She’s the evil NegaJoyce from the arc where she runs away to a cottage in the canadian shield after she breaks up with Joe. Hasn’t happened yet but it’s going to be sick when it does
Oops, I meant to hit reply not report. My apologizes.
This also gives me an uneasy feeling. I can’t tell if Booster is trying to be a malicious gremlin, a beneficent trickster, or is just inserting themselves into others affairs out of boredom.
Or just tell ’em to fuck off. I seem to recall almost liking Booster in a recent appearance, but now they’re right back to being an equal-opportunity pain in the ass.
I’m sorry but does Booster know Sarah well? Or at all really? What the hell are they talking about with “outside your comfort zone” How do you know what’s outside her comfort zone? This might be the longest conversation you’ve had with her.
Booster cold reads people as a crutch, and I think they have had opportunity enough to observe Sarah to know that social shit isn’t her jam, but you nonetheless have a valid point. (I’m getting a little ick here, Booster should be backing off.)
It’s been established Booster it’s very observant and what not, they probably didn’t need to have long I interaction to get a general grasp of what Sarah is like. And it’s not like she make any kind of secrets of it.
This is the 11th time they’ve been in a strip together and mostly they just happen to be in the same room, but this does feel like a proper follow up to their most meaningful interaction:
They also bore witness to the entire trainwreck (their words, not mine) of the party where Sarah was very open about her difficulties with emotions … And then Lucy kissed Jacob in front of her.
Also Walky, who’s Lucy’s ex, is their roomie and was very insecure about Jacob. So they likely talked about it because, again, it’s the closest non-girl person he has.
Going by the squiggle that is their logo, the name of this place is probably Lyman’s Mustache. Could also be a branch of Coffeeright Theft, with a Skunk instead of a Marten as their regular fixture.
I’m also confused about how dating the ‘son of the dean’ translates to being outside of her comfort zone. Maybe because of the expectation that she needs to impress the dad? But I think that’d be a given for… anyone?
If you want to really be cynical it could be to have an in given that she was very close to losing her scholarship last year. But that would be so cynical it would be like combining Ruth and Sarah into one megacynic.
Would Raidah date a white guy to climb socially? I don’t think it’s off the table but I feel like it’s slightly frowned upon in the Muslim faith so might depend on how much you want to buck the trend.
may very well be same basic dealio with whether or some believe it’s morally right to date a white guy just to climb socially, really it depends, Islam ain’t a monolith anymore than Christianity or Judaism
Sarah’s there on a scholarship (can’t pay for school otherwise), Tony is a wealthy white guy, and Booster is a Latine from a small town. So…
– Just a comment on the expectations of impressing someone’s parent?
– Class/Race intersection?
– Just them knowing Sarah isn’t used to have good things happen to her?
– Do they keep in touch with Lucy and so they’re privy to Raidah’s habits?
There’s many exciting possibilities.Booster is also nosy as hell, granted, but I do think they’re happy for Sarah and wanting to be helpful.
You know what, that’s a good point! I suppose part of my issue is usually seeing mentions of someone’s comfort zone as being them, like, branching out into something negative or stressful. Although there is a bit of stress with the son of dean thing, I can also see it now being a case of “your comfort zone is usually not experiencing great stuff, and this guy’s a good catch”.
No need at all for Sarah to impress Tony’s father (the Dean). It’s guaranteed he knows who she and all the group are. All senior admins (and he’s def one) have to be fully updated on all the criminal, legal, and unusual goings-on there.
…sorry, Booster, but I’m looking for some of your fucking business around here, but I can’t seem to find any. Maybe you should go find some literally anywhere else.
He does, but on the male side of the wing, and Sarah has no reason to go there other than to visit Jacob, much less get familiar with any of the other residents.
I love Booster precisely because of the reason people hate them. It wouldn’t be them without those parts. And my opinions are always objective and correct so that settled the matter.
See usually I’m okay with Booster being a busybody because they’ve often commented on the self destructive parts of the relationship or people’s behavior. This doesn’t feel like booster being helpful with their unabashed honesty. This feels like them just being disruptive at a time when Sarah appears ready to move on from her recent heart break. I don’t really see Booster’s endgame here- maybe there are red flags with Tony he sees that I don’t. At the moment this feels more like Mike type behavior.
