THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Comic Discussion => QUESTIONABLE CONTENT => Topic started by: jwhouk on 08 Dec 2019, 06:43
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No poll because I couldn't think of one.
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People like to talk about the "Butts Disease," but Marten has "but" disease. "But this might happen," "But that might happen," but but but. Claire is trying to get him off his but.
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It's been so long since any of Matren's background friends have appeared.... :-o
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I don't know. The whole Marten / Claire thing is kind of a snooze at this point. One of the interesting things about QC is the unexpected directions things might go in any scenario, but I don't see that happening in this case. Jeph has got himself into a box with this relationship. It's just overly precious and cutesy. Marten is an intelligent, college educated, full grown man content to putter away at menial, gig like jobs forever. It's past being cool or amusing it's just pathetic at this point. Per the current comic Marten should hardly be surprised even his friends think of him as a loser. It would be interesting to see Jeph put Marten in a whole different direction but I doubt that's going to happen.
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Isn't that what chis current arc is about, kinda? Pushing Marten forward?
I don't know how it is in the US, but where I live you have to tell your employer if you're married. So, when Tai and Dora get married, I see a certain chance of Tai "getting caught" not being a student anymore, and having to look for another job. With being terminated as collateral damage - so Marten would be forced to do something else anyway. Maybe JJ is trying to ease that transition a bit this time.
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Why would Tai have to leave just because she's not a student? Marten's never been a student at Smif, and he's working there. As long as they're happy with her work, there's no reason for them to fire Tai.
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(Edited to clarify: replying to a removed post)
That's rather harsh, as first posts go...
And you know, these kind of people really do exist; I mean, open, accepting people, that do have a healthy relationship. And even a quick read through only last week's thread easily shows that there are ways forward, even breaking up, that could easily be accepted. The difference in ambition, and drive, is one such mechanism.
As for the rest, well... You know, there's rather more to making a comic, than just sitting and doodling up something for a quarter of an hour. Especially a daily comic. I can readily suggest some jobs with less actual work involved, that would get more compassion from the kind of people that complain about artists getting paid, rather than toiling away in manual labour.
You don't like the comic any more, fair enough, that's your right. A little respect for the rest of the readers would be nice, though, and for Jeph himself.
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Reported.
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Which will probably just strengthen their belief that dissent isn't tolerated. Sadly, some people fail to see the difference between their opinion, and the way they express it, between form and substance.
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Granted, I've run afoul of the politeness rule here more than once, myself. But there are some things that really need the application of a clue-by-four.
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But then, I doubt that were your two only posts.
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More to the point, if we need a poll, it could, inspired by today's comic, be on romcom tropes? Just a suggestion.
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I'm pretty sure that Jeph actually does read the various forums dedicated to his works (or at least has reliable people pass on to him where the debate is going). Because of this, I'm fairly sure that today's strip is a deliberate push-back to those who criticised Claire for trying to motivate Marten to change gears and be more active in looking for a future. Today's strip basically seems to be saying that, yes, Marten actually thinks she's right and, also, the idea of the two of them having a rage quit over it would work for a pair of teenage lovers but not for a pair of pretty sensible postgrad adults (who appear to be watching the headlights of the oncoming future with a degree of trepidation).
In fact I really approve of Jeph for saying: "You know, not everything has to be a cookie-cutter 'conflict-negative consequences-aftershocks-resolution' chain. Things can go differently if the people involved want it to go that way!" Looking purely from an in-universe perspective, Marten has already been though a chain like that with his break-up with Dora and his love life before he realised that he was attracted to Claire. Given how low he got during that, I can well understand why he'd be looking to avoid going down that path ever again.
@Blackest Duct Tape,
Friend, I, like you, do not like some of Jeph's politics. However, making an account and posting to tell him how much it sucks with a specific and venomous section about how Claireten has to be a 'special case' really, really isn't a good look. I just wonder if you'd be so upset about Marten and Claire working so hard on their relationship if Claire was cis?
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Really, where do you get off assigning thoughts and opinions to a complete stranger? You completely made up a narrative in your own mind about my thoughts and motivations, designated it as "actual reality" and posted it to the forum for a reaction.
That is exactly what I thought about your last post. You might want to reread everything you posted, and the reactions to that.
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Hi Blackest Duct Tape,
I'd like to briefly respond to what seems to be the core of your post, before making an overall remark.
Jeph had to write himself into a corner. He cannot possibly do anything to shake up this relationship ...
I guess what you are essentially saying is that there is a perception that Marten and Claire have a plot shield.
While it is true that Jeph is very attached to Claire, as are many of his readers, I think that it is still entirely possible that Claire and Marten might have to deal with some difficulties, treated in such a way that is true to the experiences of his audiences. I don't think he would lose readers if he did this. He would be doing his fans a disservice to permanently assign them happily-ever-after status.
IMO the real issue with Marten and Claire is simply that very little comic time is currently devoted to them. Thus their story moves at snail's pace.
Don't write off the possibility of a shake-up.
My overall suggestion, which is made with the best of intentions. If you want to launch a criticism that someone else cannot tolerate dissenting opinions, then you had best deal with criticism aimed at your own posts with a great deal more grace than you have so far demonstrated.
Peace.
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Really, where do you get off assigning thoughts and opinions to a complete stranger?
[snip]
And I bet that just enrages you no end.
Final bit of advice. Please don't do this. It does make you look a touch hypocritical.
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I think the sad thing is, I do share some concerns about Marten and Claire's relationship as something that might not work story-wise.
I'm just not a big fan of the package the concern was put into. It's one thing to dislike something about a work of fiction, and another to go on a rather rude and unpleasant rant about how the author is this or that, or the motivations behind their work, or what-have-you. Which has nothing to do with anything even if it were true.
(also, conflating liberals with the left. LOL)
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He lives off of donations and handouts from the readers, and makes a damn good living for someone who doesn't actually work for a living. That's why it rings hollow when he tries to preach about wealth hoarding or privilege in his comics. He has so much disposable income and so much free time that he can put out awful music and drop t-shirt designs while the majority of his readership toils...
What evidence have you that Jeph doesn't work for his living? - the comics don't come from nowhere. And the "donations and handouts" are not charity - they are his readers' response to the work he does for them; payment for his job, in fact.
