Vegetto/Gogeta have always been fucked up situations, in the same way Vegeta/Goku has always been a fucked up couple (even moreso after Dragon Ball Super).
Being fucked up has never stopped anyone from shipping it, though. :3
I gotta say im not too fond of “too many birthdays”, partially because it contains the only continuity error ive noticed on the show – Pearl saying that she likes pie
I helped write a cut of the first season that’s meant to introduce new viewers without tripping over the Frybo/Catfinders stumbling block- check out Flood Order
Be prepared for fluffyness, space magic, and having your still beating heart ripped out of your chest and stomped into meat chunks in front of you.
Also shipping. Dear Lord, the shipping…
It’s not the show that has gotten worse and worse, it’s the fans. It’s a cliché that fandoms are bad, yes, but in this one it is especially true with a vengeance. Watch it, form your own opinions about it, and ignore the fandom. I’d say give it a season and then decide if you’re into it.
I don’t know what Sepu. here may be referring to exactly, though it is true that SU has a history of handling its black-coded gems pretty badly. Of the seven gems voiced by black actresses (Jasper, Sugilite, Sapphire, Sardonyx, Malachite, Bismuth, and Garnet), four were brutish antagonists, two of whom were pretty much only featured in one-off episodes.
Plus, Bismuth was punished in-episode for more-or-less saying, “There’s no reasoning or turning the other cheek with an enemy that won’t listen and only wants to destroy us; our only option is to meet force with force”, and then the big twist of the season was “Oh, actually, killing is OK sometimes.”
A post online summed up the problem with SU that’s becoming harder and harder to ignore. I think it went something like:
Person: *on fire* Help me steven I’m on fire
Steven: No 🙁 If I harm the fire… wouldn’t that make us just as bad?
Person: I’m dying steven
As a queer Asian-American woman dying for representation (actual factual lesbian relationships and NB characters treated in positive/neutral lights, plus a rad South Asian best friend character and 5 Asian voice actresses in major roles? Sign me TF up!) and as a big sucker for angst and lore, I really appreciate SU. As a critical viewer, though… I hate to admit it, but especially recently, the show’s getting more stale, formulaic, and just generally “eeeehhhhhh eeeurghh”. Late season 1 was great, season 2 was even better, season 3 had fantastic episodes but also started showing cracks, and season 4 is just… well, awful. It’s at the point where pretty much the only reason I’m still watching the show is in the hopes of an episode where things will turn around, but it seems more and more likely that the golden days of SU are past. In the meantime I’m just cringing whenever Steven walks onscreen. Excuse me for all the words.
Give me a break. You are talking as if the inconsistencies between how Steven thinks one should act and what Rose did, not to mention Rose’s various deceptions and hypocricies aren’t the POINT of those episodes, and thus you are treating one of the show’s greatest strengths as if it was a weakness.
Also Season 4’s 10 episodes so far contain had 2 of my all-time favorite greatest episodes in the whole series yes, Mindful Education and Last One Out of Beach City.
I think their point is it’s bad that they (spoiler) killed off the black coded character and treated them like the bad guy when they later admited they were right, by saying the white coded character did it.
If a show presents a protagonist as the audience surrogate, then doesn’t properly signify when said protagonist is not in fact voicing the desired opinion, it is not the fault of the audience for misinterpreting the intent of the episode.
This is why the Doctor Who episode Voyage of the Damned turned many viewers off by essentially presenting The Doctor as a messiah/god none-too-subtly. Though the overarcing theme of the tenth Doctor (and that season in particular) was his tendency to think himself better than everyone else, and his final episodes (especially The Waters of Mars) were built around beating that out of him, it took a rather long time to get to that point and not everyone realized that Voyage of the Damned was not saying
“I am the Doctor, and I am a god”
but rather
“The Doctor has fallen so far to vanity that he thinks himself a god”
“If a show presents a protagonist as the audience surrogate, then doesn’t properly signify when said protagonist is not in fact voicing the desired opinion, it is not the fault of the audience for misinterpreting the intent of the episode.”
The episodes about Steven learning that Rose did questionable things are all about his image of her cracking, though. That is what he voices.
Plus we know very little about what Rose did. Bismuth was specifically interested in killing. Not being willing to kill if necessary, but intentionally killing–even though for Gems that’s more difficult than incapacitation. Her plan was to be less effective of a fighter as long as she got to kill; that’s not the same thing.
Remember that all of the Crystal Gems except Steven–so including herself–were with the bad guys first.
Also she turned tried to murder an ally that argued with her. It’s implied she did so twice.
Yeah, I just can’t help but read the combination of the “Don’t fight hate with hate” message with punishing a black-coded character as vilification of BLM.
I… find that a super odd interpretation. Mostly because, BLM *does not* fight with hate. BLM has actual proposed solutions from societal problems. I consider myself a member of BLM, if a lose organization of activists can have a membership. BLM doesn’t fight with hate at all. BLM doesn’t fight with murder. BLM fights with *truth*.
Making a scene where a character tries to promote murder as the only solution into an allegory for BLM strikes me as really, really gross and something that could only go on in the minds of people who don’t understand what BLM is (like my racist parents).
I also am pretty grossed out by people calling characters “black coded” because they have black voice actors. I mean, your interpretations of characters are up to you, of course, but saying, “I dislike this character, therefore they are *black*.” seems super shitty. Jasper, for example, reads absolutely as white to me. I don’t care what skin color her voice actor is. If white actors can play black and Asian characters, black voice actors can play white characters. (And I’ve watched shows where black actors did Asian voices as well. It’s voice acting, your ethnicity need not match the character’s ethnicity if you have flexible skills). Jasper is coded white to me. Bismuth feels coded black, but that’s because she has dreads and she’s not doing anything special with her delivery to make it “sound” white (Jasper is doing a particular voice, IMO).
Anyway, all this does feel like a confirmation that it’s the fans that are messed up, not the show.
You should – SU is a great series thus far. As a bi/lesbian mother, it is really neat to be able to show my child a TV show with positive lesbian characters. Plus general good writing, good characters, and a love for both Eastern and Western animation.
as the Gems come from a race/species that only has one gender. I’m not sure the labels Bi or lesbian would apply as they would not have a concept of the dichotomy of a dual sexed species prior to their arrival on earth.
No, it’s absolutely not a negative trait. It’s nto something to do with everyone,b ut holy shit, analyzing every little detail is not a bad thing, at all. I’m super glad your fiancee shares your interests in doing it, but y’all are both fine and dandy. It’s good some folks will actually looka t this shit.
Attention to fine detail is not a negative trait. It is positive, albeit approaching the infinitesimal, to better notice the fine details on that small scale.
Her sister trying to hook them up may have given her that impression. After all, presumably Roz would know Robin better than Leslie right? So if Roz wants to hook them up, surely Roz believes they’re capable of being hooked up, so why not believe her?
Star Trek AU: Leslie runs Ten-Forward and Dorothy is captain. Walky is a below-decks ensign who spends all his time making the replicator make chicken nuggets.
Well, Robin’s been flirting something hardcore, has made a number of suggestive statements, loudly tried to proclaim her straightness in a wholly unbelievable way, and then there’s this strip, which…
I mean, asking someone what “messing up would entail” in this context? And certainly that flushed face when Leslie leans in close?
Yeah, if there’s a context in which that is 100% straight, I’d love to see it, cause I don’t think it’s possible.
It’s like saying Asari who mate with other asari aren’t in a lesbian relationship. Technically yes…but no lawyer would try to take that argument to a jury.
Is this a reference to something? It’s funny on its own, but it seems like there’s something I’m missing. Like maybe some previous commenter said this stuff in earnest?
Until a couple strips ago, it was just wishful thinking (as she admitted to Dorothy a while back). I think she has plenty of reason to suspect it now, though
I’d say that Roz saying she’d help them hook up and Leslie should show more cleavage for it was a pretty big clue.
It’s never been explicitly stated and it could theoretically still be false, but everyone involved has been acting on the assumption Robin’s queer since the very beginning of this arc so long ago.
I can only assume that as family Roz has seen enough hints over the years to be pretty sure.
In this modern age of internet and aggressive media, when she herself is being so aggressively robin? Just after she loudly asserted her heterosexuality complete with miming demonstration?
She just needs to draw attention to herself. The rest follows.
All of this assumes that the people who actually voted for her really care. Okay, I admit that sounds pretty unbelievable. Cause a politician who’s supporters don’t blink no matter what outragous things they may have said or done couldn’t possibly be real.
Dude, I can see someone make a vid of the weird lady in a bar loudly yelling about sucking dicks no problem. Someone will recognize her when its posted.
My mental picture of my Congressman is actually a dog, because of a campaign mailing he sent out back when he first ran for the seat Bernie was vacating. I have no real idea what the dude actually looks like.
I would definitely recognize his predecessor, though.
And lo, upon finishing the episode Jailbreak, Robin’s eyes are open and never again did she allow anti-gay bills to pass. And once again, the day was saved, thanks to…the Crystal Gems!
I want to ship this, I really do, but Robin has been so shitty. Just in general with her politics and to Leslie. *sigh* I really hope she grows as a character so that my brain will let me ship this lol.
