Questionable Content XV: I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS! I Told You This Thread Was Weird

[Vinyadan]

Marten's backstory of "my dad is gay and my mum is a dominatrix" isn't dark, it's just... quirky.

If I recall correctly, Dora's backstory is also pretty normal - no sob stories there.

It depends on what you take for origin story. Marten's also is "I was in love with this girl and I came here to be with her and then she got off the radar and sms-dumped me", and Dora's "She always was with alpha-goths who treated her badly and never had a good relationship before Marten".

[Wraith]

Marten's backstory of "my dad is gay and my mum is a dominatrix" isn't dark, it's just... quirky..

That's what I meant by "Marten seems okay". His parents are divorced, but it's probably the most amicable and genteel divorce in the history of fiction so he's probably got the most well-adjusted childhood of everyone in the cast.

[Rodin]

Who are we counting as cast? Because going through them in my head, I come up with most of them being pretty normal.

Pintsize
Steve
Cossette
Momo
Marigold
Angus
Clinton
Renee
Eliot
Jim (arguably - he's divorced, but it doesn't appear to affect his current happiness)
Penelope
Wil
Tai

And that's without going back and counting characters who have long since left the comic like Ellen.

[Drascin]

...I agree with this. If QC can have one other character who doesn't have a Dark And Traumatic Back Story (Marten seems okay), I hope it's Sven.

It's not about him not having a dark backstory, it's that the whole "oh he used to be nice but he Cared Too Much and a Womand Did Him Wrong so he turned into a jerkwad (nonetheless still gets all the sex forever, of course)" is extremely tired.

[John Cribati]

For the record, "showing emotional vulnerability" is not the same thing as "being nice."

[Cikomyr]

For the record, "showing emotional vulnerability" is not the same thing as "being nice."

Sven's greatest failure as an individual has always been his extreme self-centreness. But I don't think he has been actively malevolent.

[John Cribati]

Sven's greatest failure as an individual has always been his extreme self-centreness. But I don't think he has been actively malevolent.

"Not being actively malevolent" is also not the same thing as "being nice."

[Willie the Duck]

For the record, "showing emotional vulnerability" is not the same thing as "being nice."

"Not being actively malevolent" is also not the same thing as "being nice."

Let the record show that "being nice" is not the same as either "showing emotional vulnerability," nor "not being actively malevolent."

Serious question, other than Drascin using the term 'nice' in his mock-quote ('oh he used to be nice but...'), what is so important around 'nice?'

[John Cribati]

A lot, actually. There are groups of guys who go "I'm a 'nice' guy and thus deserve affection/attention/sex from girls, and girls who don't pay attention to me are mean bitches."

But theres also that thing in literature where the girl falls for a "bad boy" and goes "I can change him" and it turns out he had a heart of gold hidden behind that rough, borderline abusive facade he puts on because he'd been hurt that one time. He, of course, probably hurts her several times over the course of the story, but she doesn't become bitter and jaded about it and it just makes her want him more. And no, I'm not just talking about that one series named after times of day and lunar phenomena- a good chunk of young adult romances for girls follow that same formula, and then something something normalization of domestic abuse

[Cikomyr]

"Not being actively malevolent" is also not the same thing as "being nice."

He..

Hmm...

He is self centered, but does not hesitate when he realize he can help.

Remember his Hannelore date?

[Vinyadan]

A lot, actually. There are groups of guys who go "I'm a 'nice' guy and thus deserve affection/attention/sex from girls, and girls who don't pay attention to me are mean bitches."

But theres also that thing in literature where the girl falls for a "bad boy" and goes "I can change him" and it turns out he had a heart of gold hidden behind that rough, borderline abusive facade he puts on because he'd been hurt that one time. He, of course, probably hurts her several times over the course of the story, but she doesn't become bitter and jaded about it and it just makes her want him more. And no, I'm not just talking about that one series named after times of day and lunar phenomena- a good chunk of young adult romances for girls follow that same formula, and then something something normalization of domestic abuse

I wonder if that's the young adult romantic literature equivalent of superhuman feats by action heroes that supposedly have no superpowers. Bullets won't hinder G.I. Joe's resolve, nor will emotional abuse hinder her love. Instead of taking out the whole terrorist outpost alone, she can turn the desirable prick into a good guy.

[Willie the Duck]

A lot, actually. There are groups of guys who go "I'm a 'nice' guy and thus deserve affection/attention/sex from girls, and girls who don't pay attention to me are mean bitches."

Yes, those people exist, and are a really horrific phenomenon (and how 'nice' got an extra set of air quotes around it). I don't think Drascin was using that term in that fashion. Sven certainly hasn't characterized himself as being nice, nor does he seem to think he deserves affection. He's really more 'bad boy' (as you mention next) than '"nice" guy' (bad boys being the guys that 'nice' guys complain get the female attention that they deserve).

