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Poll

Who is going to put their foot in it this week?

Faye
- 6 (10.7%)
Bubbles
- 1 (1.8%)
Amanda
- 11 (19.6%)
Evie
- 13 (23.2%)
Someone else (Please list)
- 1 (1.8%)
All of the above!
- 24 (42.9%)

Total Members Voted: 52


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Author Topic: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)  (Read 43596 times)

JoeCovenant

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #100 on: 18 Jan 2018, 05:29 »

I honestly want to punch Evie. I immediately disliked her from the start and the way she's treating Bubbles is shitty. She reminds me of every stuck up, head up their ass academic I've ever come across. Gross.

Guess it must be frustrating to see how often ones' knee-jerk antipathy and prejudices against members of a despised out-group turn out to be perfectly justified by the behaviour of fictionalized descriptions of members of said group in serialized comedic media.

"Knee-jerk antipathy and prejudices against members of a despised out-group turn out to be perfectly justified by the behaviour of fictionalized descriptions of members of said group in serialized comedic media",  is the name of my K-Pop 'Punk' album !

 :parrot:
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Covenant
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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #101 on: 18 Jan 2018, 05:55 »

For me, todays comic is more about Faye and Bubbles.
Faye noticed immediately that something is bothering Bubbles, and the three last panels clearly show her in a state of worry. I think it's safe to say that, while Faye does care very deeply for all of her friends, Bubbles holds a special place in her heart.

My hypothesis is that this week's comics could very well be a setup for Bubbles to question if there can be any chance for her and Faye (or any human for that matter) to be more than friends. Think about it: Back when we first met Bubbles she really was little more than a walking tank. She was Corpse Witches bodyguard/enforcer.
Faye helped her to become so much more than that. Removing her armor and changing her hairstyle are clear signs (at least to me) that Bubbles is trying to further grow as a person, to open up to others, especially to Faye, and the main reason for those changes is her deep friendship with Faye.

Then along comes someone like Evie, and Bubbles (with no cruel intentions on Evie's part) is compared to a tank, AIs in general are compared to weapons (of mass destruction no less). Almost every sentence in their brief dialogue reminds Bubbles in a blunt way, that she is in fact an artificial mind inhabiting an artificial body… After that, Bubbles herself says that she does not eat. She is not human. Where does that leave her and her feelings for Faye?

Maybe Bubbles has to chew on those thoughts for a while.
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Case

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #102 on: 18 Jan 2018, 05:57 »

I honestly want to punch Evie. I immediately disliked her from the start and the way she's treating Bubbles is shitty. She reminds me of every stuck up, head up their ass academic I've ever come across. Gross.

Guess it must be frustrating to see how often ones' knee-jerk antipathy and prejudices against members of a despised out-group turn out to be perfectly justified by the behaviour of fictionalized descriptions of members of said group in serialized comedic media.

"Knee-jerk antipathy and prejudices against members of a despised out-group turn out to be perfectly justified by the behaviour of fictionalized descriptions of members of said group in serialized comedic media",  is the name of my K-Pop 'Punk' album !

 :parrot:

That the one with last summer's hit-single "People in this country have had enough of experts"?

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #103 on: 18 Jan 2018, 07:12 »

Ugh - that photo pollutes the forum.
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shanejayell

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #104 on: 18 Jan 2018, 07:12 »

I sorta hope Faye dumps the girls and goes back to see Bubbles. Guess we'll see ...

SpanielBear

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #105 on: 18 Jan 2018, 07:45 »

...And I see nothing wrong with Faye taking the money that Melon offered. I don't understand how people are saying that Faye "took advantage" of Melon - to what length is one supposed to go to to refuse a freely-offered benefit to prove themselves "not a terrible person"?

That's an easy one.
"Is $100 Dollars enough?"
"Nah, that's WAY too much... gimme a $20."

(And even *that* would exploitation)

Faye's reaction showed quite clearly that she KNEW Melon had no idea how much she should be offering.
But she still took the money.

However... as someone stated above - this may well be an indication that Faye isn't doing too well financially - IE casting aside her moral compass to keep the cash she sorely needs, from someone who doesn't "know the value"... but it doesn't make it any less exploitative.