Plus, we can’t affect who we fall in love with, though I imagine her common sense is fighting her every step of the way and telling her what a flaming train wreck this would be (and oh man, it would be such a flaming train wreck).
Ah, well, they’re hardly the first in this comic to fall into an obvious train wreck while plowing full steam ahead because of horniness and self worth issues.
Ruth/Billie and Sal/Jason have like 3-4 years on them by now, don’t they?
Heck yeah. I’ve nearly gone from “I can’t ship this until Robin gets her act together” to “I can’t ship this because I want Leslie for myself.” And I don’t think I’ve had a crush on a cartoon character since Michaelangelo the Ninja Turtle when I was eight.
It is highly unlikely that Robin knows it off the top of her head. She’s already agreed to do something about him though.
Ensuring Robin focuses long enough to actually do something will require staying in contact with her so she can be reminded (and motivated, if necessary). Smooching is not necessary to this but may be unavoidable
Robin doesn’t know a name and she got more than she had any reason to expect with Robin promising to at least give a fuck about it when she gets back. Beyond that, there’s little she can do except go back in time and make her the sort of candidate who actually in-depth takes an interest in the random interns who work for her.
She doesn’t need the pic. There was an incident, remember. Robin knows who she’s talking about, she just doesn’t know his name.
“The one who got attacked by a superhero right in front of you” should be sufficient.
That’s precisely why it’s enjoyable. Were these real people (one of whom you know and care about), yes, it would be an in-process train wreck. But as presented, it has all the ingredients for a story that’s compelling and promises to be more so.
As someone who likes the show, that is definitely third or fourth date material in my book. Mainly because otherwise you will end up fighting with each other over ships.
I’m still annoyed a part of me really wants Robin to become evil. To make the true choice to the Dark Side and slay all the children in the Jedi Temple. You know, because the Tuskens didn’t count.
SU, one of the best shows on television, and probably more grown-up (as in actually grown up and adult and mature… not in the “slipshine” way either) shows when it comes to plain old human relationships of all kinds. Parents and kids, friends, love, etc.
Funny that in today’s media it takes a kinda retro-animated cartoon about aliens made of crystal and light… to be grown-up about human relationships
This might be against want a lot of people want but I really hope these two don’t get together in this universe. They were together is Shortpacked! wasn’t what enough?
but i SP! iirc, them getting together was kind of random and rushed, and it was the them-being-together that we got to see more of… this feels very different
Panel 1: Hey, there self-respect, good of you to make a reappearance before you get too entangled in an utter dumpster-fire of a relationship with an entire machine of bigotry desperate to push you into the closet and disavow you as an evil temptress.
It’s likely the best for your overall long-term emotional health.
Panel 2: Yup, it has been. I know why she did it and Robin’s offers have just been enticing enough to defeat her common sense and all the abuse that leaks out of Robin. And good on Leslie on recognizing that things progressing any further will go up in flames.
*lights match*
What this? Oh, it’s nothing.
Panel 3: I’d love to see Robin’s inner monologue here. Is it her making a choice to push past the point of no return. Is it her starting to overcome whatever programming she has received from the culture she has surrounded herself from. It it her own crush not wanting to see Leslie fully walk out of her life without doing something to stop it?
I dunno, but, oh dear, who spilled all my shipping gasoline everywhere. This is really dangerous, every-
Also, so so true. Falling in love with someone who is guaranteed to be trouble for you, but trying anyways because the crush is so strong? That’s real. And also guaranteed to be a disaster.
Panels 4-5: And there it goes up in flames. Oh, it’s going to burn both of them and bad. Robin because I guarantee there is at least one phone already up to record her sucking dicks monologue. And Leslie because this is guaranteed to end in disaster for her, in dehumanization at the hands of Robin’s campaign if not her personally.
And at best it will involve a relationship of delicately extricating the closet of a person whose entire mode of being at the moment is depending on staying as firmly closeted as humanly possible and is wanting to deny the reality for herself despite the obvious evidence.
But Bob damn do they both look amazing together in this tragedy.
Panels 6-8: Yes, Robin, you are very very straight. You don’t at all look like you are five seconds from jumping Leslie’s bones. Well done.
Also, oh man, no matter what else happens, you know that’s ending up on the front page in some local paper. (Ooh, this would be an amazing time for Daisy to happen to be hanging out in the bar).
Panel 9: I love love love that Steven Universe has become a sort of universal queer touchstone of late. Like, it really has become the thing that almost all the queers, young and old seem to bond over or at least are aware of. And that creates a sort of shared language and community.
And it ties into our relationships as well. My financee and I really got together and serious overanalyzing Steven Universe together and my girlfriend and I have spent a number of dates just cuddling while watching an episode or two.
So, yeah, it’s a joke, because Robin was strongly suspecting and craving Leslie to kiss her, but in another way, it’s not, because many a successful queer first or second date has occurred over a couple of episodes.
Leslie has now taken the invitation and passed that line of no return. And it’s gonna cost her. But at the same time, I’m kinda rooting for her. It’s a hell of a redemption arc and it’s likely to be not at all worth it, but those final panels… I want to root for it, nonetheless.
Even though all it will engender is flames and pain and suffering.
You’re right; this is going to come out in an uncontrolled way. I’m guessing that Robin has about a week before she’s pressured to stand aside as the GOP’s candidate so that “the election can be decided on the issues rather than scandal-mongering by the irresponsible gutter press”. She’ll then probably ride Rince Preibus’s boot out of the door of RNC headquarters and her entire political career will be run through a wood chipper.
As a girl, this is probably where most guys would have run away, too.
You just need to find yourself someone who actually shares your interests / thinks that trying to see if your interests are compatible is good first date material.
She most absolutely is not. I mean, don’t get me wrong, she’s super immature, but I think that the sweet salve of time has glossed over just how freaking immature robin was when their relationship started out in Shortpacked!. It was a long, long time before Robin was actually -good- for Leslie.
Leslie seems much more in the driver’s seat this time around, which is pretty much the only reason I’m not all DO NOT WANT about this, given how awful this universe’s Robin is.
Leslie was there because of a crazy scheme that Robin tried to pull on Ethan. She was not expected to stay & get to be a character in her own right. There was a lot of unresolved sexual tension on her part & Robin just strung her along without seeming to care for her.
The point is probably that SP! Leslie *also* deserved better, but she may not have realized that. DoA Leslie is hopefully wise enough to keep Robin at a distance.
I can confirm this would make an excellent first date.
Had myself a first kiss with someone after meeting up with them and watching the Jailbreak episode. (DON’T WORRY THEY SAW ALL THE ONES LEADING UP TO IT FIRST, GAWD, what kind of monster do you think I am).
Willis made up at least two animated tv series for the DoA cast to fan-girl over, but Leslie’s favorite series is a real one, Steven Universe, because oh my God of course it is. Willis couldn’t make up a more perfect series for Leslie if he tried. It has everything she loves.
Okay, I gotta be honest, that’s an awesome courtship. I don’t much care for this Robin (I see potential for her story, but as a person, just don’t like her) and I think Mr. Willis has stated a rule that romantic relationships in other strips won’t be repeated here. But, that is an awesome courtship. I don’t even watch Steven Universe.
That might be one of the better ways to seduce me, introduce me to one of your favorite binge-watchable shows.
He said he’s trying to avoid Walkyverse relationships, but little nods to them seem to be okay, and he said he might reconsider a ship if he’s not happy how he wrote them originally (ex. Ruth/Billie).
I think he said no repeats *unless he thinks he can do better*, like with Amber and her dad. That leaves just enough room for this to go either way and for him toy with us mercilessly
Anyway, a thing to keep in mind is that I said I didn’t want to do repeats SIX YEARS AGO. Six years later, I might have distance enough from some older material to feel like I want to try something over again.
I mean, that doesn’t necessarily have to do with this week’s strips, it’s just something, y’know, to keep in mind. Proooobably the worst day to “clarify” this, as far as appearances go? But I’m doing it anyway.
it’s like how in movies they can run away from explosions, and the explosion in this metaphor is the ever-expanding line of Stuff You Wrote Which You Now Hate
Dear New Writer,
Having read your manuscript for possible paid publication, we at Vanity Publication Inc. can honestly say that we find your writing has the dynamic range of famed Internet comic artist and pornlord, David Willis’s comic, LAWsome. …
Sure I said I wouldn’t kill off a major character because the mourning would last so long in real time, but that was seven years ago and now I’ve explored the original character relationships and am comfortable with a jump two years forward in time.
((Have your DAMN YOU WILLIS’s prepared just in case))
Robin ALSO isn’t a lesbian. She’s on the bisexual spectrum, or, in her own words ‘kinda indefinably queer’. The only ‘totally lesbians’ we have are Becky and Daisy. Possibly the girls on Joyce’s floor, but we can’t be sure.
This! Is! Happening!
Yes Leslie! Corrupt her with your gay agenda, slowly bit by bit! First you start by watching Steven Universe but before she knows it you’ll be crying at Korrasami ending in Legend of Korra!
