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[The Duke]

...there's no reason to psychoanalyze a fictional character's actions.

Because it's fun?

You can get a degree in psychoanalyzing fictional characters.

It's true, my aunt analyzes Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a living. 

Raoul, you take that back. 

[Y]

It's true, my aunt analyzes Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a living.

It isn't a real character?

[imaginaryideals]

I am in the "not at all surprised, and very confused about why people are upset by Dora's attitude" camp. Dora seemed like she was in a bad mood already when Marten asked her about Toto--if she wasn't tired and grumpy she probably would have just made fun of him for asking about a band she didn't like, rather than outright insulting it. Also, if I woke up in an empty bed which my boyfriend had been in earlier, and walked out and saw him hugging my friend I knew he used to and may possibly still like, I would probably be upset and ask what was going on, too.

Dora is an entrepreneur, and she works a ton of hours and has a lot of stress in general. I don't find it surprising at all that she's a bit high-strung or that she likes control. I'm surprised that so many people seem to hate her character.

[Blackjoker]

I am in the "not at all surprised, and very confused about why people are upset by Dora's attitude" camp. Dora seemed like she was in a bad mood already when Marten asked her about Toto--if she wasn't tired and grumpy she probably would have just made fun of him for asking about a band she didn't like, rather than outright insulting it. Also, if I woke up in an empty bed which my boyfriend had been in earlier, and walked out and saw him hugging my friend I knew he used to and may possibly still like, I would probably be upset and ask what was going on, too.

Dora is an entrepreneur, and she works a ton of hours and has a lot of stress in general. I don't find it surprising at all that she's a bit high-strung or that she likes control. I'm surprised that so many people seem to hate her character.

I mostly agree with you, I think the problem some people have is that when Dora has gone on a rage due to jealousy it gets kind of...severe. One example would be the whole thing with Cossette where it seemed more like Dora was trying to trap Marten (he didn't mention it, not out of any desire to keep it hidden just because he didn't think it needed to be said). Dora also fantasizes about other people and it doesn't seem to bother Marten, especially when Dora seems a lot more...forward with some people. I agree that it's more likely Dora is stressed and then this kind of has her in GRRRR mode but I can also see the perspective of the people who get very angry with her for her actions. It might also be noted that Marten seems to have a vague Charlie Brown syndrome going on.

[CEOIII]

Also yes I am aware that I'm once again brandishing The Useless Broom Made Entirely Out Of Dicks at the fanboy ocean, and I DO NOT CARE.

OK, where the hell did you get this reference from?

[Cartilage Head]

Dora's entire character has changed within the past year or so of strips and it is pretty silly. She used to be super cool and understanding, and now she is just an ultra-jealous girlfriend. This kind of thing never would have happened a few years ago in the comic.

[bicostp]

She's not just high-strung, she's paranoid. Remember when Cosette was first introduced? An innocent social faux pas (which likely happens to Dora far mroe often) turned into "some bullshit test" and "OH MY GOD WHAT ELSE ARE YOU NOT TELLING ME ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP?!". Or when Faye and Sven hooked up, she started inventing ulterior motives and scenarios to explain it then got pissed about what happened in them. (#1095, #1097, and #1098)

Now clearly Marten was merely biding his time with Dora until someone else came along and did all the "get Faye back into relationship-mode" work for him and he's using her post-date shakes as an opportunity to hook up with her like he always intended to from the get-go right? RIGHT?!

I hope this arc doesn't wind up with Marten tied to a bed in a remote cabin with broken knees courtesy of Dora's baseball bat.

[IanClark]

I don't even think she has to get over her issues (at least not suddenly or urgently), I just think she has to start identifying them as her own issues. When the whole thing with Cosette happened, her immediate reaction of anger was understandable even though not actually logical. However, what wasn't understandable was the fact that it took Marten walking her through it for her to realize that he hadn't actually done anything wrong. She should've been able to identify the pattern of her insecurity and jealousy and reason by herself that this was the cause of the red flags going up in her mind. Even though she's admitted in the past that these are her issues, it's meaningless to be self-aware if you never actually acknowledge it in practice.

[Tergon]

Also yes I am aware that I'm once again brandishing The Useless Broom Made Entirely Out Of Dicks at the fanboy ocean, and I DO NOT CARE.

OK, where the hell did you get this reference from?