This is something I only just noticed/thought of, but given the disagreement it's worth mentioning- when Melon first brought in the free-range sex toy, it was buzzing and Amanda described it as 'angry'. This at least means it already had batteries in it, and may mean it was broken. Given it seems to have been, uh, pacified by the next comic, that means that Faye would have:

- handled a strange sex toy found on the street
- maybe fixed any mechanical faults
- worked out how it functioned (I.e how to turn the damn thing off) and shown Melon how to do so.
 
Given the above, and *especially* point one because even with gloves that's pretty squicky, she has actually earned a wage there. Her confused reaction to Melon offering $100 could be because she feels that's a lot, but she's gonna take it because a) small business and b) she did work for a customer.

That's supposition on my part, I accept, but it does seem to fit with what we're shown
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fayelovesbubbles

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #106 on: 18 Jan 2018, 09:00 »

My reaction to Evie's behavior is WANTING to punch her. I wouldn't actually punch her if she was a real person, but I would definitely tell her that what she's saying is not cool.

She has a very bad case of campus brain. And her being a black, gay woman is perfect because it does show that yes, even oppressed minorities can be shitty to others. Being a half black, mixed race pansexual woman myself, I think I can safely say there's no need for Evie to act like this. I do think she's so soaked in the echo chamber of academia that she forgets basic manners. I started to rage when Bubbles CLEARLY told her she was being offensive by comparing AIs to nuclear weapons, then Evie backpedaled. No apology, just "that's fair, it's an offensive comparison, BUT I meant OTHER people think that." I'm sure Bubbles is already perfectly aware that ignorant people make that comparison, Evie is just talking out her ass at that point. The correct response would be "I'm sorry. I did not at all mean to draw a comparison like that, I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I just got so caught up talking about my research." She seems not to understand that Bubbles is a PERSON.

For me the last straw was when Bubbles said "my life isn't a case study" and Evie was like "I KNOW, right? My friend is studying me studying robots." Just the sheer obliviousness...ugh.

A few things:

Evie has been annoying in other ways besides how disgustingly rude she was to Bubbles. From the time she appeared I just knew she was going to be shitty. You know when you meet someone and you just KNOW, like "Ugh, this one is going to be a problem"?

Faye at this point is unaware of the conversation that took place between Evie and Bubbles. When she finds out what Evie said there will definitely be consequences for Evie. Faye is around AIs all the time and has a real understanding of the bullshit they put up with. Evie is going to go on her shit list pretty fast. This goes double because of how Evie has treated her friend.

Evie is not winning any points with her potential future sister in law.
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...and Bubbles loves Faye.

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #107 on: 18 Jan 2018, 09:24 »

The horse on the dining room table here is that until a few years ago AnthroPCs were treated as pets at best, property at worst.

Evie knows that.

So why claim that AIs don't carry the persecution baggage that other minority groups carry?

I can see why someone might want to fool themselves on the subject but that's a really inappropriate thing for a researcher to do.
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JoeCovenant

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #108 on: 18 Jan 2018, 09:27 »

Her confused reaction to Melon offering $100 could be because she feels that's a lot, but she's gonna take it because a) small business and b) she did work for a customer.

That's supposition on my part, I accept, but it does seem to fit with what we're shown

Quite apart from the fact that Faye's reaction (I would not remotely call it "confusion") came from the fact that she KNEW being offered $100 for turning off a battery powered... 'massage device'... was utterly insane...  (By the sounds of things she didn't even give her new batteries. ("It NEEDS new batteries", not,  "It only needed new batteries")

$100 for a 30 second 'fix'? Nah, Faye was *wrong* to take it.

And the important part is not that the $100 was offered. It's that it was offered with the words "Is that a good amount to offer you?"
Faye, instead of saying "Whoa! Dude! That's like WAY too much!", saw the cash and answered in a literal sense that it "was" a "good amount" to give to her, because $100 is a good amount of money. That was what her reaction was.

But she knew she was exploiting Melon... that is undeniable.
And that's what is jarring when we look at Faye's character.

As has been mentioned above, if that little nugget got out, the business would collapse screaming.
And it really seems out-of-character for Faye to rip someone off like that... that's all.

