Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.
Or maybe she is, I like the idea of a Time Lord named Sal. The name is gender neutral enough to cover just about any regeneration (I’ve been acquainted with a couple short-for-Salvador Sal’s in my life. Fortunately the reasonable behavior of one redeemed the name from the UNREASONABLE STALKER ACTIVITIES of the other.)
Also important context.
(Though, personally, I think the thing Walky should be apologizing for is being dismissive of Sal’s feelings, regardless of the fact that she’s right).
The fun thing about unconscious/internalized bias is, it can easily be both. In fact, we’ve seen a bias that affects women of colour differently than men of colour, which is, “oh it’s too bad your let your hair curl (naturally), you look so much prettier with it long and straight.”
Depends on how you reckon it. Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday is indeed five days, but Saturday was four days ago. One day ago would be Tuesday, two days ago would be Monday, etc.
Directly? Making fun when she said her parents had always liked him better, and then calling her crazy when she said it was for racial reasons. Assuming Walky has decided she wasn’t entirely wrong–and this strip, plus the fact that he’s trying to apologize, suggests he has–he may also feel generally bad over his parents’ actions, and want to express that.
Then again, it’s Walky, so even if he really does want to say all that, I’m not taking bets that he has any idea what the words he’s looking for are, let alone getting them out of his mouth.
Well, last time he had the “apologize to Sal” script loaded in his brain, he had to talk to Billie instead.
Probably right now he has a “check on Billie” script loaded and is currently un-loading it to re-load the “apologize to Sal” one.
…Next time he’ll show up to talk to one of them, and have the script for the opposite one loaded, and end up muddled again when the right person answers the door.
For not doing the prank where they’d wear Victorian era clothing and stand at the end of long dark hallways and speak in tandem. Now everyone knows who they are and it won’t be as effective and he realizes that now.
last they really spoke, Walky had been dismissive of their parents showing favoritism to Walky, but since then, the more he has thought about it, the more he begins to see that there were cases when he was treated better by them unfairly.
Not even concidering that Sal might have a point concerning their parents. Or never contacting her when she got sent to Tennesse. Or always using her criminal past against her.
I still don’t buy the whole “you’re whiter than me” idea – only because it seems unlikely that one half of a mixed race couple would be racist even incidentally (not impossible mind you) – but it is clear that he was shown more favoritism early on. Maybe for being a boy?
Or it could be he was the younger one….now that one I can buy into because I’ve been there. Most times its the little ones that get the most attention and the older ones get to fend for themselves.
Whatever the reason I just hope that Walky and Sal work it out. Siblings shouldn’t let their parents failings turn them into bitter jerks with each other.
FOR THE LOVE OF FUCK!!!! Willis has confirmed, multiple times that Sal is entirely correct, we had hundreds of comments confirming behaviour exactly like what the twins have experienced, there were entire posts that linked to all the relevant strips and explained exactly what the problems were.
Just because you marry a black guy doesn’t automatically erase any racial bias you might have!
I know that he’s confirmed that Sal is correct about Walky being given favoritism, but do you remember approximately when he said is was specifically about color so I can look it up? It just seems strange to me that this would be about color since they’re, you know, the same color. Favoritism? Definitely. But… I really am having a hard time grasping how on earth Walky is ‘Whiter’. Skin tone is (Obviously) the same. Sal definitely has a very different personality, but it doesn’t seem ‘Stereotype Black’ (At least to me), it just seems like ‘Typical Rebel Loner.’
I get that mixed couples can still be racist, I get that favoritism was obviously shown, I just don’t remember the comic or Word of Willis saying that the favoritism was over race and my brain can’t figure out how it would be in the first place. Can someone please help me out here? I’m apparently wrong since the majority of the populous is saying what I don’t understand, but… Yeah. I’m confused.
It’s less associated with people classified as white, and when it does happen naturally, they (historically) get smacked down with discrimination as well. There’s a reason Merida’s unruly red curls had to be tamed down in “Brave” for her mother’s expectations of a “proper lady.”
Do we REALLY need to rehash the whole “President Obama is not black” bullshit to make this clear? Sal and Walky’s skin tone could belong to a wide variety of people of color. They happen to look a lot like my dad, who got his skin and hair color from people of mixed descent that included Native American and Middle Eastern immigrants. I’ve known people from India with a similar skin tone.
FWIW, their mother (you know, the gal who has white features) tried to include both of them for that TV spot – since that’s the end of the story arc, there’s no way to say if SHE made the decision to put Walky in, or if the agency did. Either way, there’s a better than average chance it was because of his straight hair, because “white” features have been consistently rewarded with more social status and benefits, especially in our country.
These parents think they’re wanting what’s “best” for their kids. “Best,” of course, being as close to the WASP male default as possible. It’s pretty abundantly clear that the closer you get to that image, the easier you skate through life in this country.
Let’s put it this way: Walky and Sal, both with their natural hair and their choice of clothes, are both walking (at separate times, not together) in the same urban neighborhood. (I’d make it in New York, but that’s too easy, since NYC’s “stop and frisk” problem is notorious. http://www.nyclu.org/issues/racial-justice/stop-and-frisk-practices ) Who’s going to be more likely to be stopped for no reason by police? Which one will have a “concerned citizen” rushing to call in an anonymous tip first? If they go to a local shopping mall, which one is going to have mall security tailing them from the time they walk in? If they’re a bystander to a violent incident or an act of vandalism, which one is more likely to be pegged as a suspect?
Their parents aren’t stupid. They see – and live – this bullshit EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Yes, it’s still misguided to favor a child who’s “more white” because of it, but it’s also misguided to favor a child who’s “less gay” because he’s not a target of anti-gay violence and discrimination, or to favor a child who dates “up” instead of “down.”
