Questionable Content XVI: Yes, Butt

[hungrycrow]

I don't want to pile on the Renee hate train, but did she really put down nerds just after implying she doesn't normally shower?

[Wraith]

Gaslighting? Come the **** on.

This. Context is important.

Had Dan and Rene just met in a bar and been chatting for 10 minutes, calling him a nerd and implying that she is doing him a favour by being there would be rude, because they don't know each other very well and it's a very impolite way to treat acquaintances.

But that's not what happened. They went to school together for years, and have spent the last few (hours?) reacquainting and getting to know each other well enough that they would like to continue hanging out together and going on a date. Then Dan felt comfortable enough to make a stupid joke, and Rene responded with sarcasm, as the girls in QC are wont to do.

Dan is a goofball, Rene has a dry sense of humour, no one is questioning the other's parentage and making irreparable personal attacks. It wasn't particularly funny, but it doesn't need to be; They're flirting.

To be fair, I can see how a mere back-handed compliment might be confusing as she didn't even punch him in the arm or intentionally violate his privacy, that's how QC girls usually show affection...

I don't want to pile on the Renee hate train, but did she really put down nerds just after implying she doesn't normally shower?

I read it more like, she is going to shower especially for the date, as in, she's going to make a specific effort to doll herself up a little bit as opposed to just wearing her normal clothes out to coffee.
It's a little self-depreciative, but we've all been there - I don't shave every day, and I probably wouldn't bother to and wear a collared shirt if I was just going to meet a friend for a beer, but I probably would make the extra effort if I was going on a date and wanted to make a good impression.

[VoxRationis]

This. Context is important.

I understand fully well that context is important. Were it not for context, I would not have made the argument I did above, which emphasized the disconnect between Renee's prior sexual/romantic interest in Dan, partially hidden from him, but fully visible to us, and her attempt at deliberately pretending that she did not have such prior interest when he brings up the term "date."

Indeed, after he backpedals a bit and tries to emphasize that he doesn't mean to put any pressure on her, she, rather than admitting that she had viewed their interactions through such a lens already, reinforced the impression she tried to convey in panel 4, phrasing her acceptance so as to reinforce a false sense of reluctance or unfamiliarity with the date perspective on the matter.

[Kish]

I think it's highly unlikely that the comic is going to support "Renee is treating Dan awfully." Whether that means her sense of humor, however aggravating to people here, isn't bothering Dan, or that Jeph has placed an elephant in the room and never addresses it...that will be a matter of perspective (unless I'm wrong and he does actually have someone yell at her for this, which is entirely possible).

[hungrycrow]

I read it more like, she is going to shower especially for the date, as in, she's going to make a specific effort to doll herself up a little bit as opposed to just wearing her normal clothes out to coffee.
It's a little self-depreciative, but we've all been there - I don't shave every day, and I probably wouldn't bother to and wear a collared shirt if I was just going to meet a friend for a beer, but I probably would make the extra effort if I was going on a date and wanted to make a good impression.

Yeah I've certainly been there too. Especially now, when almost no one actually sees my face anymore.
I took both comments as just good-natured jokes, but it was kinda jarring to switch from self-deprecation to "ha ha, nerd" style ribbing so quickly.

[John Cribati]

Ah, I wondered when we were going to start piling needless hate upon Renee again. I was getting worried.

Be reminded that Renee initiated this whole her interaction with Dan by insulting him in a joking way? And Dan continued texting with her until they both agreed to meet face-to-face?

This is par for the course, both for Renee in general, and for the history of their interaction throughout the day.

[SaintRidley]

Gaslighting? Come the **** on. She's smiling when she says that. It's a joke. She is teasing him.

Sorry, but Renee's the worst and everything she says must be read in the least generous way possible. Them's the rules around here.

But seriously, this seemed like bog standard flirting to me. Like, that's an exchange I have had, basically. It's not some end of the world terrible thing.

[VoxRationis]

My readings of Renee are not usually so uncharitable, but the text supports an understanding of the dialogue wherein Renee tries to downplay her previously expressed interest in Dan and pretend that the date was not of her initiation. "Y'know what? [To hell with] it. It's a date" is the response given when an invitation to a date is unexpectedly received and a decision made spontaneously to accept, which has never been the dynamic at play here.

[Keltest]

My readings of Renee are not usually so uncharitable, but the text supports an understanding of the dialogue wherein Renee tries to downplay her previously expressed interest in Dan and pretend that the date was not of her initiation. "Y'know what? [To hell with] it. It's a date" is the response given when an invitation to a date is unexpectedly received and a decision made spontaneously to accept, which has never been the dynamic at play here.

I read that as Renee talking herself into just going for it instead of dancing around it. She's going from plausible deniability maybe-flirting to "yes, i am actively attempting to court you" and makes it explicit both to Dan and herself.

[John Cribati]

That too. Renee's romantic endeavors have largely consisted of meeting someone from a dating app, sleeping with them, and then violently ending it when one or both of them exhibit some form of jerkishness. This is a new thing for her entirely.

[Wildstag]

Actually, we really only have two cases of "violently ending it" that we know of, and one of them was Angus (that relationship not being a dating app and presumably having been somewhat long term).

The other examples we know of are Florida-Birthmark, but that seems not to have ended poorly, because Renee describes him as being a decent person.

For the most part, her romantic escapades have run the gamut of where and how they meet and end.

[mucat]

What's a 'paradon', Yay?

Do we have to talk to you again about verbal precision?

[geoduck]

I personally find Yay far more annoying then Renee.

[Keltest]

I personally find Yay far more annoying then Renee.

