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She's a Goth, she's got a granny-dress

6 (15%)

No, no, you look so cute!

0 (0%)

Worrying about keeping her legs crossed

0 (0%)

Reminded about the piercing

2 (5%)

Hell YES, my P#### RULES.

11 (27.5%)

Never been with a guy? (Always knew)

0 (0%)

Parents were always super supportive

0 (0%)

Just a phase, like baggy pants.

0 (0%)

"I don't care if you bring home a boy or girl, those pants are RIDICULOUS."

8 (20%)

It's weird when you catch your father checking out your girlfriend.

0 (0%)

Oh, I'd seriously doubt you'd have to worry about it.

1 (2.5%)

...he only goes for tall women! WELL MAYBE I'LL WEAR PLATFORMS

6 (15%)

Let's go to Harrell's for desert!

0 (0%)

Last time I went there on a date I totally freaked out and realized I shouldn't have been dating anyone at the time.

1 (2.5%)

I hope it's not cursed! Haha!

0 (0%)

BUBBLE TEA LET'S GET BUBBLE TEA INSTEAD

5 (12.5%)

Total Members Voted: 37

[Tova]

Relationships are based on misunderstanding.  Once you realise that, the only way to go is up.

I'm a little intrigued by this - can you expand?

[cesariojpn]

Tai wanted to go to a goth club, back when Martenmom was visiting.

And couldn't quite afford her.

[Tova]

I'm finding it interesting to watch the wide divergence of views on Dora's outfit; from "it's hot" through to "it's silly".

I agree with Carl-E here. I don't think I could put it any better than he has already.

[Mad Cat]

Tai's pussy rules? Does that make it a potentaint?

[Redball]

If it rules long enough,  it becomes a perineal potentaint.

[tut21]

The woman checking her phone in panel one looks like one of the Peanuts kids all grown up.

[Kugai]

The 'Getting to know you' fun continues.

[Truec]

I wonder if those baggy pants came before or after the leather pants that never got washed.

[Near Lurker]

...oh, Mr. Bianchi... how I miss you and your lecherous stoner ways.

[techkid]

Given what I remember of Mr Bianchi, I could totally hear him saying something like that.

[iduguphergrave]

If they make it to the parent-meeting stage, Mr. Bianchi will probably be thrilled Dora's dating another stoner.

[WAYF]

Now THIS is more like it.

Although I'm not looking forward to the part where Dora explains how she discovered that she was also into girls...

[Is it cold in here?]

Maybe we'll meet Tai's parents!

[Dr. ROFLPWN]

I opine that Dora is dressed the way she is because she thoroughly expects to do some RAMMING IT IN tonight. Do recall that this is the girl who gets down to Slayer. Those are metalhead sexy time clothes.

Also, good ol' Mr. Bianchi. I want him to meet Mr. Farmer. They can bond over their hatreds: steampunk and baggy pants.

Though that was actually a fucking awful thing he said to Dora. D:

[Is it cold in here?]

One of the old regulars, not around so much lately, has argued that Peter and Elssa were neglectful parents, putting their trips (in both senses) ahead of instilling a work ethic in Sven or nurturing self confidence in Dora.

[Akima]

Pantsism really sucks, doesn't it?

[no one special]

Good lord. You used "defuse" correctly. You didn't say "diffuse". You are the only person left in the world who gets this right.  I swoon. Let me bear your children.

There are still some of out there that still care about good grammar - don't give up the good fight! 

re: today's comic -

Dora's question feels a little odd to me.  I mean, I guess it's possible that in came up in conversation, but it just seems too damned heteronormative, to the point of almost being insulting.  It just feels like a question an insensitive straight person would ask, implying that one must necessarily question oneself in order to know they're gay.  I mean, straight people don't have to try a same-gender relationship to know they're straight, ya know? 

Now, I do truly understand that Jeph knows this, and I'm sure it's just meant to be a question that naturally happened.  It just doesn't feel that way to me.

[pwhodges]

Of the lesbian couple I know best (I was "best man" at their ceremony) one had previously been married (and has grown-up children), and the other had been in a heterosexual relationship some years earlier.  These possibilities are certainly not uncommon, and it would seem to me perfectly natural for this to be a question that might get asked, especially by someone who has been there, as Dora has - there is no need to assume that it is judgemental in any way.

[no one special]

Yes, I know that it is entirely common to have had heterosexual relationships, marriages, offspring and the like - I have many several gay friends who have had this same experience.  I also, however, have gay friends who have never had sex with anyone of another gender.  My point is simply that the question sounds somewhat presumptive, that Dora may, in fact be surprised that Tai has not seriously questioned her sexuality.  Just seems a pointed question, one that a person would ask who is less educated on such matters.  Dora, seeming to be an out-and-proud member of the queer community, simply seems to be a questionable source of such a query.

[pwhodges]

the question sounds somewhat presumptive

Any question can sound presumptive if the hearer has a particular view.  I try to assume that a question is simply that rather than an implied statement.

