THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Comic Discussion => QUESTIONABLE CONTENT => Topic started by: jwhouk on 24 Jul 2016, 15:15
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Another Week, Another Poll.
* - The boss pre-numbered the Patreon strip as 3266.
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Wild possibility: Brun and Renee go to find Pintsize to stop him texting Renee by complaining to him in person. Thus it is that Brun runs into Clinton who is at Marten's place, helping Claire move some of her stuff into Marten's room.
It is... disturbing... how well Brun and Claire mesh.
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It is... disturbing... how well Brun and Claire mesh.
Hmm. I find that easy to imagine. Both have pretty damn hardcore reasons to be utterly alienated from "normal" society. Claire's moment of luck was finding a man raised by a dominatrix and a gay man. Could Brun find fortune and love in something similar because of the mirror his sister has held up?
It's not been explicitly stated but he's apparently one of the few that have respected her choices, her autonomy and still said he'd like to see her again. That is no small measure of honor given to her.
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New Comic!
Claire, um... Okay, I admit to knowing next to nothing about this but isn't it traditional to have a design in mind before you make an appointment? I know that it's traditional ask someone before you buy them a body modification!
I do love how Claire starts off by asking 'if' Clinton would like a matching tattoo and then admits that she actually had already made the appointment. That's our pushy Claire!
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Claire's wearing such a weird poofy trenchcoat thing. Is that something that happens in places other than California where you have seasons?
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Are Clinton's glasses gone for good? The fire corrected whatever vision defect he had? Or did he always have contacts, and has switched over to them?
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Claire's wearing such a weird poofy trenchcoat thing. Is that something that happens in places other than California where you have seasons?
We have seasons in California. We just file them geographically instead of chronologically.
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Are Clinton's glasses gone for good? The fire corrected whatever vision defect he had? Or did he always have contacts, and has switched over to them?
Like many people in real life, he seems to have switched to contacts without bothering to tell anyone, and they will realise at their own pace.
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"Dear Princess Celestia:
I didn't learn anything! I was right all along!
Signed: Claire Augustus"
Didn't we just go over not making major life decisions for Clinton without his permission? Matching tattoos might just qualify.
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Now that I look at it, Clinton's coat seems stranger to me than Claire's. My winter coat has the same size as most of my shirts on the label, and it extends well past my hips. Plus, that hat - I don't think I've ever seen an American wear one of those hats.
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I once made the mistake of going to Milwaukee right after shaving my head for the spring and a new friend loaned me a hat just like that. The lake wind blowing on a bare head will give you the worlds worst ice cream headache.
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Claire's wearing such a weird poofy trenchcoat thing. Is that something that happens in places other than California where you have seasons?
I was sent to Chicago for work one December some years ago, and I bought a coat very much like that. They are a real thing. On the other hand, shouldn't an ear-flap cap like Clinton's have the fleece on the outside of the flaps when they're flipped up, so that it would be on the inside when folded down? Like an ushanka? Or this:
(http://www.accentwear.com/img/hunting%20hats%20with%20ear%20flaps.jpg)
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Yeah, the placement of the fleece is... confusing, to say the least.
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The earflaps are reversed, but it seems a fairly standard winter hat. The northern states have similar weather to southern Canada, so I would imagine it would be a common hat choice. As for the coat, to me it looks like Clinton is wearing a hoody, but "bomber style" winter jackets are a thing.
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Clinton has more of the martin calmness than before.
Also, what is with claire and needing to put stuff on people without asking first? Did she/he learn from the last time? I know she thinks it will help them bond but thats extreme.
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Now that I look at it, Clinton's coat seems stranger to me than Claire's. My winter coat has the same size as most of my shirts on the label, and it extends well past my hips. Plus, that hat - I don't think I've ever seen an American wear one of those hats.
Those hats tend to be more popular in the midwest, but with the popularity of Fargo it might be more trendy to wear one these days. Of course it's a practical hat in places that can get very cold and Clinton is a practical man.
Nice way to bond, but I don't think these two can agree on matching tattoos.
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It -is- possible that Claire is just screwing with him. She -is- his sister.
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Clinton has more of the martin calmness than before.
Also, what is with claire and needing to put stuff on people without asking first? Did she/he learn from the last time? I know she thinks it will help them bond but thats extreme.
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I once made the mistake of going to Milwaukee right after shaving my head for the spring and a new friend loaned me a hat just like that. The lake wind blowing on a bare head will give you the worlds worst ice cream headache.
Now imagine that wind not stopping for, oh, about three-four months.
THAT is what it's like to live in my part of the state of Wisconsin.
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I moved from Oklahoma to Wisconsin in early April. When I left Oklahoma, it was 85 F (29 C) outside, and I was wearing shorts and no coat. Upon arrival in Wisconsin, it was 40 F (4 C) outside, and I froze my ass off.
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Possible explanation for the hat: The fur on the ear flaps is sandwiched between two layers of leather.
Yeah, that doesn't make much sense either. Nobody makes a hat like that. Unless the ear flaps are intended to be decorative rather than functional? No, because who would wear a hat like that for any reason other than pure functionality? It's not exactly stylish.
Okay, just going to have to accept the ear flaps as an artistic error and move on.
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40 degrees F sounds incredible. I'd kill for that right now. This summer has been atrocious.
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Now that I look at it, Clinton's coat seems stranger to me than Claire's. My winter coat has the same size as most of my shirts on the label, and it extends well past my hips.
Yeah, but that's not a winter coat on Clinton, it's a zip-up hoodie.
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... trans* people are male, female, or other as they report themselves to be. They have spent their lives grappling with their identity and are the world's leading authorities on it.
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use pronouns people tell you to use for them. And don't put them in quotes.
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@Zebedaiah. Two words for ya - Dome Poppers. Probably the dome half is attaced via a double layer under the outer skin of the earflap and the other half is attached to the hat the same way. That hat and it's ear muffs look more a fashion statement rather than anything that could be usefully expected to protect your ears if you unpopped the flaps.
Sibling bonding - ya gotta love it ;) And I hope that Brun does turn up again.
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Ideas for matching we're not twins tattoos?
I suggest "Da Red Menace" in mock Cyrilic letters.
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Or maybe a wreath of laurels.
You know.
The Augustus Caesars.
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New Comic!
I'm betting that Renee will kick Brun out by the end of the week simply because she can't handle her special needs. She's a nice person, deep down but she's not the sort of personality that generally makes a good roomie. You need to have a special kind of mindset to live with someone who has no brain-to-mouth filter on that level.
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I've always thought of casserole as a Midwestern thing. It never really was a thing for me growing up... "casserole" to me just meant "that thing you microwave leftovers in."
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New Comic!
I'm betting that Renee will kick Brun out by the end of the week simply because she can't handle her special needs. She's a nice person, deep down but she's not the sort of personality that generally makes a good roomie. You need to have a special kind of mindset to live with someone who has no brain-to-mouth filter on that level.
I'm betting that you are wrong on this one.
For all her complaints, I am sure that she is quite used to this. And vice versa.
In my experience, it is common for people to misunderstand others' relationship dynamics.
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The title of the comic, 'Smartassarole', has got me thinking. Is Jeph telling us that Brun likes to slip in the occasional deliberate snark and then straight-facedly claim that it is just her 'thing' of telling it the way she sees it? That might be an interesting character wrinkle if that's the case. If nothing else, Brun does seem to have some of the traits of a particuarly obnoxious teenager, right up to speaking with her mouth full of food (probably because doing so is 'more efficient')!
Just in case anyone is wondering, no this isn't Brun hate. I'm just trying to analyse the character. Jeph's characters generally tend to have enormous character flaws aside from any mental or emotional disorders (the romantic foils in particular) so it wouldn't be unprecendented for Brun to have a ones of her own. In Brun's case, it seems that she can just be a bit of an asshole sometimes.
I've always thought of casserole as a Midwestern thing. It never really was a thing for me growing up... "casserole" to me just meant "that thing you microwave leftovers in."
Casseroles are a common dish worldwide; there are British versions too, made of chopped meat and vegetables stewed together with herbs and spices and eaten best with suet dumplings. Damn... now I'm hungry! :-P
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Re: Yesterday's comic: Yah, Claire has learnt nothing- didn't we just talk about pushing people, especially Clinton, into decisions? But ha-ha it's Claire so it's cute. And of course, se is right; the one who had to undergo character development is Clinton (not that he didn't dearly need it, but so did Claire).