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #109 on: 18 Jan 2018, 09:35 »

I think we're getting caught up in the Melon panels here with regards to Bubbles reaction.  I reserve the right to be dead wrong, but here are my thoughts:

Historically, when someone in QC is aware of a conversation, but not part of it, there is at least one frame showing that they are paying attention, especially with regards to Bubbles.  As another note, if Bubbles was concerned that Faye was taking advantage of an AI or harming their business, she would speak up.  We have seen her unafraid to do so with regards to UR.  What Bubbles seems to have trouble with (historically) is speaking up for and defending her personhood to strangers, especially when they are discussing facets of her identity.

Given the framing of these panels, Bubbles behavior in the past, and to be honest the general vibe I got, she is reacting poorly to Evie's seeming inability to recognize and respect her discomfort.

As an IT professional, a lesson you learn repeatedly that real experiences should never be trivialized.  If someone is describing an experience/issue, responding with "Okay, but here's why that's wrong" is not helpful to either party.  You don't learn anything by rejecting their experience, and they're certainly not better helped by your rejecting their reality.

I do reserve the right to be totally wrong about the outcome tho.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #110 on: 18 Jan 2018, 09:45 »

I'm with JoeCovenant on this. Here's a post I made a few minutes ago, moved here after I found out about the weekly thread:

I think I know why Bubbles is upset. Faye basically ripped Melon off, for a significant chunk of money, in the previous comic - and she's unhappy about that.

I am as well. I was kind of shocked that she'd take advantage of Melon's naivete like that - as crusty and difficult as Faye can be sometimes, I don't see this kind of sharp business practice as part of her makeup.

Maybe we'll find out on Friday.
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SpanielBear

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #111 on: 18 Jan 2018, 09:51 »

Her confused reaction to Melon offering $100 could be because she feels that's a lot, but she's gonna take it because a) small business and b) she did work for a customer.

That's supposition on my part, I accept, but it does seem to fit with what we're shown

Quite apart from the fact that Faye's reaction (I would not remotely call it "confusion") came from the fact that she KNEW being offered $100 for turning off a battery powered... 'massage device'... was utterly insane...  (By the sounds of things she didn't even give her new batteries. ("It NEEDS new batteries", not,  "It only needed new batteries")

$100 for a 30 second 'fix'? Nah, Faye was *wrong* to take it.

And the important part is not that the $100 was offered. It's that it was offered with the words "Is that a good amount to offer you?"
Faye, instead of saying "Whoa! Dude! That's like WAY too much!", saw the cash and answered in a literal sense that it "was" a "good amount" to give to her, because $100 is a good amount of money. That was what her reaction was.

But she knew she was exploiting Melon... that is undeniable.
And that's what is jarring when we look at Faye's character.

As has been mentioned above, if that little nugget got out, the business would collapse screaming.
And it really seems out-of-character for Faye to rip someone off like that... that's all.

If I take my laptop to a repair shop, they check it over and see it is just a broken battery, and tell me I need a new one, they would still charge me a consultation fee. It's them valuing their time and the fact that they provided a service I could not. And that's before I make them touch something of unknown provenance. I'd find $100 bucks expensive (and very weird as I live in the UK), but a flat £40 consultation fee (around $50 I think?) isn't unusual.

What's more, you keep saying exploited like Melon is a vulnerable adult without agency. We know she holds down a job (however creepy), can manage interpersonal relationships and decide whether something is of reasonable value to her (see her complaining about the $75 ass repair). She may not know what a sex toy is, but she isn't an absolute naif. Faye could have asked for Melon to give her less, but to say that she *had* to or else exploitation is essentially saying Melon is a child who needs protection, which is not something the strip has ever implied.

What's more more, Faye is utterly surrounded by wacky AI high-jinks(tm). In one week she may be expected to create a robo-dong, fix an ass, repair a fighting obsessed accountant's punching arm on daily basis and then diagnose an angry sex toy. Trying to impose logic was a lost cause about 3000 strips ago, now just rolling with the punches is how she gets through the day. She has learned that AI's are agents, but not necessarily human ones with human drives or decision making. So she doesn't question when they do things she finds weird, especially on the rare occasions it benefits her.