As a thing that is happening in a fictional webcomic story on the Internet that one is reading for entertainment? Sure, I guess it could be possibly viewed as a “fun” scene involving a character of dubious likeability. If Booster were a real person doing this real thing in real life, though? Not so much. So… yeah, good thing this is all fictional, I guess!!!
And they’re ruining this scene with their presence. They can go be an obnoxious busybody somewhere else, just this once. But, of course, they’re not, because Mr. Willis has (unfortunately, in my opinion) written the scene to be this way, in which Booster is being an obnoxious busybody, butting in where he’s not wanted. I’m capable of reading comprehension, too, but that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy the interaction being presented in this scene.
To be fair to Booster (or, rather, since we’re apparently being all Doylist at the moment, Mr. Willis’s writing of Booster), I haven’t actually found myself disliking them or their antics prior to now, even if they have been (written as) an obnoxious busybody in the past as well. Booster’s derailment of this scene just feels… undeserved… at least as far as Sarah is concerned. And this is being said by someone who has not been Sarah’s biggest fan lately, either (prior to her meeting Tony, at least). I just don’t think she deserved having Booster inflicted upon her at this particular moment in the story. And yet, here we are.
I wonder if Booster has been inserted so that a returning Tony can notice the vibe and ask, “Sarah, is this person bothering you?” while wearing his best game face. Booster has an “uh-oh!” moment. Exit Booster. Date continues.
It’s pretty presumptuous for them to insert themselves but not out of character. Sarah already likes Tony and vice versa based on their interaction. Why throw in social class standing in the mix? Unless Booster thinks Sarah cares about something so superficial. I wonder what Tony’s interaction will be to Booster
It sort of is, yes. However, I am not sold on it being malicious. I think Booster is either trying to be some form of benign trickster (they come in cause chaos, prove themselves oh so smart and insightful, and leave the situation better for all), or Booster, having just come from a small town with only a sister who is largely lost in her own head, is just very lonely and desperately inserting themselves any where they think they might fit.
Booster is the kind of person who’s been lonely enough to know how to Read People, yet have zero training on Interacting With People. They have no idea of how to make friends so they try to be helpful instead, except they’re also allergic to be vulnerable (due to said combo of a lack of interacting, queerness, neurodivergence, and a small town.) I adore them.
They’re also not as good at Reading People as they think they are, which I hope will eventually come back to bite them. A lot of their reads are very superficial and sometimes just outright wrong.
I think they are, at the very least, a pretty unique and interesting character. I believe this has value on its own. For example, I did not necessarily enjoy most A24’s the Green Knight, but it is still a cool film that is certainly … something. I am glad I watched it, but I am not sure I would wish to do so again for some time. So I am glad that Booster is here, if only to watch Mr. Willis at his craft with this new and strange creation.
When Booster is in a situation where people are asking them for help, or otherwise intentionally involving them in their situations, they’re great! Booster’s pretty sharp and good at reading people.
But they need to learn boundaries and respect other people’s agency, and they have shown to have terrible judgement in that regard.
I think one of the reasons I kind of have a problem with Booster, despite on the whole still kind of liking them as a char, is that we sort of have clashing personality flaws. They are kind of bad at recognizing/respecting social boundaries, and I am bad at stating my boundaries and clarifying when someone makes me uncomfortable. So irl, they would be the kind of person I kind of dread being around.
Good! Room for character growth is always better than people just turning up in the comic without a single issue to be boring and perfect all the time.
I really want them to learn how to actually make friends with someone tbh :33 So far they’ve been Assigned Friend By Amber (to Ethan), and then kinda stayed talking with Amber because both are messy and love drama. And there’s Walky who is their roommate. Neither are that organic.
I had just been thinking about asexuality, so this comment seemed acephobic to me for a second. And then I was confused because it was you commenting. And then I remembered how to use context clues.
Seems like a coffee shop. Morally and ethically, we must consider the possibility of the establishment selling mugs. I don’t recognize that fucked-up ancient glyph on the one Booster is using, though.
