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Dumbing of Age

Alice Grove

Gunnerkrigg Court

Dilbert

X-Com

Avatar (Last Airbender or Legend of Korra)

Red Mars (by Kim Stanley Robinson)

Walkyverse

Other (Please specify)

[Method of Madness]

It seemed in character to me. E.g.:

http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2205

This is the assertive Claire that, as I recall, a handful of people took to disliking around about this time in the strip. Curious, that.

I always forget Gabby exists.

[SubaruStephen]

Either Pintsize has grown up a lot or Claire has committed to dropping stealth globally.

This. Why is nobody talking about this? Claire just told Pintsize (Pintsize of all people!) that she's trans.

And he didn't even react to that.
 
Forget time travel, THIS is what makes my mind ache.

[Gladstone]

Where do people keep getting the idea that Pintsize was going to mock Claire for being trans?  For that matter, when did Pintsize develop a reputation for being some kind of malicious evil when he's never been more than a mostly-harmless prankster?  He may be crude, he may be annoying, he may cause a bit of mischief and property damage here and there, but he's never (or rarely) dished out more than people can take.  He didn't poke fun at Faye's drinking problem (her friends did, though), he never filled Hannelore's apartment with garbage (her friends have joked about it), so what gives people the idea that he would ever use Claire's gender as a weapon against her?  As Claire just said in today's comic, he may be a horrible little robot, but he's not an asshole.

[oeoek]

This. Why is nobody talking about this? Claire just told Pintsize (Pintsize of all people!) that she's trans.

And he didn't even react to that.
 
Forget time travel, THIS is what makes my mind ache.

Meh, to Pintsize and his mates, gender is just a flipped software switch. The possibity to be whatever you like is no biggie to him.

[Zebediah]

Pintsize has a nicelist.txt.

With one entry.

[Neko_Ali]

Claire is one of the few people that actually understand that Pintsize is not a rampaging a-hole. I mean she says as much. He's crude, he's rude, he enjoys shocking people... But he's also a companion AI. And really, he does help people. He does so while being crude, rude and nasty towards people. In a lot of ways he's like a old jester. He deliberately makes himself the butt of jokes to act as a goad and provide catharsis to those around him. He sets himself up to be a joke, even be abused... but he also amuses people and sometimes makes them think. He was there when Marten needed a friend. He's been there when Faye tried drinking herself to death. He set himself up the target for Bubbles' anger at the party, knowing full well it would go badly for him.. but it was something she needed before she was stressed to far and tried to disassemble someone else at the party. Someone's who's limbs aren't held together by magnets.

Sure, he enjoys shocking people. Collecting porn, grossing people out and engaging in minor acts of mayhem and teasing others are his hobbies. But he doesn't try to hurt people. He doesn't use his information against others in a mean or nasty way. In the end, he just wants to help.. in a round about way. Also, he's small and sneaky. Claire's around the apartment a lot. The chances are very high he already has figured out or knows that Claire is trans well before this.

[Is it cold in here?]

Particularly since he's been known to ogle a roommate in the shower.

I wouldn't tell a secret to someone Chaotic.

It's a mercy that he didn't make crude suggestions like he did to Faye. He's decent to Claire, but there's infinite scope for disaster if he's getting his ideas about trans people from his porn database.

[BenRG]

It's a mercy that he didn't make crude suggestions like he did to Faye. He's decent to Claire, but there's infinite scope for disaster if he's getting his ideas about trans people from his porn database.

FWIW, I really think that Pintsize is able to differentiate between fantasy and reality. He'll only make reference to tropes like that if he considers it likely to be entertaining.

[swapna]

I think it feels forced, having Claire talk "almost" into the camera. It's about as subtle as Dora's long-winded explanation of poly/monogamous relationships - at a person who has actual experience in that as opposed to Doras own string of monogamous relationships. And it is annoying, because this is important! Especially topics like that suffer if I feel lectured by a Web comic. I'm not saying they don't belong, au contraire, but teaching me sneakily through struggles/conflicts/example is much more effective and could lead to actual interest as opposed to annoyed eye rolling.

[Zebediah]

For what it's worth, Friday's comic has gone viral among my friends in North Carolina. They feel it's saying something that needs to be said.

[Is it cold in here?]

People who object, how did you feel about Momo talking to Marten about the bigoted anti-AI church? Same thing? Different thing? Different how?