Equally, what evidence have you that he has "so much disposable income and so much free time" beyond what anyone doing a successful job might have? Should he not have free time to pursue the hobbies you dislike? Your snipe about "while the majority of his readership toils" smacks to me of jealousy at his success.
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LOL at the creep with the bizarre hateboner for me
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Also BenRG is mistaken, I learned to stop reading internet posts about my comic years ago. It's not healthy behavior, for me at least. I pop in here from time to time if I see a reported post in my inbox.
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What a wild ride I appear to have missed. Keep all arms and legs inside the forums while the mods are in motion.
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Not really. Just a violation of Sacred Hospitality, and the Word of Jeph is final.
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Burgers are a dollar but cheese is $16? That must be 20 year cheddar.
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...
I guess what you are essentially saying is that there is a perception that Marten and Claire have a plot shield.
While it is true that Jeph is very attached to Claire, as are many of his readers, I think that it is still entirely possible that Claire and Marten might have to deal with some difficulties, treated in such a way that is true to the experiences of his audiences.
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Don't write off the possibility of a shake-up.
There's a number of things we haven't seen surrounding Claire, the primary one being someone that does not approve of and attacks trans-people. I'm not sure Jeph would write such an arc, but such could pretty obviously have negative effects on Marten and Claireten.
And as much as Marten can overthink things on occasion, there's a number of things that Claire could say that would discombobulate Marten enough to start the spiral, among them a job offer in Fucquesburg, MT, far from Noho...
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There's a number of things we haven't seen surrounding Claire, the primary one being someone that does not approve of and attacks trans-people. I'm not sure Jeph would write such an arc, but such could pretty obviously have negative effects on Marten and Claireten.
i don't think Jeph ever would write that story nor would I want him too. I like that QC takes place in a world with very little homophobia and transphabia. There is far too much of that in my real life, I don't want it my entertainment as well.
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There's a number of things we haven't seen surrounding Claire, the primary one being someone that does not approve of and attacks trans-people. I'm not sure Jeph would write such an arc, but such could pretty obviously have negative effects on Marten and Claireten.
i don't think Jeph ever would write that story nor would I want him too. I like that QC takes place in a world with very little homophobia and transphabia. There is far too much of that in my real life, I don't want it my entertainment as well.
Well... that's the thing. The comic is free so if you are a reader you're either onboard with his artistic and plot decisions or you can take your readership elsewhere. No one is forcing anyone to read the strip. Yes... it's odd to see levels of self aware AI tech that are at least 50-100 years in the future at a minimum wedged into a current social context, but robots with personalities is a very engaging concept.
With respect to Claire, IIRC Jeph has stated fairly directly he will tolerate no references to Claire in his supported and moderated comment forums questioning or arguing about her gender. He's the universe builder and it's his full right to require this, but what do you have at that point? Apparently a somewhat cloying, overly precious standard issue boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. May's challenges are 100 times more interesting than Marten and Claire's "Lucy and Ricky" dance.
Finally, and this is just personal preference. Marten gives me a bellyache. I get that he is a primary nexus for a lot of the strips relationships, but his entire vibe is so passive and weak and most-importantly, non-progressing. I can't imagine any woman desiring him for a serious relationship except maybe as an improvement project where she is the general contractor.
Having said this, Jeph's artistic vision is his own. Nothing compels us to keep up with the strip other than finding the strip interesting. Jeph has a unique intelligence, especially in the AI stuff that you see almost nowhere else.
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We were all thining it.
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Re the idea that Marten and Claire have a plot shield, it certainly seems that way. Their relationship has far and away, by light-years, been the most smooth and issue-free in all of QC -- not that it's any inherent problem for a pair to finally be doing well (or two, counting Faye/Bubbles), but coming after everything else before that, it's jarring.
Perhaps my frustration stems from the rainbows-and-unicorns squeepocalypse that was the first hundred-or-so strips after Claire and Marten got together. It also feels like nothing negative is allowed to happen to their "one true pairing" because of representation-darlinghood. Thus every potential bit of tension for them rings hollow IMO, because given patterns so far, they will just smooth it over with no issues. That hollow-ringing will probably just continue until something actually has consequences for them, but that seems unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future.
I have this bizarre dilemma as a reader that I want to hear more about longstanding characters of the comic rather than cutesy-named-new-AI-of-the-week, but then when Marten/Claire resurface, there's zero change because it's basically always going perfect for them no matter what.
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Re the idea that Marten and Claire have a plot shield, it certainly seems that way. Their relationship has far and away, by light-years, been the most smooth and issue-free in all of QC -- not that it's any inherent problem for a pair to finally be doing well (or two, counting Faye/Bubbles), but coming after everything else before that, it's jarring.
Perhaps my frustration stems from the rainbows-and-unicorns squeepocalypse that was the first hundred-or-so strips after Claire and Marten got together. It also feels like nothing negative is allowed to happen to their "one true pairing" because of representation-darlinghood. Thus every potential bit of tension for them rings hollow IMO, because given patterns so far, they will just smooth it over with no issues. That hollow-ringing will probably just continue until something actually has consequences for them, but that seems unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future.
I have this bizarre dilemma as a reader that I want to hear more about longstanding characters of the comic rather than cutesy-named-new-AI-of-the-week, but then when Marten/Claire resurface, there's zero change because it's basically always going perfect for them no matter what.
I agree, but where is he going to go with it if he did? Trans people have a lot of challenges and often lead complex and fraught lives. Per Jeph's dictate Claire effectively became a woman and that was that. Non-binary people like Tilly state their gender pronoun preference and the discussion is over. Those are the ethical and political rules of the QC universe. Is Jeph going to violate the rules he has established?
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Trans people are just people like everyone else, they have struggles just like cis people. Not everything has to be about their transness.
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(Edited to clarify: replying to a removed post)
That's rather harsh, as first posts go...
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Thus every potential bit of tension for them rings hollow IMO, because given patterns so far, they will just smooth it over with no issues. That hollow-ringing will probably just continue until something actually has consequences for them, but that seems unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future.
I guess you could for a time have said that about the Marten/Dora relationship.
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I wonder if Elliot would have been a better person for Marten to talk to. Less connection and history but more wisdom, I think.
