“You’re not perfect anymore. You have a small bruise on your face from when Ruth punched you. I’m sorry, but I could never date anyone as hideous as you.”
Sometimes I feel like reading these strips there is less of Danny-being-asshole and Ruth-dishing-out truths, and more of Willis slowly realizing he wrote things of that vein, and then causing stuff like this to happen. I mainly say this because while Dumbing of Age is beautifully smooth in its characters, a lot of times I read these characters, and sometimes wonder how the hell they got to such a situation. Danny I saw as ignorant, but never completely condescending, and I know reading this scene initially was just bizarre…
Wow…That last panel is super harsh. Seriously is anyone else kind of uncomfortable that Joyce leaves the room completely heart broken…and then Danny and Ruth start cracking jokes at her expense?
Seriously, call Joyce insane all you want but this comes off as just a little heartless and I don’t think it was intended that way.
I think that sort of reaction is common of sitcom shows and similarly styled comics. Think about how many situations in TV shows where something should have been really emotionally upheaving or damaging and then the characters just crack a joke or say some over-used cliche to “fix” everything. It’s not meant to be mean or dismissive, but if you really thought about it as if real people acted that way in real life, it would be terrible. Same thing goes for a lot of romantic stunts that characters do in movies and TV – they’re awesome in concept but in real life you would look at the person like they’re crazy.
Heh. So this is finally wrapping up, huh?
I gotta admit, that is kind of a weird way to do it. I was expecting her to just grow out of it. Maybe have her joke around a bit instead of just being a straight-up stalker girl, towards the end. In fact, I thought that was exactly what I was witnessing. Maybe that whole arc in which she matures up a bit was in the redux… It would make sense, I guess.
Congrats Ruth. Regardless of Joyce’s problems, you have just chased away Danny’s last remaining friend besides you, who need too much help yourself to be any kind of emotional support, and Joe, who thinks “emotional commitment” is a dirty word.
FREE AT LAST!
And all it took was getting punched in the face! Woo!
“You’re not perfect anymore. You have a small bruise on your face from when Ruth punched you. I’m sorry, but I could never date anyone as hideous as you.”
You be quiet! Danny’s beautiful!!!
… Or at least, I thought he was…
Oh my god, Joyce has reached sentienced and discovered the comments bard !
Stop the crack pairings and Run for your life !
Also, don’t let tell her about dumbing-of-age …
Now Joyce is off to pretend to be some deaf-mute and catch kids who get lost in the rye…
Dammit, I wanted to make that joke.
So did I!
Third!
ruth you would know, your criteria’s the same as joyce’s. and then there’s billy.
I’m sorry, but is Joyce having a stroke?
…of GENIUS!
Sometimes I feel like reading these strips there is less of Danny-being-asshole and Ruth-dishing-out truths, and more of Willis slowly realizing he wrote things of that vein, and then causing stuff like this to happen. I mainly say this because while Dumbing of Age is beautifully smooth in its characters, a lot of times I read these characters, and sometimes wonder how the hell they got to such a situation. Danny I saw as ignorant, but never completely condescending, and I know reading this scene initially was just bizarre…
“Why Ruth, I didn’t know you were going to change your name.”
Nah, but it would’ve been funny.
I’m sorry, but I cannot take this strip seriously when Joyce looks like that in the second panel.
2nd or 3rd?
Second. She looks less like a person who’s been hurt, betrayed, and/or disappointed, and more like a person deciding what to have for dinner tonight.
Dat mild puzzled face.
dat 2nd pannel
Wow…That last panel is super harsh. Seriously is anyone else kind of uncomfortable that Joyce leaves the room completely heart broken…and then Danny and Ruth start cracking jokes at her expense?
Seriously, call Joyce insane all you want but this comes off as just a little heartless and I don’t think it was intended that way.
I think that sort of reaction is common of sitcom shows and similarly styled comics. Think about how many situations in TV shows where something should have been really emotionally upheaving or damaging and then the characters just crack a joke or say some over-used cliche to “fix” everything. It’s not meant to be mean or dismissive, but if you really thought about it as if real people acted that way in real life, it would be terrible. Same thing goes for a lot of romantic stunts that characters do in movies and TV – they’re awesome in concept but in real life you would look at the person like they’re crazy.
It’s in character. Clueless Dan. And Ruth never has liked Joyce to begin with. Neither of them would really be concerned with Joyce’s feelings.
“You’re a phony because you don’t live up to my fantasies”
Ok there Joyce…
“You don’t live up to my fantasies because you’re a phony. (You weren’t a phony in my fantasies.)”
Fixed.
“Good perfect and Pure” were all the reasons why Danny was boring and occasionally a condescending jerk.
You know, it’s a shame Danny isn’t stalkers because they’re basically perfect for each other.
Heh. So this is finally wrapping up, huh?
I gotta admit, that is kind of a weird way to do it. I was expecting her to just grow out of it. Maybe have her joke around a bit instead of just being a straight-up stalker girl, towards the end. In fact, I thought that was exactly what I was witnessing. Maybe that whole arc in which she matures up a bit was in the redux… It would make sense, I guess.
Congrats Ruth. Regardless of Joyce’s problems, you have just chased away Danny’s last remaining friend besides you, who need too much help yourself to be any kind of emotional support, and Joe, who thinks “emotional commitment” is a dirty word.
No wonder Danny starts drinking.
Originally posted:
February 16, 1999