There are photos being circulated on Facebook RIGHT NOW (warning: graphic images https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/justice4avalynn ) of a little girl who got the shit kicked out of her on the playground at school and the adults there are doing NOTHING to her attackers because “no adult saw it” and it’s considered a “he said/she said” situation, with “no proof” she had the shit kicked out of her. THIS LITTLE GIRL IS SAL. Grab one of the normal-lighting pics (not the bright light washed out images) and set it next to a drawing of Sal. Compare those curls (both in their tamed and frizzy states) to Sal’s curls (both in their tamed and frizzy states). This is the reality people of color live in this country – and the Walkertons mistakenly believe that because Walky will automatically have it slightly easier that they can be harder on Sal to conform than they are on him. If that little girl had naturally straight, blonde hair and blue eyes, would it require a Facebook campaign to get ANY action taken on the child’s attackers?
Did you not look at the pictures? Those are either the best photoshops I have ever seen, or someone repeatedly hit that girl in the face with heavy blunt objects. Those are not consistent with falling off playground equipment which would have a single impact point or area, she has impact sites on the side of her head and the front of her head that obviously came from different directions. Notice the two black eyes and facial cuts around the eyes, but no impact damage to her nose that sticks out much farther than her eyes or cheekbones and would have made contact with the ground or playground apparatus had she injured herself.
Thank you, Opus. I am well aware of the Snopes link and various other “debunking” of this girl’s situation – that’s why I used quotation marks around the keywords used to debunk it, “no adult saw it,” “he said/she said” and “no proof.”
This little girl fell off the slide the way battered women fall down stairs.
Sorry about that, but I deal with LEO narratives that contradict physical evidence several times a week in my blog on bicycle safety (though not as often as I used to). I get a trifle excitable when I see that in other situations away from my normal job. It was almost as if I had some kind of compulsion… like OCD or something (SPOILER: I has CDO with the letters in alphabetical order AS THEY SHOULD BE)
omg I finally understand the whole hair arc thing. I was wondering why Sal was so sad about straightening her hair; now everything makes SO much sense. Wow, thanks!
Disregarding everything else, Walky himself says that he’s ‘generically beige’ while his sister is ‘black’. http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/03-answers-in-hennessy/kinky-2/
He sees the difference, even if he wasn’t willing to acknowledge it.
Also, color =/= race. I know people like to pretend it’s that cut and dried (especially white people, where white is default and non-white is a race). Yes, skin color can be the most apparent ‘difference’, but it’s not all there is.
Walky has “good hair” and he’s also better at school (which is associated with whiteness) and they basically blame Sal for not doing better.
When asked about their race, Walky said Sal was black while he was “generically beige”. Their skin tone may be identical, but their other features combine into two different outward personas. Walky “passes” but Sal doesn’t.
Note her black dad telling Sal her NATURALLY CURLY HAIR JUST LIKE HIS looks better straightened. Which he knows takes an intense amount of time and effort to maintain.
I can only think of the “excuse” that maybe Dad Walkerton [forgot his name] actually DOESN’T know, because maybe he was adopted and raised white, so he has zero clue about women’s troubles as specifically relate to his own race
The whole point of this arc is that racism can be subtle, and that people can have bias without trying that’s still hurtful. So if you’re waiting for their parents to stand up and yell “I hate black people! I am a card-carrying KKK member!” It’s not gonna happen.
There have been books written on the concept of “micro-aggressions”- the little things that seem innocuous but wear people down over time. Like how there’s usually only one black dude per major movie. You can argue all you want about the merits of the particular movie that has all white people, but when EVERY MOVIE (and tv show and ad etc) is about white people with maybe black people there as support, it really starts to fuck with you. Like Chinese Water Torture.
So yeah. Subtle racism is still racism. It’s not something the parents would ever explicitly endorse, but given Sal has lived in close proximity to them for decades, she is probably the best candidate to notice that shit.
In this case, it’s canon: the twins’ parents treated them differently, and Walky didn’t realize it at first. In fact, it was only driven home when he saw the cartoon and remembered that he’d been allowed to audition and his sister hadn’t.
oy, poc can be racist
white people who are in relationships with poc can be racist
gender has something to do with it as well, as the good/bad hair issue is more pronounced when it comes to women, since women are expected to always look “good”, but that’s really not the point
Why one half? Although on the family weekend her father, unlike her mother, the visible minority half of their parentage, did engage her he still made a comment on how her hair was prettier when whiter; obviously not phrased that way though however.
Everyone is a little bit racist, sexist, and just in general discriminatory not because of what they believe but we are all products of our society. I do not think that anyone can point me to an absolutely egalitarian culture anywhere in history.
Historically, I was a part of the conversation on soc.motss back in 1990 when the term was actually coined. (We had trolls galore, and somebody…Jess Anderson, maybe?…coined the term about a particularly noxious one.)
That’s the intended message. But some people apparently see any displays of affection between two characters as a sign that they wanna bang. Or refuse to let the expectation that true love = romantic partners be subverted (Elsa doesn’t end up with a guy; Kristoff does not save Anna because Elsa is her “true love” so Anna doesn’t really end up with him; therefore, Anna/Elsa OTP)
The interpretation of Let It Go as a “coming out” scene may feed into it, but I dunno.
But I may be overthinking this. Hell, there is a sizable group of people who ship Elsa with Jack from Rise of the Guardians, apparently solely on the basis of ice powers. They’re not even from the same universe!
Anna and Elsa is the main love story of Frozen. The most important thing, from the point of the story, is the two of them, and their relationship.
