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[lunchmeat]

Here I sit, at work, in front of my monitor, and my keyboard's soaked in tears.

Nah, but really...I know that Marten's probably just confused about Faye's earlier question in the last panel, but it really gives the impression that he's just realized what he's missed, or something. Like in a bad movie where the guy marries the girl, but then later realizes through a multitude of minutiae that she's not the right girl. I'd feel pretty bad for Marten if he wasn't a cartoon.

That's right, I discriminate against cartoons. *nods* Yeah.

[Harun]

Jeph's newspost made me sadder. I don't know if he knew it or not when he wrote it, but apparently Nergal (Behemoth frontman) has leukemia?! I heard about it a day or two ago and it bummed me out. Awesome frontman, awesome live band, hope he recovers.

[Surgoshan]

Everybody has relationship doubts.  It's about time they were Marten's instead of Dora's.

[Tergon]

That's true.  Marten has been pretty freakishly sane about all the drama that goes on in the QC-niverse.  At most when shit goes down he reacts with mild surprise - we've almost NEVER seen him sad, and I think the closest we've ever come to seeing him get angry about something was when he decked that monk with a frying pan.  And even then he seemed more bitter than furious.

I mean, yes, I get that he's a kind, caring, non-confrontational guy.  I know people like that themselves.  But in his own way Marty has a shell that's just as impenetrable as Faye.  Where she's a smartass bitch, he's the understanding guidance councellor.  No anger, no resentment, just kind understanding and a hug when you need it, no matter how much shit other people seem to dump on him.

Mayhap in the coming arc we're going to see past that armour of his a bit.

[jwhouk]

It's pretty heavy armor, I'm betting.

I mean, you know what kind of crap you get when your mom's a professional (and well-known) dominatrix and your dad's gay?

[Is it cold in here?]

We know for a fact he was bullied.

Wonder if Marten will ever snap.

[Wiregeek]

here's hoping Marten gives Dora her walkin' papers.

[BillyxRansom]

here's hoping Marten gives Dora her walkin' papers.

here's hoping Marten gives Dora her walkin' papers.

here's hoping Marten gives Dora her walkin' papers.

here's hoping Marten gives Dora her walkin' papers.

[raoullefere]

That's true.  Marten has been pretty freakishly sane about all the drama that goes on in the QC-niverse.  At most when shit goes down he reacts with mild surprise - we've almost NEVER seen him sad, and I think the closest we've ever come to seeing him get angry about something was when he decked that monk with a frying pan.  And even then he seemed more bitter than furious.

Not true. He got extremely angry with Dora over her reaction to the Faye-Sven hookup and was fairly put out with her 'testing' him over the Cosette thing.

I don't think there's much danger of Marten giving Dora any walking papers. I do think they've gotten past the 'first blush' of their relationship—wasn't that the basis for Dora moving in? —and are probably reshaping it a bit. The sigh is regret, naturally, but now that I've thought about it, I don't really think it has anything to do with Dora. I know, were I Marten, I'd be a tad jealous that Angus got to be the guy instead of me. I'd also be capable of not letting that have anything to do with my feelings for the wonderful woman sleeping beside me, apparently bereft of sleepwear. Although it would be nice if she woke up and showed me that…

[jwhouk]

And I think the response would be, "Ever the pragmatist."

[The Duke]

It made me sad too.

I think you're crazy if you think they'll break up over it, though.

[Tergon]

Hmm, true, I had forgotten that we got a chance to see Marten get angry on a couple cases.  But even then, what'd we see?  A few snarky comments and an urge to go drinking with his friend, which was quickly resolved into "Yes, maybe I could have handled that better."

Dora spent several hundred comics being insecure about her new relationship with Marten.  Hannelore's been openly insane since her first appearance, bless her nutty little heart.  Faye's issues have been prevalent for nearly the entire course of the comic.  Steve got insecure and obsessive when he lost his lady-friend, Marigold broke out of her reclusive shell, hell, even Sven got to grow a personality and a conscience.  Marten's worst freakouts last no more than a half-dozen strips before he's back to his normal, understanding self... he just copes with things inhumanly well.  Seriously, there were jokes about Meena's roommate Dave being a serial killer because he's too nice, but really, Marten's only a half-step behind.

Honestly?  I'd actually *like* to see Marten get his boundaries pushed a little more comprehensively.  Not necessarily with Faye- or Dora-related relationship drama, but something that puts a crack in that shell of his.  God knows that with all the crazy shit going on in his life, he's got enough reason to finally snap, and I'd be very curious to find out what that looks like.

[Carl-E]

I don't think there's a shell there to crack.  He's an 'everyman", and so is incredibly resiliant! 

