THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Comic Discussion => QUESTIONABLE CONTENT => Topic started by: BenRG on 29 Nov 2015, 10:48
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So, anyway, I don't know about everyone else but I got the impression that last week's strips were sort-of-filler to fit around Thanksgiving. That said, I do hope that it won't be without consequences.
For example, how will May react to having been tased? Is Sven going to end up asking Hannelore out on another 'play date' because he's lonely? Will the shop have to be temporarily closed because OHSA is worried by the number of times Cossette has nearly cut off her hands?
I'm pretty sure that we'll be getting back to Faye and Bubbles some time soon but it would be nice to keep touch with the other meat-sacks too!
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I'm beginning to wonder if Jeph is slowly moving Dora and Tai to second tier characters as he introduces newer characters and moves certain former second tier characters to the foreground.
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I'm beginning to wonder if Jeph is slowly moving Dora and Tai to second tier characters as he introduces newer characters and moves certain former second tier characters to the foreground.
COD used to be the principal location of the comic; now it's just there for occasional nostalgia. Dora is already a secondary supporting character. Bubbles, May and Claire have been getting far more screen time than Dora or Tai.
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Agreed, it's hardly slowly. Dora's been supporting since the breakup.
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Unnecessarily quantifying this:
Before the breakup, Dora was in 789 out of 1800 comics, or 44% of the pre-breakup comics.
After the breakup, Dora has been in 222 out of 1300 comics, or 17% of the post-breakup comics.
For comparison:
Before the breakup, Marten was in 1030 out of 1800 comics, or 57% of the pre-breakup comics.
After the breakup, Marten has been in 623 out of 1300 comics, or 48% of the post-breakup comics. A decrease, but nowhere near as big as the one Dora experienced.
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I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced to the stage of science, whatever the matter may be.
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Amazing damn strip today. I had a hearty laugh.
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At least the
rat with wings onpigeon doesn't seem to have been sucked into the roomba's turbine. Hanners would hate having to clean that mess.
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We haven't had anything that bizarre and wacky for a while.
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What is it with all the death to wild creatures in recent JJ comics? Mr. Flappy, the giant chameleon, and now this? Could there be some issues being worked out?
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"It's not against any religion to want to dispose of a pigeon" -- Tom Lehrer (poisoning pigeons in the park)
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Well the jetpack roomba is returned. This happens while we speculate about Jeph's plans to make second tier characters into the main event. Interesting conjugation these two things.
Coincidence?
I think so!
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I guess that was supposed to be our 3100 plot twist.
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The pigeon being killed just before Pintsize could proclaim his love was so emotional... just like that Doctor Who episode.
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But who says the Pigeon is dead?
<_<
>_>
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Bird strike is a serious problem for all flight operations, and it can only get worse with drones etc. that are small relative to birds. It's a crowded sky and for flying vacuum-cleaners there is only so much Roomba.
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But who says the Pigeon is dead?
<_<
>_>
Jeph did. Scroll down past the first bit of self-promotion.
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This is obviously Pintsize's 'Uncle Ben' moment. The trauma convinces him to start on a crusade against aggressive Roombas so that no innocent pigeon need suffer again! This is the birth of a darker, more serious Pintsize! Next step: steal one of the kill-bots old chassis and paint it like a garish superhero costume!
What? What are you all staring at?
Seriously, that was a great one-off funny.
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I don't think Pintsize could have continued being his usual self with the resident pigeon, and if the pigeon simply never appeared again, questions would be asked in this forum.
So I'm glad it's gone, and that we know how it happened. It was a good gag while it lasted.
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And the crowning irony is that Pintsize (and Winston) created that jet-propelled Roomba in the first place!
BTW, I was wondering how Pintsize could talk with his mouth full of pigeon, but then I realized robot voices have little if anything to do with mouth and tongue movements. The little speaker at the back of his throat would not be impeded by the pigeon's presence, other than perhaps a bit muffled.
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And the crowning irony is that Pintsize (and Winston) created that jet-propelled Roomba in the first place!
It wasn't irony. It was a scene reminiscent of Frankenstein's creation unable to accept that its father was able to love another and not it.
Roomba took out the competition!
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I've always thought most pets and captive animals were better off than those in the wild. Life can be, and often is, tough for wild animals, what with predation, avoiding being predated and what not. And that's before introducing things like maybe getting hit by cars or flying vehicles. Meanwhile, most captive animals live in great safety and comfort.
The comic is an almost perfect illustration of this; the pigeon was safe and comfortable in Pintsize's mouth, and the instant he tried to set it free...it gets killed by a flying Roomba (though I suppose being taken by a hawk/falcon might be a better example).
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I don't like seeing Pintsize sad. It makes me sad as well :(
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why jeph
jeph why
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Nnnoo... not City Face. Well, it can't be city face because City Face is friends with very tough birds. City Face would have avoided this.
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No pigeons were harmed in the making of this strip. He was a professional stunt pigeon and was wearing protective gear.
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But who says the Pigeon is dead?
<_<
>_>
Jeph did. Scroll down past the first bit of self-promotion.
Jeph's always a smartass in the newspost, that doesn't count.
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And now the Roomba will live and poop in Pintsize's mouth.
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Comic's up.
Took me a second to recognize Tai in this one.
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Not a fan of that haircut, but then again I'm never really a fan of shaving the sides. Although I'm curious what it looks like from the other side, is that side shaved too?
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Tai's new hairstyle reminds me of one Faye had a while back, though more...intentional. Faye's was a bit of an accident IIRC.
I had the same thought.
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Tai and Dora are both wearing shorts. Is it summer in QC-time now?
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I really like Tai's new haircut. One reason of which is I'm not positive, but I think this is the first hair change she's had.
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On the eternal sidecut debate, waged by men since the dawn of time.
Not of fan of clean shaven versions, but super short buzzes like Tai's are cute.
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I really like Tai's new haircut. One reason of which is I'm not positive, but I think this is the first hair change she's had.
Nah, she had a change waaaaaaay back. Searching for strip...
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Okay, can I just chime in as apparently the only person who just appreciates that particular cut in almost all iterations? I'm not the biggest fan of of Tai's version, but then I just watched Mockingjay and hot damn, Natalie Dormer rocks the hell out of that look, so she's currently the standard.
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Yeah, but she's Natalie Dormer. Not sure it's possible to find a hairstyle that Natalie Dormer wouldn't look good in.
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I like it, but as a woman with a mohawk I might be biased.