While I am a big fan of platonic love, I personally don’t think it is particularly unexpected that some people imagined the main players in a love story to be romantically entangled.
The problem is that a certain segment of the “shipoverse” can’t see any form of affection, or ANY intense emotional exchange, without being utterly convinced that the two characters harbor sexual notions about each other.
Thus, you get a story about the relationship between two siblings, and certain people are convinced it’s sexual. (Frozen, for example.)
Two characters who assuredly are not of the orientation to be attracted to each other, and who clearly loath each other to the core, and yet somehow certain people will think of their “relationship” in terms of secret sexual lust. (Harry and Draco shipping, frex — seriously, what the hell?)
I pretty much agree with you, Killjoy, and Gwalla above. I wouldn’t consider it a problem if it wasn’t as universal as it is – I don’t think it’s inherently wrong to enjoy just about anything sexually – but when that’s the only way so many people react to all relationships regardless of context, it does become worrying.
It’s been really nice for me to see two mainstream movies this year that I have seen that explicitly stated that their story of true love was a platonic one between two women – Maleficient and Frozen. It would be nice if more people recognized that.
I’m looking forward to seeing how this turns out. Walky generally coasts along pretty smoothly, so him having to put efforts towards this should be interesting.
It’s just not worth being depressed over people having different opinions. It’s silly when anyone is bothered by comments about a webcomic on the internet.
Awwww. I live their sibling relationship. It’s rough, but they’re trying to make it work. I’m glad Walky is trying to apologize and isn’t taking the easy way out. I’m glad Sal is willing to give him an out when she can see he’s trying.
The comments seem to have yet to produce anything that I would think would make Willis use that shot glass. I’m going for a smoke, let’s see what it’s like after.
On the end of the Walky and paler skin, I’m inclined to think most of this was unconscious on their parents part. THEY had to deal with racism and knew how it worked, so they made unconscious expectations that Walky would have it easier. So they put higher expectations on Walky than Sal. Sal, who sensed that she was expected less of, acted up–which created a vicious cycle. It’s also probable Walky being a man might have influenced them too as some parents think the male child will exceed the female even today.
Their skin is the same color– down to even having the same RGB values. Their different behavior and temperament are what set off the racial perceptions.
he’s flat out said it’s not true that they have different skin colors
sal has to straighten her hair for it to not look kinky, while walky naturally has pretty straight hair when it’s grown out
he says his sister’s “black”, but that doesn’t really have anything to do with skin color at that point
kinky hair is a black feature, plus sal “acts blacker”
I have to admit the whole acts blacker is something I, personally, don’t really get though not because it isn’t a thing. Hells I know I consume enough American media that I can’t deny that it is a thing but the area of Canada I am from the vast majority, from personal experience at least, of black people here are discriminated against for either being a recent immigrant, children of recent immigrants, or for being French.
He might, but it only seemed to happen in the past when he assumed there would be enough posts that he just wouldn’t agree with. Right now the comments here seem tame compared to what triggered that last time around.
I was not expecting this but I find it amazing, I like seeing close families and such so I was pleasantly surprised by her knowing what he wanted to say especially as they do not seem close at all. It may seem odd but this will help continue the good mood I have been in lately.
This is actually really sweet, on both their parts.
Sal, for recognizing what Walky is trying to do, and accepting it pointblank, and Walky for trying to power through anyways to the actual words even though his sister has already accepted it sight-unseen.
I… I just went over the ‘cast’ page, and found the profile of a certain ‘Carla’ I don’t remember at all. She seems to be rather suspicious… having no roommate that could suspect her! THEN I remembered we recently saw her nearly crashing into Danny…
…could it be that she was fleeing from an investigating Amazigirl?
Concerning today’s comic: I want to see them hug :3
Sal has done a lot of awesome and badass stuff so far, but I feel like this takes the cake. Forgiving someone like that takes some real strength.
And Walky’s being brave, which is cool.
It’s getting to the point where there’s so much stuff I want to see play out that I don’t know whether I want the comic to jump to a different group or not.
Sal’s sequence of faces is great. Annoyed with Walky (who isn’t), thinking about it and then some measure of forgiveness. Great visual storytelling. Bless you Willis.
Of course the chapter titled “Up all night to get vengeance” has just one big drama scene that peters out to nothing, and then turns into a huge sigh of relief with lots of hilarity and merriment and nose-picking vibrators.
Of course the chapter titled “The Whiteboard Dingdong Bandit” is a frikkin’ drama hurricane with possible the highest number of mood whiplashes in any chapter ever.
I’m certainly not complaining. I’ll take lots of mood whiplashes over constant depressing darkness any day. 😀
I enjoy the hovertext highlighting Walky’s verbal/emotional constipation… Walky is really taking steps to grow recently… assertive with Dorothy, trying to be supportive with Billie (despite his lack of experience) and now putting himself on the spot to take responsibility for his actions with Sal.
Has he been the character with the most personal growth so far?
The only part wrong here is purely a technicality. If sal shortened apology to ‘pology, chances are very high that accepted would also be shortened to ‘cepted.
Loading ...
Sibling chat.
this was not what I expected
You didn’t expect a sibling inquisition?
“Out chief weapon is motorcycles. Motorcycles and outrageous southern accents!”
“Marcie! Bring forth…the MALAYA!”
Look at them femurs!
“Motorcycles, outrageous southern accents, and basically being Batman!”
Three weapons…motorcycles, southern accents, being Batman and really cool gloves. Drat! I’ll come in again.
“Motorcycles, and motorcycle accessories”
I can’t not read that in a Hank Hill voice.