Today's: This isn't just Brun being quirky, I think. By now she has to do it on purpose, maybe because Renee annoys her; she would be annoying me too, but again, passive aggressive bullshit just doesn't go over well with me. She could have just stayed at the motel if Renee's is so bad.
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We don't know Brun and Renee's relationship, so it's possible that they are both comfortable with this kind of interaction. Maybe Renee doesn't really care, and Brun seems to always say whatever is on her mind. Renee possibly is used to it and wouldn't expect anything else.
But seriously? Being served food and calling it "dog vomit" is uncalled for. In fact, I'll go ahead and say it's a very, very dickish thing to say. "I'm just saying" has to be the lamest excuse for being insulting, too.
And I personally value honesty, even sometimes at the expense of being polite. I am not beyond criticising food that just doesn't taste/look that great, and even meals I enjoy, I point the flaws of, some of the time. I can veer into somewhat impolite territory with that, too.
But I would still not say unappetizing food "looks like dog vomit". There's being honest, and there's being rude. These overlap, but they are not the same thing, and confusing the two is not helpful for anyone.
Keep in mind, I don't think Brun is evil for saying what she said or anything. But I still think what she says is wrong (again, barring the possibility that it's just how she and Renee talk - some people casually insult their close friends as a weird show of affection that I don't claim to understand). It's insulting, it's thoughtless and it's pointless. It seems that for Brun, politeness and manners is something that happens to other people. Judging by what I've seen so far, she is unaware to an extent that a lot of what she says is improper and often very rude.
But being unaware that something is not OK does *not* make it automatically OK.
EDIT: I think Brun might be completely missing the point, saying "Probably tastes fine, I'll still eat it". If a guest described my cooking as "looking like dog vomit" and followed up with "I'll still eat it", I probably would not (because I'm big on hospitality and such), but I *would* be very tempted to take away their plate and being all "who said you still GET to eat my food? Buy your own damn food". I mean, seriously. Being offered food and snarking about it seems like a terribly rude thing to me.
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I just want to say in the third panel it looks like Renee has a giant left ear to me.
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Casseroles are a common dish worldwide; there are British versions too, made of chopped meat and vegetables stewed together with herbs and spices and eaten best with suet dumplings. Damn... now I'm hungry! :-P
Well... clearly not in Ireland (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_5lI1OWiZ4). And the dishes they're being served look supremely unappetizing to me... is that what a casserole is? I always thought it adhered (preferably with a binder other than cheese), rather than sitting on the plate like an overcooked stirfry...
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IMO, like stews, they should be served in a bowl along with bread for mopping up the leftover gravy.
Casseroles are old dishes; pre-industrial with a history probably going back to the post-Roman epoch or even further. Consequently, they are made very much for efficient use of whatever ingredients are available for maximum nutrition value and storage of leftovers. It is definitely not an entrant in the 'food = art' world.
BTW - What is the difference between a casserole and a stew? Stews use mostly just stock gravy and don't take that long to cook whilst casseroles have far more elaborate sauces and tend to take longer to cook because the sauce needs time to flavour the meat.
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Re: Yesterday's comic: Yah, Claire has learnt nothing- didn't we just talk about pushing people, especially Clinton, into decisions? But ha-ha it's Claire so it's cute.
The attitude towards Claire in this thread is unsettling to me. Clinton has shown himself to be braver than he used to be, he is well within his rights to say no.
People are also ignoring that Claire says that it can be cancelled, and Clinton says he wanted another tattoo anyway.
How about we pay attention to the strip to see whether they actually get matching tattoos and whether Clinton ends up liking it? Especially if he's choosing the design.
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The attitude towards Claire in this thread is unsettling to me. Clinton has shown himself to be braver than he used to be, he is well within his rights to say no.
I see where you're coming from, but making an appointment, with the possibility of cancelling, without consulting Clinton *before* making the appointment seems, to me, a bit presumptous. The decision should be made together with him. Yes, he can say "no", but he could always say no, even if she sprung this at him at the last second. Wouldn't make it 100% right. Making the arrangements before checking for his OK seems pushy.
People in the thread may be overreacting, possibly, but I think Claire did not, in fact, completely learn her lesson here. She's not doing anything atrocious, but she still doesn't think to ask ahead of time what Clinton thinks of the idea.
(granted, I'm not very objective here, because I've had anxiety attacks (or whatever those were) upon being informed less than three days in advance that I was going to a friggin' cinema. To get a tattoo, I'd need at least a month or two to get comfortable with the idea, and another month or so to decide on a design. Clinton is clearly not as screwed up as I am, and he *has* been shown to get a tattoo on a whim, basically. But I... guess even a normal person would ideally want to think it through for a few days at least, right? And to be fair, Clinton's USUAL deal seems to be to mull over things for a while, he's not very spontaneous. So I still think Claire seems awfully pushy, given that she knows that about her brother)
As a side note, I'm a bit surprised that Claire could set an appointment on such short notice. Must be an US thing... my wife, when she did her first tattoo, booked the appointment months and months in advance, because the tattoo artist was fully booked (always is, apparently) at least three months in advance at all times. Granted, that particular artist, from what I gather, is very popular and has a great reputation, so it's probably unusual. Still, a few days? Huh.
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In Claire's defence, she's been fantasising about shared tattoos ever since the blow-up over Emily. I really think that she's set her heart on this, telling herself that it will be a great bonding moment for them. I can see Clinton agreeing on the basis that it is clear to him that this is something Claire needs in their relationship, right now.
My suggestion? A matching pattern on Clinton's left and Claire's right shoulder. Given their likely gaelic ancestry, maybe a celtic knot pattern or something.
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Thank you, Brun!
It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who thinks some casseroles look really weird/kind of gross.
Especially if there's an excess of peas.
Incidentally, I've been around dogs all of my life, so I know exactly the sort of casserole that is (though I don't recall the name). The meat is roast beef, if memory serves.
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Now that I look at it, Clinton's coat seems stranger to me than Claire's. My winter coat has the same size as most of my shirts on the label, and it extends well past my hips. Plus, that hat - I don't think I've ever seen an American wear one of those hats.
Those hats tend to be more popular in the midwest, but with the popularity of Fargo it might be more trendy to wear one these days. Of course it's a practical hat in places that can get very cold and Clinton is a practical man.
Nice way to bond, but I don't think these two can agree on matching tattoos.
IDK
They both seem like they'd like whatever their universe's equivalent of 'The Legend of Zelda' is. So maybe that games equivalent of the triforce?
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Re: Yesterday's comic: Yah, Claire has learnt nothing- didn't we just talk about pushing people, especially Clinton, into decisions? But ha-ha it's Claire so it's cute.
The attitude towards Claire in this thread is unsettling to me. Clinton has shown himself to be braver than he used to be, he is well within his rights to say no.
Where as some people can find the Author/fans view that Claire is so super cool she can do no wrong a little wearing to. People can have different opinions yet no-body is wrong.
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I do NOT like todays comic.
But its a great comment on the current state of the world - with gun rampages even in Japan.
People can have different opinions yet no-body is wrong.
Well if the body isnt wrong, can the mind be wrong ?
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Where as some people can find the Author/fans view that Claire is so super cool she can do no wrong a little wearing to. People can have different opinions yet no-body is wrong.
I have no issue with people not liking Claire. I have no issue with people not liking any character in the comic, because they're all fictional. I also don't think Claire is faultless, and Jeph clearly doesn't either. My point wasn't even about that, my point was about how I find it bizarre how seemingly personally offended people were that Claire booked the appointment, again because they're fictional.
There's a common thread in WCDTs of this personal offense being taken over character actions and it's just not something I've ever understood.
I see where you're coming from, but making an appointment, with the possibility of cancelling, without consulting Clinton *before* making the appointment seems, to me, a bit presumptous.
Yes, it does.
The decision should be made together with him. Yes, he can say "no", but he could always say no, even if she sprung this at him at the last second. Wouldn't make it 100% right. Making the arrangements before checking for his OK seems pushy.
Sure, but also very common among a lot of people. Also, Clinton seems at worst mildly irritated by it and again actually into the idea. Can we not let Clinton make his own choices about how he feels?