A lot of places offer reusable cups for there even if they default to disposable ones. Even at some of the Starbucks near me, I know you can order your drink specifically “for here” and get it in a ceramic mug. (I prefer bringing my own reusable cup places… when I remember…)
But places often want most customers getting their coffee to go, so they don’t bring up the option (or the worker forgets to ask, and the disposable cup is the safe bet).
Well, a paper coffee cup means no expectations. If Tony and Sarah hadn’t hit it off, boom coffee has been bought, we can leave now. They’re liking each other, though, so they sat down to drink and now Tony’s gone straight to the matter at hand (but seems to be tidy enough to dislike an empty cup in front of him.)
I think if Sarah tells Booster off in no uncertain terms, it may well plus her in Tony’s estimation: immediate proof of her lack of patience for buffoonery.
I don’t think Booster is trying to start drama tbh. They were having a cup of coffee nearby (likely on the next table), and caught enough of the conversation to go their version of “OMG GURL SO HAPPY FOR YOU.”
Also to dole out advice because they seem to like Sarah and dating a Dean’s son might feel overwhelming, and that’s the closest they (know how to) get to having a friend. I really don’t think it’s malicious.
I don’t think anyone really thinks Booster is malicious (at least not in the same way Mike was), it’s just that they’re being a little unwanted right now (Sarah clearly doesn’t want them around, and they’re deliberately not moving).
Eh, I saw some comments going that way. I’ll take obnoxious, though ;3 I maintain they don’t know how to make friends unless they’re kinda forced into proximity, but one thing doesn’t preclude the other.
Since I went for a quick check, though… This is two days after the party. Booster did see Sarah’s heart getting broken quite publicly.
While I agree with you that Booster struggles to make friends (while seeming to desperately want to), I think your interpretation of the “dean” comment is at odds with their character as introduced so far.
We’ve been shown they have a very good grasp on people—just maybe some difficulty translating that into their own interactions with those people. So when they elbow themselves into conversations or don’t know how to actually talk *to* the people they’ve been analyzing, that all makes sense. But here? Either Booster really understands people, or they don’t—for your interpretation to make sense, they would have to be totally off-base about Sarah’s character, and we haven’t seen them be wrong about people like that before (and Sarah’s a pretty easy one). Like, Sarah is who she is; she doesn’t hide like a lot of the other people in this cast. I genuinely dont see how someone who has known Sarah for more than a week would think of the “dean” comment as something that would encourage her as opposed to something that would stir shit.
Even looking at it through the lens of, “booster knows people but struggles to apply that to their own relationships,” I genuinely don’t see how panel 3 is anything more generous than teasing (taunting if malicious), let alone genuine “advice.” (I mean, “advice”? You know what’s a good way to not make making a dean’s kid seem overwhelming—NOT TELLING THEM. Again, either booster gets people, or they don’t.)
Man I really doubt Booster is going to be the one to help Sarah relax and just let things happen rather than her trying to conform to the standards of others. Mostly because Booster to use the comic’s own words, participates in buffoonery.
I find the way Sarah objectifies men really jarring. And I also find it jarring that she constantly gets a pass on it. It’s just as bad as objectifying women, because *it’s exactly the same thing* – reducing a person, with feelings, a personality, opinions, a unique perspective, to a thing to be used for your pleasure.
It helps that it’s just her way of expressing sexual desire, and she has a lot more going on than wanting to have sex. Though it was weird when she tried to get Jacob in bed while he made it clear he was trying to be friends, I got the impression she learned her lesson when she didn’t get Jacob. She has been attentive to Tony and appreciating his opinions in a way she’s never been seen to interact with anyone before. The slab comment is maybe a little over the line of appreciating what she finds attractive about his physique, but I’m willing to attribute that to muscle memory – repeating a familiar refrain without thinking.
I mean, she’s also a fictional character who is meant to be, like, 20. It’s okay for her to objectify people. It was even okay for Joe to objectify people, back in the day. They’re all meant to be 18-20 years old. When I was 20 and dating my now-husband, I called him a “pussy” once over something stupid—I hated as soon as I did it and still feel disgusted/embarrassed over it (and it’s been like 10 years). Sometimes I think people in these comments forget how old the characters are *meant* to be because so much drama is constantly happening and characters keep dropping comments or insights that read super mature.