No one expects the Sibling Inquisition…
“It was FAR too inquisitive! It was supposed to be the Sibling Casual Chat!”
“I don’t know WHICH words, but… words!”
WORD!
Now you’re Amanda? Are you going to go through the entire female cast of EGS for your Grav?
Too soon to say, it’s possible though.
I was SUPPOSED to read that in a sterotypical, somewhat nasal, 90s voice, right?
Like totally! 😛
You totally sounded like Scootaloo in my head just then.
I approve….because Scootaloo is the Best Cutie-Mark Crusader!!!
Best pony comments should be grounds for banning.
^ Truth.
Just give me a second and I’ll totally word some words at you.
“Words Words Words” ~ Hamlet, Act II Scene II
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.
Also Gilbert and Sullivan, “full of words and music and signifying nothing“.
Siblings….
Walky is so adorkable on this one. He’s trying.
Take the understanding and run, Walky.
Time to pull out the plunger to unblock those words.
He’s gotta unpack his adjectives!
He probably should have stopped at Conjunction Junction first.
Taco Bell is good at unsticking plugged up things.
Dude, that’s a bold move he’s making. I’d almost tell him to quit while he’s ahead
Seriously. That’s about as much of an apology as I’ve given or received from my siblings in recent memory.
sibling apologies are THE. WORST. and so so hard – they know you better than anyone, and they know your evasion tactics too! tuffstuff!
Walky: “Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!”
Sal: “Well said.”
“Bla Bla Yap Yap Dribble Dribble Dribble”
“Lets consecrate this moment of goodwill with a good lunch-oh will you look at that. ;)”
Bah, and Walky says twin telepathy isn’t a thing.
“There was a poem I wrote that I put in the hood part of my Hoodie but I can’t quite reach!”
Well hurry it up, Walky! Sal ain’t exactly a Time Lord.
Or maybe she is, I like the idea of a Time Lord named Sal. The name is gender neutral enough to cover just about any regeneration (I’ve been acquainted with a couple short-for-Salvador Sal’s in my life. Fortunately the reasonable behavior of one redeemed the name from the UNREASONABLE STALKER ACTIVITIES of the other.)
or Salman–I knew one who preferred Sal
Aww, my heart goes to Sal for being able to read her brother
This.
Or maybe hanging around Marcie so much has taught her to pick up body language much better.
It especially makes a nice contrast to Walky never being able to read Sal at all (up to this point).
Wait… WHAT’S Walky supposed to be ‘pologizing for, again?
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/whitelady/
See previous comics for context.
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/02-i-was-a-teenage-churchmouse/professional/ I’d think is last one that makes sense.
Also important context.
(Though, personally, I think the thing Walky should be apologizing for is being dismissive of Sal’s feelings, regardless of the fact that she’s right).
His casual and flippant dismissal of Sal’s accusation that their parents favored him over her because he’s whiter than she is.
I still think that sexism would be a more likely explanation for the demonstrated favouritism than racism, were it not for word of Willis.
Either way, I like the way this is going.
The fun thing about unconscious/internalized bias is, it can easily be both. In fact, we’ve seen a bias that affects women of colour differently than men of colour, which is, “oh it’s too bad your let your hair curl (naturally), you look so much prettier with it long and straight.”
he completely dismissed sal’s feelings re: their parents showing clear favoritism to walky
I’m pretty sure this is going all the way back to the “you’ve always been the favourite” argument.
Which was . . . what? Three days ago now, in-comic?? I get so confused!!
Five days ago, this is Wednesday (comic time) and the argument was Saturday.
Thank you! I actually didn’t think I was that close! 😀
Depends on how you reckon it. Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday is indeed five days, but Saturday was four days ago. One day ago would be Tuesday, two days ago would be Monday, etc.
Directly? Making fun when she said her parents had always liked him better, and then calling her crazy when she said it was for racial reasons. Assuming Walky has decided she wasn’t entirely wrong–and this strip, plus the fact that he’s trying to apologize, suggests he has–he may also feel generally bad over his parents’ actions, and want to express that.
Then again, it’s Walky, so even if he really does want to say all that, I’m not taking bets that he has any idea what the words he’s looking for are, let alone getting them out of his mouth.
Well, last time he had the “apologize to Sal” script loaded in his brain, he had to talk to Billie instead.
Probably right now he has a “check on Billie” script loaded and is currently un-loading it to re-load the “apologize to Sal” one.
…Next time he’ll show up to talk to one of them, and have the script for the opposite one loaded, and end up muddled again when the right person answers the door.
I hadn’t considered it in that light. Poor Walky. He’s had a really rough day. Though this looks like it might be the start of something good.
I’m sorry for existing, I guess.
So long as it’s word vomit and not actual vomit.
Word to yo mother!
Their mother is the same person and is also kind of at the heart of the problem
Not a good idea to bring up their mom…actually its not a good idea for them to bring up anyone’s parents really.
Especially for a nickle.
Hopefully the way this ends: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hegox8IMr7o
yessssss
Patience Sal patience.
For what it’s worth, she’s absolutely showing patience by accepting the apology to begin with.
How do I words.
You words gooder to Walky.
What does Walky need to apoligize for?
For not doing the prank where they’d wear Victorian era clothing and stand at the end of long dark hallways and speak in tandem. Now everyone knows who they are and it won’t be as effective and he realizes that now.
I like the version of events better in your head. Lets go there.
last they really spoke, Walky had been dismissive of their parents showing favoritism to Walky, but since then, the more he has thought about it, the more he begins to see that there were cases when he was treated better by them unfairly.