This is not to say that questions are not also asked in clearly biased or leading ways - but this is not the case here, as far as I can see.

[Welu]

I wouldn't say her asking the question is odd at all, based on how Dora discovered her sexuality it seems a reasonable question. Note "discovered", whereas Tai just knew. Dora experimented to figure herself out so she just was working off her personal experience. Since Dora moved on to her next question after Tai answered I don't see her being surprised by Tai's answer. Also Dora's phrasing of the question sounds like a response to something Tai said so it looks like it came up naturally rather than was an opening question.
In a lot of circles, exploring sexuality is a new thing, regardless of sexuality and how sure or unsure you are about it. I think Dora was asking more about if Tai explored before she knew, rather than questioned her sexuality. Although that isn't much of a point because of Tai's answer.

Also: Baggy trousers.

[Mr. Doctor]

I gotta admit that I half agree with Mr. Bianchi.

Sure, sexuality is definitely NOT a fashion decision. But... Hmmm... I really don't like those baggy pants at all. 

[Melauren]

1) God those tights are hideous. Dora is in her mid-late twenties and is still wearing ripped thigh-highs?

2) I think the question about whether Tai has dated any guys stems from an understanding of socially-mandated heteronormativity rather than an assumption about Tai's own sexuality. Many queer folk engage in heteronormative pairings before they come out, because society says they should. Furthermore, many people start "dating" before their own sexuality is even developed (anyone here had a boyfriend/girlfriend before grade five? I did). In Dora's experience, perhaps it is rare to meet someone who has always known about - and been totally cool with - their homosexuality, to the point where they never even tried dating someone of the opposite gender.

[Madmartigan]

I opine that Dora is dressed the way she is because she thoroughly expects to do some RAMMING IT IN tonight. Do recall that this is the girl who gets down to Slayer. Those are metalhead sexy time clothes.

Also, good ol' Mr. Bianchi. I want him to meet Mr. Farmer. They can bond over their hatreds: steampunk and baggy pants.

Though that was actually a fucking awful thing he said to Dora. D:

Ramming it in on the first date when they really don't know each other and one is already in too deep in liking the other?  Yea.  That's definitely a way to go out like a thousand exploding suns.  Faster than just one.  That level of intimate on Tai's account for someone who has wanted it so long could turn her uber clingy.  I think that may be an issue moving forward.  Tai wanting to really try monogamous and getting up in Dora's space too much. 

I think to get to parent meeting stage though, we'd need another 500ish strips though.  Don't think it lasts that long.

And I disagree on the metal head sexy time clothes.  Then again, I guess it depends on the metal heads you know.  The hardcore one I know who think that attire is utterly ridiculous.

At any rate, the "get to know you" phase is weird.  Still really feel like they're just really close friends shooting the shit or as another said awhile ago, maybe it is because I can't get beyond the sisterly effect they had, at least on Dora's end, in the beginning.

[Near Lurker]

It would be an inappropriate, Captain Heteronormative conversation if Dora had just randomly blurted out "so you've never been with a guy?" but I get the impression it's a response to something Tai said to which we weren't privy.  It's a comic, not a novel; we don't always get the context.

[Abyssalin]

Personally i think they don't really suit each other, at least relationship wise, odds are they'll turn out to be a friendlier version of what Sven and Faye had, to put it densely a Bang and Bolt, they'll have some fun, but nothing particularly meaningful.

[jwhouk]

One of the old regulars, not around so much lately, has argued that Peter and Elssa were neglectful parents, putting their trips (in both senses) ahead of instilling a work ethic in Sven or nurturing self confidence in Dora.

I tend to agree with that, and I'm not the old regular that's being discussed.

Absentee parenting doesn't do much for the children.

[iduguphergrave]

One of the old regulars, not around so much lately, has argued that Peter and Elssa were neglectful parents, putting their trips (in both senses) ahead of instilling a work ethic in Sven or nurturing self confidence in Dora.

I sort of agree but it's hard to argue that Sven has no work ethic when he's a successful popular songwriter who got all A's in college (no time to link). I think what the Bianchis didn't instill in him was a proper sense of general respect for others, and chivalry (considering what we know of Peter's past, we know he didn't set the best example).

[Soulsynger]

I just went back a few comics and noticed something... What happened to Clinton? ...

It seems that some extended conversation on that topic just got dropped when Tai showed up. But we never see the resolution after... did he just skedaddle when he noticed no one was paying attention to him anymore? This is ghosting me.
I know he says "just in for some coffee" ... but still. He engaged in that bit about his sister and then ... *poof*

[jwhouk]

I suspect that when her name came up, he hightailed it out of there because he didn't want them to think he was WEIRD or something.

[SJCrew]

Good to see Jeph mess with perspective a little more. Everything is usually left-to-right standard comic conventions, and that gets a little old after a thousand or so strips. I'm glad Jeph is taking gradual steps out of his box. It dispels the convention that he's only still in this to make money off of T-shirts. Artists that want to improve get my respect no matter how lacking their skill is.

