Questionable Content XVI: Yes, Butt

[Willie the Duck]

I don't think my opinion on this has changed since we went round and round on the comic with Claire describing the situation with Clinton. I don't see any reason to go back to that well.

But the trappings in today's comic are just... weird. Either Jeph is intentionally going for a cringeworthy punchline - either as a practical joke on Clinton or just because Auralia doesn't give a damn about what anyone else thinks - or he's low-key kink-shaming again, which I've pointed out before and is usually just uncomfortable.

This here I definitely agree with. However, this is what I think this whole thing is supposed to be -- a super-embarrassing situation. This is a sitcom and it is a sitcom staple that someone is placed in an incredibly awkward situation. I know some people really can't watch that (I think we lost Max in this thread over the subject) and it is certainly not everyone's cup of tea (and would be, well, mortifying in real life). I suspect we're going to have Auralia and Clinton get into a wide-ranging conversation about him and Elliot, that apparently he's into men as well as women, that she's doing all this let-loose activities and how he feels about that, and then realize that the stream had been running and that they'd been sharing the whole conversation with the internet at large while appearing as athropomorphic cows.

[Ibrinar]

Reading the comments before looking at the comic is amusing in retrospect, I started expecting something actually squicky so it was an anti climax.^^ Clinton is suffering though. Also I had trouble telling it was a controller in the hand of her avatar.

[Rodin]

This whole sequence reminds me of the arc where Marten's mother came to visit right after he broke up with Dora. She then proceeded to humiliate him repeatedly in a supposedly humorous fashion and when he finally snapped Marten was the one who got blamed. Jeph seems to find embarrassing parents and endless well of humor, and it's pretty rare for me to laugh along. In fact, I think the only time it has worked for me is with the Bianchis.

[Wraith]

I'm starting to see that in today's strip, too. Clinton's reaction to being distracted from his newly blossomed sexuality and beau by finding out that his mother is a fairly successful furry-fetish streamer is bordering on being depicted as unreasonably outraged.

Hopefully there will be a better confirmation tomorrow, but I'm kind of seeing *his* side of things here....

[Traab]

I'm starting to see that in today's strip, too. Clinton's reaction to being distracted from his newly blossomed sexuality and beau by finding out that his mother is a fairly successful furry-fetish streamer is bordering on being depicted as unreasonably outraged.

Hopefully there will be a better confirmation tomorrow, but I'm kind of seeing *his* side of things here....

I dont think he is being depicted as outraged, he seems to be more shocked by the fact that his mom is a HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL streamer doing all this stuff. Im not an expert but im fairly sure that having 3k people live watching your streaming videos on a regular basis is a pretty big deal. She is probably pulling in good money from this overall.

[Cikomyr2]

One of his mental breaker is going to flip any second now. Too much bandwitdh

[Stevesciguy]

I dont think he is being depicted as outraged, he seems to be more shocked by the fact that his mom is a HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL streamer doing all this stuff. Im not an expert but im fairly sure that having 3k people live watching your streaming videos on a regular basis is a pretty big deal. She is probably pulling in good money from this overall.

It's difficult to get an estimate because the numbers are pretty out of proportion. A quick check on a twitch streamer I watch with a similar concurrent viewer count gives 4600 subscribers and 350,000 followers.

If QC subscribers are like Twitch subscribers, Aurelia would have a 7 digit income even before considering donations or ad revenue. But her concurrent viewer count be extremely low relative to that sub count if that's the case.

If QC subscribers are more like Twitch followers(as I suspect is the case), then it's a lot more difficult to predict. We would need to know her advertising habits, and the extreme follower:concurrent viewer ratio would indicate a highly dedicated audience(perhaps unsurprisingly) which might result in higher than average donations.

Either way, the answer is "yes, she is making enough to live off of this, probably comfortably."

[DavidSh]

Clearly, Clinton should demand a cut of tonight's revenues before continuing on the stream. It should at least cover his share of dinner.