Ahh true, thanks
Not even concidering that Sal might have a point concerning their parents. Or never contacting her when she got sent to Tennesse. Or always using her criminal past against her.
I still don’t buy the whole “you’re whiter than me” idea – only because it seems unlikely that one half of a mixed race couple would be racist even incidentally (not impossible mind you) – but it is clear that he was shown more favoritism early on. Maybe for being a boy?
Or it could be he was the younger one….now that one I can buy into because I’ve been there. Most times its the little ones that get the most attention and the older ones get to fend for themselves.
Whatever the reason I just hope that Walky and Sal work it out. Siblings shouldn’t let their parents failings turn them into bitter jerks with each other.
FOR THE LOVE OF FUCK!!!! Willis has confirmed, multiple times that Sal is entirely correct, we had hundreds of comments confirming behaviour exactly like what the twins have experienced, there were entire posts that linked to all the relevant strips and explained exactly what the problems were.
Just because you marry a black guy doesn’t automatically erase any racial bias you might have!
I know that he’s confirmed that Sal is correct about Walky being given favoritism, but do you remember approximately when he said is was specifically about color so I can look it up? It just seems strange to me that this would be about color since they’re, you know, the same color. Favoritism? Definitely. But… I really am having a hard time grasping how on earth Walky is ‘Whiter’. Skin tone is (Obviously) the same. Sal definitely has a very different personality, but it doesn’t seem ‘Stereotype Black’ (At least to me), it just seems like ‘Typical Rebel Loner.’
I get that mixed couples can still be racist, I get that favoritism was obviously shown, I just don’t remember the comic or Word of Willis saying that the favoritism was over race and my brain can’t figure out how it would be in the first place. Can someone please help me out here? I’m apparently wrong since the majority of the populous is saying what I don’t understand, but… Yeah. I’m confused.
Her hair is naturally curlier than his.
Apparently pinks can’t have curly hair.
It’s less associated with people classified as white, and when it does happen naturally, they (historically) get smacked down with discrimination as well. There’s a reason Merida’s unruly red curls had to be tamed down in “Brave” for her mother’s expectations of a “proper lady.”
Curly hair is also a mark of Jewish heritage, and antisemitism is unfortunately still present in our society.
white people generally do not have kinky hair, no
…Curly hair is kinkier?
sal doesn’t just have curly hair, she has kinky hair
Please explain to me the difference between curly hair and kinky hair, as they seem to be exactly the same thing to me.
read the link
There’s more to race than skin pigmentation. Sal has kinky, “natural” hair, while Walky’s is straight.
Also there may be other features that aren’t rendered in Willis’ art style, such as a wide nose or thick lips.
There you go – it doesn’t even have to be the strip where Sal outright spells it out for Walky, because their dad did it for her: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/appointment/
Do we REALLY need to rehash the whole “President Obama is not black” bullshit to make this clear? Sal and Walky’s skin tone could belong to a wide variety of people of color. They happen to look a lot like my dad, who got his skin and hair color from people of mixed descent that included Native American and Middle Eastern immigrants. I’ve known people from India with a similar skin tone.
When was the last time their dad commented on Walky letting his hair grow out curly, even though it looked nicer when it was straight? Oh, that’s right, he didn’t have to: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/02-i-was-a-teenage-churchmouse/professional/
FWIW, their mother (you know, the gal who has white features) tried to include both of them for that TV spot – since that’s the end of the story arc, there’s no way to say if SHE made the decision to put Walky in, or if the agency did. Either way, there’s a better than average chance it was because of his straight hair, because “white” features have been consistently rewarded with more social status and benefits, especially in our country.
Also: It’s not just the Walkerton parents who do this to their kids, if you hadn’t noticed. It’s just not always about race: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/placate/
These parents think they’re wanting what’s “best” for their kids. “Best,” of course, being as close to the WASP male default as possible. It’s pretty abundantly clear that the closer you get to that image, the easier you skate through life in this country.
Let’s put it this way: Walky and Sal, both with their natural hair and their choice of clothes, are both walking (at separate times, not together) in the same urban neighborhood. (I’d make it in New York, but that’s too easy, since NYC’s “stop and frisk” problem is notorious. http://www.nyclu.org/issues/racial-justice/stop-and-frisk-practices ) Who’s going to be more likely to be stopped for no reason by police? Which one will have a “concerned citizen” rushing to call in an anonymous tip first? If they go to a local shopping mall, which one is going to have mall security tailing them from the time they walk in? If they’re a bystander to a violent incident or an act of vandalism, which one is more likely to be pegged as a suspect?
Their parents aren’t stupid. They see – and live – this bullshit EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Yes, it’s still misguided to favor a child who’s “more white” because of it, but it’s also misguided to favor a child who’s “less gay” because he’s not a target of anti-gay violence and discrimination, or to favor a child who dates “up” instead of “down.”
There are photos being circulated on Facebook RIGHT NOW (warning: graphic images https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/justice4avalynn ) of a little girl who got the shit kicked out of her on the playground at school and the adults there are doing NOTHING to her attackers because “no adult saw it” and it’s considered a “he said/she said” situation, with “no proof” she had the shit kicked out of her. THIS LITTLE GIRL IS SAL. Grab one of the normal-lighting pics (not the bright light washed out images) and set it next to a drawing of Sal. Compare those curls (both in their tamed and frizzy states) to Sal’s curls (both in their tamed and frizzy states). This is the reality people of color live in this country – and the Walkertons mistakenly believe that because Walky will automatically have it slightly easier that they can be harder on Sal to conform than they are on him. If that little girl had naturally straight, blonde hair and blue eyes, would it require a Facebook campaign to get ANY action taken on the child’s attackers?
http://www.snopes.com/info/news/avalynn.asp
They don’t even know if there ARE attackers.