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I really like Tai's new haircut. One reason of which is I'm not positive, but I think this is the first hair change she's had.
Nah, she had a change waaaaaaay back. Searching for strip...
Ah ha! From this (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1279) to this (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1210).
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Meh, I'm not a fan of the new 'do myself but it isn't an issue for me. I'm wondering if it is a reference to the character ofBBecky in Dumbing of Age by D M Willis.
That aside, is anyone going to clue me in to today's punchline? It's totally meaningless to me! I'm guessing that it's a pot joke (when is it not for Tai)? But, apart from that, I'm clueless! I also sense a 'help wanted' ad in the near future for CoD.
Tai and Dora are both wearing shorts. Is it summer in QC-time now?
No, its just that they're both Massachusetts girls. It will take knee-deep snow to make them switch to full-length pants.
[edit]
Fix'd typo and... how the hell did I manage to hit '!' rather than 'l'?!?
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Tai and Dora are both wearing shorts. Is it summer in QC-time now?
More like late September/early October according to this: Passage of Time in QC... (https://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,30197.250.html)
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I think Dora should try the Tai approach to management for a little while. Worst case scenario, she can go back as long as Cossette doesn't fatally wound herself roasting the beans or something like that. Maybe with less use of recreational drugs, but that is her call to make.
Or if she's making enough she might even be capable of hiring someone else and put Pen on what were Faye's duties.
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I really wish I was capable of finding Tai even moderately tolerable or likable as a character.
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Tai is definitely more buxom of late. When she first appeared (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=691) she was so skinny I thought she was a boy.
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Tai is definitely more buxom of late. When she first appeared (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=691) she was so skinny I thought she was a boy.
When she first started appearing, Tai had a noticeable body image problem and she bound her breasts to look 'boyish', mostly due to bullying she suffered at high school. She stopped doing that after she started trying to advertise herself to Dora and has never gone back.
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As a woman with the sides of my head clipped close like that.. I can say I like the look. :) I've always thought it looked yummy, and it frustrates me to no end when I hear guys going 'Well I don't like it. Women should have long hair.' or something to that effect. It's like uh.. hello? You aren't required to like it. We didn't do it for you, we did it because we like the way it looks. I mean, I don't mind it when people express an opinion. But you know... institutionalized sexism. Most of the time I hear it, it's either presented as an accusation, or a value judgement on the person.
Also Tai.. the reason you can show up high as balls and the work gets done is you have people there who take up your slack. That's not delegation, that's your workers covering for you. Dora doesn't really have that. Penelope barely seems like she wants to be there most of the time. Cossette is a walking disaster area. If she were left in charge the fire trucks would probably be rolling before Dora got halfway to her car. I don't even know if Raven still works there but.. Yeah, Raven. Hanners would probably be overwhelmed and have an anxiety attack, or go into full Overlord mode. The only one who might make a good assistant manager is probably Dale. He's hard working, level headed and usually pretty difficult to fluster. But he's also probably still part time with other jobs he has to schedule around, and he's the New Guy. Going from register money to assistant manager that fast would probably not go over well with Penny.
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When she first started appearing, Tai had a noticeable body image problem and she bound her breasts to look 'boyish', mostly due to bullying she suffered at high school. She stopped doing that after she started trying to advertise herself to Dora and has never gone back.
Does anyone have a comic source of this? I can't remember Tai mentioning high school other than in the date with Dora. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2258)
I think that even if she was bullied, it's unfair to put her choice of expression to being mostly or entirely to do with pleasing other people. She's expressed herself that she simply finds it fun.
Tai is definitely more buxom of late. When she first appeared (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=691) she was so skinny I thought she was a boy.
Tai said she liked experimenting with androgyny and intentionally binded her breasts down sometimes. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=974) In the strip before the one linked she mentions "passing as a boy" so she'd probably take that as a compliment. Also it's important to point out that "boyish" and "androgyny" are not the same and are not necessarily exclusive.
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I think Tai is more comfortable in her skin these days. Being with Dora is the kind of stablising influence on her life that she needed from how she was when she first came onto the scene.
Tai's also a fit for Dora IMHO. I loved it when she was with Marten, but I don't really think it could have lasted. Marten's a great guy, but he's kind of a doormat sometimes and Dora being Dora could easily run roughshod over the lovable guy. Tai's more capable of telling Dora to 'Get over hereslf' better than I think Marten could be.
I'm still looking forward to when Dora and Faye finally talk to each other. I suspect it will be a while before that happens, but I hope that Jeph has it planned for those two to finally have 'The Talk' they need.
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I really wish I was capable of finding Tai even moderately tolerable or likable as a character.
I find her terribly self-centred and utterly unengaging. Ship her off to Mandyville and I doubt I'd care.
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I would be much happier about seeing Tai & Dora if this wasn't the...third? fourth? time in a row that Tai has had to gently berate Dora for being too serious/stubborn/etc. about something. Let me guess, they'll spend the rest of the week arguing, then one or the other will get advice from Marten, then they'll have great make-up sex, and we won't see them together again for a few hundred strips, when Tai will have to gently berate Dora about something again. I realize the rule of QC relationships is "If you don't see 'em, they're doing okay," but still, this Tai-and-Dora-argue-about-Dora's-life shtick is getting kinda old.
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Tht doesn't look like an argument to me, more like a calm discussion. And both Neko_Ali and Dora are right, Tai's "management" style wouldn't work for Dora; not only is she entirely too controlling to do that, but she really doesn't have anyone at the shop she cn trust to take up the slack. Dora's stuck as the one and only manager until she can train up or hire someone to fill the role.
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... is anyone going to clue me in to today's punchline? It's totally meaningless to me! I'm guessing that it's a pot joke (when is it not for Tai)? But, apart from that, I'm clueless!
"Sativa" (cultivated) and "Indica" (of India) are the two varieties of cannabis. Google is your friend.
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Poor Pen-Pen, the Press-Ganged Barista, just waiting to force Dora into anti-anxiety medicine.
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Even in a still format, walk & talks make exposition dynamic.
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To be fair, Penelope has attempted to quit on a whim before (specifically, when Faye was promoted to ass. manager*).
*Sorry. Just felt the need to abbreviate a word there. :roll:
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... is anyone going to clue me in to today's punchline? It's totally meaningless to me! I'm guessing that it's a pot joke (when is it not for Tai)? But, apart from that, I'm clueless!
"Sativa" (cultivated) and "Indica" (of India) are the two varieties of cannabis. Google is your friend.