[swapna]

It felt more natural - it was something Momo wanted to talk about, and she was already upset. She also didn't feel the need to lecture Marten about the topic (she assumed he was on her side, she just clarified why she was sad).

In Claires case - she felt the need to reiterate something everybody already knew (pintsize isn't surprised), she argued against a strawman (in no universe did Pintsize say that tech would solve all problems, he just said everybody could have the body they wanted). If she continued the conversation another way (it would be awesome if being able to have whatever body you want would actually solve all problems, but she can't see it going that way, because bigotry, for example) it would have felt like a conversation friends actually have, not a lecture.

[Random832]

It felt more natural - it was something Momo wanted to talk about, and she was already upset. She also didn't feel the need to lecture Marten about the topic (she assumed he was on her side, she just clarified why she was sad).

In Claires case - she felt the need to reiterate something everybody already knew (pintsize isn't surprised), she argued against a strawman (in no universe did Pintsize say that tech would solve all problems, he just said everybody could have the body they wanted). If she continued the conversation another way (it would be awesome if being able to have whatever body you want would actually solve all problems, but she can't see it going that way, because bigotry, for example) it would have felt like a conversation friends actually have, not a lecture.

Also, the camera moved to Pintsize's head. That's not something that randomly happens, that's a choice Jeph made.

No, Claire didn't look at the camera. That doesn't change the fact that the camera looked at her (or, rather, centered itself in the direction she was looking).

[ZoeB]

Claire is one of the few people that actually understand that Pintsize is not a rampaging a-hole. I mean she says as much. He's crude, he's rude, he enjoys shocking people... But he's also a companion AI. And really, he does help people. He does so while being crude, rude and nasty towards people. In a lot of ways he's like a old jester. He deliberately makes himself the butt of jokes to act as a goad and provide catharsis to those around him. He sets himself up to be a joke, even be abused... but he also amuses people and sometimes makes them think.

+1 Insightful

[Is it cold in here?]

Claire may have heard people saying everything would be all right later, and they may have said it in a spirit of refusing to look at her daily issues.

Reacting to those past conversations while talking to Pintsize was not the ultimate in focused conversation but it feels plausible to me.

[Akima]

Claire may have heard people saying everything would be all right later, and they may have said it in a spirit of refusing to look at her daily issues.

Which is a thing people do. All the time. Whether it's the inequality of women and ethnic minorities, or denial of basic civil rights to trans people or homosexuals, the reaction is much the same: "Oh, but it's getting better isn't it? Please stop banging on about the injustice you face in your daily life."

That's not something that randomly happens, that's a choice Jeph made.

Indeed it is. His comment under the comic refers explicitly to wanting to make a point. And it doesn't go down very well, apparently.

[Zebediah]

Whether it's the inequality of women and ethnic minorities, or denial of basic civil rights to trans people or homosexuals, the reaction is much the same: "Oh, but it's getting better isn't it? Please stop banging on about the injustice you face in your daily life."

Which is why I, sitting in my position of privilege as a straight white cisgendered male, can't look someone else in the face and counsel patience while they await the day when they will have rights I already enjoy. Yeah, you should have equal rights with me, and you should have them yesterday. And yes, things are getting better, but we can't slack off because recent events have starkly highlighted the fact that progress is not inevitable. The arc of history bends towards justice only because a lot of people have expended a lot of effort doing the bending.

And if a lecture from a comic character helps get through to people, so be it. Lecture away.

[Neko_Ali]

One thing I haven't brought up is the fact that yes... things are getting better. Because people are not slacking off on the fight. In fact more people are coming to our side. Things don't just magically get better with time. People have to fight and fight and suffer and bleed and then get up and fight some more to change things. Sometimes comic characters have to make a direct appeal to the readers. This may make people uncomfortable. And it should do that. Being reminded that people have to fight on a sometimes daily basis not just for equal rights, but in some cases to be treated like a human being... I hope people are made uncomfortable realizing that.

[swapna]

Claire may have heard people saying everything would be all right later, and they may have said it in a spirit of refusing to look at her daily issues.

Which is a thing people do. All the time. Whether it's the inequality of women and ethnic minorities, or denial of basic civil rights to trans people or homosexuals, the reaction is much the same: "Oh, but it's getting better isn't it? Please stop banging on about the injustice you face in your daily life."

