Oh wait that’s right, she’ll only show up once and then disappear for like five years except for the occasional “I’m still a character!” phone call strip before coming back and transitioning to essentially another main character in a massive multi-arc storyline!
… why?
The whole point is that baseball is a thoroughly unsexy game.
If it’s because “opposite” then I feel the need to point out that lesbians are not the opposite of straight guys.
If it’s because some lesbians like to play softball – well, some straight guys like to play baseball, so the reversal still doesn’t work.
The logic behind it is that baseball is a thoroughly ‘man’ activity. No girls. So for straight dudes, that’s the turn off. So for lesbians, a softball team full of girls… doesn’t work the same way.
I don’t know what Americans think softball is but considering the New Zealand men’s team are multiple world champions in softball I’m pretty sure there’s plenty of scope for lesbians being turned off by it.
I think in the USA, playing softball and being a lesbian are kindof treated as being the same thing? Speaking from the book I read that mention softball. (Used to be the same thing with women‘s soccer in Germany, but nowadays all suddenly sport loooong hair to avoid the idea).
So we need a new solution, more inclusive and less specific.
How about thinking about Lego? Definitely non-sexual. Will hurt if you step on them. Kid’s toy. Not gendered. I hereby declare Lego to be the inclusive baseball.
I’ve seen flocks of lesbians recruiting baby lesbians for their softball team at least a couple of times. Yes, it is a deliberate dating/socializing strategy.
TBH, it’s one of the most cringy dude-bro things I’ve ever seen women do. I was not nearly brave enough to point that out.
As a girl, I can say that thinking about other girls in baseball or softball uniforms gets me feeling some kind of way. I’m grey-ace, but I assure you it’s not a turn off at least. Not like Becky is suggesting.
And I don’t think we saw anything from Lucy that says she represses even half as much as the other two.
She might not have sexpals right now, but I guess she’d be up for it if she did. And well, having sex is a great way to be less frustrated, so there’s hope for her yet ^^
Just to clarify, Joyce, Becky is one of those people who are the exception that proves the rule.
I am glad though that Becky was able to address the pink gorilla sitting in the middle of the room. Yes, Doris is Dorothy (and, I think, Joe) and possibly represents the issues Joyce still has in understanding the secular world.
I’m sorry to break this to you, Becky, whom I love, but that look of world-weariness Dotty has going on? Only Joyce can make her project that kind of “oh my God, no” energy. For all your attempts at rivalry, you will never elicit that expression from her.
I don’t know why but I never realized “thinking about baseball” meant to think about something not sexy until now. Maybe because there’s a number of baseball metaphors for sex.
…i’m not sure why Dorothy is glaring so hard when Becky instantly recognizes her as Doris, since that was already obvious to her. The only new piece of information is that she won’t be the only one to notice.
[beat]
…hhhhhence the snarly face. got it =D
On the other hand, Joyce should be mad proud that her characters are so readily recognizable! That is serious talent.
“Why ya drawing Dotty at all? All the strips should be about how Julia Gray and her lesbian pal Betty are BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE, until everyone forgets President Doris even exists!”
Somehow I’m not sure the internalized doctrine that led to the Great Hanky-Panky Panic of 2021 is going to smile on pornography/masturbation as a pressure release valve. I think she probably believes she’s just supposed to suppress it entirely until her brain melts.
Wait a second, so having been raised Reasonably Christian and Boy I find myself wondering, what is the fundie rationale for prohibiting masturbation in girls?! Like, I get how you could argue that, to quote the Monty Pythons, “every sperm is sacred”, but that’s not what happens when vulva havers jerk off sooooo…???
In my experience christian dont really think girls have those urges. I always thought masturbation was a thing men did until my late teens /20s. Sex is presented as something women do for their boyfriends so thet is the focus their is nothing in the bible about female masturbation becaise the concept is not even presented as a thing. Honestly growing up i felt like a freak for having “urges” at least guys know its normal for them.
…and publishing those stories in an outlet that your entire peer circle is likely to read? Still 100% guaranteed not to present an issue in any way shape or form
Still closer to their current style than whenever we’ve seen Willis draw their characters “realistically” (and subsequently deride the drawing in-universe as “unrealistic”), such as here: http://www.itswalky.com/comic/whats-that/
wait the characters in the third panel line up with that john mulaney meme
Becky: MCDONALDS MCDONALDS MCDONALDS
Joyce: we have food at home
Doris: *orders one black coffee*
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because Joyce is transparent as glass
not “thinking about badminton”?
wait no that’s a particularly bad example
Could try thinking about shuttlecock…
think about women’s tennis! ….ooooh shit oh NO
Goodminton then?
What kind of glass, though? Tempered glass can get kinda opaque at times.
It changes every week
Where’s Becky’s self insert, repressed bisexual outlet, fantasy fulfillment character!?
Oh wait that’s right, she’ll only show up once and then disappear for like five years except for the occasional “I’m still a character!” phone call strip before coming back and transitioning to essentially another main character in a massive multi-arc storyline!
Besides, she was on the phone like three strips ago! Hi Betty!