More than that, Indica is typified as the body-high. It's effect has been described as putting you in-da-couch, :clairedoge:
Sativa is more in your head, leaving you more able to do things.
Tai being laid-back, 'lazy' some would call it, she's the indica. Dora likes doing stuff, so she's the strain preferred by people who like DOING stuff when they're high.
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Wow, Tai is being uncharacteristically shitty.
Also, I hate her haircut even more now that I've seen the other side of it.
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I'm kinda with Tai here. Dora is being more paranoid than usual, even if her last of trust in Penelope's commitment to the shop is somewhat rational. She still needs to take some kind of chill pill.
She's also forgetting about one fact of press-ganging; it only really works when the victim can't easily escape, as on a ship at sea. Penelope has continued to reliably show up for work since she was hired, even though she never had to leave her previous employment in the first place, and could have quit CoD at anytime.
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Dora is being more paranoid than usual.
Is that something also associated with Sativa?
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I can relate fairly strongly to this conversation, on a broad level at least. I have been on Tai's side, though I would never have expressed myself quite so... bluntly as she has.
Dora is a control freak and her trust issues are coming out here. I see how what Tai said could be seen as a little shittty, but she's understandably frustrated.
Dora's business is at stake here, but her health will suffer unless she works out how to trust at least one member of her staff to take on some responsibility.
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Dora is being more paranoid than usual.
Is that something also associated with Sativa?
Believe that's marijuana in general, though in what I suspect is the majority of cases, that's a side effect of that being an illegal drug.
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Christ, how long ago in real time was Penelope press-ganged into CoD? Six...eight...ten years ago now?
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Tai has pretty much hit the nail on the head here. Dora's trust issues are crippling to the point of being self-destructive. She literally expects to be betrayed and doesn't see the reason to wait for it to happen. She just acts as if it had already happened. That goes way beyond anxiety and flirts with full-blown paranoia!
This inability to believe that people will not ultimately betray her (indeed, that they are not constantly looking for the most destructive opportunity to do so) destroyed her relationship with Marten, poisoned her relationship with Sven and seems to now be threatening her immediate health. Tai has good reason to be worried.
I just wonder how long Dora has been 'papering over the cracks', as it were - Trying to not confront this?
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Err, Tai? If Dora was on anti-anxiety meds, she might not be with you in the first place, because she might never have sabotaged her relationship with Marten. Her being a nutcase works in your best interest.
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I think Dora is feeling some guilt over the way she and Faye treated Penelope.
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Christ, how long ago in real time was Penelope press-ganged into CoD? Six...eight...ten years ago now?
The comic where it happened is copyright 2006. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=725) So nine years.
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I'm kinda with Tai here. Dora is being more paranoid than usual, even if her last of trust in Penelope's commitment to the shop is somewhat rational. She still needs to take some kind of chill pill.
She's also forgetting about one fact of press-ganging; it only really works when the victim can't easily escape, as on a ship at sea. Penelope has continued to reliably show up for work since she was hired, even though she never had to leave her previous employment in the first place, and could have quit CoD at anytime.
Well, Penelope got fired from her last job (and blamed the CoD employees), so there's that. I also hope that she does find other employment, for the simple reason that she doesn't seem too happy there. Yes, it's kind of her personality to be cynical and grumpy, but with her interest in literature and her enjoyment of books, the library might be a much better fit.
And then... I don't know, it's very much Dora's own fault that she can't trust the people at CoD. On the one hand, she has a very hard time delegating (Faye had overcome a lot of resistance - she had to assign herself the tasks she had to do, and she had to basically force Dora to hire Dale), and the way she picks her employees is questionable at best.
She hired Corsette and Penelope, (after consulting a witch and bullying the future employee, respectively), and Faye talked her into hiring Hannelore and Dale (who do have their problems, but are the more responsible/trustworthy ones).
I'm not saying Faye is great at being an assistant manager, but Dora is certainly worse at hiring people.
Tai makes way better hiring decisions - Marten and Momo are very responsible-minded, as is Claire. She can trust them to pick up the slack when she's high, and there's very little drama between the employees (nothing like Penelope and Faye throwing stuff at each other)
And yes, Tai's comment about anti-anxiety medication is.. insensitive at best, but the sentiment is a good one. Faye didn't screw over Dora on purpose. She had problems, but she never intended to hurt Dora or her business. If you do expect your employees to undermine/screw you over because they feel like it, either you fucked up in hiring them or you have a serious problem. In Dora's case, maybe both.
Tai's haircut: looks exactly like mine.
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I wouldn't hold up Tai to be a paragon of good management. Marten basically walk into the library, noticed the application was written in iambic pentameter and got hired. Momo walked in and got hired straight away without even really applying. Even Tai admitted that as long as she doesn't burn the building down or go over budget, she can do as she likes. She's shown up repeatedly to work high or under the influence of something.
The thing is, other than just having a job, Tai doesn't really have that much at stake with the library. But Dora? Coffee of Doom is literally her life. Her life savings are in Coffee of Doom. Its her job, her livelihood and in her mind, what proves her to be more than just "Sven's little sister". While Tai might raise some good points, its still only words to Dora because its her life and future at stake. Right now, to Dora, Coffee of Doom is more important than her health.
But it is interesting to see that every time we see Dora and Tai nowadays they do seem to be talking about work or Dora's cutting Sven out of her life, always verging on the edge of an argument or actually having an argument. So maybe we're slowly building up to something between the two.
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I can relate fairly strongly to this conversation, on a broad level at least. I have been on Tai's side, though I would never have expressed myself quite so... bluntly as she has.
Dora is a control freak and her trust issues are coming out here. I see how what Tai said could be seen as a little shittty, but she's understandably frustrated.
Dora's business is at stake here, but her health will suffer unless she works out how to trust at least one member of her staff to take on some responsibility.
Hey, I caught the joke, even if nobody else did... sativa or indica...
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Tai is being insensitive, of course. No denying that. But then again.. This is Dora. Subtle hints get bulldozed over by her paranoia. And really, that's what I think we have to call it. It's why she's had so few friends and decent relationships in her life. Because she's constantly expecting the worse of people. Those she has come to trust, at least somewhat is mostly due to their persistence in not being pushed away. And the incident with Faye has seriously shaken her trust in people.
Tai is not really known for subtle anyway. She's always been blunt, to the point of being rude sometimes. But that is what Dora needs from time to time. Not a gentle nudge, but a kick in the ass. Working 60-70 hours a week, plus the worries of running her business is going to break her eventually.