I’m not saying it’s deliberately malicious, but it is dehumanizing, which was blatantly obvious in the arc with Jacob, where his agency and his feelings were completely dismissed by Sarah. I just don’t think it’s ok to treat people like that, and I find it more than a little disturbing that many kinds of bad behaviour do get called out in the comments, but treating people like objects should somehow get a pass if it’s muscular men being objectified.
My personal stance is that it’s OK to see people as sexual objects (it’s a normal part of sexuality and the vast majority of people will do it to some degree or another). What’s important is that you don’t ONLY see them as sexual objects, and whether or not you find someone or a type sexually attractive must not lead to you treating them in a objectifying, harassing or derogatory manner.
Well, I suppose I see things differently. I just find that kind of thinking – people as (sexual) objects – very unsettling. Maybe I’m weird that way, but I certainly don’t recognize myself in the statement “the vast majority of people will do it to some degree or another”. A person is always a person, not a “slab” or a “piece of a**” or anything like that.
Objectifying a man (which, again, I don’t think is happening here) is rude. It’s dehumanizing. It definitely is not okay. It doesn’t, however, have the same knock-on effects that objectifying women does (as a general rule).
Therefore, is not “exactly the same thing”. If your opinion differs, that’s fine, but for me – the effect of an action matters as much as the intent. And while the intent of objectifying any gender might be the same, the effect varies wildly based on their position within society.
I find that a pretty horrible world view, and fiercely counterproductive to the aim of equality. You’re basically saying that because women suffered from institutionalized sexism, they get to be sexist. Which just perpetuates sexism. Belgium got trampled by Germany in 1914 – that doesn’t mean they get to invade Germany
If you ever find yourself saying “you’re basically saying” you should just stop right there. You rephrased what I said so that it was easier for you to attack. I very specifically said that it isn’t okay and it’s rude and it’s dehumanizing to objectify men. Which you ignored because you’re ready for a fight and that didn’t fit into the fight you wanted to have.
Cultural context adds a different weight to similar actions taken against different people. Being racist against white people doesn’t have the same effect as being racist against black people. Being sexist against men doesn’t have the same effect as being sexist against women. You can feel your big feelings about that, but it’s objective truth.
And that is what matters to me, personally, when deciding whether something is “exactly the same thing” as something else.
As for your “horrible world view” comment – that’s fine. I wasn’t asking for your approval.
Men being sexist leads to deeply unsettling and horrific outcomes like forced pregnancies and sex trafficking. Women being sexist leads to men getting their ego wounded temporarily. There’s a vast gulf of difference.
Exactly. Nobody’s asked Booster why they have encyclopedic knowledge of the faculty and extended families thereof. What do they need that information for?
I’m definitely getting the feeling that Booster just doesn’t quite know how to turn off the “I know just enough about both of you that I can start playing the prediction game to start psychoanalyzing how I think this will turn out” switch and keep their mouth shut. I’ve known plenty of people like that IRL. I do actually like Booster *and* I think they’re being much less helpful than they think, so I’m excited to see how they end up developing, especially since they haven’t experienced a lot of consequences yet for their butting in on people’s moments.
Also, honestly, I just can’t wait to see how Tony’s going to deal with them, given his stated intolerance of buffoonery and the like.
The problem I have is that Booster’s shown awareness that this is an issue of theirs, that they instinctively butt in and drop Freshman Psych Student Bombs through cold reading on people.
Obviously its not as simple as “if you demonstrate one iota of awareness of a problem, you should have total control over it”, but I expect some effort from them on trying to hold themself back and… Booster’s just full-on indulging here.
Please please please let Raidah find out that Sarah and Tony are starting to hit it off an try a buffoonery. It’d be satisfying for her to actually face consequences for how she treats people.
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It is very on brand for them. Look at that fancy wallpaper!
Are skunks fancy?
Usually not but if you put in the effort they can be
They are fancy when they in wallpaper, say I.
Of course! Look at their little tuxedos!
The only one I know of has a French accent. Can’t get more hoity toity than that.
Booster is becoming self-aware; how long until he discovers the 4th wall?
They*
Also, no to that gravatar.
Ijteresting, but not Sal.
