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The drunk tank (because he can't hold even weak watered-down beer)

Bar Lady's Bedroom on an ill-advised Rebound

To Marten's place to tell off Claire some more (only to be punched by Faye)

On to become a part of the new adversary group started by Bar Lady

Back to Amhurst, where his roomie will give him lots of bad advice

Miss the bus and end up being picked up by some character for an unexpected adventure

Get drunk and Emily's is the only number Bar Lady can find on his 'phone to pick him up; consequences ensue

Inspired by Bar Lady's dismissive comments, he actually does something positive with his life!

[DonInKansas]

There is no problem that CAN'T be solved with a harpoon.

The only thing I can think about when I see the name Barry:

[Mordhaus]

You can absolutely solve every problem with a harpoon, as long as you are willing to accept the post-problem consequences.

[TheEvilDog]

You can absolutely solve every problem with a harpoon, as long as you are willing to accept the post-problem consequences.

Which can be solved with the application of even more harpoons.

And I have to be honest, I'm not feeling the bartender as a character. Just something about her, its not clicking.

[Kugai]

I suppose I Khan understand that

[DSL]

As long as you don't make Ahabit of it.

[TheEvilDog]

I'd almost think you lot are doing this on porpoise.

Now, if that were true it would certainly make me blubber.

But heh, you're taking a stab at having a laugh.

[mustang6172]

The only thing I can think about when I see the name Barry:

This is what I think about:

[DSL]

I'd almost think you lot are doing this on porpoise.

Now, if that were true it would certainly make me blubber.

But heh, you're taking a stab at having a laugh.

Good job! Treat yourself to a Starbuck('s)

[TheEvilDog]

I'd almost think you lot are doing this on porpoise.

Now, if that were true it would certainly make me blubber.

But heh, you're taking a stab at having a laugh.

Good job! Treat yourself to a Starbuck('s)

Damn, you Pip-ped me to it.

(click to show/hide)

Before this brings out any more pun-ishment, I should say that I'm from the town where they filmed the 1956 version of Moby Dick, so I've heard most of these my entire life

[Tova]

This thread's taken a dive.

[Perfectly Reasonable]

BenRG's idea that the beerista has a communication/social disorder is interesting, but then how did she ever get hired?
Is the No Water Bar that much of a dive?

[Zebediah]

Comic's up. Barry is passed out.

[cesium133]

Windex Martini: it cleans out your insides.

[DSL]

Windex Martini: it cleans out your insides.

You'll feel no pane.

[Tova]

Aaaand the penny drops.

[Method of Madness]

She is very good at her job.

[mustang6172]

The fact that Claire was expecting Emily to provide a response in the affirmative does not justify her actions.

[Truec]

The fact that Claire was expecting Emily to provide a response in the affirmative does not justify her actions.

It entirely justifies her actions.  The only person who feels wronged here is Clinton.  If Emily had said yes, Clinton would not feel wronged, and thus no wrong would have taken place.

This page perfectly sums up my feelings on this arc.  Clinton was never (entirely) mad about being manipulated by Claire.  He thought he was mad about that, and plenty of readers were mad about it on his behalf, but he was actually primarily mad about Emily rejecting him, and blamed Claire for pushing him into that situation. If the manipulation had resulted in a second date, he  never would have had issue.

Hopefully, Claire learns to not push her brother's boundaries and Clinton learns to push his own damn boundaries so his sister doesn't have to do it for him.

[Tova]

The fact that Claire was expecting Emily to provide a response in the affirmative does not justify her actions.

The bartender's insight exposes the obvious fact that Clinton was not in fact angry at her meddling, only that it went wrong.

[SubaruStephen]

Is it me, or does his hair look surprised as well?

Panel 1: angry/irritated hair

Panel 5: epiphany hair.

[DSL]

Is it me, or does his hair look surprised as well?

Panel 1: angry/irritated hair

Panel 5: epiphany hair.

