Happy Father’s Day, Dad
on January 14, 2020 at 1:01 amChapter: Walkercise
Location: The Walkertons' Texas home
some folks are upset when their parents start dating other people but on the other hand walky’s mom did split him and his twin sister up and then essentially let aliens tear their DNA up to get them ready to give their lives for the martian apocalypse so i suppose he might be ready to sell his dad off
This is pretty… yikes. I mean, it was yikes in Shortpacked! too, but it’s a lot funnier when it’s Yoda and Luke Skywalker instead of Walky and his dad. Yeesh
… What the hell, Walky?
For me, the most disturbing part of this comic is the dead look in the neighbor’s eyes. Like, Walky insults her, and she just creepily smiles.
That isn’t an “i’m into dirty talk” smile – that’s an “I have been programmed to smile for your pleasure beep boop” smile. **shivers**
I guess she doesn’t think it’s an insult. Possibly:
1. She doesn’t understand what anyone is saying, but she is glad somebody recognized her for once. I mean, the poor woman doesn’t even have a name!
2. She’s actually working as a prostitute in her neighborhood, no stigma attached. We know you can buy them off-the-shelf at Walmart in this universe, so why not?
I just think Walky approached her and she thought it was funny as he’ll and wanted to see his father’s reaction.
*ahem* SEX WORKER
I thought sex worker was a more general term rather than a more polite name for the same thing. The Shortpacked! comic I’m referencing explicitly called them prostitutes; is that offensive? I don’t mean to be using offensive terms, and apologize if so.
I’m saying she could be a sex worker in general
There are all kinds of sex workers. Sex Accountants. Sex Health and Safety Inspectors.
Fluffers.
Yes, “Sex worker” is the respectful term (used by those who believe they deserve basic human rights) that broadly covers anyone for whom sex and/or their sex appeal is the main focus of their job, including strippers, escorts, the type of massage therapists who give “happy endings” (fewer of those than you might think, if you judged by how many Asian-owned massage businesses racist cops decide to harass and claim they’re brothels after the fact) also porn stars, etc.
Fun fact: It was not so long ago that the professions of “actress” and “prostitute” were synonymous (think “Moulin Rouge” (2001)). They didn’t become separate professions until the advent of motion pictures… and when you consider what a lot of early actresses had to do to get their parts, the line was still a bit blurry even then.
There’s been some prominent sex workers trying to reclaim the word “whore” and make it friendly and inoffensive, much like the gays have reclaimed “queer”. Part of their reasoning is the following:
“Prostitute” is kind of disputed. Most people outside the profession don’t consider it a slur in and of itself, but many sex workers feel this word is strictly a legal term that pre-supposes they are a criminal. They’d expect to hear it in a courtroom, but are offended to hear it in the bedroom.
Those are the same eyes as everyone else in this comic. You’re projecting.
I remember this was one of the first J&W strips I ever read. I thought it was simultaneously dumb as hell but very funny. And now all these years later… yup, still both those things.
She could be working as a prostitute and Walky’s dad’s next door neighbor at the same time, I suppose.
Do prostitutes only cost 50 bucks? That feels pretty cheap, i’m like 90% sure that she was interested even before she was offered cash.
(Btw, how casual Walky is with this is legamately funny)
Inflation.
This was always one of my favorites. Wish my kids were that considerate. lol
Is Linda in jail or just divorced or just taking a time alone?
She got a life sentence after the events of It’s Walky!.
Remembering “oh right, Walky’s mom is in prison” is one of those things that remind me how well-adjusted Walky and Joyce turned out despite how much crap they went through.
Though looking at this strip, I might need to re-calibrate my definition of “well-adjusted”.