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My guess is that Marten trusts Steve to give it to him straight.
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....and Millefeuille saves the day!
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I was amused to note that Millefeuille has drunk bubbles that are rectangular to match AI speech bubble shapes. :laugh: Have we seen that before?
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GO BUTTS!
:laugh:
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...as a reader that I want to hear more about longstanding characters of the comic rather than cutesy-named-new-AI-of-the-week...
Aaand comic. Hi Millefeuille.
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Awwwwh, missed all the fun again ... :cry:
OT:
She has a drunk mode.
A drunk mode she can turn on and off at will.
Not. Fair. :x
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.re: 'To pursuing new dreams'
Stufen
Wie jede Blüte welkt und jede Jugend
Dem Alter weicht, blüht jede Lebensstufe,
Blüht jede Weisheit auch und jede Tugend
Zu ihrer Zeit und darf nicht ewig dauern.
Es muß das Herz bei jedem Lebensrufe
Bereit zum Abschied sein und Neubeginne,
Um sich in Tapferkeit und ohne Trauern
In andre, neue Bindungen zu geben.
Und jedem Anfang wohnt ein Zauber inne,
Der uns beschützt und der uns hilft, zu leben.
Wir sollen heiter Raum um Raum durchschreiten,
An keinem wie an einer Heimat hängen,
Der Weltgeist will nicht fesseln uns und engen,
Er will uns Stuf´ um Stufe heben, weiten.
Kaum sind wir heimisch einem Lebenskreise
Und traulich eingewohnt, so droht Erschlaffen;
Nur wer bereit zu Aufbruch ist und Reise,
Mag lähmender Gewöhnung sich entraffen.
Es wird vielleicht auch noch die Todesstunde
Uns neuen Räumen jung entgegen senden,
Des Lebens Ruf an uns wird niemals enden,
Wohlan denn, Herz, nimm Abschied und gesunde!
(Four ze Anglophonez (https://mindmastery.wordpress.com/2007/02/17/hermann-hesse-steps-stufen/))
P.S.: Stupid 'ol Steppenwolf stupid ...
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Awwwwh, missed all the fun again ... :cry:
OT:
She has a drunk mode.
A drunk mode she can turn on and off at will.
Not. Fair. :x
Defo not fair.
Just have to moderate, I guess. :roll:
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Just have to moderate, I guess. :roll:
Well, I had to moderate to absolute zero, hence the being-pissed-off. I loved the buzz, the confidence & the embarrassing yourself. Just didn't like the eternal fatigue and the stinking-out-your-pores aspect of it, soooooooh ... my best mate had to find himself another bestie.
Has it been ... five years already? :? I think so ...
There was this thought-experiment I once heard about - If you could wire the pleasure centre of a monkey to give it an orgasm, and then hand it the control for the electrodes, how do you think it would spend its days?
Maybe it's a good thingTM that humans don't have a consequence-free drunk mode.
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(Edited to clarify: replying to a removed post)
That's rather harsh, as first posts go...
If in fact it was a first post. Based on some information elsewhere and the content of the posts I believe this was a long-standing ban evader.
I replied to the first one at face value, but I think it's clear it was an evader, feel the rest. They'll be back, probably.
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I wonder how long it will take Marten to realise "hey, isn't that Faye's shorts?"
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Thus every potential bit of tension for them rings hollow IMO, because given patterns so far, they will just smooth it over with no issues. That hollow-ringing will probably just continue until something actually has consequences for them, but that seems unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future.
I guess you could for a time have said that about the Marten/Dora relationship.
Or any relationship that’s going well.
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I replied to the first one at face value, but I think it's clear it was an evader, feel the rest. They'll be back, probably.
At least some people have probably noticed by now that I do tend to take such posters at face value and try to give them an opportunity to express themselves in a constructive way. I imagine that this raises the hackles of some, but there are reasons why it is my policy to do so.
If the person really is posting in good faith, as unlikely as it may seem, I want them to see that someone is digging for what they are trying to get at, and respond. What I don't want is for them to leave thinking that they have some kind of moral high ground because they posted a dissenting opinion and got mobbed. So I swallow my distaste and try to bridge the gap.
If not, however, then at least I haven't given them the satisfaction of getting an emotional reaction out of me.
And it has been known to happen that trolls have responded to honest communication. It hasn't happened here yet. But I live in hope.
No tears are shed when they flee without having made an honest attempt. Life goes on.
Today's comic: Marten has made a DECISION! Let's hope it doesn't take 4192 strips more for him to act on it. Best to strike while the iron is hot in this situation, I have found.
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I'm glad that Steve is being sensible about this: No pouring of cold water but also no mad over-enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Marten needs to make a note: Steve wants a lute with breasts painted on the reverb box. Not sure why but you shouldn't worry about such things when making presents for your friends!
Millie is in 'party mode', I see. I wonder how often Wilson has to be her keeper and I wonder if this is their dynamic? He's the quiet, caring friend who, unbeknownst to her, worships her from afar!
Thus every potential bit of tension for them rings hollow IMO, because given patterns so far, they will just smooth it over with no issues. That hollow-ringing will probably just continue until something actually has consequences for them, but that seems unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future.
I guess you could for a time have said that about the Marten/Dora relationship.
Or any relationship that’s going well.
Agreed; I really appreciate it when Jeph implicitly rejects the idea that a stable adult relationship is somehow 'boring'.
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Sometimes you wanna go
Where everybody knows your ass...
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There's a number of things we haven't seen surrounding Claire, the primary one being someone that does not approve of and attacks trans-people. I'm not sure Jeph would write such an arc, but such could pretty obviously have negative effects on Marten and Claireten.
i don't think Jeph ever would write that story nor would I want him too. I like that QC takes place in a world with very little homophobia and transphabia. There is far too much of that in my real life, I don't want it my entertainment as well.
I'd also say that Jeph did let a guest comic writer address it.
By creating a transphobic character, and then letting him get brutally killed by Pintsize and Hannelore's butt rocket, after Emily kicked him out of Coffee of Doom and locked the door due to his transphobia. (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2987)
And I suspect QC isn't actually set in a utopia - even in Jeph's own strips, there's been hints here and there that homophobia and transphobia are present in the universe. But, like you said, I don't think Jeph wants to write about that - there's so much more to write about than retreading territory that other writers cover.