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I think Tai's hair would look a bit better if it wasn't pushed behind her ear. It's not quite translating right for me. I think this would be a close real life equivalent. (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9b/8b/dc/9b8bdcd92a9dc96ff132b4ab245dc160.jpg)
I hope this conversation actually leads to Dora talking to Penelope. I've missed her interactions beyond one or two panel gags.
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I think Tai's hair would look a bit better if it wasn't pushed behind her ear. It's not quite translating right for me. I think this would be a close real life equivalent. (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9b/8b/dc/9b8bdcd92a9dc96ff132b4ab245dc160.jpg)
That girl's hair is awesome and she is adorable
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Tai is reacting perfectly to Dora.
Remember, Dora has trust issues and insecurities that, I think, have sorta taken a front seat since the whole thing with Faye blew up. That really hasn't been settled between them and I think Dora is kinda still feeling down over how the whole thing blew up and ended up, and Faye blowing her off when she tried to talk to her when she left CoD probably didn't help.
I don't think that matter is going to be truly resolved until Dora and Faye finally sit down and talk about what happened,
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Personally, I think Tai is right. Dora is being completly irrational and it's obvious she needs more help than she is getting. I don't know that ant-anxiety medication specifically is what she needs, but she needs something. One of the best things about their relationship is Tai's willingness to call Dora out on her shit, and Dora's willingness to, eventually, listen to said call outs.
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That's part of the reason I think Tai is a perfect fit for Dora. Granted, she's not perfect, but at least she's gonna call Dora on her bullshit a lot more bluntly than I think Marten would.
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Marten was quite capable of being blunt, but only when he was completely pissed off, which was never going to work out well.
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I'm just gonna say this: Dora is not endearing herself at the present time.
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The disturbing thing is that Dora tends not to take action until there's a crisis.
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Oh Dora. I get where you're coming from, I reallly do, but you gotta take care of yourself, and you are currently not at all.
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The disturbing thing is that Dora tends not to take action until there's a crisis.
And perhaps doesn't realize when one is already there.
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It seems to me that Dora is just as self destructive in her way as Faye. She's just working her way into an early grave (as a way to avoid facing her demons) instead of drinking her way there (likewise).
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Denial is a river on which Dora sails, steadfastly ignoring the waterfall she is paddling towards.
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I had a conversation disturbingly like that one -- If I take the medication I won't be wracked with anxiety and I can put in longer hours.
Hahahaha. :lol:
Hoooboy. :roll:
Long story short it didn't work even a little bit. :-D
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I have to agree that Dora is heading for a crisis: both in her mental health and in her relationship with Tai. She's avoiding confronting her problems and ignoring that Tai may ultimately decide that she doesn't want to hang around for the eventual crash. Dora needs to realise that if she doesn't take action, she could lose everything anyway.
Jeph did a great job in capturing Tai's frustration with her lover here.
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Interesting conversation here. It is obvious that Dora tries to avoid confronting her issues. An medication is always the easier way, therapy means actually dealing with her problems.
And Jeph uses Manga Studio 5. :-) My daughter uses the same software for her manga.
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And closer to the maelstrom we hurl, closer to the edge of the abyss and to oblivion.
Either that or Tai is going to realise that she's just going around in circles.
We could be getting closer to an ultimatum from our young librarian. Tai or Coffee of Doom. And as much as it saddens me to say, Tai might find herself a very distant second place.
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Tai has no interest in making Dora choose between her and the business. That's not what this conversation is even remotely about. Tai wants Dora to take care of herself and prioritize her own health. How you could interpret this conversation to be about a competition between Tai and the business is beyond me.
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Tai has no interest in making Dora choose between her and the business. That's not what this conversation is even remotely about. Tai wants Dora to take care of herself and prioritize her own health. How you could interpret this conversation to be about a competition between Tai and the business is beyond me.
Of course Tai is concerned about Dora's health and rightly so, but at the same time one can only spend so much time headbutting a brick wall before realising its not going to budge. Given that the last few times Tai and Dora have appeared in the comic more often than not its has been about Dora's unhealthy work hours and wilful ignoring any suggestion get help of any kind, I can see Tai getting to the limits of her patience. Its not a competition but more an attempt to putting a brake on Dora hurtling towards her self destructive end. Tai outright says that she loves Dora, she wants her to be healthy. Now, if I was in Dora's position, I would smile and say "I love you too". Instead, we see Dora thinking that if she was on medication, she wouldn't have to go to therapy and just spend that time working. Not only did Dora disregard what Tai was saying, she also disregarded Tai saying she loved Dora. Its not healthy, not for Dora, or Tai or their relationship.
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"I love you too" is not the automatic response every time those words are uttered, especially when they are part of a longer sentence. It is not inappropriate when the phrase is spoken followed by "but" to respond to the qualifier rather than the declaration as that is the actual point being put forward.
That being said, putting the brakes on Dora's downward slide doesn't have to, nor should it, involve ultimatums, especially not ones that have nothing to do with the issue at hand. The issue Tai is addressing is Dora's health. She's not complaining that Dora isn't spending enough time with her, which would be the only way a "the ship or me" would make any sense. Even if that was the case, ultimatums are still inherently shitty and manipulative. I don't see Tai doing that.
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I agree with you for the most part, however Tai would be fully within her rights if she were to say that she doesn't want to be in a relationship with someone whos behavior is ultimately self-destructive.
I don't think things have gotten anywhere near that point yet, but an early warning would be fair-game.
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That being said, putting the brakes on Dora's downward slide doesn't have to, nor should it, involve ultimatums, especially not ones that have nothing to do with the issue at hand. The issue Tai is addressing is Dora's health. She's not complaining that Dora isn't spending enough time with her, which would be the only way a "the ship or me" would make any sense. Even if that was the case, ultimatums are still inherently shitty and manipulative. I don't see Tai doing that.
Agreed - Tai has a lot of faults, but being manipulative is usually not one of them. The only time I remember was when she bullied Marten into giving her relationship advice. Also, she knows that she comes a distant second to the Coffee of Doom - 70 hours a week mean that Dora really can't spend any time with Tai (she still has to sleep and eat, and she has a half-hour commute to Amherst). Tai is not complaining about that, even though the only reason she can actually talk to Dora is because Doras employees forced her to take a half-day off.