This is a great example of comic-crafting. It could have stopped after literary any panel, with slightly different tone and emotional end points. Just imagine if the fifth panel had been the last.
Is steven Universe on netflix?
cause…
Netflix and Chill is in their future. or should be.
Well assuming I am understanding the colloquial meaning of that phrase. I honestly don’t know, even if English is my primary language pop phrases confuse me.
That aside, we’ve just seen demonstrated just how dangerous it is to ‘hang out’ with someone on whom you’re crushing without a third wheel. A little alcohol to lubricate matters and you might find yourself forgetting that they’re a jerk and that you really don’t want to pursue matters with them.
Not lose her job but sleeping with Robin would rob her of any credibility she has in the eyes of her students. I mean how seriously would you treat someone calling for equality and abolishing racism while at the same time they were going to a Ku-Klux-Klan dinner?
Teachers can properly teach only if they are at least Somewhat respected by their students. If they don’t have that they won’t be treated seriously. Especially when we are talking about something as sensitive as gender studies and homosexual rights.
“Why, they must be as sentimental as a man who thinks a woman is in love with him if she blushes. That’s a test from the circulation of the blood, discovered by the immortal Harvey; and a jolly rotten test, too.” — GKC, The Wisdom of Father Brown
It is however a common shorthand in visual media. Whether it’s actually true in real life or not is irrelevant.
Doesn’t necessarily mean love of course. At this point, attraction is sufficient.
Cerberus makes a good point up-thread. What’s the bet that tomorrow’s scandal sheets (and this evening’s gossip websites) will be full of Representative Robin “Family Values” DeSanto (R-IN9) in a lip-lock with a renowned liberal academic and LBGTQ+ rights campaigner.
I’m thinking that Robin will be riding the toe of Preibus’s boot out of the door by the end of the week.
What’s the date inside the comic? I think it’s mid or late October leading up to the election, since Robin is still campaigning.
IIRC, Indiana is like most states. A candidate can’t be kicked off the ballot once they’ve won the primary. If Robin is elected, she could only be removed via a lengthy, complicated process.
If this costs Robin her seat, it’s because mass number of her expected voters went third-party or wrote in a candidate.
First of all: Straight guy here, came into Steven Universe late and got hooked on it. This has happened to me with all the really good CN originals of the past few years: Adventure Time, Regular Show, We Bare Bears…hell, even Teen Titans Go has a lot in it that makes you realize it’s not just for kids.
I’m not all that surprised to see Robin and Leslie going in this direction. Remember, Willis has said characters’ orientations are the same as their Walkyverse counterparts’, and, when WV Robin and WV Leslie were broken up, and someone said Robin was “straight, with an exception.” Which would suggest that Dumbiverse Robin is only interested in Leslie, and hasn’t been with women in the past. I’ve never met anyone with this particular orientation, but I’m sure there are people like that out there.
(I had an online argument with someone about this kind of thing years ago. He insisted [and continues to insist] that everyone who identifies as heterosexual is in denial, and all it would take to make them realize that was for them to meet “the right person” of the same gender. I pointed out that that was just as offensive as suggesting that people who identify as gay can be turned hetero by meeting “the right person” of the opposite gender, at which point the moderator told us to take it offline.)
She did say that, but it was clearly denial at the time. She later describes herself as undefinably queer. She is also shown to have been attracted to Amber earlier.
DoA Robin likely hasn’t been with women in the past and is likely in denial about her attraction to them. Doesn’t mean she isn’t actually interested.
As for your parenthetical: “everyone” is too far, but there are strong pressures to identify as heterosexual. Assuming that “bi” is a spectrum, with some people attracted to both, but more strongly to one side, then I’d be surprised if many who could fit into “bi” would actually not realize or not admit that they did.
Yeah, I’ve run into the “everyone is secretly gay” bullcrap a few times — and yes, it’s just as offensive and ignorant and stupid as the “you just haven’t met the right person, you’re straight inside and just confused” bullcrap from the “other side”.
But then there really are those few people like SP-Robin, who fall for someone of the unexpected sex, but that really is restricted to that one particular person. Sadly, in the eyes of extremists of both sides, those few rare data points justify the “you just don’t realize it yet” nonsense.
I really doubt it’s as offensive, seeing as there isn’t exactly a society-wide campaign against heterosexuality. But it is inaccurate (Though there /are/ far more people who are bi if given the chance than society is comfortable admitting… more or less ever.)
It’s another one of those false reversals – where you flip the terms and it seems like a nice parallel, except one side doesn’t have all the weight of societal prejudice on its side.
Is “offensive” now defined by “weight of society” rather than by a statement being presumptive, insulting, demeaning, belittling, willfully inaccurate, or some combination thereof?
You… think ti’s just as insulting when you can go to basically anyone else and receive succor? That it’s just as demeaning, when you aren’t really going to finish the day feeling demeaned for your sexuality?
Like, by your own metrics, the weight of society is a /factor/.
What else has offensive ever been defined by? Except that historically, it’s been the other way around. Insulting terms for marginalized groups were commonly accepted and insults from them against the majority harshly punished.
Your logic is the exact logic that deems it racist that there’s a NAACP, but no NAAWP.
Yeah, but in this case, it basically isn’t damaging unless you’re demi or ace or similar. If you’re just hetero, well. You’re not going to take it seriously. Because it isn’t.
Yet again, that wasn’t SP-Robin. She was queer and attracted to ladies other than Leslie, she just had trouble admitting it.
I won’t deny such people exist, but she’s not one of them.
If that was correctly previously by you or others, I missed it. Sorry about that. It’s been a long time and I might be confusing Robin with another character at this point.
The “straight with an exception” self-description was in fact Shortpacked! Robin. It just wasn’t an accurate self-description, and it evolved as time went on and Robin became more comfortable with her sexuality and with admitting her sexuality. The self-description that I think was the most recent was “generally kinda undefinably queer“.
And we know from in-strip canon that Robin was attracted to Amber before she ever met Leslie, and Willis has suggested that she had a crush on Joyce when they were in SEMME together in It’s Walky!. She’s awfully quick to suggest a threesome with Joe and Rachel, too…
For some reason, though, people have latched onto that “straight with an exception” phrase, and forget all the years of character development and revelation that came after it.
If I were to describe Robin, it’d be something like, “bisexual, probably somewhere between Kinsey 2 and 4, but generally heteroromantic”. Though Walkyverse Robin is nevertheless married to a lesbian woman.
Okay, a little warning next time please??? Some of us read these on the job, you know! I don’t have a problem with a graphic description of two people watching Steven Universe together…what two people do it private is their business…but save it for Slipshine next time! Or at least provide a warning on the strip! I swear I’m not a prude. But even I can only take so much before it becomes too indecent!
Wow, here I thought they were going to do something a little gay, like make out, or decently gay, like bang. But Leslie is jumping straight to full gay here.
On the general topic of “Why doesn’t Leslie get a better girlfriend than Robin?” people mostly seem to be talking about the supply end. I.e. how many compatible lesbians or bisexual women are there likely to be in the greater Bloomington area? And does “compatible” exclude students?
But there is the other side of the problem, how good is Leslie at dating*? She seems to me like she isn’t over 35 at the most, so that is an upper limit of 18 years since she got married. In that period she’s gone through:
A bad marriage.
Figuring out she was a lesbian.
Being homeless.
Getting unhomeless.
Getting a PhD (She has to have a PhD to be a college professor, right?). She might have gotten a bachelor’s when she was married, but still.
Getting a position as a professor at IU.
Plus, all the mental adjustments and emotional stress along the way.
With all that going on, she may not have had time and energy to go looking for love. And love didn’t come looking for her.
Or she might just not be very good at dating. Lots of people aren’t.
* Dating here being a fillin word for the whole area of finding and keeping a partner.
(This has probably been beaten to death in other comment threads, I know. Have I turned into one of those people always reviving long settled issues, like how we know Carla is trans?)
You need at least a Master’s Degree to be a college professor. At my college, I think 85% of professors have PhD’s but I don’t think my small liberal arts college should be seen as a standard.
As far as the issue of wlw in Bloomington, I do assure that lesbian and bi hoosiers exist. Bloomington’s population is bigger than that of Richmond’s, and there were plenty of us there.
We don’t cease to exist just because we live in a red state
I’m still baffled by the inclusion of Steven Universe in this comic. I mean, I like the show, but it’s just so bizarre to me to see it referenced here, for whatever reason.
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Hot. I have been meaning to see that series.
I’m also rather sure that enough episodes in, from what I’ve heard, Leslie would very much like to convince Robin to fuse with her. Heh heh.
fusion is just a cheap tactic to make straight girls gayer
What’s wrong with that? o 3o
They’re stronger than you.
*snicker*
Wasn’t that something Jasper said?
More like something Garnet said/song
“Cheap tactic” is Jasper, “stronger than you” is Garnet.
👍
Dragonball Z did it first!
Ahem… Transformers? Combiners? WILLIS, WE NEED YOUR WISDOM HERE
yes yes they did but dragon ball z added the dance to it
Transformers: stated fusion
DBZ: Added dance
SU: made it sassy
And I choose to believe it’s justt as much a metaphor for romantic relationships there as it is in Steven Universe.