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Sometimes you wanna go
Where everybody knows your ass...
Never seen such a post with such a wonderfully relevant *sig* line ! :)
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There's a number of things we haven't seen surrounding Claire, the primary one being someone that does not approve of and attacks trans-people. I'm not sure Jeph would write such an arc, but such could pretty obviously have negative effects on Marten and Claireten.
i don't think Jeph ever would write that story nor would I want him too. I like that QC takes place in a world with very little homophobia and transphabia. There is far too much of that in my real life, I don't want it my entertainment as well.
Well... that's the thing. The comic is free so if you are a reader you're either onboard with his artistic and plot decisions or you can take your readership elsewhere. No one is forcing anyone to read the strip. Yes... it's odd to see levels of self aware AI tech that are at least 50-100 years in the future at a minimum wedged into a current social context, but robots with personalities is a very engaging concept.
With respect to Claire, IIRC Jeph has stated fairly directly he will tolerate no references to Claire in his supported and moderated comment forums questioning or arguing about her gender. He's the universe builder and it's his full right to require this, but what do you have at that point? Apparently a somewhat cloying, overly precious standard issue boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. May's challenges are 100 times more interesting than Marten and Claire's "Lucy and Ricky" dance.
Finally, and this is just personal preference. Marten gives me a bellyache. I get that he is a primary nexus for a lot of the strips relationships, but his entire vibe is so passive and weak and most-importantly, non-progressing. I can't imagine any woman desiring him for a serious relationship except maybe as an improvement project where she is the general contractor.
Having said this, Jeph's artistic vision is his own. Nothing compels us to keep up with the strip other than finding the strip interesting. Jeph has a unique intelligence, especially in the AI stuff that you see almost nowhere else.
Underlining is mine.
Really? Somehow I feel the need to defend Marten a little bit here. Sure, Marten is very passive, sometimes infuriatingly so. Weak, hmm, depends on how you look at it. On the other hand, Marten has also shown to be kind, a great friend, generous, accepting, a great listener, fairly intelligent and with a good sense of humor. Other than that, sure he may not have a thrilling job or a lot (or any) ambition, but he does have a job that seems stable.
Frankly I can think of a whole boatload of people a lot less desirable than somebody like Marten. Think of unkind people, those without a (steady) job, those intolerant of others, those who don't really listen to their S.O.'s, those with anger issues, etc.
In short, if you don't find him an attractive prospect for a relationship because of his passiveness, that's obviously fine, but to not be able to see how he could/would appeal to others for a serious relationship seems odd..
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We did see Bubbles face anti-AI harassment, and it played a significant role in her character arc. Of course, she was never physically vulnerable, as Claire is, but Jeph hasn't ignored the issue of bigotry.
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I'd also say that Jeph did let a guest comic writer address it.
By creating a transphobic character, and then letting him get brutally killed by Pintsize and Hannelore's butt rocket, after Emily kicked him out of Coffee of Doom and locked the door due to his transphobia. (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2987)
Fair enough and thanks for the reminder. I've never quite reconciled for myself that guest strips are canon and tend to read them less attentively.
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We did see Bubbles face anti-AI harassment, and it played a significant role in her character arc.
I've mentioned this before but Momo once told Marten that there is a religious group that denounces AIs as 'soulless'.
I've said this before but Jeph seems to use the AIs as his method to tell parables about human bigotry and inclusivity.
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Fair enough and thanks for the reminder. I've never quite reconciled for myself that guest strips are canon and tend to read them less attentively.
Yeah, and I wouldn't call it canon either (although IIRC some things from guest strips have been elevated to canon?). But, what's canon, and what Jeph allows his platform to be used to discuss are two different things.
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We did see Bubbles face anti-AI harassment, and it played a significant role in her character arc.
I've mentioned this before but Momo once told Marten that there is a religious group that denounces AIs as 'soulless'.
I've said this before but Jeph seems to use the AIs as his method to tell parables about human bigotry and inclusivity.
Which, to my mind, is the better way to do it. You can highlight/speak to bigotry without using a real underprivileged group as a prop in your parable. Give the vulnerable and underprivileged representation, teach your lessons with someone else (preferably made up).
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We do know from one conversation with Clinton that Claire can't feel confident about her physical safety, so the QC universe has progress to make, much as it is better than ours.
I think the fringe preacher didn't say "soulless" but actually said AIs were evil.
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A lot can be said about Marten‘s passivity, but in a world economy changing due to AIs maybe there aren’t a lot of job prospects even if he was proactive. It’s one thing to write off slackers who drift from job to job, but there are a lot of hard workers whose careers are fluid because their job was outsourced or replaced by a machine.
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Steve is drinking a fancy beer, in a little glass! No regular pint mug for him!
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People are not their jobs. Far be it from me to defend a dude, but Marten is enjoying his life, demanding that he get a "real job" in order to be worth loving is some late stage capitalist bullshit.
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It appears I missed some kind of kerfuffle, oh well.
Anyway, I love the background details here, the little faces on the beer pulls, and the pricing on the menu. It looks like you get a discount if you order mushrooms on your burger, so it helps offset the rather expensive gourmet cheese. And of course he can't convince her to turn off drunk mode, she is drunk.
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I'm hoping Millefeuille becomes a regular character.
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Steve is drinking a fancy beer, in a little glass! No regular pint mug for him!
Aw yeah! My dude’s gone all for the Belgian goblet! Santé!
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I was amused to note that Millefeuille has drunk bubbles that are rectangular to match AI speech bubble shapes. :laugh: Have we seen that before?
In #3696 (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3696), both Roko and O'Malley have what seems to be round drunk bubbles.
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.... knowing what we do about Pintsize, I certainly would NOT be using him as a teddy bear/comforter.
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But he's so fulfilled!
Wait, what does he usually (https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2254) find fulfilling?
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Pintsize looks so cute happy. I feel like he and Claire have a special friendship like he's less of an ass to her than everyone else.
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Burgers are a dollar but cheese is $16? That must be 20 year cheddar.
sorry to double post but why are more people not talking about this?
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Faye would definitely know about insecurity.
(Both her own, and observing Dora's.)