People in the thread may be overreacting, possibly, but I think Claire did not, in fact, completely learn her lesson here. She's not doing anything atrocious, but she still doesn't think to ask ahead of time what Clinton thinks of the idea.
Also possible. Pobody's nerfect after all.
(granted, I'm not very objective here, because I've had anxiety attacks (or whatever those were) upon being informed less than three days in advance that I was going to a friggin' cinema. To get a tattoo, I'd need at least a month or two to get comfortable with the idea, and another month or so to decide on a design. Clinton is clearly not as screwed up as I am, and he *has* been shown to get a tattoo on a whim, basically. But I... guess even a normal person would ideally want to think it through for a few days at least, right? And to be fair, Clinton's USUAL deal seems to be to mull over things for a while, he's not very spontaneous. So I still think Claire seems awfully pushy, given that she knows that about her brother)
I also suffer from anxiety so I get that completely, but then, the character in the comic is not you or I. I'd also say Claire would be justified in not really knowing what her brother wants given how mercurial he's been lately. Yeah, he's a mulling things over kinda guy... Except for that night he got his hair cut and a tattoo just because Emily said so. Does Clinton even know Clinton?
As a side note, I'm a bit surprised that Claire could set an appointment on such short notice. Must be an US thing... my wife, when she did her first tattoo, booked the appointment months and months in advance, because the tattoo artist was fully booked (always is, apparently) at least three months in advance at all times. Granted, that particular artist, from what I gather, is very popular and has a great reputation, so it's probably unusual. Still, a few days? Huh.
Jeph has shitloads of tattoos so probably knows more than either of us, but in my very limited experience I would say having the appointment booked that short notice suggests this is one shitty tattoo artist.
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Interesting that Clinton started out in the comic as someone who wasn't good at respecting other people's boundaries, but from recent events clearly HAS learned his lesson (with a little help from his friends Mister Hose and Little Miss Electrode).
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Could have been worse Renee. At least Brun didn't throw the plate across the room and call it garbage.
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I kinda want a thread of forum users' favorite casserole recipes.
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I make a mean kiss my asserole.
Sorry, that was a little bit crasserole.
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Renee's problem is she's always expecting validation for her presumptuous decisions. Whether it's deciding who your friends can be or what you'll eat tonight, she thinks you should be grateful she's imposing her opinion on you.
Will this be the impetus that makes Brun seek out Clinton? If I were Brun, I'd be desperate for an escape from that living situation.
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I don't think making dinner for a friend who is staying with you is presumptuous, nor is it unreasonable to expect a thank you rather than insults when you do.
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jheartney: I am not sure I agree. Giving a guest at her house dinner (or whichever meal this is) does not give me a "deciding what she can eat tonight" vibe. Unless Brun doesn't eat at Renee's and she was offered casserole out of the blue, she seems to be offering a meal to a guest, which I'd describe as normal, even expected behaviour.
Nor do I see her as particularly needy of validation. Brun basically said what she prepared looks like shit (except using more colorful language), a negative reaction to that is, again, perfectly reasonable in my book.
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Could have been worse Renee. At least Brun didn't throw the plate across the room and call it garbage.
"What do you mean you're not a peer support volunteer anymore?"
One can only tolerate so much of certain behaviors for so long.
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Stews are more of a heavy soup; casseroles are baked dishes.
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I kinda want a thread of forum users' favorite casserole recipes.
Tater tot casserole. My fave. Tater tots, ground beef, shredded cheese, cream of mushroom soup. Mix in a dish, put the tots on top, bake at (I wanna say) 375 for about 20-25 minutes...
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I took Brun's undiplomatic reaction to the meal as similar to her undiplomatic assessment of Renee's alarm clock; she doesn't have filters on these things.
If I had a friend having to stay over, I'd probably ask what she wanted for dinner rather than just making something and expecting her to tell me how great it is. As to presumptuous, add this to not only the Clinton paranoia (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3232), but also Renee expecting Brun to switch her sleep schedule (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3244) over to Renee's and bombarding Brun with tasks on her first morning as houseguest. (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3260) It's a pattern.
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Brun seems to have developed adequate defenses against Renee's efforts to manage her life. It's probably why they're able to be friends. I strongly suspect that neither of them has many other friends.
Personally, I could handle Brun's blunt-to-the-point-of-rudeness honesty far better than I could handle Renee's overbearing control-freak meddling, however well-intentioned it might be.
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Incidentally, my wife makes a dish called "dog barf".
It's ground beef and baked beans simmered in tomato sauce with brown sugar.
It's a quick-n-easy recipe that is savory and a little sweet, but doesn't exactly look terribly appetizing. Great with cornbread, though.
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I don't think making dinner for a friend who is staying with you is presumptuous, nor is it unreasonable to expect a thank you rather than insults when you do.
Perhaps, but maybe Brun was going to make herself a sandwich and then Renee cooks something and expects praise for her efforts. If Brun never asked her to make dinner or make that casserole for dinner it's hardly ingratitude.
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....??? If someone does a favor for you you thank them and repay them if possible/appropriate regardless of whether that favor was actually of any practical benefit to you. Just look at holidays. I don't ask for underwear or food or gadgets or anything for my birthday/christmas - in fact I go out of my way to explicitly say I want NOTHING. Regardless I always get stuff, and I'm obliged to put on a show of gratitude and profuse thanks for it, and stress over whether I got other people stuff of enough value to balance the value they got me. It's how things work.
If Brun had her own plans or wasn't hungry or whatever it's totally possible to politely decline, and if Renee gets pushy about that...well, smiling and putting up with it is probably the best option, or politely but firmly confronting that behavior if she felt she HAD to. But either way insults are uncalled for.
Unless that's their friendly dynamic. I've seen that in play on occasion irl, though I don't understand it.
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Where as some people can find the Author/fans view that Claire is so super cool she can do no wrong a little wearing to. People can have different opinions yet no-body is wrong.
I have no issue with people not liking Claire. I have no issue with people not liking any character in the comic, because they're all fictional. I also don't think Claire is faultless, and Jeph clearly doesn't either. My point wasn't even about that, my point was about how I find it bizarre how seemingly personally offended people were that Claire booked the appointment, again because they're fictional.
There's a common thread in WCDTs of this personal offense being taken over character actions and it's just not something I've ever understood.
In my case - I don't like Claire as a character, which would be okay in the setting, but both the storytelling and a lot of the forum treat Claire as great and cute, even when she's being annoying. This, in turn, is just frustrating for me; an annoying character who reaps what they sow makes for much more interesting stories (Faye, also a character that is hard to like, at least has to pay for her mistakes). Claire is treated as cute and likeable even when she's clearly not, and is forgiven her hypocrisy without even naming it.
So, no, I'm not offended by the character; I'm just annoyed by the way the storytelling treats her.
The decision should be made together with him. Yes, he can say "no", but he could always say no, even if she sprung this at him at the last second. Wouldn't make it 100% right. Making the arrangements before checking for his OK seems pushy.
Sure, but also very common among a lot of people. Also, Clinton seems at worst mildly irritated by it and again actually into the idea. Can we not let Clinton make his own choices about how he feels?
They just had a discussion about Claire being manipulative, and she promised to change. Asking would show that she has thought about what Clinton said, and that she respects and considers his feelings. She doesn't, and is still treated as sympathetic, that's why it's annoying.
....??? If someone does a favor for you you thank them and repay them if possible/appropriate regardless of whether that favor was actually of any practical benefit to you. Just look at holidays. I don't ask for underwear or food or gadgets or anything for my birthday/christmas - in fact I go out of my way to explicitly say I want NOTHING. Regardless I always get stuff, and I'm obliged to put on a show of gratitude and profuse thanks for it, and stress over whether I got other people stuff of enough value to balance the value they got me. It's how things work.
If Brun had her own plans or wasn't hungry or whatever it's totally possible to politely decline, and if Renee gets pushy about that...well, smiling and putting up with it is probably the best option, or politely but firmly confronting that behavior if she felt she HAD to. But either way insults are uncalled for.
Unless that's their friendly dynamic. I've seen that in play on occasion irl, though I don't understand it.
Yeah, right? It would also have been nice for Brun to cook something for Renee, or ask her out for dinner as thanks for letting her crash at her place.