Did you not look at the pictures? Those are either the best photoshops I have ever seen, or someone repeatedly hit that girl in the face with heavy blunt objects. Those are not consistent with falling off playground equipment which would have a single impact point or area, she has impact sites on the side of her head and the front of her head that obviously came from different directions. Notice the two black eyes and facial cuts around the eyes, but no impact damage to her nose that sticks out much farther than her eyes or cheekbones and would have made contact with the ground or playground apparatus had she injured herself.
Thank you, Opus. I am well aware of the Snopes link and various other “debunking” of this girl’s situation – that’s why I used quotation marks around the keywords used to debunk it, “no adult saw it,” “he said/she said” and “no proof.”
This little girl fell off the slide the way battered women fall down stairs.
Sorry about that, but I deal with LEO narratives that contradict physical evidence several times a week in my blog on bicycle safety (though not as often as I used to). I get a trifle excitable when I see that in other situations away from my normal job. It was almost as if I had some kind of compulsion… like OCD or something (SPOILER: I has CDO with the letters in alphabetical order AS THEY SHOULD BE)
omg I finally understand the whole hair arc thing. I was wondering why Sal was so sad about straightening her hair; now everything makes SO much sense. Wow, thanks!
In the same strip it was brought up in! This isn’t new, it was a thing for like a month, how did you miss it?
Disregarding everything else, Walky himself says that he’s ‘generically beige’ while his sister is ‘black’.
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/03-answers-in-hennessy/kinky-2/
He sees the difference, even if he wasn’t willing to acknowledge it.
Also, color =/= race. I know people like to pretend it’s that cut and dried (especially white people, where white is default and non-white is a race). Yes, skin color can be the most apparent ‘difference’, but it’s not all there is.
Walky has “good hair” and he’s also better at school (which is associated with whiteness) and they basically blame Sal for not doing better.
When asked about their race, Walky said Sal was black while he was “generically beige”. Their skin tone may be identical, but their other features combine into two different outward personas. Walky “passes” but Sal doesn’t.
Note her black dad telling Sal her NATURALLY CURLY HAIR JUST LIKE HIS looks better straightened. Which he knows takes an intense amount of time and effort to maintain.
I can only think of the “excuse” that maybe Dad Walkerton [forgot his name] actually DOESN’T know, because maybe he was adopted and raised white, so he has zero clue about women’s troubles as specifically relate to his own race
yyyyyyyeah, not really buying it myself
I guess some of us missed where that confirmation was conveyed in the course of the comic itself.
The whole point of this arc is that racism can be subtle, and that people can have bias without trying that’s still hurtful. So if you’re waiting for their parents to stand up and yell “I hate black people! I am a card-carrying KKK member!” It’s not gonna happen.
There have been books written on the concept of “micro-aggressions”- the little things that seem innocuous but wear people down over time. Like how there’s usually only one black dude per major movie. You can argue all you want about the merits of the particular movie that has all white people, but when EVERY MOVIE (and tv show and ad etc) is about white people with maybe black people there as support, it really starts to fuck with you. Like Chinese Water Torture.
So yeah. Subtle racism is still racism. It’s not something the parents would ever explicitly endorse, but given Sal has lived in close proximity to them for decades, she is probably the best candidate to notice that shit.
It really, really does happen, whether you believe it or not.
Possibly relevant reading: http://racerelations.about.com/od/understandingrac1/a/internalizedracism.htm
Women can be sexist toward women, gay people can be homophobic.
Simply being a minority (or part of an interracial couple) doesn’t inoculate you from perpetuating society’s prejudices.
Oh [$DEITY] can gay people be homophobes. I think that describes half of the Tea Party, anti-gay marriage wing.
Hey, you’re the one from tumblr! Can I have your autograph?
In this case, it’s canon: the twins’ parents treated them differently, and Walky didn’t realize it at first. In fact, it was only driven home when he saw the cartoon and remembered that he’d been allowed to audition and his sister hadn’t.
oy, poc can be racist
white people who are in relationships with poc can be racist
gender has something to do with it as well, as the good/bad hair issue is more pronounced when it comes to women, since women are expected to always look “good”, but that’s really not the point
Why one half? Although on the family weekend her father, unlike her mother, the visible minority half of their parentage, did engage her he still made a comment on how her hair was prettier when whiter; obviously not phrased that way though however.
Everyone is a little bit racist, sexist, and just in general discriminatory not because of what they believe but we are all products of our society. I do not think that anyone can point me to an absolutely egalitarian culture anywhere in history.
Cough ’em up Walky heh.
Sister’s know.
Maybe if someone punch him in the gut like they used to in cartoons he would spit it out.
Uh oh, they got a strip all to themselves, now the incest shippers will come.
…Interesting Choice of words.
Can we get this comment buried, please?
Under replies?
Just imagine how pretty it would be. You wouldn’t be able to tell where one ended and the other began. XD
And when they’re hair’s all messy how will you be able to tell which is which. We know Walky’s growin’ some manboobs.
Them McNuggets have to deposit themselves somewhere. 😀
Like a shifting mass of smooth caramel skin and rivers of chocolate hair.
GET OUT OF MY HEAD
Did someone order a pallet of brain bleach?
No, but I ordered a case of mental floss last week. It hasn’t gotten here yet.
heheh, mental floss. I’m using that one.
mental_floss.
Historically, I was a part of the conversation on soc.motss back in 1990 when the term was actually coined. (We had trolls galore, and somebody…Jess Anderson, maybe?…coined the term about a particularly noxious one.)