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Pintsize and Claire's relationship has been quite the roller-coaster, hasn't it? He had to be nearly physically restrained from traumatising her at virtually their first meeting by a strong threat from Marten. We all remember the wolf urine prank and Claire's threat to lobotomise him in response.
However, since then, things have quietened down a lot and it's seems that the two of them have reached either a compromise or détente of sorts. Claire needs someone to hug sometimes and I'm wondering if being hugged is one of the reasons why Pintsize chose to be a Companion AI in the first place! I mean, yeah, he's good at helping people and enjoys doing it in his unique way but just watch how he reacts to Claire and you realise that being in her lap and cuddled to her bosom is fulfilling...
Okay, yeah, he's still a perve but he doesn't make a thing of it for her sake!
Meanwhile, we are reminded that Mr Augustus walking out of the family has left really serious scars in Claire's psyche that we shouldn't ever discount when judging her behaviour.
Burgers are a dollar but cheese is $16? That must be 20 year cheddar.
sorry to double post but why are more people not talking about this?
Because not everyone pays that amount of attention to the backgrounds of the panels.
FWIW, this is a typical 'loss leader' type of marketing. Because the burgers without cheese aren't so good, the owners of the Horrible Revelation know that the cheese sale is pretty much in the bag but they can still claim with a straight face to have 'the cheapest bar food in town'. Reach for those wallets, suckers!
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Burgers are a dollar but cheese is $16? That must be 20 year cheddar.
sorry to double post but why are more people not talking about this?
A one dollar burger? Probably just the patty then. No bun.
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Burgers are a dollar but cheese is $16? That must be 20 year cheddar.
sorry to double post but why are more people not talking about this?
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But he's so fulfilled!
I think this is the happiest we've seen him...
He and Claire seem to have come to an agreement--they both want what's best for Marten, and Claire fits that bill right now.
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Pintsize's expression... I didn't know that an expression could be simultaneously cute and creepy.
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Burgers are a dollar but cheese is $16? That must be 20 year cheddar.
sorry to double post but why are more people not talking about this?
A one dollar burger? Probably just the patty then. No bun.
But then it looks like bacon on that burger is 50 cents extra. Maybe they are just short on cheese and want to ensure a supply until they get restocked?
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Pintsize and Claire's relationship has been quite the roller-coaster, hasn't it? He had to be nearly physically restrained from traumatising her at virtually their first meeting by a strong threat from Marten. We all remember the wolf urine prank and Claire's threat to lobotomise him in response.
However, since then, things have quietened down a lot and it's seems that the two of them have reached either a compromise or détente of sorts. Claire needs someone to hug sometimes and I'm wondering if being hugged is one of the reasons why Pintsize chose to be a Companion AI in the first place! I mean, yeah, he's good at helping people and enjoys doing it in his unique way but just watch how he reacts to Claire and you realise that being in her lap and cuddled to her bosom is fulfilling...
Okay, yeah, he's still a perve but he doesn't make a thing of it for her sake!
Meanwhile, we are reminded that Mr Augustus walking out of the family has left really serious scars in Claire's psyche that we shouldn't ever discount when judging her behaviour.
Maybe Claire has what Pintsize has been seeking all along and the coming conflict for Marten is Pintsize rebonding to Claire? It'll be interesting to see what Jeph decides to do with these 3.
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Somehow I feel the need to defend Marten a little bit here. Sure, Marten is very passive, sometimes infuriatingly so. Weak, hmm, depends on how you look at it. On the other hand, Marten has also shown to be kind, a great friend, generous, accepting, a great listener, fairly intelligent and with a good sense of humor. Other than that, sure he may not have a thrilling job or a lot (or any) ambition, but he does have a job that seems stable.
Agreed. I’ve just randomly been rereading the arc where his relationship with Dora was going wrong, and he certainly wasn’t being so passive then as to let the hurricane of her insecurities getting way out of hand just happen without standing up to it. He was calling her out on it. Speaking as someone who was once at Dora’s level of insecure self-sabotage, I had no idea how valuable that lesson was until I learned it, and it’s a shame because that level of insecurity and actions around it did for me too so much more damage to the relationship than was necessary.
Since then for Dora, that lesson is making her better at being in a partnership with Tai and if Marten hadn’t have set his boundaries in the way he had, in the long run probably neither of them would have learned from their mistakes - or what they did well - and been better off for learning those lessons.
With Claire also here, Marten’s not going “ok, whatever”, nor is he storming out in a huff, he’s being upfront with her about his worries in a way that’s also considerate of her feelings. I think this is a healthy thing to aim for - and part and parcel of an equal, respectful partnership. That’s a huge asset. Really. You find someone like that, that’s marriage material right there.
If he could apply that level of assertiveness in his current relationship to the rest of his life, it’d probably do him the power of good.
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It just occurred to me, rereading the strip, that Faye could just as well use Claire as a teddy bear given the size disparity shown. Wonder what Marten would think/say if he came home to that? Or Bubbles?
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Marten is a fairly passive guy most of the time, but he's shown more than once that he's not weak. There's actually a lot to be said for staying in a job you genuinely enjoy, even if it doesn't fill you with joy every day. A lot of people don't even get that. Arguably a lot of stress and some moments of hyper-happiness are worth less than a lot of safe contentment.
I think Claire was right to encourage Marten to think about pursuing something he might enjoy even more, and I think he handled it perfectly. I wouldn't think any less or more of Marten if he decided to continue on his current course, or pursue instrument repair.
The only thing that worries me is that it takes money to invest on a course, and would Marten actually be that good at repairing instruments? It takes a huge amount of sensitive musicality to repair even a low-mid-range acoustic instrument.
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...I feel like Steve is about the worst person to be having this conversation with. Of course, worse yet would be Jimbo or Hannelore...
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"WHO WANTS TO TOUCH MY NEW ASS!"
*lol*
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Just have to moderate, I guess. :roll:
Well, I had to moderate to absolute zero, hence the being-pissed-off. I loved the buzz, the confidence & the embarrassing yourself. Just didn't like the eternal fatigue and the stinking-out-your-pores aspect of it, soooooooh ... my best mate had to find himself another bestie.
Has it been ... five years already? :? I think so ...
There was this thought-experiment I once heard about - If you could wire the pleasure centre of a monkey to give it an orgasm, and then hand it the control for the electrodes, how do you think it would spend its days?