Which kind of puts Vegito/Gogeta in a darker light given how reluctant Vegeta usually is but I would totally kid-ship Trunks & Goten.
Vegetto/Gogeta have always been fucked up situations, in the same way Vegeta/Goku has always been a fucked up couple (even moreso after Dragon Ball Super).
Being fucked up has never stopped anyone from shipping it, though. :3
It definitely is not as it is in Steven Universe.
someone really liked your comment 😀 http://itswalky.tumblr.com/post/154747236822/theraggedqueen-itswalky-if-i-didnt-love-your
Whoa whoa whoa! Steven Universe on the first date?! That’s WAY too much of a commitment.
…Seriously though, I love that show, but it’s like 20 episodes before you even learn what the plot is. Maybe Gravity Falls for a first date?
But Gravity Falls don’t have space lesbians D:
…Legend of Korra, maybe?
Not enough Giant Women.
At least not until the end ‘a Season 2.
Those lesbians are NEVER in space! GOD. It’s like you don’t get anything!
And they’re BI!
Well, that might apply to Robin at least.
Rose was bi.
Actually so is Rebecca Sugar now that I think about it.
But Steven Universe is actually consistently good and queer.
There isn’t a bad episode of Steven Uni–
“Rising Tides / Crashing Skies”
…okay, but Renaldo’s never really given–
“The New Lars”
…there may in fact be bad episodes of Steven Universe.
I gotta say im not too fond of “too many birthdays”, partially because it contains the only continuity error ive noticed on the show – Pearl saying that she likes pie
Doesn’t Pearl like making pies and also think they’re pretty?
I always thought she misunderstood. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Pearl was fond of “pi”.
I’ll give you ‘Rising Tides’, but what was wrong with ‘New Lars’?
To be fair, she said “episodes of Steven Universe”, not “the entirety of Steven Universe in chronological order”.
Bismuth, at least, is fifth date stuff, minimum.
20 episodes isn’t even three hours, you can binge that much on a date.
Actually the plot of the series is explained in detail in the first episode. It’s just hidden as an advert jingle for a frozen treat.
“fruity oaty bars”?
wait wrong series sorry
“Cookie Cat!
It’s a pet for your tummy!”
Love the look Garnet and Amethyst exchange when Steven sings that song 🙂
That explains why I have no idea, having seen only three episodes.
I helped write a cut of the first season that’s meant to introduce new viewers without tripping over the Frybo/Catfinders stumbling block- check out Flood Order
http://tumblr.katsuricata.com/post/140052092435/steven-universe-introducing-flood-order
Be prepared for fluffyness, space magic, and having your still beating heart ripped out of your chest and stomped into meat chunks in front of you.
Also shipping. Dear Lord, the shipping…
SU is the cartoon Dardanelles.
I have yet to watch any of the GF or SU cartoons, I only barely halfway through the AT cartoons.
From what I’ve heard, it’s gotten worse and worse, to the point that some former fans now find it unwatchable.
You can find those people in pretty much every fanbase.
It’s not the show that has gotten worse and worse, it’s the fans. It’s a cliché that fandoms are bad, yes, but in this one it is especially true with a vengeance. Watch it, form your own opinions about it, and ignore the fandom. I’d say give it a season and then decide if you’re into it.
Well, implicit vilification of Black Lives Matter is a pretty big no-no, at least for me.
Wait, what?
I don’t know what Sepu. here may be referring to exactly, though it is true that SU has a history of handling its black-coded gems pretty badly. Of the seven gems voiced by black actresses (Jasper, Sugilite, Sapphire, Sardonyx, Malachite, Bismuth, and Garnet), four were brutish antagonists, two of whom were pretty much only featured in one-off episodes.
Plus, Bismuth was punished in-episode for more-or-less saying, “There’s no reasoning or turning the other cheek with an enemy that won’t listen and only wants to destroy us; our only option is to meet force with force”, and then the big twist of the season was “Oh, actually, killing is OK sometimes.”
A post online summed up the problem with SU that’s becoming harder and harder to ignore. I think it went something like:
Person: *on fire* Help me steven I’m on fire
Steven: No 🙁 If I harm the fire… wouldn’t that make us just as bad?
Person: I’m dying steven
As a queer Asian-American woman dying for representation (actual factual lesbian relationships and NB characters treated in positive/neutral lights, plus a rad South Asian best friend character and 5 Asian voice actresses in major roles? Sign me TF up!) and as a big sucker for angst and lore, I really appreciate SU. As a critical viewer, though… I hate to admit it, but especially recently, the show’s getting more stale, formulaic, and just generally “eeeehhhhhh eeeurghh”. Late season 1 was great, season 2 was even better, season 3 had fantastic episodes but also started showing cracks, and season 4 is just… well, awful. It’s at the point where pretty much the only reason I’m still watching the show is in the hopes of an episode where things will turn around, but it seems more and more likely that the golden days of SU are past. In the meantime I’m just cringing whenever Steven walks onscreen. Excuse me for all the words.
Give me a break. You are talking as if the inconsistencies between how Steven thinks one should act and what Rose did, not to mention Rose’s various deceptions and hypocricies aren’t the POINT of those episodes, and thus you are treating one of the show’s greatest strengths as if it was a weakness.
Also Season 4’s 10 episodes so far contain had 2 of my all-time favorite greatest episodes in the whole series yes, Mindful Education and Last One Out of Beach City.
I think their point is it’s bad that they (spoiler) killed off the black coded character and treated them like the bad guy when they later admited they were right, by saying the white coded character did it.
If a show presents a protagonist as the audience surrogate, then doesn’t properly signify when said protagonist is not in fact voicing the desired opinion, it is not the fault of the audience for misinterpreting the intent of the episode.
This is why the Doctor Who episode Voyage of the Damned turned many viewers off by essentially presenting The Doctor as a messiah/god none-too-subtly. Though the overarcing theme of the tenth Doctor (and that season in particular) was his tendency to think himself better than everyone else, and his final episodes (especially The Waters of Mars) were built around beating that out of him, it took a rather long time to get to that point and not everyone realized that Voyage of the Damned was not saying
“I am the Doctor, and I am a god”
but rather
“The Doctor has fallen so far to vanity that he thinks himself a god”
“If a show presents a protagonist as the audience surrogate, then doesn’t properly signify when said protagonist is not in fact voicing the desired opinion, it is not the fault of the audience for misinterpreting the intent of the episode.”
The episodes about Steven learning that Rose did questionable things are all about his image of her cracking, though. That is what he voices.
Plus we know very little about what Rose did. Bismuth was specifically interested in killing. Not being willing to kill if necessary, but intentionally killing–even though for Gems that’s more difficult than incapacitation. Her plan was to be less effective of a fighter as long as she got to kill; that’s not the same thing.
Remember that all of the Crystal Gems except Steven–so including herself–were with the bad guys first.
Also she turned tried to murder an ally that argued with her. It’s implied she did so twice.
Yeah, I just can’t help but read the combination of the “Don’t fight hate with hate” message with punishing a black-coded character as vilification of BLM.
I… find that a super odd interpretation. Mostly because, BLM *does not* fight with hate. BLM has actual proposed solutions from societal problems. I consider myself a member of BLM, if a lose organization of activists can have a membership. BLM doesn’t fight with hate at all. BLM doesn’t fight with murder. BLM fights with *truth*.
Making a scene where a character tries to promote murder as the only solution into an allegory for BLM strikes me as really, really gross and something that could only go on in the minds of people who don’t understand what BLM is (like my racist parents).
I also am pretty grossed out by people calling characters “black coded” because they have black voice actors. I mean, your interpretations of characters are up to you, of course, but saying, “I dislike this character, therefore they are *black*.” seems super shitty. Jasper, for example, reads absolutely as white to me. I don’t care what skin color her voice actor is. If white actors can play black and Asian characters, black voice actors can play white characters. (And I’ve watched shows where black actors did Asian voices as well. It’s voice acting, your ethnicity need not match the character’s ethnicity if you have flexible skills). Jasper is coded white to me. Bismuth feels coded black, but that’s because she has dreads and she’s not doing anything special with her delivery to make it “sound” white (Jasper is doing a particular voice, IMO).
Anyway, all this does feel like a confirmation that it’s the fans that are messed up, not the show.
You should – SU is a great series thus far. As a bi/lesbian mother, it is really neat to be able to show my child a TV show with positive lesbian characters. Plus general good writing, good characters, and a love for both Eastern and Western animation.
as the Gems come from a race/species that only has one gender. I’m not sure the labels Bi or lesbian would apply as they would not have a concept of the dichotomy of a dual sexed species prior to their arrival on earth.
just sayin.
The writers have said ‘non-binary, femme presenting lesbians’ was a good earth descriptor for two of them.
Just sayin.
Yeah, it doesn’t really describe Garnet. She’s one of the most binary characters I’ve ever seen.
The characters are Ruby and Sapphire, so that’s a little ironic!
I saw what you did there with my Future Vision(R)
What do lesbians have to do with DBZ?
Just Saiyan.
Fusion.