What's more more more... I got nothing. Rule of three.
« Last Edit: 18 Jan 2018, 10:02 by SpanielBear »
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dutchrvl

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #112 on: 18 Jan 2018, 10:19 »

From the time she appeared I just knew she was going to be shitty. You know when you meet someone and you just KNOW, like "Ugh, this one is going to be a problem"?


While some of your points are well-taken, you do realize that you are telling us here that you were already prejudiced towards Evie before getting to know her (in fact, nobody has really gotten a chance to get to know her yet).

You know. the same type of prejudice that many of us suffer from regularly and you have probably suffered from yourself at some point.... 
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Vern LaVey

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #113 on: 18 Jan 2018, 10:29 »

It's scary to me that someone who is being unintentionally (or even ignorantly) offensive is causing far more hate and discussion here than someone who is being intentionally exploitative and dishonest.

Neither is a good thing, but someone being exploited should be the far bigger worry over someone being offended.
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OldGoat

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #114 on: 18 Jan 2018, 10:40 »

I've come around to embrace the it's-Evie-that's-eating-Bubbles theory, although I'm sure we haven't heard the last of the $100 Willie repair.

I've got some flies for the Mandy/Evie ointment, having seen out of balance real life relationships like their's before.  Mandy's probably of average intelligence - Evie's brilliant.  Mandy's also ultra-cute and in awe of Evie, which Evie finds quite flattering.  At some point, though, brilliant Evie's going to start getting tired of explaining p-values and the like to average Mandy - from her expression in the last panel she may be there already.  I fear Mandy's in for a broken heart at some point.  From a writing standpoint, these two could provide Jeph with material for story arcs for years as they wander in and out of each others' lives.

The Evie/Bubbles interaction rang a bell.  There was something that I read by a Native American author several years ago (I wish I could remember who it was)  who called summer "anthropologist season" or "anthropologist moon" for the scads of socially clueless grad students descending upon the reservation to do research, seeing the inhabitants not as people but as subjects for observation.   Evie isn't the first.
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Case

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #115 on: 18 Jan 2018, 10:48 »

You know when you meet someone and you just KNOW, like "Ugh, this one is going to be a problem"?

Yes.

Quote
"... feeling, favorable or unfavorable, toward a person or thing, prior to, or not based on, actual experience"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prejudice
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War Sparrow

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #116 on: 18 Jan 2018, 11:14 »

If you happen to remember the author, could you share with the class?
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brasca

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #117 on: 18 Jan 2018, 11:19 »

The impression I get from a lot of people on this board is the only way to avoid ever hurting someone’s feelings is to avoid interaction altogether. :roll:

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Wombat

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #118 on: 18 Jan 2018, 11:50 »

The impression I get from a lot of people on this board is the only way to avoid ever hurting someone’s feelings is to avoid interaction altogether. :roll:
You know what? Probably. I mean, you could probably limit yourself to the odd harmless interaction now and then and otherwise live in a cave and MAYBE you'd be able to live a life in which you didn't hurt others. But for most of us? We hurt people's feelings, whether intentionally or not. So I think it's important to be able to own what you've done and try to learn from it, to be better moving forward. (It's also great to get better at forgiving people, in my opinion, but it's a lot easier when people take responsibility for what they've done and apologize.)

As for Evie, she doesn't seem to realize that she hurt Bubbles. That's not great, but also not at all uncommon. People who aren't trying to be offensive often don't realize that the reactions they get from others may, in fact, be offense. Some are better at picking up at it than others; Evie seems like the type who might need a "HEY THAT WASN'T COOL" shoved in her face. I'll judge her character more from how she reactions when that (hopefully) happens.

It's scary to me that someone who is being unintentionally (or even ignorantly) offensive is causing far more hate and discussion here than someone who is being intentionally exploitative and dishonest.

Neither is a good thing, but someone being exploited should be the far bigger worry over someone being offended.
I assume it has to do with tone; the tone of the Melon strip, as most strips with Melon, was humorous and ridiculous. In the strip with Evie and Bubbles, while there may be some humor in Evie's obliviousness, there was less of a sense of "cartoon wackiness," and so it invokes more of a serious, real-world response. Then there's the element of people being more invested in Bubbles as a character compared to Melon and her interaction with Evie perhaps resonating with more commenters' experiences than Faye and Melon.
« Last Edit: 18 Jan 2018, 11:59 by Wombt »
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Cornelius

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #119 on: 18 Jan 2018, 12:17 »

The impression I get from a lot of people on this board is the only way to avoid ever hurting someone’s feelings is to avoid interaction altogether. :roll:

Kind of like the one guy on the pub that brags he's never even had a citation, much less an accident with his car. He doesn't have one, but quite regularly has to be picked out of a ditch he drunkenly drove his bike into.