Yay the apartment neighbor is significantly less annoying to me than Yay the Diabolus Ex Machina. But without the latter one, Yay also has very little purpose.

[Wraith]

I'm honestly unsure as to how I feel about Yay.

Yay the quirky neighbour AI who is learning how to Make Friends and not accidentally topple the global economy is kind of fun - we're exploring AI's, there's world-building, there's a few jokes, it's all fine.

Unfortunately, that is built upon Squidbot the ineffable and omnipotent AI God-being, whose motivations are inscrutable and almost always built on mistrust, manipulation and the scarcely veiled threat of obliteration.

Right now I can't but help myself from thinking: Yay is being nice to Elliot - why are they being nice to Elliot and what is their ultimate, self-serving goal? I don't think we're yet at the point where I can trust them with relationship drama and being the proverbial shoulder-to-cry-on, and moments like this are... weird?

[Morquard]

Pretty much agree with all that Wraith just said.

If they had introduced a new AI (maybe freshly embodied/born/produced), that moves in and awkwardly tries to make friends with everyone? Great.

That one being Yay? Just makes it weird.

[Max_Killjoy]

If "Yay" had been tracked down or brought out of hiding, and pushed to violate their non-intervention policy, by the established characters in the strip, over the course of a few weeks, instead of dropping in out of nowhere to flaunt their power... I thin that would have been better.

[Traab]

My main problem is that she doesnt really fit in with the rest of the comic. The entire concept of "Yay" is an interesting one that I enjoy the idea of exploring as he/she/they tries to adapt to dealing with the regular world rather than the omnipresence of the internet or whatever. But its not really a good fit for questionable content. It would be like if, while reading A Girl And Her Fed, it delved into an entire side story about the star wars prequels. Yes technically it isnt anachronistic as said movies do exist in this setting, but its not really what the main body of the comic is about.

[Eurus]

Like them or hate them, it's been long established that Jeph secretly wishes he could just be writing robots all the time. Remember Alice Grove?

[Vinyadan]

Remember Alice Grove?

Roboobs

[Keltest]

Im going to be deeply upset if this ends with Elliot getting hurt, emotionally or physically. I could care less about Yay, but might derive enjoyment from having them defenestrated.

[Morquard]

Ok, f-you Yay, what few points you had, you just all burned by pulling that Squidbot crap on Elliot.

[Traab]

Ok, f-you Yay, what few points you had, you just all burned by pulling that Squidbot crap on Elliot.

Oh please, yay is just doing that to see how bouncer elliot gets intimidating. "Please leave" isnt intimidating. Its making an uncooperative person leave that is intimidating. Though being immune to big scary squidbot is a bit intimidating. He did everything but pat Yay on the head and go "Oh how PRECIOUS!!!"

[Keltest]

Oh please, yay is just doing that to see how bouncer elliot gets intimidating. "Please leave" isnt intimidating. Its making an uncooperative person leave that is intimidating. Though being immune to big scary squidbot is a bit intimidating. He did everything but pat Yay on the head and go "Oh how PRECIOUS!!!"

Coming from somebody the size of elliot, "please leave" with a glower would be the equivalent of a guy my size pulling a knife on somebody. I cannot overstate just how scary it is to have somebody a head taller and twice as wide as you being openly displeased with you. Its like with some of the bigger dog breeds. Anything other than overtly friendly is menacing.

[Wraith]

Does Elliot even know that Yay is a Squidbot? I don't remember, but as far as I know he's not really been privy to that part of the plot, and he just thinks they're another one of his quirky AI neighbours who hangs out with Roko and uses collective pronouns.

He might have reacted differently had he known otherwise, but Yay has gone out of their way to integrate - mission accomplished, I guess? It's just not what they were expecting anonymity to be like.

[Willie the Duck]

Yay is actively participating in a roleplay that everyone is agreeing to play along with. They are doing nothing wrong. Elliot is showcasing his bar bouncer skills, and 'please leave' from a stern looking giant of a person will eliminate a hefty majority of unruly customers. They're also doing the dance of 'no really, *I'm* the scary one' that clearly is the subtext game they are also both playing. Elliot clearly is winning -- not because he played the 'oh nice, you're almost up to novice level' card (we've all probably seen someone play that card here on this forum-- and been convincing to themselves alone), but because it clearly worked on Yay.

As to Yay in general, I think Jeph is doing the right things to de-power and de-pedestal this little walking god he created. People seem to be pointing out that what she previously did/was wasn't cool. It's not unlike shows like Xena or Buffy where there's a enemy-turned-ally among the cast that you're just supposed to quietly ignore was a murderer or monster a few seasons ago. I also agree that I'm unsure why the effort needs be taken. Perhaps having a de-fanged Yay out there for which lots of people don't care is better than having a loose deus ex character out there that people really hate.

[Max_Killjoy]

A couple times a month I mistakenly read this thread first before looking at the comic.

And sometimes, the comments here make me think "what the hell happened in the comic?"

And then I go read it, and it almost never seems to justify the outrage.

[Wraith]

Warrantless exaggeration? On the internet?

Surely, you jest.

[Traab]

Warrantless exaggeration? On the internet?

Surely, you jest.

How dare you say that?! I WILL EAT YOUR DOG!!!! (im talking about the hotdog you made for lunch. Its mine now.)

[Wraith]

So many potential answers, so little time... Here, you pick one:

Spoiler: Answer A

Show

Is THAT what the kids are calling it nowadays, you big lug?

Spoiler: Answer B

Show

Good luck! My dog weighs like, 120lbs. She will sit on you and squish you into salsa.

Spoiler: Answer C

Show

???? PROFIT!

Spoiler: Answer D

Show

Rick Astley