…HOTTEST SEX TAPE EVAR
will they fuse, tell me they fuse
Kiss her you fool!
Where tho?
Well, they’re in a bar, already.
IN THE LIPS, WHERE ELSE
AND NO THERE IS NO DOUBLE ENTENDRE TO THAT I SWEAR
Ha! Yoga Hosers FTW! ^_^
Me: Someone cue Sabastian!
Assistant: Which one?
Me: The Little Mermaid!
“I’ll be Rose and you can be Peridot”
That’s not a ship I’ve seen before.
There’s a ship I haven’t heard of, but I’m down.
Robin seems like more of an Amethyst.
I’d say she’s most like smoky quartz if we’re allowing fusions.
Needs more Garnet.
Fusion episodes if things get Hot and Heavy.
kiss de girl
Binging on SU? That would hammer home an LGBT friendly world view.
And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time…
wat
Sounds like a good date to me 😀
Can confirm, excellent date.
The boyfriend got me into it for a date. I’m not sure whether to kiss him for ti or spit in his coffee for the never ending hiatus hell. XD
God daaamn did getting like 5 episodes a week this summer spoil me. The wait is painful!
Yeaaaah, guess when he decided to start me on it? Right in time for the Steven nuke, which we binged at the end of.
It’s a good thing he’s cute. XD
Some of my best dates with the fiancee have involved overanalyzing Steven Universe and Sense8.
Ah, so DoA is not the only series you overanalyze.
I can’t help it. Everything I love is full of tiny little wonderful pieces I want to pour and gush over in excruciating detail!
I’m really lucky that my fiancee is very similarly minded and doesn’t view it as the negative trait it probably should be seen as.
No, it’s absolutely not a negative trait. It’s nto something to do with everyone,b ut holy shit, analyzing every little detail is not a bad thing, at all. I’m super glad your fiancee shares your interests in doing it, but y’all are both fine and dandy. It’s good some folks will actually looka t this shit.
IMO, your “over”analysis adds considerable value to my reading experience.
Absolutely. No episode is complete without an extensive Cerberus-analysis.
Attention to fine detail is not a negative trait. It is positive, albeit approaching the infinitesimal, to better notice the fine details on that small scale.
… I may be a math geek.
I find unlikely you’re overanalyzing SU, though I don’t actuallyw atch it.
now I’m incredibly curious to see your Steven Universe analysis, do you have a tumblr or something?
I need to get back to watching Sense8 now that I’m on winter vacation.
Haven’t seen Steven Universe.
This would work on me and I don’t even like ladies.
Would be good for Robin too.
Actually I think almost everyone in this comic could benefit from a little Steven in their lives.
Watchit it with or without clothes?
I can’t help but read your comment in Animal’s voice.
Oh goddammit, now I’m doing it.
Does Leslie have any reason to think Robin is a lesbian/bisexual? Besides wishful thinking? (Unless she reads the wiki I guess)
Robin basically said she was attracted to women. She just suppressed it.
I mean, previous to the last few pages
Her sister trying to hook them up may have given her that impression. After all, presumably Roz would know Robin better than Leslie right? So if Roz wants to hook them up, surely Roz believes they’re capable of being hooked up, so why not believe her?
She’s like Guinan. She can sense things about how things were in the original universe.
All she needs are enormous hats and her powers will emerge fully.
Now I really want to see her stab Mike in the hand with a fork.
Why would she need an enormoud hat to stab Mike in the hand with a fork? Or an excuse?
Does that mean she has to tell Ruth that she’s supposed to be dead?
Star Trek AU: Leslie runs Ten-Forward and Dorothy is captain. Walky is a below-decks ensign who spends all his time making the replicator make chicken nuggets.
Danny is the Betazed who is always “sensing hostility” from Amber, Sarah, Sal, Ruth, Mike, Carla…
The previous two strips made it pretty clear I think, especially to someone as aware of the psychology involved as Leslie is.
i mean, there was the last strip…
Well, Robin’s been flirting something hardcore, has made a number of suggestive statements, loudly tried to proclaim her straightness in a wholly unbelievable way, and then there’s this strip, which…
I mean, asking someone what “messing up would entail” in this context? And certainly that flushed face when Leslie leans in close?
Yeah, if there’s a context in which that is 100% straight, I’d love to see it, cause I don’t think it’s possible.
No, see, Robin and Leslie can’t be lesbians because they’re genderless space rocks. So it’s totally straight.
Really they have a feudal lord/handmaiden dynamic…
Thank you. I needed that laugh.
oh god
(lol)
fffffft
You know a joke is good when it makes David M Willis fart in the comments
xD
I don’t get the original joke tho
It’s a reference to a notorious shit-post about the Legend of Korra series finale.
Oh my…
Its true, their relationship is /extremely/ heteronormative.
It’s like saying Asari who mate with other asari aren’t in a lesbian relationship. Technically yes…but no lawyer would try to take that argument to a jury.
in that situation, I think the “vampiric life-sucking abominations” issue kind of takes precedence.
Is this a reference to something? It’s funny on its own, but it seems like there’s something I’m missing. Like maybe some previous commenter said this stuff in earnest?
It’s a meme that came about by someone arguing Korrasami was more heteronormative than Makorra because Asami was feminine and Korra is not.
They’re actresses rehearsing a scene.
See, it’s just theater. Theater is completely 100% straight.
gaydars man. it’s not hard for us to find our people.
Until a couple strips ago, it was just wishful thinking (as she admitted to Dorothy a while back). I think she has plenty of reason to suspect it now, though
I’d say that Roz saying she’d help them hook up and Leslie should show more cleavage for it was a pretty big clue.
It’s never been explicitly stated and it could theoretically still be false, but everyone involved has been acting on the assumption Robin’s queer since the very beginning of this arc so long ago.
I can only assume that as family Roz has seen enough hints over the years to be pretty sure.
I’m feeling SO attacked rn
DAMN YOU WILLIS
my dream date
You’re looking for a ruby in a mountain of rocks…
More like a ruby to your sapphire aM I RIGHT?
and there I thought they were drilling for oil on a sandy beach…
She’s hoping for the Coupe de Ville at the bottom of a Crackerjack box.
Jim Steinman is a god.
Never before have so many references to a show been made by a person who doesn’t actually watch the fucking show.
Wait, has David Willis made SU references here before?
Wait, has David Willis said he doesn’t watch SU?
Yes and yes.
I think we’re up to three now? That’s not so many for a big pop culture thing.
Fucking this
Yer kiddin’, right?
Got some holes in the closet there, Robin.
My guess, without reading any of the other comments, Robin will soon regret appearing so “close” to another woman in public in the age of smartphones.
(Unrelated prediction. Ryan will turn out to be the son of an important campaign donor, forcing Robin to choose between her career and what’s right.)
Would you recognize your Representative from across a dimly lit bar while they were in regular street clothes instead of a suit?
In this modern age of internet and aggressive media, when she herself is being so aggressively robin? Just after she loudly asserted her heterosexuality complete with miming demonstration?
She just needs to draw attention to herself. The rest follows.
All of this assumes that the people who actually voted for her really care. Okay, I admit that sounds pretty unbelievable. Cause a politician who’s supporters don’t blink no matter what outragous things they may have said or done couldn’t possibly be real.
Dude, I can see someone make a vid of the weird lady in a bar loudly yelling about sucking dicks no problem. Someone will recognize her when its posted.
With Robin could there possibly not be a collection of videos of her out there already?
Not to mention all the gossip hungry media with nothing better to do – Robin probably has a whole list of scandals regarding shitty remarks.
My mental picture of my Congressman is actually a dog, because of a campaign mailing he sent out back when he first ran for the seat Bernie was vacating. I have no real idea what the dude actually looks like.
I would definitely recognize his predecessor, though.
Whoa, slow down there, Leslie, joint-watching Steven Universe is clearly second date material.
I thought lesbian second dates traditionally called for a U-Haul van.
Ya love the Steven Universe reference! 😀
And lo, upon finishing the episode Jailbreak, Robin’s eyes are open and never again did she allow anti-gay bills to pass. And once again, the day was saved, thanks to…the Crystal Gems!
Cue end screen with confused PPGs standing outside the hearts and just as confused Crystal Gems standing inside them.
Absolutely yes, all of my approval.
+1
I want to ship this, I really do, but Robin has been so shitty. Just in general with her politics and to Leslie. *sigh* I really hope she grows as a character so that my brain will let me ship this lol.
Pretty sure your comment is Leslie’s internal monologue, lol
Definitely!
Robin’s got a pretty open mind. I hope it goes further down this path.
Robin’s mind it so ‘open’, it wouldn’t see a contradiction in dating Leslie and continuing to further shitty right-wing policies 😛
Awww, come on, Leslie. Not even I’m lesbian enough to fall in love with someone who makes legislation like that.
In love? Making a lot of assumptions – I think she’s still just nursing a crush.
Plus, we can’t affect who we fall in love with, though I imagine her common sense is fighting her every step of the way and telling her what a flaming train wreck this would be (and oh man, it would be such a flaming train wreck).