A time-honored cartooning tradition.

[mustang6172]

The fact that Claire was expecting Emily to provide a response in the affirmative does not justify her actions.

It entirely justifies her actions.  The only person who feels wronged here is Clinton.  If Emily had said yes, Clinton would not feel wronged, and thus no wrong would have taken place.

This page perfectly sums up my feelings on this arc.  Clinton was never (entirely) mad about being manipulated by Claire.  He thought he was mad about that, and plenty of readers were mad about it on his behalf, but he was actually primarily mad about Emily rejecting him, and blamed Claire for pushing him into that situation. If the manipulation had resulted in a second date, he  never would have had issue.

Hopefully, Claire learns to not push her brother's boundaries and Clinton learns to push his own damn boundaries so his sister doesn't have to do it for him.

He wouldn't have been mad in that moment because he would have been pleased with the yes.  Let's see what happens when we look past that initial moment.

Claire:  Aren't you happy she said "yes!"
Clinton:  Of course
Claire:  And you aren't at all mad I manipulated you into doing this while I watched?
Clinton:  (Pauses)  Fuck you, Claire!

[TheEvilDog]

At the end of the day, what Claire did was still wrong and no amount of "what ifs" or "what could have beens" will change that.

She manipulated two people into a situation without forethought of the consequences or without even talking to those involved first. She made a decision for two people without consulting them. She acted on her own without thinking or looking where she was going. This is not a situation where the outcome justifies the deed, when all is said and done, Claire did something she shouldn't have and it backfired on Clinton.

It boils down to this, if you do something and its someone else who has to pay the price, you have done something wrong, you have screwed up. Claire screwed up. And thinking of the potential positive outcomes does not change that.

[Tova]

Let's add a bit of nuance, shall we?

Setting up someone so they can ask for a date isn't inherently wrong, unless the person involved doesn't want that kind of meddling.

Today's comic suggests that he was actually fine with the meddling, and was only upset that it went wrong. But let's go with your theory in the face of today's comic that he's upset at the meddling regardless. Until Clinton told Claire he didn't want it, she wasn't to know. And yes, she ought to have asked. BUT:

What I'm trying to say is that maybe take a step back and stop simplistic painting of one party as the bad guy, eh?

[mikmaxs]

Let's add a bit of nuance, shall we?

Setting up someone so they can ask for a date isn't inherently wrong, unless the person involved doesn't want that kind of meddling.

Today's comic suggests that he was actually fine with the meddling, and was only upset that it went wrong. But let's go with your theory in the face of today's comic that he's upset at the meddling regardless. Until Clinton told Claire he didn't want it, she wasn't to know. And yes, she ought to have asked. BUT:

What I'm trying to say is that maybe take a step back and stop simplistic painting of one party as the bad guy, eh?

I'm sorry, when was anyone ever painting Claire as a cartoonish villain? Even her biggest detractors here have been like 'Yeah, she screwed up and did something bad, but she's not a bad person'.

I do not care for this comic. Just because Clinton is stupid doesn't make Claire's actions okay. I'm going to bold this next point:
The reason it is wrong to manipulate someone else for their benefit is because it could potentially go wrong.

There's more to it than that, but yeah. In the broad strokes. If someone's going to take a chance at being emotionally wrecked, they need to give *consent* to the risk before it gets off the ground.

It doesn't matter how self aware or not-self-aware Clinton is. He's the victim of emotional manipulation. While I do think he should be called out for his over-the-top freakout on Claire, this is *not* deserving of an "Everyone screwed up, let's hug it out!" Story.

[Tova]

I do not care for this comic. Just because Clinton is stupid doesn't make Claire's actions okay. I'm going to bold this next point:
The reason it is wrong to manipulate someone else for their benefit is because it could potentially go wrong.

Okay, fine, if you want to be like that. I'll just ask you to go ahead and point out to me where in the comic that you don't care for anyone states that what Claire did was perfectly fine.