Remember last week's "Awkward Pause" comic when Dora said she hated Toto and it ended with a shot of Sadface Marten?  I commented on last week's thread that Dora's reaction to Marten's question, and therefore Marten's reaction to Dora's reaction, made perfect sense in context and were not a reason to start screaming about how they were destined to break up.
I then noted that trying to argue against the screaming horde of plot-haters was rather like "Trying to hold back the ocean with a broom made entirely out of dicks".

This week, as you can see, the Useless Broom Made Entirely Out Of Dicks is back in play.

[bicostp]

Ruh roh.

"HOW DARE YOU HELP YOUR CLOSEST PLATONIC FEMALE FRIEND CALM DOWN AFTER AN EMOTIONALLY STRENUOUS EXPERIENCE "

[tinkerbell]

Ooooooooh bitch.

I wonder, even if Dora does not continue to blow this out of proportion would Marten start to consider ending it? It is one thing to get angry at Marten, but to refuse to listen to both of them is pretty big... We have already seen a slight attitude change over the past few months.

[jeph]

oh god why did I open this thread

[Teeks]

It seems Marten is clearly having second thoughts, either they break up or him and Dora have a serious talk

[Y]

Now how will Faye see Angus at work? Angus might think she doesn't dare to come anymore, unless Dora tells him, which in turn open a whole other issue with Angus vs Martin tension. How long ago did Dora exactly move into his app again?

[ChibiSoma]

Oh look, Dora's in a mood. Again. How many times does she have to be told by Marten that he loves her? Jesus Christ, what an insecure BITCH.

"Yeah, you know what? Fuck you. Go see a fucking therapist and stop jumping down everyone's throats just because you can't handle boys and girls being friends without thinking they're banging behind your back. When you're done being an immature little shithead, I'll be playing Rosanna outside."

So how many characters have become completely one-sided now?

Hannelore turned from being OCD into being completely incapable of handling much of anything unless someone else is freaking out and having no idea how the world works.
Dora turned from the boss who'd throw jokes around and generally be chill into the shrieking, hey-I-saw-you-on-Cops girlfriend who won't let her boyfriend have any women friends. I'm waiting for her to run around shrieking "GOR-GYLES" and throwing pans.
Marten's just kind of there now. He doesn't really DO anything. At least when the comic had fewer characters, he had a point.
Raven went searching for Sara and got eaten by the same allosaurus.
Sven was tragically killed in a farming accident involving a thresher (where is HE in this whole 'hey, Faye is finally getting into a normal-ass relationship' thing?).

Dora has become completely unlikeable. She isn't trying to listen to what was happening. She wouldn't give them a chance to explain WHY they were hugging in the middle of the night. God forbid one of her friends help the other who is clearly freaking out. Why is Marten with her again? This seems to keep happening and she isn't taking any steps to fix it.

Christ. This is hard to read, but for all the wrong reasons. I guess if the point is to make Dora an asshole, it's succeeded. Not that it'll go anywhere. Here's how this'll go:

1) She'll storm into work.
2) One of the three workers there asks where Faye is, Dora chews them out.
3) One of the not-Hanners girls stands her ground and counter-chews-out Dora, asking if she even had a basis for why they were doing what they were doing. And possibly going into the whole 'oh yeah remember how Faye is?' thing.
4) Dora gets all fucking mopey.
5) Marten and/or Faye poke their heads in to see if it's safe.
6) Everyone forgives her because OH DORA 
7) It happens again on down the line because no one's giving her a good hard kick in the pants.

E: If this is all a giant swerve that ends with Marten/Faye and Angus/Dora, I will retract my bitchery. We need a curveball here.

[Is it cold in here?]

You can get a degree in psychoanalyzing fictional characters.

Eng. Lit.?

Precisely.

Jeph: we care about the imaginary people you create for us.

[SpoonBender]

Man, I know Marten's pain. I just got out of a relationship with a girl who has trust issues like that.   Poor guy.

[Akima]

Whoa! Pass the popcorn! Certainly a bit of a tonal shift since "surprise wake-up snuggles". On the other hand Dora seems to have put Marten, Faye, and indeed herself in "time out". Probably a good move.

Moving on from the content of the strip. All the facial expressions? Good!

[Kugai]

DramaDramaDramaDramaDrama

oh god why did I open this thread

Masochism?

[Nightson]

Dora has the ability to totally get under my skin with her crazy jealousy and trust issues just like a real person.

[raoullefere]

DramaDramaDramaDramaDrama

oh god why did I open this thread

Masochism?

It'd be my guess.

...there's no reason to psychoanalyze a fictional character's actions.

Because it's fun?

You can get a degree in psychoanalyzing fictional characters.

It's true, my aunt analyzes Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a living.  