Ah, well, they’re hardly the first in this comic to fall into an obvious train wreck while plowing full steam ahead because of horniness and self worth issues.
Ruth/Billie and Sal/Jason have like 3-4 years on them by now, don’t they?
Sure, but Leslie will be the first to explicitly realize how bad of an idea it is in advance
I think Jason and Ruth both beat her to it.
I’m holding out hope that Robin can be taught and learn a valuable lesson.
… I’m less hopeful that she’ll actually remember the lesson more than two minutes after class is dismissed.
This.
We can control whether we take their hand and are about to kiss them.
Not gonna lie I’m incapable of maintaining a crush on someone who is morally horrifying it just sort of gets burned up by the white hot rage.
AND SO THE INTERDIMENSIONAL PATTERN OF THE WALKYVERSE ASSERTS ITSELF WITH GUSTO.
SHE HAS LITERAL STARS IN HER EYES HELP
HERE’S A SPACE HELMET, GOOD LUCK
As you explore, you’ll find very few stars based on triangles. HERE’S A DICTIONARY. LOOK UP LITERAL.
Meant to type trangular forms. Damn you, lack of edit feature. Though a time machine would be an acceptable substitute.
So goddamn hot.
Leslie has GAME in this universe.
Heck yeah. I’ve nearly gone from “I can’t ship this until Robin gets her act together” to “I can’t ship this because I want Leslie for myself.” And I don’t think I’ve had a crush on a cartoon character since Michaelangelo the Ninja Turtle when I was eight.
Sounds about right!
I think everybody’d be more well-adjusted if they watched Steven Universe.
DAMMIT LESLIE GET THE INTERN’S NAME! THAT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN BANGING A MORALLY AMBIGUOUS SELF-OBSESSED ROBIN.
She already asked Robin for it – Robin didn’t offer a name, only to put him in a cell when she found out who it was.
It is highly unlikely that Robin knows it off the top of her head. She’s already agreed to do something about him though.
Ensuring Robin focuses long enough to actually do something will require staying in contact with her so she can be reminded (and motivated, if necessary). Smooching is not necessary to this but may be unavoidable
Robyn has a poor record when it comes to remembering the names of her staff.
Robin doesn’t know a name and she got more than she had any reason to expect with Robin promising to at least give a fuck about it when she gets back. Beyond that, there’s little she can do except go back in time and make her the sort of candidate who actually in-depth takes an interest in the random interns who work for her.
The only way she gets his name is if she gets back with Dorothy, gets the pic, shows it to Robin, who can then ask Frieda.
She doesn’t need the pic. There was an incident, remember. Robin knows who she’s talking about, she just doesn’t know his name.
“The one who got attacked by a superhero right in front of you” should be sufficient.
D’aww, Robin’s so cute when awful things aren’t spilling out of her mouth!
Everyone needs a Leslie in their life, and Leslie definitely does not need this drama in her life.
“Shut up and kiss me!”
if u look at my avatar yours and the one above yours it looks like dina is taking off her disguise
Now that’s disturbing.
Or putting on her disguise, since raptor is her true form
Damn it Willis, I’m trying really hard not to ship these two, but you’re making it difficult.
This would be so much more enjoyable if Robin hadn’t been a complete, unlikable asshat for the last few strips.
That’s precisely why it’s enjoyable. Were these real people (one of whom you know and care about), yes, it would be an in-process train wreck. But as presented, it has all the ingredients for a story that’s compelling and promises to be more so.
… which doesn’t mean it’s not an in-process train wreck.
The last few strips she’s been the most likeable she’s ever been. Because we found out how surface deep all her horribleness is.
A really good surface goes down deep!
Leslie is the best.
Man, Steven Universe is a fun show.
Oh. I didn’t realize she was that completely evil.
Trying to corrupt her very soul with Steven Universe.
Demoness! Devil woman!
You say “corruption,” I say “gentle attempt to educate via catchy songs.”
As someone who likes the show, that is definitely third or fourth date material in my book. Mainly because otherwise you will end up fighting with each other over ships.
But, what if they ship the same ship?
‘ship’. Singular. That’s cute. You’re funny. I like you.
Perhaps they are both multi shippers?
I believe the scientific term is poly shippers.
robin is confirmed fusion-curious
When did I get a subscription to Slipshine?
Appropriate icon is appropriate…lmao
Around the same time your Gravatar appeared in it… WHAT is Mike doing wearing a Santa hat… and NOTHING ELSE??
DAMMIT, NOW I HAVE ONE!!
So this is what Robin thinks of Homeworld.
I’m still annoyed a part of me really wants Robin to become evil. To make the true choice to the Dark Side and slay all the children in the Jedi Temple. You know, because the Tuskens didn’t count.
Kiling nameless extras never counts. He needed to choke his baby mama to be really truly evil.
Leslie, you are now even more awesome.
SU, one of the best shows on television, and probably more grown-up (as in actually grown up and adult and mature… not in the “slipshine” way either) shows when it comes to plain old human relationships of all kinds. Parents and kids, friends, love, etc.
Funny that in today’s media it takes a kinda retro-animated cartoon about aliens made of crystal and light… to be grown-up about human relationships
I think they’re going to do something entirely new….
As long as they take a moment to think of just flexibility love and trust.
This might be against want a lot of people want but I really hope these two don’t get together in this universe. They were together is Shortpacked! wasn’t what enough?
but i SP! iirc, them getting together was kind of random and rushed, and it was the them-being-together that we got to see more of… this feels very different
Comic Reactions:
Panel 1: Hey, there self-respect, good of you to make a reappearance before you get too entangled in an utter dumpster-fire of a relationship with an entire machine of bigotry desperate to push you into the closet and disavow you as an evil temptress.
It’s likely the best for your overall long-term emotional health.
Panel 2: Yup, it has been. I know why she did it and Robin’s offers have just been enticing enough to defeat her common sense and all the abuse that leaks out of Robin. And good on Leslie on recognizing that things progressing any further will go up in flames.
*lights match*
What this? Oh, it’s nothing.
Panel 3: I’d love to see Robin’s inner monologue here. Is it her making a choice to push past the point of no return. Is it her starting to overcome whatever programming she has received from the culture she has surrounded herself from. It it her own crush not wanting to see Leslie fully walk out of her life without doing something to stop it?
I dunno, but, oh dear, who spilled all my shipping gasoline everywhere. This is really dangerous, every-
Whoops.
I’m pretty sure Robin is ready for some whoops in her life.
The Tower of Whoops?
Small steps, Les. XD
No, Leslie! Fusion is just a cheap tactic to make weak congresswomen stronger! D:
This is wrong in the real way.
*slow clap*
Also, so so true. Falling in love with someone who is guaranteed to be trouble for you, but trying anyways because the crush is so strong? That’s real. And also guaranteed to be a disaster.
Is that a pun based on Pearl’s song in the Sugilite / Coach Steven episode?
She’ll build a tower out of her mistakes & it’ll all come crashing down.
The Tower Of Whoops!
More like the Tower of Yikes
Panels 4-5: And there it goes up in flames. Oh, it’s going to burn both of them and bad. Robin because I guarantee there is at least one phone already up to record her sucking dicks monologue. And Leslie because this is guaranteed to end in disaster for her, in dehumanization at the hands of Robin’s campaign if not her personally.
And at best it will involve a relationship of delicately extricating the closet of a person whose entire mode of being at the moment is depending on staying as firmly closeted as humanly possible and is wanting to deny the reality for herself despite the obvious evidence.
But Bob damn do they both look amazing together in this tragedy.
Panels 6-8: Yes, Robin, you are very very straight. You don’t at all look like you are five seconds from jumping Leslie’s bones. Well done.
Also, oh man, no matter what else happens, you know that’s ending up on the front page in some local paper. (Ooh, this would be an amazing time for Daisy to happen to be hanging out in the bar).
Panel 9: I love love love that Steven Universe has become a sort of universal queer touchstone of late. Like, it really has become the thing that almost all the queers, young and old seem to bond over or at least are aware of. And that creates a sort of shared language and community.
And it ties into our relationships as well. My financee and I really got together and serious overanalyzing Steven Universe together and my girlfriend and I have spent a number of dates just cuddling while watching an episode or two.
So, yeah, it’s a joke, because Robin was strongly suspecting and craving Leslie to kiss her, but in another way, it’s not, because many a successful queer first or second date has occurred over a couple of episodes.
Leslie has now taken the invitation and passed that line of no return. And it’s gonna cost her. But at the same time, I’m kinda rooting for her. It’s a hell of a redemption arc and it’s likely to be not at all worth it, but those final panels… I want to root for it, nonetheless.
Even though all it will engender is flames and pain and suffering.
There is so much fire…. but the good kind… kinda…. for awhile…
Nah, Daisy got bored and left the pub half an hour ago. Her endless frustration is a universal constant.
You’re right; this is going to come out in an uncontrolled way. I’m guessing that Robin has about a week before she’s pressured to stand aside as the GOP’s candidate so that “the election can be decided on the issues rather than scandal-mongering by the irresponsible gutter press”. She’ll then probably ride Rince Preibus’s boot out of the door of RNC headquarters and her entire political career will be run through a wood chipper.