It still could blow up in her face, though, because Dora gets defensive really fast and I'm surprised that she let Tai go that far. I don't think she sees a way out - she doesn't have a 'we're hiring' sign out (at least I didn't see one), the employees at the CoD work at full capacity and she is afraid to promote anybody. It would be difficult, too, because we never see her actively training employees beyond the very basics, so the only people she actually can promote are those who might have picked up more over time, like Penelope.
(yes, Tai is by all standards not a good manager, but she still manages to be better than Dora. She at least tries to encourage her employees to do more/better.)
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I've got a horrible feeling that, given the current direction of events and Dora's inability to understand why this is a bad thing, Tai is going to end up uttering the horrible words: "I've tried but I can't keep doing this anymore". That isn't in any way imminent but it's a growing possibility and I don't want to try to guess just how badly this may affect Dora.
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I never said that Tai was in any way being manipulative, merely that she is being frustrated by her girlfriend constantly blowing off her concern. My point about Tai saying "I love you" was more that Dora didn't acknowledge what was said and instead so focused on work and trying to figure out more ways to get hours down. I've been on both sides of the discussion that Tai and Dora are having (while not about work, it was about health) and experience tells me that when it gets to that stage, one person will leave, if only for the sake of their own health. Tai might love Dora, but that doesn't mean she has to be buckled in for the inevitable ride to hell. Love will only go so far when there is only one person invested in the relationship.
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You didn't say Tai was being manipulative, you suggested she might give an ultimatum. I said ultimatums are inherently manipulative.
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I've got a horrible feeling that, given the current direction of events and Dora's inability to understand why this is a bad thing, Tai is going to end up uttering the horrible words: "I've tried but I can't keep doing this anymore". That isn't in any way imminent but it's a growing possibility and I don't want to try to guess just how badly this may affect Dora.
I can't see Tai ever giving up on Dora, even if she should. And Dora is probably gonna be very hesitant about ending another relationship.
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In any case she's not showing any signs of being frustrated like that. She's worried about Dora and her health, and trying to get Dora to see what she's doing is hurting her, so that she'll take steps to address it. As far as manipulation goes, that's about as low key, above the board and based out of concern for her lover as can be.
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I don't think Tai would give up on Dora unless things got real bad.
At this stage, Dora's just in Denial Mode again, but she also, deep down, knows she's got issues that need to be sorted. Tai's enough of a strong personality to get Dora to do what she needs to get done to sort herself out.
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Tai is also taking a positive and loving approach, however tactless.
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You didn't say Tai was being manipulative, you suggested she might give an ultimatum. I said ultimatums are inherently manipulative.
And the question, sitnspin, is what would you do in Tai's shoes?
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I hope Tai does push Dora back into therapy. I'd like to see more of Corinne.
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I hope Tai does push Dora back into therapy. I'd like to see more of Corinne.
She's not seeing Dr Corinne. The good doc said she's not seeing anymore of that circle of friends.
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It's a guy, in fact (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2170).
EDIT: The question about what Tai ought to say is now eclipsed by the apparent certainty that it will backfire, whatever it is. "Anything you say can and will be used against you".
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This is hilarious, it's like I'm watching a nearly identical-to-my-life scene play out in QC.
Spoiler Alert: I got my head poked back into alignment, and we are still together. 7 years running...
My situation was a bit different. They'd treat one batch of symptoms find another underlying batch of symptoms treat THAT, finally once I was in a good head-space from having symptoms managed we were able to work THAT out and the rest gradually dissipated.
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Ah, yes, onion diagnosis.
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Ah, yes, onion diagnosis.
It was quite the pickle.
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Wow! Add oppositional external reinforcement dependency to Dora's list of issues! She literally needs to know what people are actually suggesting that she do so that she can be sure that she's not doing it!
Things for Tai to do:- Assure Dora that following someone's suggestions isn't a sign of moral weaknesses or lack of independence;
- Assure Dora that she is happy that Dora is going back to her therapist because this is good for Dora;
- Give Dora a hug; I really think that she needs one right now!
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You didn't say Tai was being manipulative, you suggested she might give an ultimatum. I said ultimatums are inherently manipulative.
And the question, sitnspin, is what would you do in Tai's shoes?
Thwap Dora upside the head with love?
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They do deserve each other. Saves other people being involved with two quite terrible people.
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You didn't say Tai was being manipulative, you suggested she might give an ultimatum. I said ultimatums are inherently manipulative.
And the question, sitnspin, is what would you do in Tai's shoes?
Exactly what she is doing: Express love, concern and support and gently suggest therapy and reiterate the importance of self-care.
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And the question, sitnspin, is what would you do in Tai's shoes?
Thwap Dora upside the head with love?
Thwap her upside the head with something, anyway... :roll:
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"Oh My God Dora"
Something a lot of us have been saying for quite some time :P
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oh fuck it's one of these storylines again
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Remember how hard it is for Tai to do the whole monogamy thing? Not because it's not what she wants, but because it's not what she's used to?
What are the odds Tai ends up cheating on Dora just because it's the only way she feels she can pull back from the relationship without having to leave it?
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But she used do monogamy and not poly-... you know what? Nevermind. I'm a broken record regarding Jeph's retcon of Tai's relationship preferences.
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Tai was involved with Bailey who is poly. Tai wanted to be exclusive but Bailey did not. Tai went along with it for a while because it was the only way to be with her. Tai realized it didn't make her happy.
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Yeah it's not that Tai couldn't do monogamy, it's that no one in her college social circle wanted to be monogamous. Hence her dating Dora. I doubt she'll cheat, but Dora's issues may well run her off.
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But she used do monogamy and not poly-... you know what? Nevermind. I'm a broken record regarding Jeph's retcon of Tai's relationship preferences.
Expletive, expletive, expletive, right, I forgot it was retconn'd.
I apologize and retract my prior musing.
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I hope Tai is carrying a paper bag, the way Dora's going on I expect her to hyperventilate soon.
For FRAKS SAKE Dora, overanalysing much??!!!!!
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The last couple of strips are really weird from a UK perspective.
You can take meds OR visit a psychiatrist! Those are your options!
Er....what about just talking things through with a friend? I know that 1 in 5 americans are on psychiatric drugs, but that doesn't make it normal for the rest of the world...
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Even in the UK that's not always the answer, though. (Says he, who has had therapy, and took a drug for a short period at the same time.)
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Careful with the word "normal" there. "Common" may have been a better and less ableist choice.
A friend is likely not a mental health professional, and if they are it's not fair to take advantage of a friendship to get free mental health care. Talking things through or just having someone listen casually can be really therapeutic and helpful so for some people it is enough. However others might need or want the help to be gained from someone specifically trained. By talking things through with a friend, Dora has realised therapy might be a good idea, even if she is reluctant to go to one.