Maybe it's a good thingTM that humans don't have a consequence-free drunk mode.
I've mentioned it before, but I have to stop at buzzed. Being drunk is a thoroughly unpleasant experience for me thanks to being ADD. And the hangovers aren't any fun either.
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We did see Bubbles face anti-AI harassment, and it played a significant role in her character arc.
I've mentioned this before but Momo once told Marten that there is a religious group that denounces AIs as 'soulless'.
I've said this before but Jeph seems to use the AIs as his method to tell parables about human bigotry and inclusivity.
Which, to my mind, is the better way to do it. You can highlight/speak to bigotry without using a real underprivileged group as a prop in your parable. Give the vulnerable and underprivileged representation, teach your lessons with someone else (preferably made up).
Just be careful how you go about it and do a better job at it than the movie Bright].
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Oh my god, butts disease turned into boats disease. :-D
TM
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On the Marten topic: I think this is a decent direction, and I think it's kind of important for another reason, Marten has consistently had fairly bad luck when he has tried to be proactive or stand up for himself. While he is ultimately responsible for his own happiness this might end up better overall for him and I also appreciate that he and Claire are actually talking like adults instead of either shouting at each other or weaponizing insecurities (either to hurt someone or to use as an excuse for poor behavior re:Dora)
On the pintsize note: Him being fulfilled might actually be more he is genuinely happy to be doing an anthropc thing of making a human feel better. He actually tried sincerely to help Marten at one point and got a bit mad when it worked but Marten seemed unhappy still. So the idea of him being genuinely useful and helpful for a human may have actually helped him feel he was fulfilling a base goal of his programming.
On the notes of AI in the economy: Oh god that is a fucking can of worms that I don't even want to think about. There are a lot of arguments about bigotry etc. The main problem I can see jhappening is that since they can be copied, can function from a computer and multiple bodies, there are some not-unrealistic concerns about intelligent automation basically replacing a large number of workers from all but the most specialized jobs. It isn't fair to teh AIs and it's a fault of the capitalist model, but I can still see and sympathize with those afraid.
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It is rather appealing, tbh. Downside is that there's a reason boats are called "a hole you throw money into".
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You do occasionally have strips where I really think it is Jeph talking and this is one of them. Growing up vs. growing 'old' is a thing with which most people struggle. How does one become an adult without losing joy in one's life? I do like their horror when they realise that they're on the verge of becoming stereotypical lower-middle-class adult males!
Meanwhile, Millie definitely had self-image issues; I'm hoping that Faye and Bubbles find out how happy this has all made her. I'm also desperately hoping that we see her and Wilson having a stern talk during which she realises just what a great friend he is.
On the notes of AI in the economy: Oh god that is a fucking can of worms that I don't even want to think about. There are a lot of arguments about bigotry etc. The main problem I can see jhappening is that since they can be copied, can function from a computer and multiple bodies, there are some not-unrealistic concerns about intelligent automation basically replacing a large number of workers from all but the most specialized jobs. It isn't fair to teh AIs and it's a fault of the capitalist model, but I can still see and sympathize with those afraid.
It should be noted that, in man ways, the AIs are just additional members of the workforce who are more plastic than most humans are. Everything we've seen is that they can't just be installed into an appropriate chassis, loaded up with operational software and do a job because they experience boredom, have aspirations and can easily be distracted by other desires. Because of that, the only real advantage to having a synthetic employee rather than a human employee is I imagine that they can work much longer shifts without needing some kind of break (really, just recharging and their psychological need for a change). So, I imagine that they won't as radically change the economy as many futurists expected.
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You do occasionally have strips where I really think it is Jeph talking and this is one of them. Growing up vs. growing 'old' is a thing with which most people struggle. How does one become an adult without losing joy in one's life? I do like their horror when they realise that they're on the verge of becoming stereotypical lower-middle-class adult males!
...that suddenly makes it hit me how young Marten and Steve are to be talking like this. I don't know if either of them is 25, and for Faye calling Claire "kiddo" yesterday, if Claire is 24 I'm not actually sure Faye's older.
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You do occasionally have strips where I really think it is Jeph talking and this is one of them. Growing up vs. growing 'old' is a thing with which most people struggle. How does one become an adult without losing joy in one's life? I do like their horror when they realise that they're on the verge of becoming stereotypical lower-middle-class adult males!
...that suddenly makes it hit me how young Marten and Steve are to be talking like this. I don't know if either of them is 25, and for Faye calling Claire "kiddo" yesterday, if Claire is 24 I'm not actually sure Faye's older.
Claire was 24 before the timeskip, so it's probable that she has turned 25, or will do so very shortly. IIRC Dora is canonically the oldest of the gang, and should by now be near her 30th birthday (She was 28 when she dated Jim). Can't find any references to how old Marten or Faye are right now, but IIRC they are supped to be 2-4 years younger than Dora, which would put them somewhere in the 26-28 range. I could have sworn I saw something about Marten being 26 at some point, but right now I can't find it.
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I went through that crushing moment myself. I was the heavy metal kid in an area full of country listening hicks, trying to do everything I could not to blend in. Now I actually enjoy fishing and boating, it just creeps into your life.
Country still sucks though.
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You do occasionally have strips where I really think it is Jeph talking and this is one of them. Growing up vs. growing 'old' is a thing with which most people struggle. How does one become an adult without losing joy in one's life? I do like their horror when they realise that they're on the verge of becoming stereotypical lower-middle-class adult males!
...that suddenly makes it hit me how young Marten and Steve are to be talking like this. I don't know if either of them is 25, and for Faye calling Claire "kiddo" yesterday, if Claire is 24 I'm not actually sure Faye's older.
Can I just say, calling someone “kiddo” isn’t necessarily a reflection of relative age, more of social position. If Faye has assumed a position somewhere between big sister and mother towards Claire she might well call her kiddo even if she was younger than Claire. Seen it happen.
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Pintsize-Marten-Steve strips in a row. Mostly about Marten's pointless life. Are we closing some cycle?
Also, chill about how to spell Millefeuille. Most forms are canon.
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"WHO WANTS TO TOUCH MY NEW ASS!"
I find this interesting for an odd reason. Humans are, perhaps rightly, *so* concerned with bodily autonomy and control that even a seriously drunk person wouldn't say or do this.