If political science doesn’t work out for her, Becky would be a natural as the wacky drop-in neighbor in a sitcom.
If this were a live action sitcom, Becky would be the character with the laugh track even though no other character has one.
It was Becky all along! 😉
But Becky didn’t kill the dog.
Becky your presence continues to be both a delight and a tragedy.
How does she do it?
Because we know her back story too well. She is tragicomedy personified.
A delightfully comedic shell with a gooey tragic center. She learned the “smile and ignore it” coping mechanism well. 🙁
Close, but softball players are hot, honestly, athletes in general are hot
Eh, overly muscled humans with <2% body fat aren't my idea of sexy.
I agree, but when someone’s described as “athletic,” I picture someone leaner than that. Someone who actually is sexy.
Leaner than <2% fat?
Swimmer or runner physiques rather than bodybuilders.
Okay that last panel face of Dorothy’s may be my new favorite.
Joyce, meanwhile… hoo boy. Hooooo boy.
“Not everyone is obsessed with sex”.
Dorothy leads such a sheltered life.
Someday she will sadly be exposed to the internet.
Eh, even in their peer group, Dina, Jacob, Sal. I’d even argue Sarah.
Yeah, but Joe more than makes up for all of them, and most of the cast in other webcomics too.
As well as all the population who aren’t members of the cast and who aren’t as horny as he is.
Nono, I’ll counter your mention of Sarah with her wanting to use Jacob as “stress release”.
I wasn’t aware stress release was a kind of obsession?
Also Carla.
She’s in college. As I remember, the answer to “is everyone obsessed with sex” was “yeah.”
I wasn’t obsessed with sex in college. But I wasn’t screaming it from the rooftops.
When I was the age of these characters, I probably would’ve identified as asexual, had I known the word. I did a lot of other college stuff.
IIRC, Carla, Dina, Jacob, Danny, Lucy, and Sal aren’t obsessed with sex. (Some of them have crushes right now, but they aren’t obsessed.)
A lot of people being horny on main doesn’t mean everyone is obsessed with sex. It just means the obsessed ones are loud.
Wouldn’t thinking about softball be a lesbian turn-on? So baseball would work for Becky. Not hot ladies there, usually.
I’ll ask my sister, she should know.
I definitely believe that thinking about softball would not make Becky less horny
… why?
The whole point is that baseball is a thoroughly unsexy game.
If it’s because “opposite” then I feel the need to point out that lesbians are not the opposite of straight guys.
If it’s because some lesbians like to play softball – well, some straight guys like to play baseball, so the reversal still doesn’t work.
Oh, and if I just ruined your joke by overanalyzing it…
Sorry, not sorry.
The logic behind it is that baseball is a thoroughly ‘man’ activity. No girls. So for straight dudes, that’s the turn off. So for lesbians, a softball team full of girls… doesn’t work the same way.
I don’t know what Americans think softball is but considering the New Zealand men’s team are multiple world champions in softball I’m pretty sure there’s plenty of scope for lesbians being turned off by it.
I think in the USA, playing softball and being a lesbian are kindof treated as being the same thing? Speaking from the book I read that mention softball. (Used to be the same thing with women‘s soccer in Germany, but nowadays all suddenly sport loooong hair to avoid the idea).
While i generally disapprove of steteotypes, my softball team is definitely over 50% lesbian…. and that’s not including any bisexuals
well it’s not a stereotype if it’s a deliberate dating/socializing strategy =P
So we need a new solution, more inclusive and less specific.
How about thinking about Lego? Definitely non-sexual. Will hurt if you step on them. Kid’s toy. Not gendered. I hereby declare Lego to be the inclusive baseball.
I’ve seen flocks of lesbians recruiting baby lesbians for their softball team at least a couple of times. Yes, it is a deliberate dating/socializing strategy.
TBH, it’s one of the most cringy dude-bro things I’ve ever seen women do. I was not nearly brave enough to point that out.
A remarkable amount of the social expectation is that softball is baseball for girls because it has the word “soft” in it, in my experience.
These two will never live this comic down and I love it.
As a girl, I can say that thinking about other girls in baseball or softball uniforms gets me feeling some kind of way. I’m grey-ace, but I assure you it’s not a turn off at least. Not like Becky is suggesting.
Modern MLB style, or old-timey “League of Their Own” etc?
“What are you boys doing?”
“Putting on the FOIL.” [/Slap Shot]
I will never let Dorothy’s exasperation face go.
I love the “Doris” in the first panel, Dorothy just humoring Joyce by not pointing out again that she knows she is “inspiration” for the character.
And then Becky happens.
Well A. that read text is hilarious.
And B. got ‘er.
Got em both!
BETTY!
Well if Joyce wants to learn about writing conflict, a golden example is about to present itself
oh y’know, it’s Joyce’s incredibly repressed attraction to Dotty, manifesting in art form.
this was probably a very needed moment for Becky to do her thing….
So who is going to burst into a sexually frustrated heap first: Lucy or Joyce?
Becky. C’mon, she’s right there!
Seconding this. Becky’s definitely more sexually frustrated than either Lucy or Joyce right now.
And I don’t think we saw anything from Lucy that says she represses even half as much as the other two.