Sometimes I get that impression too, and not just here. But then, closing oneself off gives other problems again, which, sometimes, may provoke much the same outcome.

Personally, I think Bubbles' reaction might also have to do with the fact that this is the first time she sees Faye with family. She might just be very lonely right now. Do remember, the people she cares about most have been deleted from her memory, leaving just the pain of mission them. A feeling that Evie's quasi lecture will have exacerbated. After all, no matter what happens, Faye knows she has a sister somewhere. Bubbles, on the other hand, stands very much alone. No doubt we'll see more clearly tomorrow.

I doubt that it had anything to do with what she accepted from Melon. Bubbles would have been more direct. Besides, she did tell Melon the truth on what she found. If she then insists on the alternate explanation, and offers that much, I think Faye can accept. Just think how much you'll pay a vet just to tell you your pet is fine, and not to worry.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #120 on: 18 Jan 2018, 12:48 »

If Melon can just freely fork over 400 dollars, but never bother to get a real tie, and has the kinda 'furnature' that she and her partner have, I kinda get the feeling that besides rent and utilities, they really don't feel like they need money for much else. Soooo it's her money to waste as she pleases.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #121 on: 18 Jan 2018, 13:10 »

Okay, so how is a party of three going to have an easier time getting a table than a party of four?  They are just going to end up with a four person table anyway.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #122 on: 18 Jan 2018, 13:14 »

They're going to that weird restaurant that has triangular tables. I think Melon works there.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #123 on: 18 Jan 2018, 13:22 »

Okay, so how is a party of three going to have an easier time getting a table than a party of four?  They are just going to end up with a four person table anyway.
Unless they're going to one of those hipster places with "community tables," in which case I guess the three of them would have an easier time finding places to sit. I took Bubbles comment as being meant to be an obvious "I-need-to-make-an-excuse" kind of statement.

Though one time I was in a group of five people, and we went to a restaurant that was absolutely baffled at how to seat us. They were fairly busy, but there were a couple open tables. Only we couldn't be seated at a four person table, even though there really was plenty of table space and some spare chairs. And we couldn't be seated at a larger table, because what if a larger party came in and neede to sit at it? Eventually this Goldilocks problem was solved as another group cleared from a table that the restaurant dubbed just right for us.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #124 on: 18 Jan 2018, 13:28 »

Ooor it’s because Bubbles is seven feet tall and five hundred odd pounds; not many places have chairs in her size.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #125 on: 18 Jan 2018, 13:40 »

Ooor it’s because Bubbles is seven feet tall and five hundred odd pounds; not many places have chairs in her size.

Well the steel reinforced restaurant chairs are something of a niche market.
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Is it cold in here?

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #126 on: 18 Jan 2018, 13:59 »

The impression I get from a lot of people on this board is the only way to avoid ever hurting someone’s feelings is to avoid interaction altogether. :roll:

There's innocent accident, and then there's failure to inform yourself about courtesy, then there's negligence, then there's malice.

All require corrective action. Innocent accidents turn into insults if not apologized for.

Where is Evie on that scale? I lean to her being negligent. Maybe even reckless, given that she's been warned. Repeatedly. Clearly.
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Perfectly Reasonable

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #127 on: 18 Jan 2018, 14:08 »

Faye gave Melon honest answers. I think Melon appreciates that.
She finds it natural that some robots might have penises. (And our reality already has Real Dolls)
(I can't help wondering how Pintsize made out with that tugboat)

As for Evie, I'm willing to cut her some slack. This isn't "Estimable Content" after all...
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Vern LaVey

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #128 on: 18 Jan 2018, 14:08 »

Soooo it's her money to waste as she pleases.

No one's saying that Melon shouldn't be allowed to give Faye money, just that Faye was being dishonest with how she took it.  If Faye had been truthful and Melon had still insisted, then fair enough.  As it was though Faye lied and abused Melon's trust.  Mechanics of any sort who take advantage of their customer's gullibility open themselves up for some backlash.