In the QC universe though, what is Millie risking? A greasy hand print on Faye's shorts she might have had to wash anyway seems to be about the worst possible case... And even if someone she doesn't want touching her starts feeling up her, err, uhm, "human standard" anatomy, she can flip out of drunk mode, stop the situation with whatever level of (non)violence seems to be indicated, and perhaps flip back to drunk mode without anyone else noticing. Think of the possibilities for parties with a bunch of AIs on a happy jag; I should think businesses that cater for humans and AIs wouldn't charge AIs a cover charge just like some bars don't charge women...
Or maybe it's simply because her researcher-colleague is there that Millie feels safe enough to try this and see what happens?
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"WHO WANTS TO TOUCH MY NEW ASS!"
I find this interesting for an odd reason. Humans are, perhaps rightly, *so* concerned with bodily autonomy and control that even a seriously drunk person wouldn't say or do this.
I've seen it happen, though. Along with "touch my new breasts". Not even that drunk...
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"WHO WANTS TO TOUCH MY NEW ASS!"
I find this interesting for an odd reason. Humans are, perhaps rightly, *so* concerned with bodily autonomy and control that even a seriously drunk person wouldn't say or do this.
I've seen it happen, though. Along with "touch my new breasts". Not even that drunk...
Same. I've seen a few women just whip them out to show off the new work-- whether it's surgical or fresh ink. Though, most of the time is t was only with select friends...
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Country still sucks though.
But you have to accept that there are exceptions to the suckiness of the genre
Now if only RAP had a redeeming artist or two
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Country still sucks though.
But you have to accept that there are exceptions to the suckiness of the genre
Not that long ago I wanted to prove a point to a friend that there are some good country artists, and found that for every example I could come up with they were "technically" under some other, increasingly esoteric genre. It seems in our attempts to distance ourselves from the Country genre we have created enough alternate categories to still enjoy bands that would have been considered Country years ago, while still claiming to hate the genre.
I think my favorite subcategory is one my friends and I call "Americana Gothic" which often features limited instruments, is almost entirely acoustic, and covers/includes darker themes (see "Brown Bird", "Haunted Windchimes", "The Dead South", certain albums by "The Devil Makes Three", and/or "The Builders and the Butchers")
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Country still sucks though.
But you have to accept that there are exceptions to the suckiness of the genre
I accept no such thing.
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So this definitely wouldn’t apply.....
(https://i.chzbgr.com/full/9244480512/h19E172E3/funny-meme-about-country-roads-country-music-john-denver-cat)
.....? :-D
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Country still sucks though.
But you have to accept that there are exceptions to the suckiness of the genre
Now if only RAP had a redeeming artist or two
Del tha Funky Homosapien
Common
Lupe Fiasco
K Flay
Mike Shinoda
There are more but I suspect I'm wasting my time here anyway.
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So this definitely wouldn’t apply.....
(https://i.chzbgr.com/full/9244480512/h19E172E3/funny-meme-about-country-roads-country-music-john-denver-cat)
.....? ;D
That’s not country music, that’s good country music, totally different genre. :angel:
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Now if only RAP had a redeeming artist or two
Blondie
Weird Al
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Now if only RAP had a redeeming artist or two
Blondie
Weird Al
Oh, if we're going there...
MC Frontalot
Mega Ran
Schaffer the Darklord
Beefy
Shubzilla
Kabuto the Python
...just to name a few.
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That was a difficult poll. lessons/repair/counseling all seem so plausible.
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Country still sucks though.
But you have to accept that there are exceptions to the suckiness of the genre
I accept no such thing.
3 words:
Townes Van Zandt
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Country still sucks though.
But you have to accept that there are exceptions to the suckiness of the genre
I accept no such thing.
3 words:
Townes Van Zandt
Still not feeling it. Just not my personal tastes.
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So this definitely wouldn’t apply.....
...
.....? ;D
That’s not country music, that’s good country music, totally different genre. :angel:
<snicker>
No, it wouldn't apply. Mr. Denver released about 3 pop albums which had a country flavor to them - and a few other artists did at about that same time because electric guitars were finally becoming accepted as a lead instrument in Nashville - which led to a cross-over period where it was extremely difficult to identify a tune as either/or. They were rather genre-fluid, if I can bastardize that other term into this service... :wink: :-D :-)
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Actually, come to think of it and talking about Country, has Sven never attended a Country Music Awards or received an award? Do Country fans not know or care one of the most successful writers of Nashville Country is some hipster in a Northern college town? I know like all forms of popular music the majority fans focus on the singers and in county the myth of the singer songwriter is particularly pervasive, so you get your airhead Nashville singers changing a couple words to get a writing credit, but like any form of music you get the superfans and music nerds who follow the writers as well
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As uncommon as it maybe among comic readers (myself unfortunately included); stable relationships do exist, and most people aren't perpetually 4 panels of dialogue away from damaging said relationship
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Actually, come to think of it and talking about Country, has Sven never attended a Country Music Awards or received an award? Do Country fans not know or care one of the most successful writers of Nashville Country is some hipster in a Northern college town? I know like all forms of popular music the majority fans focus on the singers and in county the myth of the singer songwriter is particularly pervasive, so you get your airhead Nashville singers changing a couple words to get a writing credit, but like any form of music you get the super fans and music nerds who follow the writers as well.
Funny you should say that. Long ago I had a fan fic that featured one of my characters who actually recorded one of Sven's songs. She'd heard of him, enough to engage the Plot Device of "we need someone to be a sound board mixer" for a concert at Smif.
Truth be told - and beware, I'm a fan of the city of Nashville (and yes, I have done the touristy trio of the Opry, the CMHOF, and the Ryman) - most country music writers aren't all that rich, but if they get that One Big Hit, that usually is their meal ticket for the rest of their life.
BTW: Garth Brooks and Shania Twain were about the point where country music took a fork in the road into "Country Pop". Those two pretty much led the way for a certain singer who initially wrote about Teardrops on (Her) Guitar.
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"this comic was sponsored by Hickory Farms"
Admittedly, that's who I think of for food gift baskets too.
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Coming from the banks of the Huangpu River, I've always had a bit of a yen for a little junk-rigged sampan. Boat disease is insidious.