Once you've done that, contemplate what kind of epiphany Clinton may have had and tell me what you think.

Forgive me, but when Clinton has had an unspecified epiphany, and the reactions to that are simply "NO NO CLAIRE WAS WRONG," then yes, I regard that as painting her as a cartoonish villian.

[jheartney]

Clinton's a dude that needs a nudge; he needed a nudge from Claire to resolve the Emily situation, and another nudge from harpoon bartender to realize why he was mad. He also seems to possess a karmic attraction to off-kilter gals.

Twenty years from now he's going to figure out that he should have just sat back and enjoyed the ride.

[mikmaxs]

I do not care for this comic. Just because Clinton is stupid doesn't make Claire's actions okay. I'm going to bold this next point:
The reason it is wrong to manipulate someone else for their benefit is because it could potentially go wrong.

Okay, fine, if you want to be like that. I'll just ask you to go ahead and point out to me where in the comic that you don't care for anyone states that what Claire did was perfectly fine.

Once you've done that, contemplate what kind of epiphany Clinton may have had and tell me what you think.

Forgive me, but when Clinton has had an unspecified epiphany, and the reactions to that are simply "NO NO CLAIRE WAS WRONG," then yes, I regard that as painting her as a cartoonish villian.

This is hardly an 'Unspecified' epiphany. Considering the context, it's hardly likely that he just had an idea for his next tattoo. And what I dislike about the comic is not that it does or doesn't exonerate Claire, but rather that it implies that Clinton shouldn't have been mad about the manipulation. Due to the way the comic is framed and set up, it makes Clinton out to be a hypocrite.

And again, it's worth pointing out that 'Claire made a mistake, and is the one at fault in this situation' is not the same as 'Claire is an evil mustache-twirling villain'.

[Tova]

I do not care for this comic. Just because Clinton is stupid doesn't make Claire's actions okay. I'm going to bold this next point:
The reason it is wrong to manipulate someone else for their benefit is because it could potentially go wrong.

Okay, fine, if you want to be like that. I'll just ask you to go ahead and point out to me where in the comic that you don't care for anyone states that what Claire did was perfectly fine.

Once you've done that, contemplate what kind of epiphany Clinton may have had and tell me what you think.

Forgive me, but when Clinton has had an unspecified epiphany, and the reactions to that are simply "NO NO CLAIRE WAS WRONG," then yes, I regard that as painting her as a cartoonish villian.

This is hardly an 'Unspecified' epiphany. Considering the context, it's hardly likely that he just had an idea for his next tattoo. And what I dislike about the comic is not that it does or doesn't exonerate Claire, but rather that it implies that Clinton shouldn't have been mad about the manipulation. Due to the way the comic is framed and set up, it makes Clinton out to be a hypocrite.

It implies no such thing. Try again.

[QuestionableIntentions]

No, bad Clinton! Don't let others play with you just because it might turn out alright!

Let's be honest, Claire did this as much to help him as to mess with him.

If she had only tried to help she would have told him beforehand. Sure, he would have freaked out, but that's his prerogative! You can't just manipulate someone because you think you know better.

If Clinton now goes "Oh, it was all my fault, so sorry, please continue Claire" I will be very disappointed.

[BenRG]

I was sort of expecting Clinton to say something like "What... Damn you and your unanswerable logic, Bar Lady!" Whereupon she reveals her name.

If anyone has read the footer note, the details of the Special has been revealed. It's a martini based on Windex. As I understand it, Windex is a high-alcohol cleaning fluid much favoured by down-and-outs for that extra kick at a very low cost. So, yeah, that place is a dive. Or possibly caters to hipsters who want the authentic 'dive' experience without the risk of being shivved!

BenRG's idea that the beerista has a communication/social disorder is interesting, but then how did she ever get hired?

My idea? A friendly and sympathetic business owner. Maybe even a sympathetic uncle who didn't want his lovely neice on the streets.