~
From someone in the UK recently off long-term antidepressants and seeing a psychotherapist.
Edit: Quick Google says that in England alone, depending on where, any amount from 1 in 5 to 1 in 23 adults were on antidepressants in 2013. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23553897)
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And the question, sitnspin, is what would you do in Tai's shoes?
Thwap Dora upside the head with love?
Thwap her upside the head with something, anyway... :roll:
careful doing that in public, you don't want to be charged with indecent exposure
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The last couple of strips are really weird from a UK perspective.
You can take meds OR visit a psychiatrist! Those are your options!
Er....what about just talking things through with a friend? I know that 1 in 5 americans are on psychiatric drugs, but that doesn't make it normal for the rest of the world...
Spoken like someone who has never suffered from severe depression and anxiety, and therefore doesn't know what they're talking about. And by the way, psychiatrists don't do talk therapy, they prescribe meds based on a thorough evaluation. Psychologists and therapists are for talk. My GP highly recommends a combination of meds and therapy as the best way to deal with mental illness.
As my therapist puts it, medication alone doesn't fix you. It just puts you in a better state of mind so you can start dealing with the root of your problems via talk therapy. Many people, once the core of their problems are addressed, are able to come off of the meds once they've come to terms with the cause of their issues, and have developed the necessary coping tools in order to maintain a healthy mental state. On the flip side, many people do require meds for certain disorders in order to be able to function.
EDIT: Added in a few lines, since posting it all from my phone is a pain.
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Also, Dora has (been forced to) talk with about it with friends. That's what Tai is doing right now. The trouble is that avoiding her problems is part of Dora's problem. She's very good at rationalizing things and finding excuses to keep putting off dealing with what she doesn't deal with. Often by throwing herself into work, one place where she feels some measure of control over her environment. Some people can and do get through things on their own, or talking with friends. Dora is not one of those people.
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Also, Dora has (been forced to) talk with about it with friends. That's what Tai is doing right now. The trouble is that avoiding her problems is part of Dora's problem.
If you are actively avoiding your problems, then no amount of therapy will help you.
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Dora looks like four different people today :?
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The last couple of strips are really weird from a UK perspective.
You can take meds OR visit a psychiatrist! Those are your options!
Er....what about just talking things through with a friend? I know that 1 in 5 americans are on psychiatric drugs, but that doesn't make it normal for the rest of the world...
One of Dora's closest friends realized things were past the "talking things through with a friend" point with Dora and pushed her into therapy. Pushed hard.
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I hope Tai does push Dora back into therapy. I'd like to see more of Corinne.
She's not seeing Dr Corinne. The good doc said she's not seeing anymore of that circle of friends.
Got a link for that? I recall her saying she didn't want any more referrals from that circle.
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I thought she did refer Dora to her current therapist, but wouldn't personally see her because same circle of friends. But I'm looking back at Faye giving Dora the number but I can't find any reference to Corinne mentioning that.
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1782 ~ Faye is the one who says Corrinne won't accept more of the circle. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1782)
1802 ~ Faye got the referral number from Corrinne. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1802)
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Ahhh, that's why I didn't find it, because she said it to Sven slightly pre-breakup.
Also dang, I remember reading that back in 2010 and thinking "shit, what if I don't have a relationship by the time I'm 28". I'm 28 now. It's been an interesting five years.
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Ahhh, that's why I didn't find it, because she said it to Sven slightly pre-breakup.
Also dang, I remember reading that back in 2010 and thinking "shit, what if I don't have a relationship by the time I'm 28". I'm 28 now. It's been an interesting five years.
Do you have a relationship yet? None of my business, I know, just wondering what kind of interesting it's been.
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I actually haven't had a relationship since turning 28 in August, but I've had a few, and even got engaged once. So mostly good interesting, some sad interesting, but overall...interesting.
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Dora has as many issues as Faye, in her way, and they're probably at least as self-destructive. She just goes around (not) addressing them differently.
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The last couple of strips are really weird from a UK perspective.
You can take meds OR visit a psychiatrist! Those are your options!
Er....what about just talking things through with a friend? I know that 1 in 5 americans are on psychiatric drugs, but that doesn't make it normal for the rest of the world...
Spoken like someone who has never suffered from severe depression and anxiety, and therefore doesn't know what they're talking about.
I've had depression, not to the stage of getting formal help but definitely to the stage that it's messed things up for a while.
However, my point wasn't about me, but about Dora. She's stressed from work, doesn't know who to promote etc, talks to her girlfriend about it and the response is: drugs or psychologist (ok, fair difference on the word).
It's not a common (yep, a better word) response in the UK IMO for what are very minor issues really.
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The last couple of strips are really weird from a UK perspective.
You can take meds OR visit a psychiatrist! Those are your options!
Er....what about just talking things through with a friend? I know that 1 in 5 americans are on psychiatric drugs, but that doesn't make it normal for the rest of the world...
Spoken like someone who has never suffered from severe depression and anxiety, and therefore doesn't know what they're talking about.
I've had depression, not to the stage of getting formal help but definitely to the stage that it's messed things up for a while.
However, my point wasn't about me, but about Dora. She's stressed from work, doesn't know who to promote etc, talks to her girlfriend about it and the response is: drugs or psychologist (ok, fair difference on the word).
It's not a common (yep, a better word) response in the UK IMO for what are very minor issues really.
There is NOTHING minor about Clinical Depression.
You do not know of what you speak.
Educate yourself, the internet is a vast repository of information.
Then return here and apologize for trivializing a profound and debilitating illness.
You're lucky the moderators melted my lug-wrench otherwise I'd be wrenching your lugs so hard right now you have NO idea.
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I think he meant Dora's issues were trivial, not that clinical depression is.
On Freud's definition of health ("to love and to work") she's OK, but this business of expecting Pennelope to turn on her if offered a promotion is alarmingly and damagingly outside the usual range of emotion and cognition.
Tai is doubtless connecting this to previous arguments with Dora that she may have found alarming.
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However, my point wasn't about me, but about Dora. She's stressed from work, doesn't know who to promote etc, talks to her girlfriend about it and the response is: drugs or psychologist (ok, fair difference on the word).
It's not a common (yep, a better word) response in the UK IMO for what are very minor issues really.
