to serve her in a shop, or alllow her into a bar.
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: Deadcoder on 15 May 2015, 19:43
Perhaps that's how Jeph will write off the bar, now that Faye can't drink safely. Knock out a couple of issues at the same time.
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: hedgie on 15 May 2015, 20:01
I wonder if AIs can simply go >rm -rf /trauma to avoid PTSD or something similar. 
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: ZoeB on 15 May 2015, 22:23
Quote from: Deadcoder on 15 May 2015, 19:43
Perhaps that's how Jeph will write off the bar, now that Faye can't drink safely. Knock out a couple of issues at the same time.

Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: ankhtahr on 15 May 2015, 23:50
Thank you Zoe, my thoughts exactly.
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: mikmaxs on 16 May 2015, 00:06
Quote from: Nepiophage on 15 May 2015, 08:22
I can't see any actual violence happening -- that would be much darker than anything JJ has done in the strip. However, I could see someone being offensive in some less violent way -- refusing to serve her in a shop, or alllow her into a bar.
Personally I feel that depressed drinking to the point of attempted suicide (Whether totally intentional or not) is darker than a violent hate crime. (In this setting especially, since it'd be against someone who you can't really kill or cause physical pain against.) I realize that this is pretty subjective, but in terms of darkness I wouldn't see it as any further than the recent storyline with Faye. It's a someone different kind of dark, external sources causing pain rather than internal, but I wouldn't say it's any worse.

(This also depends on how it's handled. Faye's storyline was handled with a lot of tact and the worst parts were cut away from where they could be without robbing the scene of punch. I'm assuming that anything with Momo would be handled the same way.)
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: mustang6172 on 16 May 2015, 20:09
Quote from: ankhtahr on 15 May 2015, 23:50
Thank you Zoe, my thoughts exactly.
Boy you said it, Chewie.

Corrected.
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: Deadcoder on 17 May 2015, 13:13
I think such shocking events would be within his range; because worse things have been mentioned or shown:
* Faye drinking to a point of suicide.
* Mentionings of transphobic violence, "To the point that Claire and Clinton are very careful about who they open up to about her."
* AI discrimination is openly shown.
* Early in the strip, there was the arc with Faye's sister coming out as a Lesbian, and the issues with their mom.
* The fact "Prolapse Monthly" is a thing that exists.
* The girl with a robot scooter who was a low-grade hitperson "low grade means just assault, not murder".
* All the stuff that happened off-screen with Hannelore's mother. "I'm assuming she used that shark tank other than the time she was talked out of it."
Having a hatecrime happen would be absolutely vanilla, by his standards. Though it would probably happen off-screen.
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: mikmaxs on 18 May 2015, 01:32
Deadcoder, it's all a matter of what's shown, what isn't, and what's meant to be taken seriously. Prolapse Monthly was a joke. Hannelore's mom is pretty much a joke. The Vespavenger was a joke, even if it wasn't one I thought was particularly funny.
(click to show/hide)

Even the previous  AI hate crime and mentioning of Clare's issues haven't really been *shown*, just mentioned.
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: Neko_Ali on 18 May 2015, 09:37
The Vespavenger and other instances of violence and AI related issues in the early comics are not really a good reference point for the way things are handled now. Jeph has had an evolution on both of those things some time ago, and continues to evolve. Early in the strip AIs were owned objects and more or less 'funny non-human mascots'. And the violence and storylines were more cartoonish. Pintsize getting military hardware by accident, or pissing off a death bot, both of which involved people coming after Marten. Hanner's mom being a Bond villain in all but name. Things have changed since then, so I wouldn't hold those up as examples of where the story may be going now.
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: Deadcoder on 19 May 2015, 17:52
So continuity does not apply? Okay. But if we are going to be trapped in Star Trek: Voyager, I demand access to Silicone of Nine!
Title: Re: Momo Hate Crime
Post by: Kugai on 19 May 2015, 18:03
Sorry, the Klingon already has dibs on Seven.


And trust me son, Jerri Ryan ain't Silicon.