And even if she can't help her honesty, 'dog vomit' isn't 'honest', it's insulting. "Dog food" would be debatable, 'weird' would probably be okay, even.
I don't even think Renee expects to be praised, a simple 'Thanks' would suffice; she's just sardonic because she has feelings, too.
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At least she likes it. Brun has no filters and has a very odd perspective on things at times. It sorta adds to the speculation she's a High Functioning Autistic individual.
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I see the dynamic like this
Friends - Hi, how are you. Missed you, hugs, etc etc
Really close friends - mrgle brgle. Wheres the coffee pooty pants. Top left cabinet asshole. Thanks,
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In my case - I don't like Claire as a character, which would be okay in the setting, but both the storytelling and a lot of the forum treat Claire as great and cute, even when she's being annoying. This, in turn, is just frustrating for me; an annoying character who reaps what they sow makes for much more interesting stories (Faye, also a character that is hard to like, at least has to pay for her mistakes). Claire is treated as cute and likeable even when she's clearly not, and is forgiven her hypocrisy without even naming it.
So, no, I'm not offended by the character; I'm just annoyed by the way the storytelling treats her.
I suppose if a character has a flaw that you find somehow unforgivable, you might detest the mere fact that others find them forgivable.
However, just consider for a moment what this means for those other people. It doesn't mean that those people have ignored the flaw, only that they like the person in spite of it. Love the sinner, hate the sin is the usual expression. That is what is going on with people who find Claire "cute and likeable" in spite of her obvious flaws.
The same remark applies to the way her brother Clinton is clearly approaching her. Their relationship is a dynamic thing, a work in progress. This, I believe, is normal and natural. Which is why I don't have this problem with the storytelling.
On the topic of friendship dynamics. My father and a close family friend would occasionally have pretty heated discussions. To an outsider, it would appear that they were about to break into fisticuffs. In fact, occasionally someone would approach them to try and defuse things. And they would turn around with genuine confusion - what are you talking about, we're just having a discussion, there's no animosity, we're best friends.
In contrast with this, I have seen interactions between family members or close friends which to an outsider appear innocent, but are in fact heavily loaded and rife with conflict.
You can't easily take interactions between close friends and judge them out of context.
Really close friends - mrgle brgle. Wheres the coffee pooty pants. Top left cabinet asshole. Thanks,
This is an awesome example. It is terrible to call someone an asshole. No no, that's how they express their love for each other. Relationships have context, they have nuance.
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To hell with nuance...
I want the recipe.
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I wonder if Jeph was thinking of this when Emily says "Clin-ton".
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I don't think making dinner for a friend who is staying with you is presumptuous, nor is it unreasonable to expect a thank you rather than insults when you do.
Perhaps, but maybe Brun was going to make herself a sandwich and then Renee cooks something and expects praise for her efforts. If Brun never asked her to make dinner or make that casserole for dinner it's hardly ingratitude.
Be kinda weird to be picky about dinner but totally comfy digging in someone else's kitchen to make a sandwich.
ETA: part of why that as an idea doesn't work for me is that in a 1BR apartment that's as small as Renee's appears, it seems like you'd really have to go out of your way to exist as a separate ecosystem from each other. There's not the space or the layout for them to each have their own wake up times, and honestly it makes more sense to share food/meals...
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Tater tot casserole. My fave. Tater tots, ground beef, shredded cheese, cream of mushroom soup. Mix in a dish, put the tots on top, bake at (I wanna say) 375 for about 20-25 minutes...
Shudder.
It's ground beef and baked beans simmered in tomato sauce with brown sugar.
The horror!
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New Comic Up!
Is it me, or was Brun lying there and literally saying 'Zzzzz!' to indicate that her schedule calls for her to be asleep at this point?
In his footer notes, Jeph adds: "They're... friends... right?" I wonder if he's shooting us a hint. Yes, they're friends but this may be the first time that they've been in enforced close proximity for such a long time. It will be a test of the strength of their friendship to see if it can survive the way their personalities are beginning to rub at each other. Quite frankly, I can't help but be a bit pessimistic about the long-term prospects for them.
[edit]
Fixed typo
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To hell with nuance...
I want the recipe.
My favorite is chicken and rice. Cut up chicken, couple of cups of rice, 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, one can cream of celery soup, can of milk, mix and bake for 2 to 3 hours in a medium oven. A layer of tater tots is a nice topping &, some times I'll mix in green beans as well.
A very Midwestern hot dish.
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Quite frankly, I can't help but be a bit pessimistic about the long-term prospects for them.
Thought that too for a while. But Renee must have some notion of what Brun is like (no filters, etc.) Assuming the forum thinking is correct, and Brun is on the Autism scale, and also assuming Renee is overprotective of Brun because she knows this about Brun, then Renee can't be surprised at Brun's behavior. From the other side, Brun has never expressed annoyance at Renee's meddling; maybe because she's "not good with emotions." We can only speculate about Renee and Brun's past history (how long have they known each other, how did they meet, how have they interacted in the past, etc.) For me, I'd find this housing situation hard to tolerate. But I'm not Brun.
Brun is operating on a sleep deficit due to the sleepless night at the hotel. If she's hitting the sack at 8, then by 4 am she'll have had 8 hours. Will that be enough?
Final note: All the attention to them strongly suggests they'll be interacting with the main cast again, most likely with Clinton. Hope it happens soon.
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*sneaks in*
about the "dog barf"-thing..
Im autistic, and sometimes i say things like that, too. the problem is, it's in no way meant to be mean. It's just an abservation. like "the sky is blue" or "it's cold, i shouldn't wear a skirt".
and that's where the problem lies. For me, describing something accurately is never a problem. If someone tells me that my dress looks like a giant cupcake, im fine with it as long as it does, indeed, resemble some kind of cupcake. There's no real difference to someone telling me that it looks great, I'd just nod and accept the opinion without any emotional reaction.
When you have no problem at all with such descriptions, it's really difficult to decide beforehand what will insult or disturb someone else and what won't. For me, negative reactions are mostly completely out of the blue. I'm trying to leran and I'm getting better but things like that will always happen..
I'm a friendly human that seeks harmony and peace wherever possible. I'd never be rude intentionally. I think that's what makes it easier for those who know me to deal with this, there's never a question on whether it's actually meant to be mean. Knowing it's never intentionally makes it easier to forgive.
But yeah, being honest and speaking directly is one of the reasons communications between autistic and non-autistic people can be really difficult. It's not that we want to be tactless, we just can't help it sometimes.
the being-tired-thing..
A day that forces me to improvise and interact with many foreign people can completely exhaust me. I'd be completely spent after 8 hours of job hunting plus looking for a new appartement.
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Everything else I'll just have to agree to disagree on, but this:
They just had a discussion about Claire being manipulative, and she promised to change. Asking would show that she has thought about what Clinton said, and that she respects and considers his feelings. She doesn't, and is still treated as sympathetic, that's why it's annoying.
...In the precisely zero scenes she's had since she mentioned the tattoo thing to Clinton?
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To hell with nuance...
I want the recipe.
My favorite is chicken and rice. Cut up chicken, couple of cups of rice, 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, one can cream of celery soup, can of milk, mix and bake for 2 to 3 hours in a medium oven. A layer of tater tots is a nice topping &, some times I'll mix in green beans as well.
A very Midwestern hot dish.
That sounds tolerable - if you were hungry and there was nothing else to eat.
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To hell with nuance...
I want the recipe.
My favorite is chicken and rice. Cut up chicken, couple of cups of rice, 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, one can cream of celery soup, can of milk, mix and bake for 2 to 3 hours in a medium oven. A layer of tater tots is a nice topping &, some times I'll mix in green beans as well.
A very Midwestern hot dish.
That sounds tolerable - if you were hungry and there was nothing else to eat.
Really? To me, that sounds delicious =)
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....??? If someone does a favor for you you thank them and repay them if possible/appropriate regardless of whether that favor was actually of any practical benefit to you. Just look at holidays. I don't ask for underwear or food or gadgets or anything for my birthday/christmas - in fact I go out of my way to explicitly say I want NOTHING. Regardless I always get stuff, and I'm obliged to put on a show of gratitude and profuse thanks for it, and stress over whether I got other people stuff of enough value to balance the value they got me. It's how things work.