That's not something that randomly happens, that's a choice Jeph made.

Indeed it is. His comment under the comic refers explicitly to wanting to make a point. And it doesn't go down very well, apparently.

Yes, people might say that. Nobody did, though. Not Pintsize, not Marten, not anybody. The point is, nobody's opposed to any discriminated group 'banging on' about the injustice in their life. It's not the point that doesn't go down well, it's the delivery.
Clarie is used as a mouthpiece, and in the process is portrayed as somebody who feels the need to condescendingly lecture a friend.

I get the impatience with people who don't care enough to want to understand; but with friends, it's a different matter. No matter how well-made and great and important my point is, I can't expect them to listen and understand unless I treat them with the respect and consideration they deserve.

[Method of Madness]

Panel 2: Pintsize says something Claire doesn't like
Panel 3: Claire reacts to it, and Pintsize asks what he did wrong
Panel 4: Claire explains why she objected to what Pintsize said, and that attitude in general
Panel 5: Claire apologizes for lecturing, enforcing how important the topic is to her
Panel 6: Confirms no hard feelings towards Pintsize, who certainly doesn't seem annoyed at being lectured

I don't really see Claire being condescending or even sort of breaking the fourth wall, sure, she's looking towards the camera but that helps us see her expression, and how personal this is to her.

[Is it cold in here?]

The ultimate in courtesy to Pintsize would have been to react only to what he had just said.

I wrote that just to be able to put "ultimate courtesy" and "Pintsize" in the same sentence.

Isn't it totally in character for Claire to lecture someone?

[hedgie]

It is.  The only thing that I see as being possibly "out of character" is Claire hugging Pintsize.

[pwhodges]

Claire is used as a mouthpiece, and in the process is portrayed as somebody who feels the need to condescendingly lecture a friend.

But people do exactly that sort of thing when they get home after encountering a frustrating attitude elsewhere during the day, for instance.

[sitnspin]

Ah, tone policing. Such a novel concept. That's certainly not something oppressed groups hear from privileged classes whenever they try to speak out about their experiences.

[ZoeB]

The arc of history bends towards justice only because a lot of people have expended a lot of effort doing the bending.

Truer words were never spoken. It helps more than  you know not having to do it alone though.

[sitnspin]

The arc of history bends towards justice only because a lot of people have expended a lot of effort doing the bending.

Truer words were never spoken. It helps more than  you know not having to do it alone though.

Word.

[MrWoodchip]

Marten's hair is styled. There's something weird going on.

Bit late, but whatever.

[Thrudd]

On the whole bigotry thing, be it AI, gender or pigmentation, I notice all too often that tolerance and progressive attitudes all go out the window and into the septic tank for specific racial, or perceived racial groups.

(click to show/hide)

For those who would like to know a little bit about my reasoning.
Let me elaborate a bit from personal experience, its the only one I have.

/Begin Rant

As a kid growing up in a mostly WASP neighborhood, being RC was already a bit of a negative. I then quickly learned that being assumed to be a "Po-lack" was still better than being considered a "NAZI". Being only occasionally bullied was still better than being beaten up on a regular schedule. When I was old enough the parents went back to the homeland for a long delayed visit with the "Family" and quickly my self pity seemed so petty after "little me" realized my cousins had it far worse than I ever had. The Poles thought of them as Germans and the Germans thought of them as Poles, both groups treated them shabbily at best. Great Grand mama enlightened 10 year old me that we were actually Silesian and that this stuff was a historical constant for the region and that the language and culture had been pretty much errased. It made me feel sad at the time.

These days, as an adult, my close friends know of my cultural heritage, I of theirs, and we share celebrations and such between us with the occasional good natured ribbing about some of the sillier aspects.

Still I have to bite my tongue when the age old bigotry comes out of the woodwork because I know things could go very badly, very quickly.
Truthfully, how many of you have gone so far as to use the term "NAZI" when referring to a person of Germanic origin or living in Germany instead of an actual memebr of the NAZI party? I am pretty sure that all of you have heard it on multiple occasions, especially the "heroics" of WWII where the "Huns" / "Nazis" were bombed, fire stormed, mowed down. Most of those people were simple farmers and towns folk whose lives were snuffed out in some of the most horrible of ways.

/End Rant

Just step back every once in a while and remember to be nice to everyone, no mater what you think of them. Even if they are a bastard. That just irks them all the more.