[RowenMorland]

It's difficult to get an estimate because the numbers are pretty out of proportion. A quick check on a twitch streamer I watch with a similar concurrent viewer count gives 4600 subscribers and 350,000 followers.

Would AI subscribers alter how often you'd expect subscribers/audience members to be watching? Humans would only be able to watch when their schedules allowed for it, probably not while at work or when they are involved in other social commitments. AI watchers could probably dedicate part of their resources to watching at any given time for a broadcast and still fulfill library requests or conduct ostrich cloaking experiments.

[Stevesciguy]

Would AI subscribers alter how often you'd expect subscribers/audience members to be watching? Humans would only be able to watch when their schedules allowed for it, probably not while at work or when they are involved in other social commitments. AI watchers could probably dedicate part of their resources to watching at any given time for a broadcast and still fulfill library requests or conduct ostrich cloaking experiments.

Yeah, that's a pretty good point. Though that makes me wonder, has Jeph ever had any characters comment on the AI population? They seem pretty common despite how expensive it must be to manufacture their bodies. Though I suppose there could be many dozens of times more who exist without bodies. Hmmm

[Mechalich]

Yeah, that's a pretty good point. Though that makes me wonder, has Jeph ever had any characters comment on the AI population? They seem pretty common despite how expensive it must be to manufacture their bodies. Though I suppose there could be many dozens of times more who exist without bodies. Hmmm

He has not, and it's an ongoing problem. Northampton, MA has a population of around 28,000 human beings in the real world (and its population has been slowly falling for decades, having peaked at 30K in the 60s). We do know that the city supports at least one dedicated AI chassis store, since we've seen multiple characters utilize its services. This, along with Faye and Bubbles' ability to survive, however marginally, running an independent service and repair shop, suggests there must be thousands of AIs in the Northampton Metro. The hints at significant real estate market restructuring, such as the conversion of apartments to charging cubicles and the existence of an AI crime unit in the police force with multiple members, also imply that AIs are quite numerous.

The thing is, dumping say, 5,000 embodied AIs into Northampton would represent increasing the population by almost 20% over the course of a decade and AIs would immediately become the largest minority group in the city. This would impact every aspect of daily life in profound ways.

'What happens when the robots share our world?' is a very interesting question for a science fiction series. The problem is that QC is a slice-of-life comic based around relationship drama, and slice-of-life relies on the audience understanding the context in which the characters live, which is no longer possible in substantial ways.

[Vinyadan]

I love how the recent strips have added some 150 QC patrons I wonder, is it because of the new couple or the mommy milkers?

[The_Snark]

I dont think he is being depicted as outraged, he seems to be more shocked by the fact that his mom is a HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL streamer doing all this stuff.

That, and the sudden realization that he's live (sorta) in front of three thousand people. That is not a small thing, if you're at all introverted! Especially when what you thought you were agreeing to was a quiet, low-key evening hanging out with family. That is quite a bait-and-switch.

[Wraith]

Clinton: Let's do a search for "MommyMilkers420 real-life"
Clinton: The only results are for porn.

I know what you're trying to say Jeph, but that is not conveying the concept in the way that you were perhaps intending.

[eee]

Cow milf porn.

[Traab]

Its a very reasonable concern. Protecting your real life identity is very very hard on the internet. Every minor slip you make brings in more evidence in figuring out who you are and dealing with the random idiots or jerks out there. Its bad enough for non"famous" people like the average internet surfer. Internet mobs are like sherlock homes on meth when it comes to quickly following every clue to the solution when its someone with a following.

[Wraith]

Good on Clinton also, for putting aside his shock and surprise in order to ask a very relevant question in a non-condescending way. One of his first appearances in the comic was to go over-board and pester Hannelore in his 'enthusiasm', but today he has curbed that impulse instead of freaking out or preaching. It's almost like his 'character' has in some way 'grown' beyond his original portrayal, or something.