[DSL]

*fetches popcorn and easy chair, sits back to watch*

[CrowFairy]

Madmartigan: I agree about the sisterly thing. It still feels a bit... incestuous at this point to me.

I know someone who was straight. But then she realized she was a lesbian. She went hardcore with it, too (She chopped off her beautiful hair). Suddenly, she gets a crush on a guy. She was obviously very confused by this. They ended up getting married. They're divorced now, but it just goes to show, nobody has the same experience with their sexuality. You figure it out as you go. My guess was that Dora was responding to something Tai said, not that she assumed that all lesbians have been with guys before. I think Dora is aware enough of how figuring yourself out works that she wouldn't assume that Tai had tried both sides of the fence.

I totally had something else I was going to say but completely forgot as soon as I hit the reply button. >_>

[mustang6172]

This comic is all wrong.  Baggy pants are awesome!

[Mr_Rose]

Ah, but are we talking about pants that are baggy, or quoting a parent describing something "<they> don't understaaand!"? Which probably means parachute pants, which are baggy in the sense that stars are large; accurate but not really descriptive enough.

[DSL]

Bianchi pere is not known for his subtlety.

[bukwrm]

Dora's question feels like the girls were talking about previous relationships, and Tai mentioning she's always had girlfriends, prompting Dora to ask in a tone of "I can't imagine what that's like, and I want to learn more about you."

Without the social issues surrounding sexuality, the feel of it (to me) is more like when I, as an often-injured person, ask "so you've never broken a bone? In your whole life??"
It's just strange and new to me, and so I want to ask about it.

[Is it cold in here?]

they'll have some fun, but nothing particularly meaningful.

Very possible, but I hate to think about how much it would hurt Tai, who seems to be feeling more than a crush.

it's hard to argue that Sven has no work ethic when he's a successful popular songwriter who got all A's in college (no time to link).

Those are successes, but apparently achieved without the work other people would have had to put in. For evidence, I cite Lydia's complaints, and Dora's statement that Sven's grades came effortlessly.

What happened to Clinton?

There's a quarry outside of town ...

[ChaosWolf]

Possibly semi-offtopic, but I need some sort of confirmation on this...

Since the "Tai & Dora" arc started, I've seen a couple fanworks giving Tai the surname of "Hubbert" - but I don't recall seeing her surname stated anywhere in the comic.

Is there something I've missed?

[WAYF]

This one.

Actually, I think this is so far one of the most successful/least chaotic dates the comic's ever had... it's probably had the fewest things go not according to plan since Dora and Marten's first more than 1500 strips ago. So unless Tai makes an amazing faux pas in the next strip as Jim once did...

I don't think you can possibly top Jim's faux pas though.

[ChaosWolf]

This one.

Wow, that's one of the most subtle namedrops I've ever seen.

[WAYF]

Yeah, I would probably not have picked up on it at all if I hadn't been following Jeph on Twitter.

I just realized, if Emily learned Tai's last name from applying for an internship, this means that Marten learned probably learned Tai's name back when he first landed the job, but he didn't think to tell [/b]us. Meanie.

[Near Lurker]

I didn't pick up on it until here.

[jwhouk]

We start off with the best moment of LAST week:

Touch my pinky!    10 (14.5%)
Floating on air    2 (2.9%)
Sexecutioner    8 (11.6%)
Hanners has the hose.    17 (24.6%)
Mutual call blowups!    3 (4.3%)
Pintsize ponders his options    3 (4.3%)
Macro shots of human anuses.    7 (10.1%)
It was kind of... mesmerizing.    11 (15.9%)
I have all sorts of doubts about the long-term viability of our relationship now.    5 (7.2%)
Other (You mean there was something else?)    3 (4.3%)

Total Members Voted: 69

[Omega Entity]

Tai wanting to really try monogamous and getting up in Dora's space too much.

I think a lot of people forget that Tai started out being monogamous. It's not a new thing for her.

[Carl-E]

I didn't pick up on it until here.

I had the impression we heard Tai's name before.  Any archive gurus see anything earlier? 

[jwhouk]

No, the "Permission to get high as hell and watch Adventure Time with Ms. Hubbert?" statement by Emily was the first time we'd heard her last name.

[Near Lurker]

Without the social issues surrounding sexuality, the feel of it (to me) is more like when I, as an often-injured person, ask "so you've never broken a bone? In your whole life??"
It's just strange and new to me, and so I want to ask about it.

Now this just made me wonder whether she asked Marten the same question... and then I realized she may well have.

[WAYF]

So unless Tai Dora makes an amazing faux pas in the next strip as Jim once did...

I so very nearly called it.
We are officially into the legendary Open Mouth, Insert Foot portion of every QC date, ever.

[TheEvilDog]

Nice move Dora, showing Tai how flexible you are by shoving your foot into your mouth. Bonus points if your big toe tickles your tonsils.