[gopher]

Claire is such a fan and author favourite, there was no way she would be allowed to be in the wrong.

[Tova]

Looks like it's movie time again!

(see sig)

[danuis]

Is that a Cosette sighting in the back?

[mikmaxs]

No, bad Clinton! Don't let others play with you just because it might turn out alright!

Let's be honest, Claire did this as much to help him as to mess with him.

If she had only tried to help she would have told him beforehand. Sure, he would have freaked out, but that's his prerogative! You can't just manipulate someone because you think you know better.

If Clinton now goes "Oh, it was all my fault, so sorry, please continue Claire" I will be very disappointed.

This. If Claire wants to do the same thing, but in a helpful way, she'll let Clinton know beforehand when she's setting him up for a shot at bat. Her current method is closer to throwing a baseball at his face and shouting "Thinkfast!"

[Mr. Doctor]

^ I go with that reasoning too.

Also, just because I'm pessimistic about certain things. Allow me to provide another terrible scenario (which is worse than rejection):
Emily says yes... But only because she was nervous of being put on the spot like that.

[BenRG]

This. If Claire wants to do the same thing, but in a helpful way, she'll let Clinton know beforehand when she's setting him up for a shot at bat. Her current method is closer to throwing a baseball at his face and shouting "Thinkfast!"

To go with the analogy, maybe the problem is that Clinton, if handed a bat, would drop the bat and run away before the ball was even thrown? The only way to force him to swing is to give him no choice.

Whether or not this is true, I suspect that this is how Claire sees the situation. To me, the biggest (and possibly only really problematic) thing that Claire got wrong was to drop Clinton onto the spot without first clearing it with Emily. That, IMO at least, was the real mistake that she made.

[creatureshock]

Even if she had said yes, doesn't make Claire any less of an asshole.

[mikmaxs]

This. If Claire wants to do the same thing, but in a helpful way, she'll let Clinton know beforehand when she's setting him up for a shot at bat. Her current method is closer to throwing a baseball at his face and shouting "Thinkfast!"

To go with the analogy, maybe the problem is that Clinton, if handed a bat, would drop the bat and run away before the ball was even thrown? The only way to force him to swing is to give him no choice.

Whether or not this is true, I suspect that this is how Claire sees the situation. To me, the biggest (and possibly only really problematic) thing that Claire got wrong was to drop Clinton onto the spot without first clearing it with Emily. That, IMO at least, was the real mistake that she made.

Guess what, though?
It should still be Clinton's choice as to whether or not he wants to ask Emily out.

It doesn't matter if he would have said no, Claire still needs to give him the decision. He's not a child, he's an adult, and he should be free to choose how and whether he'll screw things up with Emily.

[BenRG]

It doesn't matter if he would have said no, Claire still needs to give him the decision. He's not a child, he's an adult, and he should be free to choose how and whether he'll screw things up with Emily.

You're still missing the point. Look at this from Claire's perspective:

• She knows her brother is wild about Emily (he won't stop talking about her);
• She knows that he won't ask her out on his own initiative and will actually actively avoid opportunities to do so;
• She knows that Clinton has a vacillating and indecisive personality when it comes to relationships.

Given these two factors, how can she help him find happiness? Now, as it turns out, she went about it the wrong way but, at least from her perspective, it was justified because, as an older sister with a problematic relationship with him, she believed he would act like a child and not like an adult.

[mikmaxs]

It doesn't matter if he would have said no, Claire still needs to give him the decision. He's not a child, he's an adult, and he should be free to choose how and whether he'll screw things up with Emily.

You're still missing the point. Look at this from Claire's perspective:

• She knows her brother is wild about Emily (he won't stop talking about her);
• She knows that he won't ask her out on his own initiative and will actually actively avoid opportunities to do so;
• She knows that Clinton has a vacillating and indecisive personality when it comes to relationships.