I guess it bothers me even more because up until now I've always viewed Faye as a good person.  She has her flaws, and has made mistakes, but was never a bad person until now. 

Some people are speculating that it's because Faye really needs the money, but that's no excuse.  A homeless person can be just as likely to give back a dropped wallet as a rich person.  It doesn't speak for their current state, but for the content of their character... and Faye's has shown to be lacking.
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Vern LaVey

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #129 on: 18 Jan 2018, 14:15 »

Faye gave Melon honest answers.

Melon: Thank you for your help. Here's a hundred dollars. Is that a good amount of money to give you?
Faye: Uhhhhh yeah that's a good amount.
Manda:*snicker*

I wouldn't call that honest.

Melon even questioned why Manda was snickering, giving Faye a second chance to say it was too much, but Faye just waved it off.
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SpanielBear

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #130 on: 18 Jan 2018, 14:18 »

Soooo it's her money to waste as she pleases.

No one's saying that Melon shouldn't be allowed to give Faye money, just that Faye was being dishonest with how she took it.  If Faye had been truthful and Melon had still insisted, then fair enough.  As it was though Faye lied and abused Melon's trust.  Mechanics of any sort who take advantage of their customer's gullibility open themselves up for some backlash.

I guess it bothers me even more because up until now I've always viewed Faye as a good person.  She has her flaws, and has made mistakes, but was never a bad person until now. 

Some people are speculating that it's because Faye really needs the money, but that's no excuse.  A homeless person can be just as likely to give back a dropped wallet as a rich person.  It doesn't speak for their current state, but for the content of their character... and Faye's has shown to be lacking.

But Faye didn't lie. She told Melon exactly what the object was and what it needed- Melon just didn't listen. Unless you mean saying "uhhhh yeah" to the question "is $100 dollars a good amount to give you" as a lie. But I'd say, given the price of consulting fees (which Bubbles herself refers to back when they are fixing officer basilisk's foot) as well as the unpleasantness of handling an abandoned sex toy, Faye is within her rights to accept payment offered.

As to Amanda's snickering- she was laughing throughout the exchange. In fact, Amanda laughing at the funny AI is kinda uncomfortable in context, while Faye was trying to maintain a professional environment despite her. That was what she was covering, or at least that's how it seems to me.
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Gyrre

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #131 on: 18 Jan 2018, 14:31 »

Melon has a point. I was noticing that Faye and her sister are drawn exactly the same, except for hair, glasses and expressions.

There seems to be a sizing issue with them at times though.
slightly different noses as well.
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Vern LaVey

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #132 on: 18 Jan 2018, 14:37 »

If the argument is really "$100 wasn't too much to give her" I disagree, but I can't really debate that.

 I'll just go back to lurking for another 9 years.   :psyduck:
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SpanielBear

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #133 on: 18 Jan 2018, 14:44 »

If the argument is really "$100 wasn't too much to give her" I disagree, but I can't really debate that.

 I'll just go back to lurking for another 9 years.   :psyduck:

In fairness, I know where you are coming from about feeling $100 is too much. That does feel expensive to me too. I guess the reason I'm arguing is because people seem to be portraying Faye as A Bad Person for accepting it, which to me seems unfair. Faye's being pragmatic and mercenary- very in character, not especially heroic or "good", but not committing sins worthy of high censure.
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rtmq0227

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #134 on: 18 Jan 2018, 14:51 »

To everyone arguing over whether accepting an offer of $100 for what is at bare minimum a consulting fee plus a "rubber-glove policy" fee (and quite possibly more, Jeff has a habit of not showing the in-progress scenes in instances like this) I have a short anecdote.

I used to work at a locally-owned and operated computer repair shop.  We had very reasonable prices for our services, and made a habit of "questions are free and quick fixes should be cheap."  Want to know why I don't work there anymore?  It folded.

Business can be somewhat ruthless, and just because you think something ought to be cheap doesn't mean it is, and you don't stay in business long by haggling yourself down.
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rtmq0227

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #135 on: 18 Jan 2018, 14:53 »

As a side note, Melon paid $75 to fix her ass, something she didn't seem overly attached to.