Next strip, if Robin doesn’t try to make a move herself I’ll be disappointed in her, and if Leslie doesn’t move off, I’ll be disappointed in her.
hhhhhhhhhh the new nsfw ad
ilu mike
As a guy, this is the point where the girl runs away saying we can still be friends….but lesbian relationships are different.
As a girl, this is probably where most guys would have run away, too.
You just need to find yourself someone who actually shares your interests / thinks that trying to see if your interests are compatible is good first date material.
I’m not even sure if I want DoA Robin & Leslie to be together. Leslie deserves better! DoA Robin is even more immature than SP! Robin.
She most absolutely is not. I mean, don’t get me wrong, she’s super immature, but I think that the sweet salve of time has glossed over just how freaking immature robin was when their relationship started out in Shortpacked!. It was a long, long time before Robin was actually -good- for Leslie.
Yeah, SP!Robin referring to Leslie as ‘Lesbian’ (and I don’t think even knowing her real name) was not all that sweet at the beginning…
Leslie seems much more in the driver’s seat this time around, which is pretty much the only reason I’m not all DO NOT WANT about this, given how awful this universe’s Robin is.
wasn’t leslie’s existence in SP originally just supposed to be for the sake of a joke because of her name (Leslie Bean)
Leslie was there because of a crazy scheme that Robin tried to pull on Ethan. She was not expected to stay & get to be a character in her own right. There was a lot of unresolved sexual tension on her part & Robin just strung her along without seeming to care for her.
The point is probably that SP! Leslie *also* deserved better, but she may not have realized that. DoA Leslie is hopefully wise enough to keep Robin at a distance.
Steven Universe and Chill?
I can confirm this would make an excellent first date.
Had myself a first kiss with someone after meeting up with them and watching the Jailbreak episode. (DON’T WORRY THEY SAW ALL THE ONES LEADING UP TO IT FIRST, GAWD, what kind of monster do you think I am).
*_*
Willis made up at least two animated tv series for the DoA cast to fan-girl over, but Leslie’s favorite series is a real one, Steven Universe, because oh my God of course it is. Willis couldn’t make up a more perfect series for Leslie if he tried. It has everything she loves.
I wonder what their fusion would be like.
Pretty similar to Opal, I’m sure.
Okay, I gotta be honest, that’s an awesome courtship. I don’t much care for this Robin (I see potential for her story, but as a person, just don’t like her) and I think Mr. Willis has stated a rule that romantic relationships in other strips won’t be repeated here. But, that is an awesome courtship. I don’t even watch Steven Universe.
That might be one of the better ways to seduce me, introduce me to one of your favorite binge-watchable shows.
…
Will the crickets stop chirping?!?
He said he’s trying to avoid Walkyverse relationships, but little nods to them seem to be okay, and he said he might reconsider a ship if he’s not happy how he wrote them originally (ex. Ruth/Billie).
I think he said no repeats *unless he thinks he can do better*, like with Amber and her dad. That leaves just enough room for this to go either way and for him toy with us mercilessly
man i hope amber/her dad isn’t really a ship
Anyway, a thing to keep in mind is that I said I didn’t want to do repeats SIX YEARS AGO. Six years later, I might have distance enough from some older material to feel like I want to try something over again.
I mean, that doesn’t necessarily have to do with this week’s strips, it’s just something, y’know, to keep in mind. Proooobably the worst day to “clarify” this, as far as appearances go? But I’m doing it anyway.
Hey, as time goes by, the amount ‘stuff I’m not happy with my original writing for/want to try differently’ can always go up.
it’s like how in movies they can run away from explosions, and the explosion in this metaphor is the ever-expanding line of Stuff You Wrote Which You Now Hate
Is there anything you can write that after a few years you can’t look at and go “Dear LORD this is terrible, what was I smoking?”
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/blog/lawsome/
Dear New Writer,
Having read your manuscript for possible paid publication, we at Vanity Publication Inc. can honestly say that we find your writing has the dynamic range of famed Internet comic artist and pornlord, David Willis’s comic, LAWsome. …
So that happens to most writers or would-be writers? I thought that was just me.
It even happens to non-fiction writers. Want to burn some of what I wrote years ago.
Strange thing is? Your fans keep loving it! How can they not SEE how bad it is…
WoG isn’t immutable! I am SHOCKED!
Sure I said I wouldn’t kill off a major character because the mourning would last so long in real time, but that was seven years ago and now I’ve explored the original character relationships and am comfortable with a jump two years forward in time.
((Have your DAMN YOU WILLIS’s prepared just in case))
Duly noted! Doesn’t really change my shipping, but hey!
I would just like to state for the record that I do NOT ship Amber with her dad!
I clearly need to quit staying up so late so I don’t end up saying bizarre, horrifying things by accident.
Yeah, it doesn’t make any sense, unless you make it a threesome with Mike.
-fans himself- Holding hands AND Steven Universe?
Hot dang.
It’s the GenX version of ‘holding hands and looking at pictures of dinosaurs’.
Hell yeah I’m down with that !
And Steven!
“…Leslie and Rooooobin.”
“AND ROZ!”
Best mistake ever
*plays the chorus chords of Blink 182’s “First Date”
Let’s go!
Don’t wait!
This nights almost over!
Honest…
Let’s make…
This night last forever!
Forever, and ever!
Let’s make it last forever!
*plays the Lonely Islands ‘Jizz in my pants’*
Lesbian sheep!
Federally paid lesbian sheep!
As a lesbian, this is how I court pretty ladies too.
Appropriate avatar is appropriate.
Billie’s not a lesbian, and she courts pretty ladies by punching them in the face.
I took that for Robin’s face. Remind me never to comment from my tiny-ass-screen phone again.
Robin ALSO isn’t a lesbian. She’s on the bisexual spectrum, or, in her own words ‘kinda indefinably queer’. The only ‘totally lesbians’ we have are Becky and Daisy. Possibly the girls on Joyce’s floor, but we can’t be sure.
Based on IW, most of the minor characters on Joyce’s floor are bi.
Leslie is our other ‘totally lesbian’.
This! Is! Happening!
Yes Leslie! Corrupt her with your gay agenda, slowly bit by bit! First you start by watching Steven Universe but before she knows it you’ll be crying at Korrasami ending in Legend of Korra!
This is a great example of comic-crafting. It could have stopped after literary any panel, with slightly different tone and emotional end points. Just imagine if the fifth panel had been the last.
Is steven Universe on netflix?
cause…
Netflix and Chill is in their future. or should be.
Well assuming I am understanding the colloquial meaning of that phrase. I honestly don’t know, even if English is my primary language pop phrases confuse me.
NSFW.
….
No, really, for one or both of these women, this is not safe for their work.
Watching Steven Universe or watching Mike doing…..stuff?
That is the gayest thing I’ve ever heard I love it.
….and now Robin is pregnant.
Actually, not even that could make this situation more awkward or potentially catastrophic for both protagonists’ mental and emotional health.
Hi Howard.
You know, I forgot how much of geek Leslie is!
That aside, we’ve just seen demonstrated just how dangerous it is to ‘hang out’ with someone on whom you’re crushing without a third wheel. A little alcohol to lubricate matters and you might find yourself forgetting that they’re a jerk and that you really don’t want to pursue matters with them.
Or they could watch “Back to the Future”.
I wonder how long it takes before she starts justifying dating a shit to her students and smacking down anyone who objects. :Roll-eyes:
*crosses “Chance of a healthy relationship starting in the next month” off paper
Why the hell should she justify any relationship to her students?
If professors were liable to that, there’d be less with 20-year old wives.
Because the queer students shouldn’t have to put up with being taught by someone horizontally collaborating with their oppressor.
So, should Leslie lose her job for sleeping with the wrong person?
Also, who in that class is queer? I may be forgetting someone, but Joyce, Dorothy, Joe, Walky and Roz are all straight. Leslie’s the queer one.
Not lose her job but sleeping with Robin would rob her of any credibility she has in the eyes of her students. I mean how seriously would you treat someone calling for equality and abolishing racism while at the same time they were going to a Ku-Klux-Klan dinner?
Teachers can properly teach only if they are at least Somewhat respected by their students. If they don’t have that they won’t be treated seriously. Especially when we are talking about something as sensitive as gender studies and homosexual rights.
HORIZONTALLY COLLABORATING WITH THEIR OPPRESSOR
Poe’s law is real
Oh, there it is folks! She’s blushing! Robin is blushing! That means that she returns Leslie’s affection!
Blushing is, from my understanding, visual shorthand for “this character is into whoever is making them blush.” So, yeah.
Also, Steven Universe is fantastic!
“Why, they must be as sentimental as a man who thinks a woman is in love with him if she blushes. That’s a test from the circulation of the blood, discovered by the immortal Harvey; and a jolly rotten test, too.” — GKC, The Wisdom of Father Brown
It is however a common shorthand in visual media. Whether it’s actually true in real life or not is irrelevant.
Doesn’t necessarily mean love of course. At this point, attraction is sufficient.
I don’t think we needed a blush to know that Robin is attracted to Leslie.
I knew Leslie was my favourite.