[RowenMorland]

But for whatever reason Northampton might have ended up becoming an AI embodiment town. It might even be because the human population is in decline so that it feels less like the new AIs in bodies are crowding people out of an area. It would also be super interesting to know how many AIs exist virtually waiting for a chassis, or content to remain virtual and what rate of propagation they have. There might be some other towns and cities associated with the physical hosting of bodyless AI and maybe some scene cities which the human type AIs are rarer but the more pintsize type models are more common.

[Max_Killjoy]

But for whatever reason Northampton might have ended up becoming an AI embodiment town. It might even be because the human population is in decline so that it feels less like the new AIs in bodies are crowding people out of an area. It would also be super interesting to know how many AIs exist virtually waiting for a chassis, or content to remain virtual and what rate of propagation they have. There might be some other towns and cities associated with the physical hosting of bodyless AI and maybe some scene cities which the human type AIs are rarer but the more pintsize type models are more common.

Indeed, a small city with declining population might have a number of unused buildings suitable for conversion to AI residences.

[Wraith]

I think the one and only surprise here is that Marigold isn't in fact SexDrawer69, no?

[Eldan]

Yeah, BurgerOni is a surprisingly normal name.

[Traab]

So is the upcoming drama clinton accidentally outing his moms identity by letting something slip in the chat? Because i feel like somehow thats going to happen.

[Shadow of the Sun]

I can only assume that the advances in technology that allow for AI have made it significantly cheaper and easier for vtuber models to be made and rigged.

[Mordokai]

So here's perhaps a weird question. Is there a list of character's appearances and number of comic in which they appeared? I would dearly love to read Hanners' arc again, because these new people are doing it less and less for me and after that, I guess I can leave QC behind me.

[Wraith]

The Questionable Content Wiki has pages for each of its characters, with a list of notable comics in the footnotes. Here's Hannelore's page, it shouldn't take long too find the start of the arc you want.

[VoxRationis]

I'm a mite confused; wasn't it that Angus was willing to give long-distance a shot, and Faye was not? Why is Angus suddenly the target of editorial criticism here?

[Maryring]

Yeah. I came here to say the same. It's unfair to blame Angus for something Faye wasn't willing to try.

[Wraith]

Genuine answer: It's not necessarily a criticism and maybe just an off-hand comment. Is Dan cooler than Angus? Could well be unrelated to relationship issues and just a matter of whether or not Dan can one-up some awesome He-Man boxer shorts.

Snarky answer: Faye is Jeph's darling and can do no wrong, that's why it's funny when she punches Marten, why Dora has to feel bad for firing her for being drunk at work, and why Angus is a jerk for selfishly wanting to make a career for himself.

Likely answer: Jeph forgot the specifics because that plot happened 4 years ago, and all he remembers is "Angus left, Faye stayed" and is rolling with it.

I kind of wish he would stop re-using plots, either way. He's already done the "long distance relationships are scary" thing with Marten (twice, if you include his back-story of how he came to town), and Faye, and now Rene. Do we *really* need to have the same premise rehashed each time, with one of each potential outcome explored?

[EDIT] Reddit has pointed out two things. One is that The Secret Bakery was started as a joke, and was Bizarro-World Coffee O Doom. Rene was Not-Faye, Padme was Not-Dora, Elliot was Not-Marten who was pining after Not-Faye, etc. This plot is literally Not-Faye going through the same sort of story as Actual Faye.

Second, Angus and Rene used to date. Angus' housemates sang "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" when they broke up. Possibly this is what is being referred to as 'cooler', in that Dan is less hung up on her attitude and it'll work out better for them?

[Taevyr]

Came here to say the same: Angus was the cool one in that situation, Faye just couldn't handle the situation.

[theangelJean]

Meanwhile over here, I'm wondering "Renee and the guy smiling at Brun had a plot point? When was that? Oh, his name is Dan, is it?" Yes, I do read this thing every day...