She's already thinking of the robo-dick as a pet and is showing attachment.  For her, she probably got her money's worth, and isn't likely to bad-mouth the shop.
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Perfectly Reasonable

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #136 on: 18 Jan 2018, 14:55 »

Given Faye's fondness for snark, she could have been much cruder --- I'd say this was subtle, for her.
And if she had wanted to be exploitive, she could have spun Melon a tale out of moonbeams and fairy dust.
So we are left with arguing about whether $100 was a fair fee for a few moments of expert consultation.
Didn't Scotty once say, "Never make it look easy"? (Well, he should have)
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rtmq0227

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #137 on: 18 Jan 2018, 14:58 »

Quote
Didn't Scotty once say, "Never make it look easy"? (Well, he should have)

I bet that's what O'Brien whispers to himself alone in the teleporter control room.
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ImVeryAngryItsNotButter

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #138 on: 18 Jan 2018, 15:31 »

We know she holds down a job (however creepy)
Does she, though? We don't see her interacting with co-workers or a boss, or depositing any paychecks. I'm more inclined to believe that Melon knows that "jobs" are things that humans do all day, and that her Cloudcuckoolander brain somehow led her to the conclusion that laying on a floor with snakes and rats was a perfectly normal thing to do with one's time.

And it's always possible that Melon is on a financial support program.

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can manage interpersonal relationships
She knows how to be friendly, sure, but her memory is also indicated as being pretty spotty (she forgot that she told Arthur she had a new favorite "meal", for instance), and we know nothing about how reliable she is as a roommate or how helpful she would be if Arthur had a crisis.

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and decide whether something is of reasonable value to her (see her complaining about the $75 ass repair)
She never complained that $75 was too expensive. She was under the misconception that Faye was doing an act of charity, and was frustrated that she misread the situation (and
also felt inconvenienced because she didn't have her wallet on her).

Honestly, trying to get a read on Melon at this point is about as fruitful as trying to find the correct answer to a Rorschach test. Everyone is going to see something different.

As a side note, Melon paid $75 to fix her ass, something she didn't seem overly attached to.

 :psyduck:
« Last Edit: 18 Jan 2018, 15:38 by ImVeryAngryItsNotButter »
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Case

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #139 on: 18 Jan 2018, 16:12 »

As a side note, Melon paid $75 to fix her ass, something she didn't seem overly attached to.





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Didn't Scotty once say, "Never make it look easy"? (Well, he should have)

I bet that's what O'Brien whispers to himself alone in the teleporter control room.

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #140 on: 18 Jan 2018, 17:08 »

The impression I get from a lot of people on this board is the only way to avoid ever hurting someone’s feelings is to avoid interaction altogether. :roll:

There's innocent accident, and then there's failure to inform yourself about courtesy, then there's negligence, then there's malice.

All require corrective action. Innocent accidents turn into insults if not apologized for.

Where is Evie on that scale? I lean to her being negligent. Maybe even reckless, given that she's been warned. Repeatedly. Clearly.

Really?  When?  I don’t recall there being a scene where Bubbles said “I’m uncomfortable with this, please stop.”

Keep in mind Evie knows about Faye from what Amanda told her and witnessed herself so it would be a reasonable assumption to think that if Bubbles can put up working with Faye then she’s not so delicately thin skinned that a discussion about AI sociology would hurt her feelings.
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Gyrre

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #141 on: 18 Jan 2018, 17:42 »

fellas is it cool to make a black woman the strawman thoughtless academic in your story arc about racism/dehumanization of fake robot people

it seems like there might be some problems with that

As a fellow "thoughtless academic", I can tell you that it's easy to get wrapped up in a topic you're particularly passionate about and forget to be considerate of others' feelings.

Page 1 of this thread has a similar comment from a psych major.
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fayelovesbubbles

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #142 on: 18 Jan 2018, 17:51 »

In #3656, look at literally EVERYTHING Bubbles says to Evie. Evie just goes on, ignoring her. "There are still those who hate us." "Hey, I don't like being compared to nuclear weapons." "Hey, my life isn't your case study." Notice how Evie ignores. And ignores. And ignores. And keeps talking, and talking, and talking, but there's not much listening going on.