Whoah, whoah, whoah, Stephen Universe on the first date?
That’s how you know she’s a keeper.
Cerberus makes a good point up-thread. What’s the bet that tomorrow’s scandal sheets (and this evening’s gossip websites) will be full of Representative Robin “Family Values” DeSanto (R-IN9) in a lip-lock with a renowned liberal academic and LBGTQ+ rights campaigner.
I’m thinking that Robin will be riding the toe of Preibus’s boot out of the door by the end of the week.
What’s the date inside the comic? I think it’s mid or late October leading up to the election, since Robin is still campaigning.
IIRC, Indiana is like most states. A candidate can’t be kicked off the ballot once they’ve won the primary. If Robin is elected, she could only be removed via a lengthy, complicated process.
If this costs Robin her seat, it’s because mass number of her expected voters went third-party or wrote in a candidate.
It’s Monday, beginning the sixth week of classes, so early October.
Robin is a Congresswoman, and their terms are so short that they’re basically always campaigning.
First of all: Straight guy here, came into Steven Universe late and got hooked on it. This has happened to me with all the really good CN originals of the past few years: Adventure Time, Regular Show, We Bare Bears…hell, even Teen Titans Go has a lot in it that makes you realize it’s not just for kids.
I’m not all that surprised to see Robin and Leslie going in this direction. Remember, Willis has said characters’ orientations are the same as their Walkyverse counterparts’, and, when WV Robin and WV Leslie were broken up, and someone said Robin was “straight, with an exception.” Which would suggest that Dumbiverse Robin is only interested in Leslie, and hasn’t been with women in the past. I’ve never met anyone with this particular orientation, but I’m sure there are people like that out there.
(I had an online argument with someone about this kind of thing years ago. He insisted [and continues to insist] that everyone who identifies as heterosexual is in denial, and all it would take to make them realize that was for them to meet “the right person” of the same gender. I pointed out that that was just as offensive as suggesting that people who identify as gay can be turned hetero by meeting “the right person” of the opposite gender, at which point the moderator told us to take it offline.)
Argh.
“…and when someone said Robin was gay, she replied that she was ‘straight, with an exception.'”
Keystroke glitch.
She did say that, but it was clearly denial at the time. She later describes herself as undefinably queer. She is also shown to have been attracted to Amber earlier.
DoA Robin likely hasn’t been with women in the past and is likely in denial about her attraction to them. Doesn’t mean she isn’t actually interested.
As for your parenthetical: “everyone” is too far, but there are strong pressures to identify as heterosexual. Assuming that “bi” is a spectrum, with some people attracted to both, but more strongly to one side, then I’d be surprised if many who could fit into “bi” would actually not realize or not admit that they did.
Yeah, I’ve run into the “everyone is secretly gay” bullcrap a few times — and yes, it’s just as offensive and ignorant and stupid as the “you just haven’t met the right person, you’re straight inside and just confused” bullcrap from the “other side”.
But then there really are those few people like SP-Robin, who fall for someone of the unexpected sex, but that really is restricted to that one particular person. Sadly, in the eyes of extremists of both sides, those few rare data points justify the “you just don’t realize it yet” nonsense.
I really doubt it’s as offensive, seeing as there isn’t exactly a society-wide campaign against heterosexuality. But it is inaccurate (Though there /are/ far more people who are bi if given the chance than society is comfortable admitting… more or less ever.)
It’s another one of those false reversals – where you flip the terms and it seems like a nice parallel, except one side doesn’t have all the weight of societal prejudice on its side.
Is “offensive” now defined by “weight of society” rather than by a statement being presumptive, insulting, demeaning, belittling, willfully inaccurate, or some combination thereof?
You… think ti’s just as insulting when you can go to basically anyone else and receive succor? That it’s just as demeaning, when you aren’t really going to finish the day feeling demeaned for your sexuality?
Like, by your own metrics, the weight of society is a /factor/.
What else has offensive ever been defined by? Except that historically, it’s been the other way around. Insulting terms for marginalized groups were commonly accepted and insults from them against the majority harshly punished.
Your logic is the exact logic that deems it racist that there’s a NAACP, but no NAAWP.
“Less damaging” isn’t the same thing as “less offensive”.
“Doesn’t really do damage” sort of tamps down on the offense. Someone being weird and wrong isn’t really offensive.
Less damaging isn’t the same as ‘does no damage’.
Yeah, but in this case, it basically isn’t damaging unless you’re demi or ace or similar. If you’re just hetero, well. You’re not going to take it seriously. Because it isn’t.
Yet again, that wasn’t SP-Robin. She was queer and attracted to ladies other than Leslie, she just had trouble admitting it.
I won’t deny such people exist, but she’s not one of them.
If that was correctly previously by you or others, I missed it. Sorry about that. It’s been a long time and I might be confusing Robin with another character at this point.
The “straight with an exception” self-description was in fact Shortpacked! Robin. It just wasn’t an accurate self-description, and it evolved as time went on and Robin became more comfortable with her sexuality and with admitting her sexuality. The self-description that I think was the most recent was “generally kinda undefinably queer“.
And we know from in-strip canon that Robin was attracted to Amber before she ever met Leslie, and Willis has suggested that she had a crush on Joyce when they were in SEMME together in It’s Walky!. She’s awfully quick to suggest a threesome with Joe and Rachel, too…
For some reason, though, people have latched onto that “straight with an exception” phrase, and forget all the years of character development and revelation that came after it.
If I were to describe Robin, it’d be something like, “bisexual, probably somewhere between Kinsey 2 and 4, but generally heteroromantic”. Though Walkyverse Robin is nevertheless married to a lesbian woman.
This looks like a PhotoOp waiting to happen.
Why would you torture someone like that? >:/
Okay, a little warning next time please??? Some of us read these on the job, you know! I don’t have a problem with a graphic description of two people watching Steven Universe together…what two people do it private is their business…but save it for Slipshine next time! Or at least provide a warning on the strip! I swear I’m not a prude. But even I can only take so much before it becomes too indecent!
“So, your idea for seducing me would be… to watch a cartoon together?
*leaps into Leslie’s arms*
YOU ARE MY SOULMATE”
Okay, up until now I was really enjoying this comic. Now? Now I’m replacing my blood with it.
Wow, here I thought they were going to do something a little gay, like make out, or decently gay, like bang. But Leslie is jumping straight to full gay here.
Go big or go home-o? Wait, no.
Don’t lean in Leslie, keep it cool just back away now before you will catch Robin cooties.
Does Robin DeSanto is gay?
Not sure if “watch episodes of SU” is a euphemism or literal.
Yes.
It’s lovely to see that after Leslie just takes Robin’s hand, in the next panel their fingers are already entangling…
This is the only relationship from Walkyverse that I want to occur again, please Sir Willis.
On the general topic of “Why doesn’t Leslie get a better girlfriend than Robin?” people mostly seem to be talking about the supply end. I.e. how many compatible lesbians or bisexual women are there likely to be in the greater Bloomington area? And does “compatible” exclude students?
But there is the other side of the problem, how good is Leslie at dating*? She seems to me like she isn’t over 35 at the most, so that is an upper limit of 18 years since she got married. In that period she’s gone through:
A bad marriage.
Figuring out she was a lesbian.
Being homeless.
Getting unhomeless.
Getting a PhD (She has to have a PhD to be a college professor, right?). She might have gotten a bachelor’s when she was married, but still.
Getting a position as a professor at IU.
Plus, all the mental adjustments and emotional stress along the way.
With all that going on, she may not have had time and energy to go looking for love. And love didn’t come looking for her.
Or she might just not be very good at dating. Lots of people aren’t.
* Dating here being a fillin word for the whole area of finding and keeping a partner.
(This has probably been beaten to death in other comment threads, I know. Have I turned into one of those people always reviving long settled issues, like how we know Carla is trans?)
You need at least a Master’s Degree to be a college professor. At my college, I think 85% of professors have PhD’s but I don’t think my small liberal arts college should be seen as a standard.
As far as the issue of wlw in Bloomington, I do assure that lesbian and bi hoosiers exist. Bloomington’s population is bigger than that of Richmond’s, and there were plenty of us there.
We don’t cease to exist just because we live in a red state
I didn’t say or imply otherwise.
not for lack of trying on some people’s part (or parties). 🙁
I like how the panels get progressively narrower. And is this a record for most panels on a page for this comic?
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/03-when-god-closes-the-door/box-2/
Thanks, I had no idea how to search for that. So second place then.
AU where Leslie and Robin have a youtube channel and put up SU reaction videos.
Ok, but who are their favorite characters?? Leslie seems like she’d identify with Pearl the most, but I bet she loves Garnet.
Robin is dismissive of Maj. Dewey’s policies and strategies and believes Delmarva and Cornerstone are real states.
Also, she probably finds Yellow Diamond kinda hot.
If you’re not using that bourbon, can I have it?
“Netflix and chill” is not meant to be taken literally, Leslie
this is also my fantasy
I’m still baffled by the inclusion of Steven Universe in this comic. I mean, I like the show, but it’s just so bizarre to me to see it referenced here, for whatever reason.