Raoul, you take that back.  

She makes a living out of what? No, I will not take it back. I do that for free. Anyone who gets paid for it deserves whatever I can throw at her for making me feel like an unpaid sex worker.

[Sorflakne]

All I could think when I read today's comic was, "Oh shi-..."

On the other hand, maybe we'll learn why Dora has trust issues...

[Akima]

On the other hand, maybe we'll learn why Dora has trust issues...

Well, there was that stuff about all the girls in school who pretended to like her because they wanted to meet her brother...

[raoullefere]

Seconded, Akima. Plus parents who were apparently too busy getting stoned to rein him in or see what he was doing to her. It's damaged both Dora and Sven.

But I still wasn't expecting this. Although it makes a wierd sort of sense: Faye gets better, Dora gets worse. Is Marten a fulcrum?

[Llewellian]

Love the comic, but i seriously dont understand this reaction. And i was together 3 years with a girl from sicily who was the mould casted personification of jealousy.

[IlGreven]

3) One of the not-Hanners girls stands her ground and counter-chews-out Dora, asking if she even had a basis for why they were doing what they were doing. And possibly going into the whole 'oh yeah remember how Faye is?' thing.

As tell-it-like-it-is as Penelope is (and I'm not sure what Cos's personality is, yet), neither of them are actual off-work friends with her.  If Hannelore does this, it will come off as "Even Hannelore, of all people, thinks you're being a dick here," which is what she needs right now: not just any person telling her off, but the right person.  Faye and Marten are too close; everyone else but Hanners is too far away.

[akronnick]

Please God, send Hanners.

The only thing that can save them now is if Hannelore heard the commotion and comes to check out what's going on.

Only she can intervene as a neutral party to avoid the inevitable path to destruction that Dora has set the three of them on.

At this point, there is no course of action that any of them can take that can allow them to avoid a huge altercation that will have life changing implications. For all of them.

Hannelore may be able to talk some sense into Dora.

Either that, or Dora confides in Sven of all people who tells her she's full of shit, unfortunately, Sven is probably so self-absorbed that he would say something like, "I told you that bitch is crazy."

Trying times are coming for the QC gang, be sure...

[jeph]

I WILL say this: Dora is definitely being an irrational twat.

[Cartilage Head]

"Hey Marten! Don't come back to your OWN BED THAT YOU LET ME MOVE INTO."

[tinkerbell]

3) One of the not-Hanners girls stands her ground and counter-chews-out Dora, asking if she even had a basis for why they were doing what they were doing. And possibly going into the whole 'oh yeah remember how Faye is?' thing.

As tell-it-like-it-is as Penelope is (and I'm not sure what Cos's personality is, yet), neither of them are actual off-work friends with her.  If Hannelore does this, it will come off as "Even Hannelore, of all people, thinks you're being a dick here," which is what she needs right now: not just any person telling her off, but the right person.  Faye and Marten are too close; everyone else but Hanners is too far away.

Remember when Hanners told off Steve and Marten because they were blaming women for their problems? She is actually pretty good at not sounding accusatory but saying what needs to be said. Someone else will probably find the link to the exact strip faster than I ever could

[Blackjoker]

Hmm, I wonder if Hannelore is a kind of point buy character where she got the power to conniption out clear logic and gordian knot cuts of social problems but had to take severe OCD to offset it.

[lauren!]

I WILL say this: Dora is definitely being an irrational twat.

Then why is Marten still with her?

[ChibiSoma]

I WILL say this: Dora is definitely being an irrational twat.

Then why is Marten still with her?

Masochist tendencies. Look at what his mother does.

[Kugai]

I wonder if this is where Marten finally grows a pair with Dora.

And I'd love to see Hanners chew Dora out.

[kaitco]

I WILL say this: Dora is definitely being an irrational twat.

Then why is Marten still with her?

...because she actually is a fun gal when she's not being territorial?

I have not come to the forums in months, but knew I HAD to come back around again when this came up to make sure others were having the same "OMGNoSheDidn't!!!1!" moment that I was having.

I really hope that this moves Marten and Dora into a stronger relationship because I would hate to see them break up at this point. When I first started reading, a part of me always hoped that Marten and Faye would hook-up, but now that Faye is finally in the beginnings of a normal, hopefully drama-less relationship, I think it would be cruel to have Marten and Dora split.

It is incredibly easy to just up and hate Dora at this moment because it is easy to hate someone who is being completely irrational, but I am holding my breath for something better to come out of this.

[jeph]

I WILL say this: Dora is definitely being an irrational twat.