Mandy has a way of picking crappy girlfriends, and I have to say, I think she done it again. I'm sure Evie lives in an echo chamber full of academics who think she has a brilliant mind, but to Bubbles, she is coming off as an asshole.

Again, I dislike Evie far more than anyone else here. She just rubs me the wrong way. But quite frankly, we have heard enough from her to understand that she can be oblivious, ignorant, and easily butthurt (in the case of Faye) along with being blind to what AIs go through. It's pretty clear that she doesn't have a close personal relationship with any AIs as Faye does with Bubbles.

My guess is that Evie is going to reveal what she said during dinner and Faye is going to end up yelling at both of them and storming out, with Faye delivering a well deserved parting shot. "Way to go Mandy, you sure know how to pick em" before running back to comfort Bubbles.
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fayelovesbubbles

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #143 on: 18 Jan 2018, 18:02 »

I also want to point out that it's SUPER OBVIOUS to me that Evie doesn't listen because she doesn't think Bubbles has anything to teach her. She's the smartest person in the world and obviously she's right about everything. She's talking AT Bubbles, not TO her. And i think this is a communication problem she has with a lot of people. Even her comment to Amanda reveals that she's constantly correcting people and acting smarter than thou.
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brasca

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #144 on: 18 Jan 2018, 18:04 »

Evie is the worst?  You must’ve skipped the last chapter then.  And I’m not referring to Tilly.
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fayelovesbubbles

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #145 on: 18 Jan 2018, 18:12 »

Evie is not THE WORST character in the comic. Evie is someone I dislike very much so far. Maybe my opinion will change if she does something to redeem herself, like, oh, I don't know, apologize to Bubbles maybe.
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Smallest

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #146 on: 18 Jan 2018, 18:20 »

Evie is the worst?  You must’ve skipped the last chapter then.  And I’m not referring to Tilly.

I didn't personally say that so I can't speak on it, but I mean, I think Beatrice is on a different tier entirely, so she doesn't really come to mind.
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Tova

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #147 on: 18 Jan 2018, 18:26 »

Evie is the worst?  You must’ve skipped the last chapter then.  And I’m not referring to Tilly.

Correct me if I'm barking up the wrong tree, but when fayelovesbubbles says, "I dislike Evie far more than anyone else here," I think they mean "more than anyone else on the forums dislikes Evie," not, "more than any other QC character."

Edit: Evie I guess is so wrapped up in her research and perhaps eagerness to impress that she forgot about simple sympathy and listening. Evie shouldn't be trying to tell Bubbles about her own experience. Evie should be listening. Hopefully this will become a learning moment for her.
« Last Edit: 18 Jan 2018, 18:43 by Tova »
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Morituri

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #148 on: 18 Jan 2018, 19:17 »

I'm just imagining that Evie has a parent, or an aunt, or an uncle, who'd look at her performance today and say, "Evie, I bless the world in which you can have possibly grown up so blessedly ignorant about how this shit works and how it feels, but we need to have a talk...."

And, seriously, that's just about all I've got for Evie.  She's young.  She's ignorant.  She's wallowing in privilege and, like most young ignorant people wallowing in privilege, she can be hurtful without realizing it.  This is called the arrogance of youth, and it tends to wear off eventually. But I don't see any actual malice.  She doesn't need a punch in the face, she needs a remedial course in empathy and some learning experience.  As a person of color, she likely has some relatives who can provide both.

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fayelovesbubbles

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Re: WCDT Strips 3656-3660 (15th to 19th January 2018)
« Reply #149 on: 18 Jan 2018, 19:24 »

Evie is the worst?  You must’ve skipped the last chapter then.  And I’m not referring to Tilly.

Correct me if I'm barking up the wrong tree, but when fayelovesbubbles says, "I dislike Evie far more than anyone else here," I think they mean "more than anyone else on the forums dislikes Evie," not, "more than any other QC character."

Edit: Evie I guess is so wrapped up in her research and perhaps eagerness to impress that she forgot about simple sympathy and listening. Evie shouldn't be trying to tell Bubbles about her own experience. Evie should be listening. Hopefully this will become a learning moment for her.



That is correct, I meant more than anyone else on this forum, not more than anyone else in the comic. Clearly a misunderstanding here.
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...and Bubbles loves Faye.
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