If Brun had her own plans or wasn't hungry or whatever it's totally possible to politely decline, and if Renee gets pushy about that...well, smiling and putting up with it is probably the best option, or politely but firmly confronting that behavior if she felt she HAD to. But either way insults are uncalled for.
Unless that's their friendly dynamic. I've seen that in play on occasion irl, though I don't understand it.
So someone who is vegan should be grateful someone made them a steak or someone that is kosher a plate of bacon? Sure most of us would be polite, but Brun isn't like most people. Sometimes I wish I could be so blunt as to tell people what I think of their so called gifts, but I'm too overly concerned with what other people might think of me. Even thought the casserole doesn't conflict with any dietary beliefs Brun has it's become increasingly clear that Brun does not speak with a filter and a friend like Renee should know that. Now maybe Renee's passive aggressive complaining is actually a way of communicating to Brun when she says things that would hurt the feelings of people who aren't friends that know her better, but after today's strip I'm thinking she's someone who seeks praise and adulation for every little good deed she does.
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I'm not sure I understand the logic here... I'm far from being particularly harsh on Brun, but "well, she doesn't have any filter" is hardly a get-out-of-jail-free card, in my opinion. I can understand *why* she acts the way she does, and I don't think her actions are terrible, but that doesn't mean her reaction is justified.
Is Renee passive-aggressive? Perhaps a bit. I do think passive-aggressive behaviour is less of a big deal than being insulting of someone's well-intentioned help. Heck, since Brun accepted the meal and ate it, it's even worse. Apparently she doesn't have a problem with being served food. She'll gladly eat it. But she also wants to keep her "I say whatever I want" rights.
I accept that Brun and Renee's relationship dynamics might be something we don't have enough context for, but if Brun gets a free pass for saying whatever the Hell she feels like saying at the moment, does anyone? Is it OK to say anything hurtful or insulting or rude just because it feels fun at the time? If so, where's the line? If not, why is Brun's "no filter" justification enough? I do not believe it is.
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Look, the thing with Brun isn't that she says "whatever she wants." It's that she can't not say whatever is on her mind. The lack of filter is not a choice. So stop judging her as if it is.
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It's that she can't not say whatever is on her mind.
I'm not sure if I've seen anything in the comic that proves that. I'm not saying that's not the case, but I'm not convinced it is, either.
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I would be wary of using Brun's condition as an excuse to automatically assume that she has no agency over her actions. As I posted yesterday, the title Jeph chose for the strip does suggest that Brun sometimes slips in a deliberate snark or two.
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Is it OK to say anything hurtful or insulting or rude just because it feels fun at the time?
Assuming she's autistic, this is not about "feeling fun".
Assuming Brun had cooked, and Renee would have said "this looks like dog barf". She'd most likely say "yes" and continue serving. She wouldn't feel offended or attacked. It is what it is and truth is never a bad thing for an autist. I have really big problems with people telling me that something i did was great an them later discovering that it wasn't-and they knew. A polite lie can be something I'm upset about for days. "This is crap because of *insert reason*, do it again" is what I would have preferred. Dealing with lies is really difficult for me, and being polite often includes lying.
There are two fundamentally different views on communication clashing. It only works if both try their best to understand the other and accept that he has a different view on things, and of course try their best to treat the other the way he prefers.
I know being honest about things is sometimes difficult for non-autistic people. I think they have this feeling of doing something wrong, of purposely offending someone.
There will always be people who think the do me a favour telling a small polite lie, and hurt me. There will always be people I hurt by being too honest.
The decision which truths non-autists want to hear and which they don't want to hear seems to be pretty arbitrary to me. And, even worse, it differs from person to person. Learning to distinguish will be a lifelong task.
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Interesting that we can criticise the character's apparently negative comments on a dish she has seen and has eaten, and yet can also be crticical of a posted recipe we have neither seen nor eaten.
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....??? If someone does a favor for you you thank them and repay them if possible/appropriate regardless of whether that favor was actually of any practical benefit to you. Just look at holidays. I don't ask for underwear or food or gadgets or anything for my birthday/christmas - in fact I go out of my way to explicitly say I want NOTHING. Regardless I always get stuff, and I'm obliged to put on a show of gratitude and profuse thanks for it, and stress over whether I got other people stuff of enough value to balance the value they got me. It's how things work.
If Brun had her own plans or wasn't hungry or whatever it's totally possible to politely decline, and if Renee gets pushy about that...well, smiling and putting up with it is probably the best option, or politely but firmly confronting that behavior if she felt she HAD to. But either way insults are uncalled for.
Unless that's their friendly dynamic. I've seen that in play on occasion irl, though I don't understand it.
So someone who is vegan should be grateful someone made them a steak or someone that is kosher a plate of bacon? Sure most of us would be polite, but Brun isn't like most people. Sometimes I wish I could be so blunt as to tell people what I think of their so called gifts, but I'm too overly concerned with what other people might think of me. Even thought the casserole doesn't conflict with any dietary beliefs Brun has it's become increasingly clear that Brun does not speak with a filter and a friend like Renee should know that. Now maybe Renee's passive aggressive complaining is actually a way of communicating to Brun when she says things that would hurt the feelings of people who aren't friends that know her better, but after today's strip I'm thinking she's someone who seeks praise and adulation for every little good deed she does.
I'm not sure why you added escalated irrelevancies to make your point. "If someone made me something I can't eat I shouldn't have to express gratitude, therefore I should never be obliged to express gratitude for any favor!" is obviously bs. But to address your first sentence about veganism/kosher in isolation: It depends on the scenario. If the host made those dishes, knowing that their guest couldn't eat it, then than would be rude and could be responded to rudely (though the guest might still want to politely decline, for the sake of not angering their host and creating more trouble). If the host had no idea about their guest's proscriptions, then yes, it would be rude for the guest to insult it and should politely decline (though in this scenario commenting on its looks would be irrelevant to the issue at hand - the inability to eat it regardless of looks).
But that's an entire meaningless paragraph I just typed because it has nothing to do with the dinner issue in the comic. Brun was explicitly capable of eating it and insulted the favor for no good reason. THAT is uncalled for.
As for whether it's Brun's duty to polite or Renee's duty to put up with Brun's rudeness, I don't know. I am not very involved in autism-related-issues, though in regards to "acceptance", it stands to reason that "acceptance" would entail the latter. Personally speaking, I go with the former; I do not have the qualities to make "other people putting up with me" a viable option, and as I depend on other people and society to create and make available the things I need to survive, I find the most practical worldview to be the one where I conform as closely as I am able to social expectations, whether those expectations are "fair" or not.
I won't discount that Renee expects "praise and adulation" for everything she does, though I don't subscribe to that so far; but expecting a generic "thanks" token when she's done Brun a favor, or at least not be insulted, does not evidence that. And if you wantt to consider the broader context: Renee does seem to be controlling, possessive, and condescending toward Brun's ability to manage her own life. But Renee is ALSO allowing Brun to stay in HER home, presumably rent-free. To put it bluntly, since you're in favor of that, Brun is currently parasite and has no leeway to flout Renee in her own home while receiving Renee's benefits. ANY favor Renee does is on top of the REALLY BIG ONE of letting Brun stay with her. "If she doesn't like it, then she can find her own place to live. immediately". That is simply the unavoidable, practical, factual way of life.
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For some reason unknown to me... I lost interest in these two characters VERY quickly, specially with Renee (jeez, I had to double check her name). I'll let the rest of the week pass by. :P
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Assuming Brun had cooked, and Renee would have said "this looks like dog barf". She'd most likely say "yes" and continue serving. She wouldn't feel offended or attacked. It is what it is and truth is never a bad thing for an autist. I have really big problems with people telling me that something i did was great an them later discovering that it wasn't-and they knew. A polite lie can be something I'm upset about for days. "This is crap because of *insert reason*, do it again" is what I would have preferred. Dealing with lies is really difficult for me, and being polite often includes lying.
I think this is exactly what happened. If fact, we have another instance in-comic (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3214) of just this sort of interaction involving Brun. In panel 2, Brun tells Clinton that her job involves making patrons feel welcome. Clinton retorts that this is the opposite of what she's done so far. Rather than feeling insulted, Brun simply says "yes" and then reiterates a question about why Clinton feels angry. Here, Brun seems incapable of being offended by a statement of fact. She simply accepts it and moves on, in exactly the manner that alanari is describing.