Given these two factors, how can she help him find happiness? Now, as it turns out, she went about it the wrong way but, at least from her perspective, it was justified because, as an older sister with a problematic relationship with him, she believed he would act like a child and not like an adult.

Well, YES. That's why I'm saying that 'Claire did something wrong', and not 'Claire is an evil person'. She screwed up. The point is that Clinton *didn't* really screw up, other than perhaps reacting a bit harshly. (But not a vast amount too harshly, because Claire really did need a telling off for doing something bad.) So, since it's looking like this story is going to end with a 'Mutual-apology-we-both-did-wrong' moment, and since this comic makes it look like Clinton was being a hypocrite, I'm not liking it.

[Akima]

Satori!

So, since it's looking like this story is going to end with a 'Mutual-apology-we-both-did-wrong' moment, and since this comic makes it look like Clinton was being a hypocrite, I'm not liking it.

But... yeah. Though enlightenment about ones own shortcomings is valuable.

[oddtail]

OK... so this has to be either cultural differences, or me being an idiot, because I honestly read the situation completely differently than most people seem to.

First of all, a mandatory disclaimer: no, I don't think Claire did the right thing. I think what she did was both stupid and wrong.

That being said... I think it's normal that close friends and family sometimes meddle in their close ones' lives. It's not desirable, but it's within normal parametres for such a relationship. Honesty and communication is the way to go, but I see what Claire did as thoughtless and her being a bit of a manipulative jerk. Not much more.

Clinton's reaction? I don't actually blame him for flying off the handle, because he was upset and such. He lashed out at the nearest person, and I don't think most people would do otherwise. But saying that Claire was "a real asshole" and that she should "fuck off" made me go "wow. Seriously?". Again, it's understandable, but I feel it's not even remotely justified.

Claire's attitude was patronizing, but I don't think a family member or a friend thinking they know better and helping someone against their will goes beyond, again, being kind of a jerk. And, again, maybe it's a cultural thing, I see people meddling in their family's personal affairs as a semi-acceptable thing in my neck of the woods. It pisses me off in most cases, but apparently it does not piss me off nearly as much as most people in this forum. Or Clinton, for that matter.

I've never done anything resembling Claire's setting Clinton up, mostly because I'm clueless and have the social graces of Harpoon Lady (OK, maybe not THAT bad). I guess I'd usually be the Clinton in such situations, not the Claire. But if I did something clumsy and thoughtless and put someone in a kinda-sorta-bad-but-not-really situation, and they told me to fuck off, I'd probably, well, happily oblige and fuck off. Which is to say, give up on any interaction with the person at least until they cooled off.

It's entirely possible that I'm completely misreading the situation, but I am genuinely surprised by the amount of condemnation Claire is receiving, here. My reaction and level of pissed-off-ness is about on the level of Marten's comment from a few strips back, I guess.

[swapna]

Maybe it is cultural, because if I meddled with my younger brother's life that way, uninvited (I do dish out advice, but only if asked) I would expect a similar reaction and feel it's justified. It's about respecting him and his date as a person, and respecting him to do his own choices (even if he didn't have a date until he was 21. It's not as if she was any "better" in at regard; and even if she were, it still doesn't mean she has to push him to do as she does).

If this is a sitcom plot where Clinton discovers that he actually wants his sister to manipulate him, I'll be very disappointed, but it seems to be heading that way.

[bhtooefr]

Two comics I'm going to put in here for reference:

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2849 He did specifically request some meddling (although not the amount that happened)
http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2851 The part in which messing with him came up was actually Marten's idea

[oddtail]

If this is a sitcom plot where Clinton discovers that he actually wants his sister to manipulate him, I'll be very disappointed, but it seems to be heading that way.

That would certainly suck. But I'm not sure if that's where things are going. And I still think Clinton overreacted. Claire did put him in an uncomfortable situation and it was uncalled for, but she didn't do anything that might possibly ruin his life. She put him in a situation that he didn't want to be in, but not one that actually harmed him.