And with his upbringing, I seriously doubt that there are buttons left to push.  He's incredibly well balanced, is all.  It's rare, but it happens! 

[Is it cold in here?]

The fact that he doesn't have the vitality to pursue his dreams is consistent with him being inhibited. Ditto his alleged tendency to overthink things.

[raoullefere]

Marten probably does have a 'button'—most everyone does. At the same time, Carl's right; his upbringing has smoothed the edges of all such touchpoints until it's very hard to find them. But we do know that Marten does have limits (you'd think the son of a dominatrix wouldn't be that shocked by witnessing Tai's piercing, but he was). He also clearly has a problem with anyone acting unreasonable beyond a certain point, probably because it's difficult to rationalize such behavior, which Marten tends to do.

Naturally, Marten is attracted to women who threaten that limit—both Dora and Faye tend to act irrationally on a regular basis, even though both also cover this with a patina of rationalization. Which is not to say either woman is a complete spas-brain; just that neither is quite as 'together' as she normally appears, either.

Is it Cold may be onto something. I do wonder if Dora decided to push Marten to follow his dream the same way she seems to have begun to do with Faye, we wouldn't see Marten's 'even-steven' facade crack.

Oh, and as far as Dave goes, there is a difference. MArten's simply a nice, even-tempered guy. Dave seemed to be (at least according to Meena, which makes the account a bit suspect) on track for living canonization. When you come right down to it, the only real difference between many saints and manifestations of evil such as serial killers is the channel they choose for their energies. The average person can't really live up to either standard.

[Tergon]

AHA

A-FUCKING-HA

I PREDICTED SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

I'M FUCKING SPARTACUS NOW, BITCHES

[Binary]

And is Spartacus enjoying it?

[IanClark]

No, I'm Spartacus!

[Carl-E]

No, I'm Spartacus!

No, I'm Spartacus...

[akronnick]

I'm Spartacus

[Kugai]

NO! I'm  Spartacus!!

[LeGrande]

Damn it, I'M part a cuss!! 

[LeeC]

Everybody has relationship doubts.  It's about time they were Marten's instead of Dora's.

too true, My girlfriend always fears I will cheat on her for some reason despite the fact I've been single for 8 years.

I worry she doesnt really like me, despite the fact we have been together for 8 months and everything seems fine.

We all have our insecurities.

[Watched Pot]

Not to get too personal, but were you single and celibate for 8 years? If not, maybe her fear is that you spent almost a decade engaging (with whatever frequency or infrequency) in casual relationships and you've grown accustomed to that. I'm not making any accusations, I know nothing specific about you, and I'm just some asshole on the internet, but her insecurity doesn't seem outrageous in the hypothetical sense.

[Kugai]

Damn it, I'M part a cuss!! 

Juth so you're not thum Woman Upsthart

[Tergon]

And is Spartacus enjoying it?

YES, SPARTACUS IS LOVING IT

ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE ABOVE ME ARE SPARTACUS

AND I AM HAVING ANGRY SEX WITH ALL OF THEM

AND THEY ARE LOVING IT

[raoullefere]

I am most definitely not Spartacus. So go on and crucify one of those other fellows, please. I'll simply watch. From over there. Far, far over theeeeeeerrrreeeeeeee

[Tergon]

*flings the Useless Broom Made Entirely Out Of Dicks at raoullefere*

[Carl-E]

Is the handle made of dicks, too?  Or just the bristles?

[Binary]

I reckon so, otherwise it would be the Useless Broom Made Partially Out Of Dicks.

[Dliessmgg]

But wouldn't a Useless Broom Made Entirely Out Of Dicks rather be a Useless Broom-shaped Whip Made Entirely Out Of Dicks?

[Tergon]

If you can't figure out how the handle of the Useless Broom Made Entirely Out Of Dicks manages to be other than floppy, then you're clearly too young and innocent to be on the internet.

If you have figured it out, then yes.  Yes, it is exactly as horrible as you're thinking.

[Carl-E]

Well, time to get sweepin'!

[Tergon]

OH GOD I DON'T THINK THAT IS BLEACH

THIS IS SUCH A TERRIBLE BROOM

[Akima]

I am SO not touching the dickbroom.

[akronnick]

But is the dick-broom touching you?





Don't worry, it's useless, you see.

[raoullefere]

No, I don't see. And I don't want to, neither.

Which, to be true to dialect, is what Faye should've said in panel 2 instead of either: An' I bet you wouldn'a been wearin' pants, neither!

It's pathetic how much better I feel having posted that. *Sigh* <covers eyes with one hand> Pass me the freakin' broom.

[Be My Head]

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=740

[Akima]

Which, to be true to dialect, is what Faye should've said in panel 2 instead of either: An' I bet you wouldn'a been wearin' pants, neither!