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For some reason unknown to me... I lost interest in these two characters VERY quickly, specially with Renee (jeez, I had to double check her name). I'll let the rest of the week pass by. :P
Hello Doc,
Somehow I´m with you here. I don´t know why, but I cannot relate to Brun (and Renee) yet, so I find this storyline rather boring. Maybe this will change if she gets to interact with the crew and Clinton.
See you then:
TM
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Hell, I've been sitting here still waiting for more Dora and Tai, and I have a feeling I'll be waiting a long time. We all have characters we'd like to see more or less of.
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Sadly, they've been shuffled off to 'happy couple' land, so Jeph just doesn't have much use for them right now. Such is the problem with a large and ever growing cast... Unless something interesting is happening with them, we just don't see them often. About the only reason we see Dora these days is if a scene is taking place in the Coffee of Doom. Likewise, we haven't seen the library in months, so no Tai.
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All we need is for Clinton to go to the library. Then it'll burn down and things will be interesting there again.
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Everything else I'll just have to agree to disagree on, but this:
They just had a discussion about Claire being manipulative, and she promised to change. Asking would show that she has thought about what Clinton said, and that she respects and considers his feelings. She doesn't, and is still treated as sympathetic, that's why it's annoying.
...In the precisely zero scenes she's had since she mentioned the tattoo thing to Clinton?
No (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3208), I (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3217) referenced (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3218) this (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3226)discussion. (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3228)
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....??? If someone does a favor for you you thank them and repay them if possible/appropriate regardless of whether that favor was actually of any practical benefit to you. Just look at holidays. I don't ask for underwear or food or gadgets or anything for my birthday/christmas - in fact I go out of my way to explicitly say I want NOTHING. Regardless I always get stuff, and I'm obliged to put on a show of gratitude and profuse thanks for it, and stress over whether I got other people stuff of enough value to balance the value they got me. It's how things work.
If Brun had her own plans or wasn't hungry or whatever it's totally possible to politely decline, and if Renee gets pushy about that...well, smiling and putting up with it is probably the best option, or politely but firmly confronting that behavior if she felt she HAD to. But either way insults are uncalled for.
Unless that's their friendly dynamic. I've seen that in play on occasion irl, though I don't understand it.
So someone who is vegan should be grateful someone made them a steak or someone that is kosher a plate of bacon? Sure most of us would be polite, but Brun isn't like most people. Sometimes I wish I could be so blunt as to tell people what I think of their so called gifts, but I'm too overly concerned with what other people might think of me. Even thought the casserole doesn't conflict with any dietary beliefs Brun has it's become increasingly clear that Brun does not speak with a filter and a friend like Renee should know that. Now maybe Renee's passive aggressive complaining is actually a way of communicating to Brun when she says things that would hurt the feelings of people who aren't friends that know her better, but after today's strip I'm thinking she's someone who seeks praise and adulation for every little good deed she does.
I'm not sure why you added escalated irrelevancies to make your point. "If someone made me something I can't eat I shouldn't have to express gratitude, therefore I should never be obliged to express gratitude for any favor!" is obviously bs. But to address your first sentence about veganism/kosher in isolation: It depends on the scenario. If the host made those dishes, knowing that their guest couldn't eat it, then than would be rude and could be responded to rudely (though the guest might still want to politely decline, for the sake of not angering their host and creating more trouble). If the host had no idea about their guest's proscriptions, then yes, it would be rude for the guest to insult it and should politely decline (though in this scenario commenting on its looks would be irrelevant to the issue at hand - the inability to eat it regardless of looks).
But that's an entire meaningless paragraph I just typed because it has nothing to do with the dinner issue in the comic. Brun was explicitly capable of eating it and insulted the favor for no good reason. THAT is uncalled for.
As for whether it's Brun's duty to polite or Renee's duty to put up with Brun's rudeness, I don't know. I am not very involved in autism-related-issues, though in regards to "acceptance", it stands to reason that "acceptance" would entail the latter. Personally speaking, I go with the former; I do not have the qualities to make "other people putting up with me" a viable option, and as I depend on other people and society to create and make available the things I need to survive, I find the most practical worldview to be the one where I conform as closely as I am able to social expectations, whether those expectations are "fair" or not.
I won't discount that Renee expects "praise and adulation" for everything she does, though I don't subscribe to that so far; but expecting a generic "thanks" token when she's done Brun a favor, or at least not be insulted, does not evidence that. And if you wantt to consider the broader context: Renee does seem to be controlling, possessive, and condescending toward Brun's ability to manage her own life. But Renee is ALSO allowing Brun to stay in HER home, presumably rent-free. To put it bluntly, since you're in favor of that, Brun is currently parasite and has no leeway to flout Renee in her own home while receiving Renee's benefits. ANY favor Renee does is on top of the REALLY BIG ONE of letting Brun stay with her. "If she doesn't like it, then she can find her own place to live. immediately". That is simply the unavoidable, practical, factual way of life.
Renee could do that, but seeing as how she is so protective of her friend she probably won't. She knows Brun better than Clinton or any of the previously existing characters so she should be more than familiar with her quirks and/or neuroses. As such she's either feigning offense to help Brun understand when she's hurt someone's feelings to help her improve her interaction or doesn't understand her friend as much as she likes to think she does. Seeing as how Brun made an honest observation Renee could have shrugged it off as Brun being Brun instead of being offended by her blunt honesty. It has yet to be confirmed that Brun is a high functioning autistic and if that is the case then she really cannot help lacking a filter. If not then she really is a rude ingrate, but I seriously doubt anyone would put up with her for so long if there wasn't a sympathetic excuse.
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Renee could do that, but seeing as how she is so protective of her friend she probably won't. She knows Brun better than Clinton or any of the previously existing characters so she should be more than familiar with her quirks and/or neuroses. As such she's either feigning offense to help Brun understand when she's hurt someone's feelings to help her improve her interaction or doesn't understand her friend as much as she likes to think she does. Seeing as how Brun made an honest observation Renee could have shrugged it off as Brun being Brun instead of being offended by her blunt honesty. It has yet to be confirmed that Brun is a high functioning autistic and if that is the case then she really cannot help lacking a filter. If not then she really is a rude ingrate, but I seriously doubt anyone would put up with her for so long if there wasn't a sympathetic excuse.
Good point that she probably won't because she's so protective, though now I wonder WHY she's so protective of Brun. Or if Brun even knows. Also good point about feigning offense to help her understand, I hadn't thought of that, though I also can't tell if Brun caught on to it. She seemed pretty dismissive of Renee's "offense".
I will object to "being autistic = lacking a filter" which I've seen from a couple of people. I am autistic and you can see what I am arguing. It may be generally more true for autistic people than allistic people but is by no means universal. From my perspective, besides it being rather obviously rude to compare the food's appearance to dog vomit, it was also completely pointless; no comment on it was elicited and I can't think of any purpose Brun would have had to comment on it in any capacity. Then again, I learned long ago to carefully consider the purpose and ramifications of anything that I do and err on the side of self-censorship if I wasn't reasonably sure of a positive outcome or momentarily reckless. I'm surprised that Brun woudn't have learned the same thing considering her propensity to offend but not inconceivable that she wouldn't.
Yeah, she isn't confirmed to be autistic. If you don't believe she is, that's fair. My feelings on the subject are somewhat complicated. Autistic people don't get much representation, so when I see a character that behaves in a relatably autistic way (another example, Peridot from Steven Universe) I tend to headcanon them as such; on the other hand nearly all such character or canon autistic characters are written by allistic people. I want to see more such characters written or at least consulted by actual autistic people, but I guess I'm thirsty enough for any relatable ones that I'll tend to accept them somewhat bittersweetly anyway =/
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Renee angling for a Gibbssmack at this rate
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I again want to point out that it's not a guarantee that Renee is neurotypical. It's entirely possible that she's trying to navigate the shifts in her space and routine that Brun's staying with her has caused. I'd put dollars to donuts she's got something going on that helps explain not only her rigidity about scheduling but also her need to deliberately organize herself and others.
Also... Idk Brun's really not responding well to Renee's repair gestures. She might not have a filter but she's still being kind of mean.
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I suppose I am the only one here who simply got a chuckle out of this week's comics so far, rather than flying into a mild rage.
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No, you aren't.