And heck, most of the damage was that he talked about being angry at Claire in front of Emily (not that I blame him, he was clearly blindsided). He could still, pissed off as he was, decide not to ask Emily out and leave as quickly as possible, and THEN complain about having been manipulated. He felt he had been manipulated, but decided to go for it anyway, and got REALLY angry only after he failed. It makes it look like Claire forced him to ask Emily out, and she merely put him in a place that Emily worked. That's different. Yes, she had a particular outcome in mind, but there's a difference between putting someone in a difficult situation and putting a gun to their head to do something.

For me, it boils down not to whether Claire showed disrespect for Clinton's judgment (because she clearly did), but to whether this is a big deal.

And now that I think about it, I might be overcorrecting, because I go into panic mode in any unfamiliar situation. So maybe I am mentally downplaying the harm done to Clinton, because like 30% of my social interactions feel like "Clinton asking Emily out". I've had to train myself into a "it's just me" mode of analysis of difficult situations involving people, or otherwise I'd probably blame someone for *some* kind of manipulation/meddling (rightly or wrongly) 24/7. I might be overapplying that reasoning to the comic.

And, well, I just tend to judge people's decisions as un-harshly as possible, because in my experience, that's both more productive and more fair. I don't think mistakes, even avoidable ones, should be regarded on the same level as malice. Sometimes people just don't think things through, it's best to shrug and move on.

[dreed]

I just want add two cents.

Clinton is one of those people who needs to have people meddle in his life.

If Claire didn't push him he would never ask her.  And that leaves self doubt indecision and regret. 
And that is much worse than any anger and embarrassment he felt.
He will get over it.  He might have never got over Emily if he did not ask.

[oddtail]

I just want add two cents.

Clinton is one of those people who needs to have people meddle in his life.

If Claire didn't push him he would never ask her.  And that leaves self doubt indecision and regret. 
And that is much worse than any anger and embarrassment he felt.
He will get over it.  He might have never got over Emily if he did not ask.

I completely agree, but the correct way to push him would be to persuade him, to convince him, heck - even to badger him until he caved in. Even if he ended up too chicken to ask Emily out, it was his (bad) decision to make.

Some people really, really need to be pushed, but there's a difference between goading someone to take swimming classes, and shoving them into a swimming pool when their back is turned. Claire did the equivalent of the latter. It wasn't a horrible crime, but it was not a very nice thing to do regardless.

[Zebediah]

Okay, let's all take a step back here, because  most of you seem to be missing the entire point of this strip.

It's not trying to say that Claire manipulating Clinton was right. It is simply Clinton realizing that that isn't what he's actually mad about. Period. End of story.

Yeah, Claire was still wrong to do so. But deep down, what really got under Clinton's skin is the rejection from Emily.

And that, friends, is all. Any additional meaning is supplied entirely by the mind of the reader.

[Tova]

If this is a sitcom plot where Clinton discovers that he actually wants his sister to manipulate him, I'll be very disappointed, but it seems to be heading that way.

I am amazed that everyone is getting this impression.

Claire has already recognised that she did the wrong thing. No-one is suddenly going to backtrack on that.

The reason that Claire did the wrong thing is not because she took him to CoD, it's that she did it without telling him that's what she was doing and getting his agreement.

Clinton did not have an epiphany that Claire was right to meddle in his life without his knowledge or permission. He's realised that, although she went about things absolutely the wrong way, he really does want Claire's help in this. He's going to go back and repeat that he really does not want her doing that kind of thing behind his back again - and now, would she please help him. Only with his knowledge and persmission this time.

He's not going to go back and say "I was wrong, please manipulate my life without my knowledge, however did I imagine that was wrong?" Seriously!

Clinton has uttered simply the word "Ohhhhhh," and the result on these forums has been an amazing inkblot test.

Edit: THANK YOU ZEBEDIAH, FINALLY