Dude, did you reeeeally have to go there? LOL!
Nothing is sacred after people started shipping Anna and Elsa
Is this a thing? I know where it’s from, but I always interpreted the scene from the end of the movie as “love isn’t always about romance.”
That’s the intended message. But some people apparently see any displays of affection between two characters as a sign that they wanna bang. Or refuse to let the expectation that true love = romantic partners be subverted (Elsa doesn’t end up with a guy; Kristoff does not save Anna because Elsa is her “true love” so Anna doesn’t really end up with him; therefore, Anna/Elsa OTP)
The interpretation of Let It Go as a “coming out” scene may feed into it, but I dunno.
But I may be overthinking this. Hell, there is a sizable group of people who ship Elsa with Jack from Rise of the Guardians, apparently solely on the basis of ice powers. They’re not even from the same universe!
Good summary of why the “shipping” community makes me want to bang my head on my desk… repeatedly.
Anna and Elsa is the main love story of Frozen. The most important thing, from the point of the story, is the two of them, and their relationship.
While I am a big fan of platonic love, I personally don’t think it is particularly unexpected that some people imagined the main players in a love story to be romantically entangled.
The problem is that a certain segment of the “shipoverse” can’t see any form of affection, or ANY intense emotional exchange, without being utterly convinced that the two characters harbor sexual notions about each other.
Thus, you get a story about the relationship between two siblings, and certain people are convinced it’s sexual. (Frozen, for example.)
Two characters who assuredly are not of the orientation to be attracted to each other, and who clearly loath each other to the core, and yet somehow certain people will think of their “relationship” in terms of secret sexual lust. (Harry and Draco shipping, frex — seriously, what the hell?)
I pretty much agree with you, Killjoy, and Gwalla above. I wouldn’t consider it a problem if it wasn’t as universal as it is – I don’t think it’s inherently wrong to enjoy just about anything sexually – but when that’s the only way so many people react to all relationships regardless of context, it does become worrying.
It’s been really nice for me to see two mainstream movies this year that I have seen that explicitly stated that their story of true love was a platonic one between two women – Maleficient and Frozen. It would be nice if more people recognized that.
I actually stop to read this, now I wish I didn’t because that image is in my head .
Then Willis started taking those shots he was saving tonight.
When sibling rivalry turns into sibling revelry.
Not to worry, some of us have been shipping them since “It’s Walky!”
We were already here.
I’m looking forward to seeing how this turns out. Walky generally coasts along pretty smoothly, so him having to put efforts towards this should be interesting.
Well, the comment section will be hilarious, if nothing else.
more depressing than anything else, imo
but I bet tomorrow will be even worse, unless david cuts away again
It’s just not worth being depressed over people having different opinions. It’s silly when anyone is bothered by comments about a webcomic on the internet.
It can be kind of fun to watch though, in a way.
um… sorry for being bothered about racism?
You know, Willis might have the right idea with the Ruth coaster and the glass of Bourbon.
I thought the Ruth thingy was a mouse pad…
Ruth one one of the coasters that showed up in the Tumbler. He’s never sold them, unfortunately.
Awwww. I live their sibling relationship. It’s rough, but they’re trying to make it work. I’m glad Walky is trying to apologize and isn’t taking the easy way out. I’m glad Sal is willing to give him an out when she can see he’s trying.
Yeah, they do care about each other, it’s quite sweet that they try to kind of meet half way, between their differences.
I don’t say this often in regard to Sal, but….Awwwwww.
The comments seem to have yet to produce anything that I would think would make Willis use that shot glass. I’m going for a smoke, let’s see what it’s like after.
Willis is more likely to bury his sorrows by consuming loads of mash potatoes and sniffing permanent markers.
Did you know that when you draw an unkillable badass with permanent marker you can kill him with a regular dry-erase, no wait a minute…
You might have to take his femurs to do that.
Alcohol, lots and lots of alcohol. It’s the kryptonite of unkillable badasses.
Lots of alcohol and taking femurs…that sounds like someone I’ve read about recently
“……do you wanna build a snowman?”
That brings up… some really interesting parallels between the 2 stories…
“WOULD I???”
“Don’t you think it’s a little too hhhhhhot?”
Walky wanted to talk to Sal, and ended up having to talk to Billie.
Walky wants to talk to Billie, and now ends up having to talk to Sal.
You’d think that Walky would have a Pavlovian anxiety response to approaching that door by now.
Oh, I am sure he’s anxious as all hell. Walky doesn’t do feelings too great yet.
But I appreciate him trying!
Walky: Understand, it’s not ME to have Privilege! How was I supposed to know I had it!?
On the end of the Walky and paler skin, I’m inclined to think most of this was unconscious on their parents part. THEY had to deal with racism and knew how it worked, so they made unconscious expectations that Walky would have it easier. So they put higher expectations on Walky than Sal. Sal, who sensed that she was expected less of, acted up–which created a vicious cycle. It’s also probable Walky being a man might have influenced them too as some parents think the male child will exceed the female even today.
Their skin is the same color– down to even having the same RGB values. Their different behavior and temperament are what set off the racial perceptions.
I think Willis has said that’s flat out not true.
he’s flat out said it’s not true that they have different skin colors
sal has to straighten her hair for it to not look kinky, while walky naturally has pretty straight hair when it’s grown out
Walky: ‘Well, my sister’s brown. I’M generically beige.’