Then why is Marten still with her?

She's not ALWAYS irrational.

People are inconsistent. That's been my experience in life and that's how I write my characters, for better or worse.

[IanClark]

I WILL say this: Dora is definitely being an irrational twat.

By tomorrow, at least one person will have turned this into "See? Even Jeph can't stand Dora any more!"

Even though this story arc isn't really portraying Dora in a positive light, it's probably made her my new favourite character. If for nothing else, for the fact that she's a supremely nuanced character. Either that or she's exhibiting the exact same issue that drove a wedge between me and my last girlfriend who I'm still madly in love with and I'm just an emotional masochist. Or both!

[foolsguinea]

"Hey Marten! Don't come back to your OWN BED THAT YOU LET ME MOVE INTO."

For the night, that may be for the best.

oh god why did I open this thread

Why indeed, Jeph?

Here, I'll change the subject. Are all the tracks you've put up on Tumblr downloadable somewhere? I don't want to have to keep going back to this page.

[JD]

Saw this coming

[laizeohbeets]

"Hey Marten! Don't come back to your OWN BED THAT YOU LET ME MOVE INTO."

This is what irritates me the most. It's not like it was your apartment to begin with, Dora. You know this.

[Fenriswolf]

Oh my fucking god. The main reason I'm fuming is because *fuck her* if her anger is more important than a legitimate panic attack. Oh, your body is telling you you're dying? Why didn't you think of getting dressed at this time?

Seriously, this is the first case of Dora-jealousy I thought was fair enough, but that doesn't make her reaction remotely acceptable. Oo, why do I read things when I get so worked up? 

[Dokuhan]

Even though I'm a little peeved with Dora, I am interested to see how this works out.

[zagraf]

Dora, here's Dr. Corrine's number. Call it.

[brew]

It is incredibly easy to just up and hate Dora at this moment because it is easy to hate someone who is being completely irrational

It's easy to hate Dora in general because she's always been the same stupid character.  I hope she leaves the comic.

[dps]

Dora's entire character has changed within the past year or so of strips and it is pretty silly. She used to be super cool and understanding, and now she is just an ultra-jealous girlfriend. This kind of thing never would have happened a few years ago in the comic.

She went from bieng a friend to being a girlfriend.  That's a pretty big change in the dynamic of her relationship with Marten.  Of course she wouldn't have reacted like this when she and Marten weren't a couple.

[Is it cold in here?]

Remember when Hanners told off Steve and Marten because they were blaming women for their problems? She is actually pretty good at not sounding accusatory but saying what needs to be said. Someone else will probably find the link to the exact strip faster than I ever could

http://questionablecontent.net./view.php?comic=1103

[no one special]

I personally keep a 4'x 2' oval for receiving incoming wood

Okay, I know that area of the body is elastic and everything, but 4'x2'? ? ? ?  DAMN. 

 

[no one special]

Now how will Faye see Angus at work?

OH HOLY CRAP.  Duuuuude I totally forgot about that!!  Oh man... Angus is gonna come in, walkin' on sunshine, and find not only No Faye, but Angry Dora!  And who knows what's liable to come out of Dora's mouth if she's still pissed.  If she tells Angus what she thins happened - oh hell.  Angus will NOT like the mental image of the two of them in their underwear together.  Hell, Angus doesn't even know that Marten used to have a thing for Faye!!  Oh man...

Good lord, a lot of comics could come out of this current arc, all very very interesting (not to mention scary...).  I guess that's why Jeph is The Man. 

[CEOIII]

Also yes I am aware that I'm once again brandishing The Useless Broom Made Entirely Out Of Dicks at the fanboy ocean, and I DO NOT CARE.

OK, where the hell did you get this reference from?

Remember last week's "Awkward Pause" comic when Dora said she hated Toto and it ended with a shot of Sadface Marten?  I commented on last week's thread that Dora's reaction to Marten's question, and therefore Marten's reaction to Dora's reaction, made perfect sense in context and were not a reason to start screaming about how they were destined to break up.
I then noted that trying to argue against the screaming horde of plot-haters was rather like "Trying to hold back the ocean with a broom made entirely out of dicks".

This week, as you can see, the Useless Broom Made Entirely Out Of Dicks is back in play.

I remember that, I just can't figure out where the hell the concept came from.

[no one special]

Then why is Marten still with her?

Masochist tendencies. Look at what his mother does.

Or, you know, love.  Just 'cause pisses you off with their stupid bullshit doesn't mean you don't still love them.