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You aren't the only one. What's the point of getting enraged by a webcomic when there are so many things in the world more worthy of rage?
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That's a relief.
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I suppose I am the only one here who simply got a chuckle out of this week's comics so far, rather than flying into a mild rage.
I am in agreement with you and really don't get the vitriol.
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Good lord, I leave for two days, and check the comic, assuming there's nothing for people to get riled up about. I saw nothing. This is apparently another case of me missing a LOT of angry stuff. You folk are so angry...
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I suppose I am the only one here who simply got a chuckle out of this week's comics so far, rather than flying into a mild rage.
I am in agreement with you and really don't get the vitriol.
I find humans will get angry at literally anything. Often I think they actually enjoy being angry and look for any excuse to rage.
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The more real a character is the more likely they are to remind someone of a real person who caused damage.
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New Comic!
Hmm... Is this been a thing from the start or is this just the result of the way their lives are going?
I've never seen Marten so peppy and upbeat like this when dealing with Faye's moods! Is having Claire around that good for him or (and this would sound in-character) has he been practising on how best to be positive and helpful for her?
As for Faye... Well... I can honestly say that I've never seen her so downbeat and worn down. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that she reads as being frightened! She really needs to make use of her support structures more because I think that she's reaching the end of what she can achieve on her own strength alone.
FWIW, this is another one of those strips that I think is a bit autobiographical for Jeph. It sounds like something someone who's faced a real dependent addiction would realise - that you can't win, only lose; that the addiction will always be hovering there somewhere at the back of your psyche waiting for its chance. In the end, you have to face it day by day and take every small victory for whatever good it is.
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I bet U. S. Grant regretted ever supporting the right to arm bears.
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Sounds like Faye needs a bear hug.
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Grant did have a problem metaphorically speaking with wrestling bears, but it was the cigars that killed him.
She figured out how to channel her anger. Now she needs to know where all the available punching bags are located.
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I find humans will get angry at literally anything. Often I think they actually enjoy being angry and look for any excuse to rage.
This is absolutely true. Sometimes I watch things or read things that I know for a fact will make me angry. Like I need a rage colonic.
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In the end, you have to face it day by day and take every small victory for whatever good it is.
Essentially, this is true of everyone's life. Whether it is bears or cigars, none of us gets out of here alive.
Faye does look worn down, but I believe that she'll come to realise that she is stronger than she thinks she is.
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I get why Faye is exhausted right now. But she does seem to be selling herself short. May be a self-esteem thing.
When you survive wrestling a bear (I do think she chose a good metaphor, here), the main lesson you can take from it is "Holy shit, I just survived a bear. HOW THE HELL DID I MANAGE TO WRESTLE AN ENTIRE BEAR". I do hope Faye will come to realise this. When life throws extreme challenges at you, the fact that you're still standing after is nothing to sneeze at.
Although again, I understand why Faye does not *feel* it's true right now, even if she probably *knows* it's true.
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Good lord, I leave for two days, and check the comic, assuming there's nothing for people to get riled up about. I saw nothing. This is apparently another case of me missing a LOT of angry stuff. You folk are so angry...
Welcome to the QC discussion forum, where every topic is fraught with shibboleths and characters are confidently diagnosed based on behavior as innocuous as being routine-oriented.
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Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica.
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Whoa who's the dude with black hair????
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The biggest thing this made me wonder is what Faye's work schedule is at the skate park. Marten says she slept all day, so I guess she had the day off.
I can't imagine being an illegal robot fight technician is a M-F 9-5 job.
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The biggest thing this made me wonder is what Faye's work schedule is at the skate park. Marten says she slept all day, so I guess she had the day off.
I can't imagine being an illegal robot fight technician is a M-F 9-5 job.
Oh, I imagine that Bubbles can cover for her quite well too.
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Tangentially relevant fact: Ulysses S. Grant dealt with his problems by getting plastered.
Side note: I take it the QC universe has a more divergent past than some of us previously assumed. Considering that it's more technologically advanced than ours (by around 50 years), I bet the First National Bank, Second National Bank, and the Federal Reserve (ironically all of which were/are private banks) never formed and that the Great Depression never happened. I wonder what all changes would have happened in the rest of the world. I imagine there were some massive differences in which families became nobility and royalty over in Europe.
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I imagine a underground fighting arena most likely operates at night.
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IMO, like stews, they should be served in a bowl along with bread for mopping up the leftover gravy.
Casseroles are old dishes; pre-industrial with a history probably going back to the post-Roman epoch or even further. Consequently, they are made very much for efficient use of whatever ingredients are available for maximum nutrition value and storage of leftovers. It is definitely not an entrant in the 'food = art' world.
BTW - What is the difference between a casserole and a stew? Stews use mostly just stock gravy and don't take that long to cook whilst casseroles have far more elaborate sauces and tend to take longer to cook because the sauce needs time to flavour the meat.
Actually, the idea of baking things together does go back quite an age for some cultures. Egyptians around the age of Christ were stewing all sorts of things together in what would appear to us today to be a sort of goulash.
However, casseroles? Not so much. Romans were using something more akin to what we think of as a bread oven, and outside of bready things the only items cooked within were items assembled within a thick flour and salt crust, later to be known as a coffin, which would be cracked open after cooking and the crust discarded. These were the predecessors to our pot pies and traditional pies, where the crust was actually eaten.
Casseroles by definition are baked, rather than stewed. Hence, a casserole would be cooked in a dish (later known as a casserole dish) and stews were cooked in a stewpot. The big difference is which method of cooking is utilized.
You could point to such British staples as the shepherd's pie as a casserole, being a dish that incldues several items and which is baked in an oven. Still, yes, it is the Americans who really perfected (or completely demolished) the grand art of casserole making, thanks to post-WWII homemakers and the introduction of the supermarket, which brought a plethora of new ingredients that were quickly adapted into middle-class life. From this era we get such monstrosities as the hot dog casserole, Spam casseroles and other gastronomicly questionable entrees, the best and most edible of which have managed to stick around to our current times (enchilada casserole and broccoli-cheese casserole amongst the more popular of these).
That being said, what American casserole makers did discover is that by layering or alternating ingredients within each casserole, they could create something of beauty with very little work. For a casserole to look like dog food indicates some sort of amalgamation of the ingredients, which means Renee might just be a crappy casserole maker. The ingredients may be tasty, but the end product's lack of viability as a culinarily alluring dish might inspire such caustic comments.
Throughout the composition of this comment, I have tried hard to conjure a single casserole in my head that might constitute the dog food comment. It would probably require extensive use of packets of brown gravy, which is another travesty.
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All this bear wrestling talk reminded me of Angus. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1887) Warning: lots of strategic nudity
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Throughout the composition of this comment, I have tried hard to conjure a single casserole in my head that might constitute the dog food comment.
You should look traditional Nordic casseroles. You know fermented potato, sweet potato, swede, liver with raisins, carrot - these are all casseroles that are made in pureed form. How ever, the most dog food like from the types I know would be "mached potato and minced meat". That's actually pretty good, if the meat is properly seasoned. Also, herring casserole (and anchovy) casserole has a suspicious to say at least consistency, but not really dog food like.
Also, haven't ever tought of that broccoli and cheese thing a casserole. Goes by different name here.
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But that's when you bring a bigger gun to the wrestling match
I think the Bear would have extreme trouble with Bubbles
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Comic!
PUNS :claireface:
DEAR GOD THE PUNS :psyduck:
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I feel this strip may be polar-icing among the fans.
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The puns, they are unbearable. :psyduck: :claireface: :clairedoge:
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This should help you bear the puns. (http://explore.org/live-cams/player/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls)
So long as you're not fishing for salmon puns.
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Ugh, I hate puns. I bearly made it through that comic. It made me want to go bearzerk.
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Creating a pun comic may have been a boo boo.
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Having to bear these puns is no picnic.
If this keeps up I may end up being a basket case.
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... and already trouble's bruin.
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Having to bear these puns is no picnic.
If this keeps up I may end up being a basket case.
Make sure you get your baskets from Nicholas.
You always wanna pick a Nick basket.
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I don't think Mister Ranger's gonna like that pun, Yogi.
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Indeed, he'll take a JealousTone.
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Why is everybody complaining about today's comic? It's nOtso (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otso) bad.
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I too deal with life one beer at a time.
Wait, what??