Or something to that effect.
he says his sister’s “black”, but that doesn’t really have anything to do with skin color at that point
kinky hair is a black feature, plus sal “acts blacker”
I have to admit the whole acts blacker is something I, personally, don’t really get though not because it isn’t a thing. Hells I know I consume enough American media that I can’t deny that it is a thing but the area of Canada I am from the vast majority, from personal experience at least, of black people here are discriminated against for either being a recent immigrant, children of recent immigrants, or for being French.
No real point here just random anecdotal stories.
she “acts blacker” by being a criminal/rebel
it’s not really black to be a criminal, but that’s what black people are associated with
No. He said their skin is the same color. Walky is not literally whiter, but figuratively, because of his behavior and personality.
About the RGB values or their parents being racist? Because the latter is canon per Willis.
Correction, both are canon. I’d forgotten about the first one being true.
It happens sometimes. Words won’t come out.
Better than wrong words, I guess.
Aw. It’s sweet of Sal to accept the intention, and sweet of Walky not to take the out. I’m looking forward with interest to see what he wants to say.
I imagine that Walky will say The Wrong Thing in his apology, fall over himself apologizing for his botched apology, and then screw up THAT apology…
…And I imagine Sal will probably still forgive him.
This is why I like Sal. She’s so cool!!
yes, sal, you are indeed cool
Sal fangirl/boy with a Sal avatar. You must be gushing at this point.
I didn’t notice..but now that I see…I’m so proud of myself.. err..I mean of Sal 😀
Awww. Sibling love. If there are actual words, hopefully we get to hear them. I’d be interested in a best attempt at apologizing for this.
Oh yeah, this is gonna be a big ol’ Walky monologue. I’m half-wondering if Willis will close the comment thread in an upcoming strip for this scene.
He might, but it only seemed to happen in the past when he assumed there would be enough posts that he just wouldn’t agree with. Right now the comments here seem tame compared to what triggered that last time around.
hmm where is billie indeed
All over Ruth.
I was not expecting this but I find it amazing, I like seeing close families and such so I was pleasantly surprised by her knowing what he wanted to say especially as they do not seem close at all. It may seem odd but this will help continue the good mood I have been in lately.
Well, the alternate dialogue is
“‘pology accepted.”
“What? NO! I wasn’t apologizing to YOU!”
“Then why else would you be standing here?”
kind of the “So, you stole the cookies from the cookie jar…” “WHAT WHO TOLD YOU??” “You did, just now.” effect
Epididymitis?
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedalophobia.
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
[I just wanted to write that]
The Walkertons is filmed in front of a live studio audience.
Who’s the Shortpacked!? is drawn by a live studio audience.
This is actually really sweet, on both their parts.
Sal, for recognizing what Walky is trying to do, and accepting it pointblank, and Walky for trying to power through anyways to the actual words even though his sister has already accepted it sight-unseen.
I… I just went over the ‘cast’ page, and found the profile of a certain ‘Carla’ I don’t remember at all. She seems to be rather suspicious… having no roommate that could suspect her! THEN I remembered we recently saw her nearly crashing into Danny…
…could it be that she was fleeing from an investigating Amazigirl?
Concerning today’s comic: I want to see them hug :3
She would totally have gloated about it, tho.
Carla’s been in a dozen other strips.
I’m impressed, this is already going better than I expected
Sal has done a lot of awesome and badass stuff so far, but I feel like this takes the cake. Forgiving someone like that takes some real strength.
And Walky’s being brave, which is cool.
It’s getting to the point where there’s so much stuff I want to see play out that I don’t know whether I want the comic to jump to a different group or not.
Anyone else rubbing their forehead as they read some of the comments here about how people think racism works?
Strangest sense of deja vu. It’s almost like a discussion that’s already been had here before…
And we need to have again. This is how we learn. And different people drop in and out of the conversation and need to express their views.
Nothing wrong with that. It’s the only way we can learn. Remember, a “conversation about race” involves two or more sides, not a lecture.
can’t wait to hear the other side of racism
Of course there’s more than one side, it’s not just a black and white issue. (i’m so sorry)
But of course! There is also Green, Yellow, Blue and Red!!!
My favorite is Well-read.
I can. (Careful what you wish for.)
Aw, yay Sal. And yay Walky.
Sal’s sequence of faces is great. Annoyed with Walky (who isn’t), thinking about it and then some measure of forgiveness. Great visual storytelling. Bless you Willis.
D’awwww, fourth panel Walky.
Only a couple of days have passed in this comic but it’s been a while since I’ve seen Sal…sometimes I hate floating timelines
Of course the chapter titled “Up all night to get vengeance” has just one big drama scene that peters out to nothing, and then turns into a huge sigh of relief with lots of hilarity and merriment and nose-picking vibrators.
Of course the chapter titled “The Whiteboard Dingdong Bandit” is a frikkin’ drama hurricane with possible the highest number of mood whiplashes in any chapter ever.
I’m certainly not complaining. I’ll take lots of mood whiplashes over constant depressing darkness any day. 😀
damn, I wonder how bad the comments will be in the next few strips when walky and sal are actually talking about it
I enjoy the hovertext highlighting Walky’s verbal/emotional constipation… Walky is really taking steps to grow recently… assertive with Dorothy, trying to be supportive with Billie (despite his lack of experience) and now putting himself on the spot to take responsibility for his actions with Sal.
Has he been the character with the most personal growth so far?
*suddenly thinks of “cooties to boner in 60 seconds”*
Get out now kid. The apology in her head is probably better then yours. Don’t pull a Danny now when your about to be in the clear!
Dave Willis – that cartoon is seriously the sweetest “dumbing” you’ve done yet……………
The only part wrong here is purely a technicality. If sal shortened apology to ‘pology, chances are very high that accepted would also be shortened to ‘cepted.