Faye might have an accent, but I never got the impression she was a hick...

[raoullefere]

Ending a negative sentence with 'neither' isn't hickery in Southern—it's emphasis*, and I've yet to hear anyone who uses 'could'na' and so on who doesn't use terminal 'neither,' too, even if they never write that way. If Faye were a hick, and angry (I cannot emphasize this enough—fury makes this stuff more evident) there would have to be an 'ain't' in her speech somewhere, and possibly a 'goddam.' I do notice that in the last ten, twenty years 'goddam' has been replaced by 'fuckin' (no g, ever). Probably thanks to the goddam Yankees (with their goddam rappers, gangster movies, punks, and other goddam shit). But it can still crop up when we get really angry.

*A holdover—double negatives were perfectly acceptable in English grammar until some fancy-pants got hold of it in the eighteenth century or so.

[tomart]

Quite an erudite explanation, Raoullefere...  have you considered writing for urbandictionary?      
No, really, to explain proper Southern speech to all them rappers, gangstas, & urbanites.

[jwhouk]

Naw, that'd be for the Southern Dictionary.

Which, I do declare, I have a copy of y'all's book downstairs in my library.

[Tergon]

If it's any consolation, I'm an Aussie.  Do you know how painful it is to hear American actors doing their impression of an Aussie accent?  Or those ads for Outback Steakhouse?  Or being told that I barbeque shrimp, know what knives are, and fail to defend my progeny from dingoes?

So I feel your pain.

*shares the Useless Broom Made Entirely Out Of Dicks with raoullefere*

[Carl-E]

*shares the Useless Broom Made Entirely Out Of Dicks with raoullefere*

No need, I have an extra one for him. 

Here.  Please.  Take it. 

[pwhodges]

Oh, you colonials and your funny ways of speaking!  I am here to represent the reference standard of Received Standard speech, imbued in me by my background of Oxford (where I was educated, and now work - in the university, that is) and the BBC (where I worked for a while); it helped that my mother was Head of English at a girls' public school (that's private to you; and she pronounced it 'gels').  In more deferential past times, tourists have been known to ask me to speak for the pleasure of hearing how it should be - there are a couple of clips of me reading aloud linked somewhere in the forum if you want to hear.  Or you could just call me a patronising snob, as my wife does.

[jwhouk]

Dear PWHodges,

Please re-read the last part of the second line, starting with "The Unanimous".

Sincerely,
J.Houk
Waukesha, Wisconsin, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

(grumble grumble grumble)

[Akima]

If it's any consolation, I'm an Aussie.  Do you know how painful it is to hear American actors doing their impression of an Aussie accent?  Or those ads for Outback Steakhouse?  Or being told that I barbeque shrimp, know what knives are, and fail to defend my progeny from dingoes?

Groan... Or running across people complaining about Jesse Spencer's "bad fake Aussie accent" as Dr. Chase in House M.D., because he doesn't sound like the bad impressions, Paul Hogan etc. Well, duh! He sounds like a well-educated Melbourne boy, because that's what he is! Why would you expect him to sound like a bogan?

Of course my least favourite response when I tell someone that I'm Australian is: "You don't look Australian." Never get this in Australia BTW, only overseas.

[Tergon]

I grew up on a farm in Northern Victoria, and now I work tourism... so I tend to pepper the things I say with slang, because that's just how I talk.  And then the overseas people hear me and giggle because, "Oh, you sound like a real Ohh-see!"  I'm not sure what makes me grate my teeth more... the condescending giggling at the way I talk, the assumption that I'm putting it on for show, or the way that apparently nobody from outside Australia is aware that "Aussie" is pronounced "Ozzy".  As in Osbourne.

And yes, Jesse Spencer is a depressing example.  Not because there's anything wrong with his voice, but because the rest of the planet is so used to hideous mockeries of the Australian accent that when they hear an actual Australian accent they assume it must be fake.  Yet, tell one American that they sound exactly the same as Canadians (which they fucking DO), and watch the steam pour out their ears.

[raoullefere]

To you, maybe. My guess is those who sound really different can't afford to go to Australia for vacation (and quite a few wouldn't if they could, but that would take more explaining than I have time for) and usually wind up on the cutting pile in national news services on the theory 'no one's going to want to hear that.' Probably right, too.

<Stares at Useless Broom Made Entirely Out Of Dicks> I'll swonney, I got no idea what to do with this thing. I mean, you talk about suchlike, joke about it some, but then it happens. A man just ain't prepared.

[J]

oh please, next you guys will be claiming that you don't have mohawks and ride around in dune buggies and muscle cars, clad in black leather under the desert sun, killing other drivers for the guzzoline in their vehicles while you scavenge what's left from the bones of the old world.