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I don't think that was Revenant to the topic we're discussing, PR.
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Okay so Marten and Faye's pun-ishment in today's comic is basically me towards my friends.
They just grin and bear it.
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Bear Puns? The koala-ty of humor in this strip has declined precipitously... :wink:
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Bear Puns? The koala-ty of humor in this strip has declined precipitously... :wink:
Well maybe Jeph is Panda-ring to the chuckles crowd.
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Bear Puns? The koala-ty of humor in this strip has declined precipitously... :wink:
Well maybe Jeph is Panda-ring to the chuckles crowd.
I've heard a rumour that Pintsize will finally be equipped with a way to shut him down (without resorting to disassembly) when he gets out of line. Only thing is, it takes two people to carry out the ko-diak-tivation protocol...
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Bear Puns? The koala-ty of humor in this strip has declined precipitously... :wink:
Well maybe Jeph is Panda-ring to the chuckles crowd.
I've heard a rumour that Pintsize will finally be equipped with a way to shut him down (without resorting to disassembly) when he gets out of line. Only thing is, it takes two people to carry out the ko-diak-tivation protocol...
That's a grizzly thought.
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Warning: the pun on bear as both a mammal and a transitive verb meaning "to endure" is now full. You may wish to review your pun.
Also, koalas aren't bears.
Well, someone had to say it... sorry...
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All of these puns make me want to hold my breath until my face turns baloo.
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Warning: the pun on bear as both a mammal and a transitive verb meaning "to endure" is now full. You may wish to review your pun.
Also, koalas aren't bears.
Well, someone had to say it... sorry...
I'd like to see your koalafication regarding that assessment.
All of these puns make me want to hold my breath until my face turns baloo.
But breathing is the bear necessity for life!
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Whoa who's the dude with black hair????
Who knows? I like his coffee mug.
Oh, oh, wait, it's, um, oh, it's... it's that guy, you know? The one who works at the library or something?
I think his name is Steve.
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Whoa who's the dude with black hair????
Who knows? I like his coffee mug.
Oh, oh, wait, it's, um, oh, it's... it's that guy, you know? The one who works at the library or something?
I think his name is Steve.
No, it's Eglamore.
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Now that's what I call a rapid escalation of puns. Maybe not entirely natural-feeling; I think that Jeph had to force a few of the puns to work. That said, the final punchline is as smooth as only a Clairepun can manage to be!
It's interesting how at ease Claire is in panel 4; she immediately jumps in and there isn't the slightest annoyance on Faye's part. I'm thinking that, during the time skip, she and Faye managed to overcome a lot of their antagonism, mistrust and nervousness about each other.
[edit]
I just wanted to add that I think that Faye was feeling a bit silly for her 'bear with a gun' comment in yesterday's strip (although I'm sure that Marten knew what she meant). Basically this entire strip is one huge release of tension with her when she suddenly remembers that she's somewhere safe with someone that she can trust.
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I'm trying to find a way to pronounce 'Ursa' such that it fits the pun, and I don't think it really works spoken aloud. In print, it's fantastic.
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I'm trying to find a way to pronounce 'Ursa' such that it fits the pun, and I don't think it really works spoken aloud. In print, it's fantastic.
"Ursa-cha" = "you're such a".
Granted, the "U" in "Ursa" as a Latin word should be pronounced like "oo" rather than like "yoo", but since in English, "U" is usually pronounced like the latter, it doesn't surprise me that it's apparently pronounced this way as an English word.
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I get the pun intended. I would just never conceive of pronouncing Ursa any other way than ɜːrsə. In Latin or English.
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I'm trying to find a way to pronounce 'Ursa' such that it fits the pun, and I don't think it really works spoken aloud. In print, it's fantastic.
Well after all the other bear puns Claire had to be original and seeing as how she only just got there she seemed familiar enough with the way things were going to not say something that someone didn't think of before.
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Agreed, it's not pronounced with the needed emphasis by anyone I've ever heard. Keep in mind it's the same way you'd say the name Ursula. It wouldn't be done as Yursala.
In print, works. Audible, not so much.
Still, since it's one of my favorite words for some reason, I give it a pass :)
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Puns, they make Dad jokes seem funny. Still, better than Isaac Asimov who would do a short story just to deliver a piss poor pun, and be proud of it!!
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"Ursa-cha" = "you're such a".
Granted, the "U" in "Ursa" as a Latin word should be pronounced like "oo" rather than like "yoo", but since in English, "U" is usually pronounced like the latter, it doesn't surprise me that it's apparently pronounced this way as an English word.
Like this?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_back_rounded_vowel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_back_rounded_vowel)
And definitely short U in ursa. Not yoor-SA; UR-sa.
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Thanks for clearing this up for me =) I'd assumed it was pronounced the way most English words starting with "u" are. I like to think my English is decent, but "Ursa" is not exactly a word that comes up in random spoken conversation, so I'd never heard it spoken out loud ;)
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I have to admit that, for whatever it's worth, that pun took me a good couple of minutes to figure out. So it didn't work well written down for me.
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Puns, they make Dad jokes seem funny. Still, better than Isaac Asimov who would do a short story just to deliver a piss poor pun, and be proud of it!!
And then lampshade it in the title (I assume you refer to "Shah Guido G") for the irony-impaired.
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You should look traditional Nordic casseroles. You know fermented potato, sweet potato, swede, liver with raisins, carrot - these are all casseroles that are made in pureed form. How ever, the most dog food like from the types I know would be "mached potato and minced meat". That's actually pretty good, if the meat is properly seasoned. Also, herring casserole (and anchovy) casserole has a suspicious to say at least consistency, but not really dog food like.
Also, haven't ever tought of that broccoli and cheese thing a casserole. Goes by different name here.
Why in heavens would you puree stuff to put in casseroles? Part of their simplicity lies in tossing in what's available, and some of the charm comes from texture.
Broccoli cheese casserole contains broccoli, cheese, cream of mushroom soup, rice and seasoning.
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My personal favorite casserole is pineapple cheese casserole. It's become a traditional Thanksgiving dish in my family.
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My personal favorite casserole is pineapple cheese casserole. It's become a traditional Thanksgiving dish in my family.
And that is the beauty of a casserole. Often the dishes consist of ingredients that should not mesh, but do in delightful and unexpected ways.
I am from the South, and casseroles are just common courtesy here. Going with your beau to meet his parents? Bring a casserole? Someone died? Send a casserole? Your second cousin just have a baby? Take a casserole. Someone wrestle a bear and end up in the hospital? Growl up a casserole to the family.
I don't care for green bean casserole (I don't like French onions from a can) but I can do some serious damage to a layered Mexican casserole. And what is trifle but a cold dessert casserole in a pretty dish?
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You should look traditional Nordic casseroles. You know fermented potato, sweet potato, swede, liver with raisins, carrot - these are all casseroles that are made in pureed form. How ever, the most dog food like from the types I know would be "mached potato and minced meat". That's actually pretty good, if the meat is properly seasoned. Also, herring casserole (and anchovy) casserole has a suspicious to say at least consistency, but not really dog food like.
Also, haven't ever tought of that broccoli and cheese thing a casserole. Goes by different name here.
Why in heavens would you puree stuff to put in casseroles? Part of their simplicity lies in tossing in what's available, and some of the charm comes from texture.
Broccoli cheese casserole contains broccoli, cheese, cream of mushroom soup, rice and seasoning.
Because they are fancy party casseroles, sweet and seasoned with "ginger bread spices" - meant to go with various meats and fishes which are served separately.
The everyday types (macaroni, herring, "Janson's", penna and ham, cabbage) have a larger grain size.
And what is trifle but a cold dessert casserole in a pretty dish?
A way to smuggle unbelievable amounts of alcohol into a church potluck?
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I too deal with life one beer at a time.
Wait, what??
Are you bruin your own?
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Seems I've been a bit of a Sloth. Bear with me though as I've only just gotten up with the Sun
Mostly though, that last panel is a Kodiak moment.
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I'm sure with the (however brief) return of older characters this comic clawed its way back into the interest of many.
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Oh brother
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Once again, we've let these puns distr-arctos from meaningful discussion.
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I'm sure with the (however brief) return of older characters this comic clawed its way back into the interest of many.
I reckon. What a funny old fellow is Marten. He gets in all manner of strife.