I think that you would benefit from reading more about Dora in the archives. This isn't an isolated incident. She has a history of paranoid ideation and delusions of betrayal that poisoned her first on-screen relationship - With Marten. She also has a similar difficulty dealing with her (admittedly long-time douchebag) older brother because she constantly sees betrayal where it isn't.
Under no circumstances is this about workplace stress or indecisiveness about who to promote. These are merely the most recent symptoms.
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I think he meant Dora's issues were trivial, not that clinical depression is.
Oh ok.
Can I still loosen his lugs when my replacement wrench gets here?
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This isn't an isolated incident. She has a history of paranoid ideation and delusions of betrayal that poisoned her first on-screen relationship - With Marten. She also has a similar difficulty dealing with her (admittedly long-time douchebag) older brother because she constantly sees betrayal where it isn't.
Under no circumstances is this about workplace stress or indecisiveness about who to promote. These are merely the most recent symptoms.
Yes, and Tai may well be able to deal with these symptoms on her own, by convincing her to promote, and to delegate a bit more, at least in the the short term. These are perfectly reasonable things to sort out with a friend.
But the long term issues remain - which, to my understanding at least, are her excessive need for control, and her inability to trust others (these are probably heavily intertwined).
Convincing Dora to attend therapy is one thing, which she may do under sufferance. A more productive line of action might be to try to convince her to acknowledge those issues, and that there is no shame in facing them. Once you reach that point, assuming she is then willing to confront them, not only will she be more amenable to therapy, but also the therapy sessions stand some chance of being productive.
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However, my point wasn't about me, but about Dora. She's stressed from work, doesn't know who to promote etc, talks to her girlfriend about it and the response is: drugs or psychologist (ok, fair difference on the word).
It's not a common (yep, a better word) response in the UK IMO for what are very minor issues really.
I think that you would benefit from reading more about Dora in the archives. This isn't an isolated incident. She has a history of paranoid ideation and delusions of betrayal that poisoned her first on-screen relationship - With Marten. She also has a similar difficulty dealing with her (admittedly long-time douchebag) older brother because she constantly sees betrayal where it isn't.
Under no circumstances is this about workplace stress or indecisiveness about who to promote. These are merely the most recent symptoms.
(http://i68.tinypic.com/vyv1b5.png)
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Pizza Girl seemed pretty healthy.
Probably why she gets no screen time, come to think of it.
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Emily and Claire both have definite psychological issues but in neither case would I call them 'crippling problems'. Indeed, from her words to Clinton in Strip 2999 (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2999), I understand that Emily regards her issues as a key part of her individual identity and feels that others should apologise to her for trying to sandwich her into their definition of 'normal' when she is quite happy with her own normality, thank you very much.
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I think that Dora is aware of her problems. She's even aware of some of the causes and reasons of those problems. She just doesn't want to have to deal with them. It's one part accustomed rut and one part avoidance of discomfort. She feels maybe she's not in the best shape, but she's good enough and trying to get better is so hard, so why even?
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Pizza Girl seemed pretty healthy.
Probably why she gets no screen time, come to think of it.
How can you tell? She was only in two strips or so… and running around pretending to be a super hero doesn't seem super healthy to me.
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Pizza Girl seemed pretty healthy.
Probably why she gets no screen time, come to think of it.
How can you tell? She was only in two strips or so… and running around pretending to be a super hero doesn't seem super healthy to me.
I don't think she was meant to be a super hero, more of a gimmick for the pizza place. She might have to play the role and stay in there while on the job.
(https://media.giphy.com/media/sAfok9VTPY3bq/giphy.gif)
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Plus, if Penelope gets promoted, she won't have time to be Pizza Girl anymore.
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I don't think she was meant to be a super hero, more of a gimmick for the pizza place. She might have to play the role and stay in there while on the job.
Papa John's (it's a pizza place) near when I live has people dress as Batman and hold advertising signs1. I don't know if it's just a local thing or not, but superhero-delivery-people is not far removed from that.
I still think that it would be funny to have the delivery drivers dressed as The Killing Joke-style Joker, but that probably wouldn't go down too well.
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I've never seen them do that at the Papa John's around here, but admittedly the closest one is like half an hour away, and I only go by it when I'm housesitting.
I have, on the other hand, seen statue of liberty costumes for Liberty Tax Service in winter going in the spring (what a sucky job that has to be!), the Aaron's dog for Aaron's furniture and electronics rental, the Frog for Computer Frog PC repair... Apparently we like our costumed mascots around here.
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However, my point wasn't about me, but about Dora. She's stressed from work, doesn't know who to promote etc, talks to her girlfriend about it and the response is: drugs or psychologist (ok, fair difference on the word).
It's not a common (yep, a better word) response in the UK IMO for what are very minor issues really.
There is NOTHING minor about Clinical Depression.
That's true. Good thing then, that that's not what Dora has.
Dora isn't dealing the hopeless, causeless, permanent-state pathological depression that you're talking about. There are no signs that she's lost years of her life to this nor that she will without intervention lose more years of health, happiness, and productivity. Dora is depressed for a specific reason, at a specific time, in response to specific stress. This is situational, not pathological.
It's true that people who suffer *real* pathological depression often don't consider it serious and don't seek the help they need. But that's because to them there is no remarkable state. From their POV, "This isn't depression, this is just how life is, and has been forever, and why should anyone think it could be better?" So there's a genuine need to fight against the tendency to trivialize it.
But that's not where Dora's at. Dora's more in the "oh, but I don' wanna deal with seeing a therapist, it'd be inconvenient and I'd have to spend time and emotional effort on it and I'm not looking forward to that work," state than the "there's nothing that needs to be done because this is just how life is" state. Dora knows darn well that she's unhappy and that this isn't normal.
And BTW, don't fling words like 'clinical' around when all they mean is that it's been diagnosed. Dora doesn't have clinical depression because she hasn't even been to see anyone who could clinically diagnose it. If she had, then she would be in the exact same emotional state she's in now but it would be clinical.
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Like I said, Tai's the right person for Dora.
She will support Dora, but she will also call her on her bullshit when needed in a way I don't think Marten could. I really hope Dora does go back to her therapist, she sounds like she needs more help than even Tai can give her at this point.
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So Dora has a referral to a therapist. Whom we IIRC have not seen.
meta/ So why should Jeph go to the effort of creating a new character in order to show us Dora in therapy when it would have been more economical to use Corinne? This suggests that if Dora does go to therapy at all, it will be off stage. /meta
Drat. I wanted to see more of Dr. Corinne.