I assume Hickory Farms sells gift-baskets? In my experience such baskets are full of things I don't eat.
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Today's strip is as close as we're likely to ever get to 'the old gang being together again'! It's worth remembering sometimes that the characters have social connections outside those that are regularly shown on-screen. However, it's always good to think about the fact that a lot of Marten's commonly-seen connections are fairly recent. I wonder if we'll ever run into any more of his acquaintances from the West Coast the way we did at his father's wedding?
Meanwhile, I think that the main point of today's strip is that Dora and Steve also believe that Marten was in a rut but didn't feel able to discuss it with him, let alone urge him to change. Fortunately, as his girlfriend, Claire has several advantages to utilise in that area and she has used them. For that, they owe her their thanks!
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Now if only RAP had a redeeming artist or two
Blondie
Weird Al
Oh, if we're going there...
MC Frontalot
Mega Ran
Schaffer the Darklord
Beefy
Shubzilla
Kabuto the Python
...just to name a few.
DiGi Valentine, José the Bronx Rican, a couple others on OverClocked ReMix I can't think of off the top of my head.
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Country still sucks though.
But you have to accept that there are exceptions to the suckiness of the genre
I accept no such thing.
3 words:
Townes Van Zandt
This isn't entirely country music, but it's still pretty good.
EDIT: I'll also suggest Darren Korb's soundtrack for the game Bastion.
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Now if only RAP had a redeeming artist or two
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Now if only RAP had a redeeming artist or two
Blondie
Weird Al
Oh, if we're going there...
MC Frontalot
Mega Ran
Schaffer the Darklord
Beefy
Shubzilla
Kabuto the Python
...just to name a few.
DiGi Valentine, José the Bronx Rican, a couple others on OverClocked ReMix I can't think of off the top of my head.
OCR Songs with lyrics are generally questionable at best.
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So this definitely wouldn’t apply.....
....? ;D
That’s not country music, that’s good country music, totally different genre. :angel:
Actually, this song was written by the same duo that wrote Afternoon Delight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu1UXCdyNo0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu1UXCdyNo0), making it even more of a cross-over, genre-bending tune.
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So are we just ignoring Run DMC?
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Whatever is in store for Marten & Claire (is "Claireten" the accepted local portmanteau?) I have confidence it won't be boring or expected, and it will play out over years of real-world time.
And yeah, Claire and Pintsize do have a weirdly wholesome friendship. Pintsize seems to enjoy taking on different roles with different people.
He doesn't seem to want a different or humanoid body at the moment, but I shudder to imagine what would happen if he did...
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(Pintsize) doesn't seem to want a different or humanoid body at the moment, but I shudder to imagine what would happen if he did...
A part of me hopes that Pintsize will fall madly in love some day, and end up being the sappiest, syrupiest member of the cast by far. At least for a little while, until he comes off that new-relationship high...
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somewhat to the "is it county" threadlets: A while back Shooter Jennings had 'Put the "O" Back in Country' :} A bit of overreaction to the wave of estrogen pop that seemed to be taking over.
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Country music, like all musical genres, is very ill-defined - there's stuff that is unmistakably country and nothing else, but at the edges it overlaps with many other genres. Many songs by the Eagles stand firmly in the gray zone where rock meets country, for example. There's country-folk, country-gospel, country-blues, country-pop (which is much of what is played on most "country" radio stations these days), bluegrass (which is either a subgenre of country or a separate but related genre, depending on who you ask), and as Lil Nas X proved, there's even country rap. And, God help us, country metal. Plus too many others to mention.
So don't go painting country music with too broad a brush, because there is a lot of variety in there. It's not all the type of absurd trash that Sven writes.
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Country music, like all musical genres, is very ill-defined - there's stuff that is unmistakably country and nothing else, but at the edges it overlaps with many other genres. Many songs by the Eagles stand firmly in the gray zone where rock meets country, for example. There's country-folk, country-gospel, country-blues, country-pop (which is much of what is played on most "country" radio stations these days), bluegrass (which is either a subgenre of country or a separate but related genre, depending on who you ask), and as Lil Nas X proved, there's even country rap. And, God help us, country metal. Plus too many others to mention.
So don't go painting country music with too broad a brush, because there is a lot of variety in there. It's not all the type of absurd trash that Sven writes.
There's even cinematic prog-rockabilly (no, seriously).
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Country Metal = Hayseed Dixie.
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IIRC Dora is canonically the oldest of the gang, and should by now be near her 30th birthday (She was 28 when she dated Jim).
Do you have a reference for that? Because she was definitely 26 early on (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=144), and as you said, she's canonically older than the others.
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IIRC Dora is canonically the oldest of the gang, and should by now be near her 30th birthday (She was 28 when she dated Jim).
Do you have a reference for that? Because she was definitely 26 early on (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=144), and as you said, she's canonically older than the others.
In 1954 (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1954) Jim mentions that he's 41, and in 1958 (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1958) he says that Sam is 13, upon which Dora replies that he must have had Sam when he was Dora's current age. 41-13=28
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I think it's canonically acceptable to say Dora is 30. +/-. Several winters have passed since the beginning.
Since Marten had been working an office job for some time, I guess it's safe to assume that he was something like 22 to 24 8n the beginning.
I wouldn't be surprised if Dora went "I want to get married before 30". There's surprisingly many people who have an issue getting pregnant or married being 30 or older.
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I wouldn't be surprised if Dora went "I want to get married before 30". There's surprisingly many people who have an issue getting pregnant or married being 30 or older.
That's all about cultural expectations, and still seems to be changing in many respects and groupings.
Getting pregnant: it's turning out there's good reasons to before 30, and certainly before 50. Egg quality something, somesuch, blah blah blah, etc. Look it up; the research is out there and tagged appropriately.
Getting married: for women, especially pregnant ones: keeping a helper around to raise the children is probably an evolutionary advantage. For men, not so much: they benefit from marriage much later in life than women, or so the evidence seems to suggest at the moment.
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I've been told both within hours years back. "how old are you?" - "21." - "ah, time to start breeding", and "you've got another decade".
Given those exchanges happened more than ten years ago, and I've neither tied the knot nor bred, do I feel like I've lost something? As a guy, I'd say no, but still.