She might not have sexpals right now, but I guess she’d be up for it if she did. And well, having sex is a great way to be less frustrated, so there’s hope for her yet ^^
Dorothy, you’re terrible with people. Have you considered this is a bigger issue than grades in becoming POTUS?
I’m not sure if I’m upset by Becky calling comic strips unsexy because I agree with her or disagree with her. But it’s botherin’ me.
She’s clearly never heard of webcomics.
(She’s right about newspaper comics, though. The closest those get is 9CL, and that’s merely horny.)
Comic strips are unsexy because 9 Chickweed Lane absorbs all the horniness around it, like a vortex made of legs.
Also, poor Becky needs to learn to JO or something, this is untenable.
I think maybe it is impure.
Just to clarify, Joyce, Becky is one of those people who are the exception that proves the rule.
I am glad though that Becky was able to address the pink gorilla sitting in the middle of the room. Yes, Doris is Dorothy (and, I think, Joe) and possibly represents the issues Joyce still has in understanding the secular world.
I’m sorry to break this to you, Becky, whom I love, but that look of world-weariness Dotty has going on? Only Joyce can make her project that kind of “oh my God, no” energy. For all your attempts at rivalry, you will never elicit that expression from her.
or softballs, depending
Is this a comment on that early strip when Joyce berated everyone for their corruption and we were supposed to be on her side?
I don’t know why but I never realized “thinking about baseball” meant to think about something not sexy until now. Maybe because there’s a number of baseball metaphors for sex.
Kind of puts Deep Space Nine in a new context, doesn’t it.
As a straight woman who thinks baseball is boring, somehow it doesn’t really work either.
Sooooo I’m watching a dozen male athletes in skin tight outfits, and I’m bored. Ooooobviously sex has never been further from my mind!
…i’m not sure why Dorothy is glaring so hard when Becky instantly recognizes her as Doris, since that was already obvious to her. The only new piece of information is that she won’t be the only one to notice.
[beat]
…hhhhhence the snarly face. got it =D
On the other hand, Joyce should be mad proud that her characters are so readily recognizable! That is serious talent.
You ever got dressed down by a friend for transparently basing a character of yours on them, Willis?
He’s stated before that Mike and Ninja Rick were based on people he knew, so I’d expect so.
“Why ya drawing Dotty at all? All the strips should be about how Julia Gray and her lesbian pal Betty are BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE, until everyone forgets President Doris even exists!”
“Joyce, you’re projecting. Not everyone is obsessed with sex.”
“…says the young woman who has bedded three guys!”
All I can think of is Ruth telling Joyce “You’re obviously overrun with hormones”. It’s gotta go somewhere.
Joyce has a point. Exhibit prove A.
Becky don’t be silly, that’s President Doris. She has dark hair, which is completely different from Dorothy’s blonde hair colour.
It’s almost like no one cares about Doris’s hair colour?!
So rude.
Has Becky discovered porn yet?
Somehow I’m not sure the internalized doctrine that led to the Great Hanky-Panky Panic of 2021 is going to smile on pornography/masturbation as a pressure release valve. I think she probably believes she’s just supposed to suppress it entirely until her brain melts.
Wait a second, so having been raised Reasonably Christian and Boy I find myself wondering, what is the fundie rationale for prohibiting masturbation in girls?! Like, I get how you could argue that, to quote the Monty Pythons, “every sperm is sacred”, but that’s not what happens when vulva havers jerk off sooooo…???
Having Sexual Desires is Sinful and Whorish, basically. (Or at least that’s one of them.)
In my experience christian dont really think girls have those urges. I always thought masturbation was a thing men did until my late teens /20s. Sex is presented as something women do for their boyfriends so thet is the focus their is nothing in the bible about female masturbation becaise the concept is not even presented as a thing. Honestly growing up i felt like a freak for having “urges” at least guys know its normal for them.
Writing about your RL friends is a great idea, and can’t possibly turn out to be a problem.
…and publishing those stories in an outlet that your entire peer circle is likely to read? Still 100% guaranteed not to present an issue in any way shape or form
And it DEFINITELY won’t be a problem making the characters visually-identifiable as their real life inspirations to the rest of the campus population.
I just have to say I absolutely adore the expressions in the last panel.
…I can’t shake this horrible feeling that this is building up to Joyce having a falling-out with either Dorothy or Becky. I really hope I’m wrong.
She will never learn boundaries otherwise than suffering consequences for transgressing them.
So wait, here’s a thought: is Joyce’s artwork, in-universe, supposed to be super-realistic?
It is not much like Willis’s current style.
Still closer to their current style than whenever we’ve seen Willis draw their characters “realistically” (and subsequently deride the drawing in-universe as “unrealistic”), such as here: http://www.itswalky.com/comic/whats-that/
Or for another example, here: http://www.itswalky.com/comic/what-are-those-things-on-its-nose/
wait the characters in the third panel line up with that john mulaney meme
Becky: MCDONALDS MCDONALDS MCDONALDS
Joyce: we have food at home
Doris: *orders one black coffee*
I love Dorothy’s expression in the last panel.