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So Dora has a referral to a therapist. Whom we IIRC have not seen.
meta/ So why should Jeph go to the effort of creating a new character in order to show us Dora in therapy when it would have been more economical to use Corinne? This suggests that if Dora does go to therapy at all, it will be off stage. /meta
Drat. I wanted to see more of Dr. Corinne.
He shows up in 2170 (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2170) and the one after that. (I have him in my character list thingy as "therapist" (http://cesiumcomics.com/qctags/?tag=therapist))
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I too want to see more of Dr. Buenvenida.
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Wow, I forgot how badly that session ended.
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tai has graduated from being overbearingly pushy to passive-aggressively manipulative
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Why do you think so? I mean, I can imagine somebody manipulative acting like that, but so could an honest person on the verge of giving up or (gasp) respecting a boundary.
Oh, and welcome!
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Q.) if a Dora falls in the forest and no one is around to hear, is it still all totally her fault
a.) Well, it's not her fault per se, it's the "fault" of her issues, but you have to admit, she doesn't face up to them properly and also (cont. for three paragraphs)
b.) Of course it is, it's Dora
c.) THAT BITCH DESERVES ABSOLUTE HELL
d.) No, it's Tai's fault.
e.) (Insert a non sequitur/pop culture reference/wandering anecdote)
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However, my point wasn't about me, but about Dora. She's stressed from work, doesn't know who to promote etc, talks to her girlfriend about it and the response is: drugs or psychologist (ok, fair difference on the word).
It's not a common (yep, a better word) response in the UK IMO for what are very minor issues really.
I think that you would benefit from reading more about Dora in the archives. This isn't an isolated incident. She has a history of paranoid ideation and delusions of betrayal that poisoned her first on-screen relationship - With Marten. She also has a similar difficulty dealing with her (admittedly long-time douchebag) older brother because she constantly sees betrayal where it isn't.
Under no circumstances is this about workplace stress or indecisiveness about who to promote. These are merely the most recent symptoms.
I've read the entire comic, more than once.
She's definitely got trust issues, but in the UK in my experience they wouldn't be considered bad enough for someone to go to a therapist.
In the US, fairly obviously it's considered unusual if she *doesn't* go to a therapist, or doesn't go on drugs.
It's a flip of normality (not saying which view is the correct one).
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Personally I'd say Dora's problem goes well beyond "trust issues". Her behavior suggets full on paranoia, possibly coupled with mild anxiety.
Severity of one's mental illness is largely subjective. What makes the determination of whether or not a condition requires therapy or medication is the level of its impact on the individual's health and quality of life. Dora's paranoia is beginning to have a serious impact on both.
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She's definitely got trust issues, but in the UK in my experience they wouldn't be considered bad enough for someone to go to a therapist.
Considered by whom?
My point being, if some behavioral pattern becomes detrimental to your happiness, and you encounter it in the long term, that is indicative that you cannot work through it on your own, thus you should seek outside help. Makes sense, no?
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I'm assuming they mean by the NHS.
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It really does go beyond simple trust issues for Dora. She actively sabotages romantic relationships when she goes looking for the betrayal she thinks is coming. It's markedly unusual that we haven't seen that behavior in her relationship with Tai yet. We saw it with Marten (even after moving in with them, she would still get upset if Faye and Marten spent time together. And the Marten's porn incident, among others.) Talking about her past relationships this was the rule, rather than the exception. And it is something that bothers her as she has expressed in the past. Then there's the difficult, sometimes bordering on toxic relationship with her brother and to a lesser degree her parents. She tends to shift a lot of the blame of her problems on Sven, when they seem more due to her feelings of inadequacy and jealousy next to him. Not that Sven is blameless, but Dora's problems have more do do with her than with him.
Does she need therapy? Could she improve without professional help? It's possible, certainly. But experience has shown that it doesn't help. She would rather avoid the problem than deal with it. Handling it herself or with the help of friends hasn't worked in the past. Going to her therapist didn't really help either. She was bullied into going by Faye. Then she got defensive and resistant when talking with the therapist. Dora knows she has a problem, and on some levels wants to get past them. But until she is willing to accept the help and do the work she needs to do to improve... Nothing is going to change for her. It might even require an incident like with Faye's trip to the hospital for her to realize how bad it is. Getting hurt on the job or something because she's to tired or distracted. Having half the staff walk off because she freaks out on them because of her issues. Something major happening, basically to shock her out of the rut she's worked herself into.
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Why do you think so? I mean, I can imagine somebody manipulative acting like that, but so could an honest person on the verge of giving up or (gasp) respecting a boundary.
From the way she's all "Oh well I GUESS i'll stop being incredibly overbearing and pushing, cause when i do that you don' do what i WANT, and instead get all MAD n shit about it, so i GUESS i'll stop"
If she were respecting a boundary she wouldn't make a big pronouncement of how she's respecting it and why, she'd just stop being pushy, or even apologize for having been pushy and not respecting dora's boundaries.
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Except this is fiction, where people often verbalize what they are thinking so that the audience is aware of it. Also it is a comedy and the line was used to set up the final panel joke. Nothing more needs to be written in the. A point of order is that she had already gotten Dora to agree to call her therapist. She could have just left it where it was. Verbalizing that she was backing down because she didn't want to cause a fight between them was snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Also Tai is about as deceptive as a bag of cement, and almost as subtle. The joke is Dora overanalyzing everything people do around her, again.
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Yes, because voicing concern for your girlfriend's physical and mental health is SO overbearing. Who does that?
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Why do you think so? I mean, I can imagine somebody manipulative acting like that, but so could an honest person on the verge of giving up or (gasp) respecting a boundary.
From the way she's all "Oh well I GUESS i'll stop being incredibly overbearing and pushing, cause when i do that you don' do what i WANT, and instead get all MAD n shit about it, so i GUESS i'll stop"
If she were respecting a boundary she wouldn't make a big pronouncement of how she's respecting it and why, she'd just stop being pushy, or even apologize for having been pushy and not respecting dora's boundaries.
Well, voicing stuff is sometimes better than not to, even though it might sound annoying. How else is your partner going to find out what's what? Telepathy? And Tai is reacting well - she pushes, and when she sees that Dora is annoyed, she remembers what happened last time and backs off. She's not very subtle, and she's not using reverse psychology. In this instance, she reminds me a lot of a friend - if he asks 'is it OK if I go out tonight?' and the partner says in that passive-aggressive tone 'Well go then, have fun' He'll just say 'Thanks, see ya later!' and will not notice that anything is amiss.