But theres also that thing in literature where the girl falls for a "bad boy" and goes "I can change him" and it turns out he had a heart of gold hidden behind that rough, borderline abusive facade he puts on because he'd been hurt that one time. He, of course, probably hurts her several times over the course of the story, but she doesn't become bitter and jaded about it and it just makes her want him more. And no, I'm not just talking about that one series named after times of day and lunar phenomena- a good chunk of young adult romances for girls follow that same formula, and then something something normalization of domestic abuse

That's certainly more the risk with Sven. There's a risk, especially for the audience (who get to see him acting good or having inner turmoil) in assuming that 1) he does have a heart of gold, and 2) that that matters. From the perspective of any woman who gets involved with him, or in real life any female friend/relative/oneself (as appropriate) we know who might want to get involved with 'a Sven,' even having the heart of gold underneath doesn't really matter if it doesn't translate into being a good person/lover.

I know the 'jerk lover' literary trope goes back at least to Lord Byron, but I suppose it has existed a lot longer than that, even if not in quite the same pre-packaged form.

[Max_Killjoy]

King Crimson gets a mention in today's comic.

[Willie the Duck]

King Crimson gets a mention in today's comic.

I had the best conversation about them about a year ago after I ran into this when mistyping 'prog rock' into google.

[Wraith]

I mean, is it a pun if it's probably true? Emu eat plenty of plants, seeds and pods in the wild, so they'd probably be quite happy with peas in captivity, like geese and similar flat-beaked birds.

Yes I'm aware of the reference, but comedy has RULES dammit

[Morquard]

I'm not even sure where the pun is supposed to be in there...

[Wraith]

If you want to make a peace offering, use peas. Or, in other words, Give Peas a Chance.

The other characters are correct in refusing to pay her any attention.

[Max_Killjoy]

Everyone says they support whirled peas, but when push comes to shove...

[Willie the Duck]

Why is Bubbles so adamant in clarifying what she would and would not be able to detect? Did someone previously impugn her detection skills?

[Keltest]

Why is Bubbles so adamant in clarifying what she would and would not be able to detect? Did someone previously impugn her detection skills?

Its because she wants to detect something. She flat out says as much.

[georgie_leech]

Its because she wants to detect something. She flat out says as much.

"An excuse to use an esoteric skillset of mine? Score!"

[Willie the Duck]

Its because she wants to detect something. She flat out says as much.

Yes, I got the obvious stuff stated right in the comic I clearly had read, thank you. But why?

"An excuse to use an esoteric skillset of mine? Score!"

Sure, if that's all it is, great. I just wanted to know if either 'fervently wants to use esoteric skillset' or 'fervently wants people to know she is capable of esoteric talent' were established personality traits we knew about Bubbles.

[Keltest]

Yes, I got the obvious stuff stated right in the comic I clearly had read, thank you. But why?



Sure, if that's all it is, great. I just wanted to know if either 'fervently wants to use esoteric skillset' or 'fervently wants people to know she is capable of esoteric talent' were established personality traits we knew about Bubbles.

Bubbles making (relatively) mundane use of her military skills and background, such as the flares, is something that she has done in the past, yes.

[mucat]

Yeah, I read it less as "Bubbles wants to show off her esoteric skillset" than as "Bubbles finds it weird how civilians can go weeks without considering the need for a signal flare or an optically-camouflaged-emu detection protocol."

[Wraith]

This is why I like May a lot more than Faye, as the comic's resident "grumpy bastard" character.

May talks tough, but when she gets caught out or 1-up'd she admits that she deserved it, which is a much funnier punchline than people having to tread softly around Faye, who historically just sulks and/or punches them.

Like today - Dale's timing was great, and May's defeated expression was just perfect.

[Morquard]

It really seems like this is going to be "May really gets a new body" arc. There's like 4 different options they pondered to make that happen.
a) State pays because Roko's complaint is valid
b) Spookybot's zero-interest loans for new bodies starts
c) crowdfunding
d) Ask Marigold's dad
I might actually have forgotten one or two. Anyway, seems weird Jeph would dangle so many "this is how it could happen" in front of us and then yank them all away.

[Traab]

Im wondering if she will end up with an even more human body and how things will progress with sven.

[halfeye]

I'm wondering whether when she gets a stronger body May is going to start beating people up.

[Morquard]

I'm wondering whether when she gets a stronger body May is going to start beating people up.

I don't think so. For mainly two reasons. First May doesn't seem to be the physical violent type. And Secondly, Jeph seems intent on using May as a representation to show how the system keeps ex-cons down, and a lot of their problems are actually caused by that. You can agree or disagree with the message here, and I'm certainly not getting into that, but it seems unlikely Jeph will sabotage that message by turning May into an even worse person after some of those obstacles are removed from her path.

[Traab]

I don't think so. For mainly two reasons. First May doesn't seem to be the physical violent type. And Secondly, Jeph seems intent on using May as a representation to show how the system keeps ex-cons down, and a lot of their problems are actually caused by that. You can agree or disagree with the message here, and I'm certainly not getting into that, but it seems unlikely Jeph will sabotage that message by turning May into an even worse person after some of those obstacles are removed from her path.

Besides, may is a jerk, not a bully.