Interesting*
I hate how many duplicates I have.
Dorothy is cool, might come back to this one if I can’t get Sal.
Carla! (Still not Sal)
Nope
Last roll of the night.
You can do it!
I always wonder who this black and white Joyce with sunglasses is. Do we know her?
Julia Gray, fighter pilot
from these bonus strips. https://www.dumbingofage.com/interloper/#sidebar-overblog https://www.dumbingofage.com/sevenpercent/#sidebar-overblog
What Hue said, and adding a link:
https://www.dumbingofage.com/tag/julia-gray/
She’s the evil NegaJoyce from the arc where she runs away to a cottage in the canadian shield after she breaks up with Joe. Hasn’t happened yet but it’s going to be sick when it does
And she’s married to President Doris.
That’s Mina Carrot.
That’s Joyce’s character in her stories where Dorothy is President, and she is a famous pilot. (but she uses different names for her & Dorothy)
original character donut steel
I’m gonna use ”Original Character Donut Steel” as a superhero name in an RPG some day now.
Totally not based on Dorothy or Joyce! The names are different and everything!
Hopefully they jump through it and vanish. I can’t believe they’re actually worse than Mike.
A veritable college of deans.
“Dean” is just a title meaning you’re in charge of an entire department at the campus. Could be any number from 3 to 60+.
Is plethora the collective noun of deans?
“A colloquy of deans.”
I don’t know why “a murder of deans” sounds so nicely to my brain
As a former Dean, I approve the use of “murder” as a collective noun.
Every time we had an admins meeting, it was a murder.
Every time we tried to have a meeting but couldn’t get everyone, it was an attempted murder.
And we tracked all our murders and attempted murders via Google Calendar and TEAMS.
😀
Isn’t it a winchester of deans?
Nope
okay maybe, one more roll
just one more turn
i accept the lesbian “Not anyone’s mom” leslie
I like that one.
beat me to it
I don’t like this…
yeah, Booster has yet to get outta Tony’s seat :/
Oops, I meant to hit reply not report. My apologizes.
This also gives me an uneasy feeling. I can’t tell if Booster is trying to be a malicious gremlin, a beneficent trickster, or is just inserting themselves into others affairs out of boredom.
My guess is a combination of A and C.
Booster inserts themself into the world to the exact extent that Charlie excerpts herself out of the world
In all things there is balance
Appropriate gravatar or not? I’m unsure.
Quickly Sarah distract them with a lie about some more interesting drama on the other side of campus
Or just tell ’em to fuck off. I seem to recall almost liking Booster in a recent appearance, but now they’re right back to being an equal-opportunity pain in the ass.
The replacement Mike.
Gonna be so fucking interesting to see how Raidah reacts to this in addition to the myriad of things going on.
I’m expecting an attempt to sabotage the nascent relationship.
“Do you know who those people are?”
*followed by skewed anecdotes
I’m sorry but does Booster know Sarah well? Or at all really? What the hell are they talking about with “outside your comfort zone” How do you know what’s outside her comfort zone? This might be the longest conversation you’ve had with her.
Booster cold reads people as a crutch, and I think they have had opportunity enough to observe Sarah to know that social shit isn’t her jam, but you nonetheless have a valid point. (I’m getting a little ick here, Booster should be backing off.)
Booster also enjoys needling people for no reason, like at the dorm meeting.
It’s been established Booster it’s very observant and what not, they probably didn’t need to have long I interaction to get a general grasp of what Sarah is like. And it’s not like she make any kind of secrets of it.
This is the 11th time they’ve been in a strip together and mostly they just happen to be in the same room, but this does feel like a proper follow up to their most meaningful interaction:
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2021/comic/book-11/03-see-you-in-the-funny-page/giddy/
And of course not everything happens on screen, as it were.
I wish this was on a banner at the top of the comic every day tbh.
The bane of our existences. Willis needs a team of 13 interns, all busy filling in what’s going on with other characters who are off the main screen.
They also bore witness to the entire trainwreck (their words, not mine) of the party where Sarah was very open about her difficulties with emotions … And then Lucy kissed Jacob in front of her.
Also Walky, who’s Lucy’s ex, is their roomie and was very insecure about Jacob. So they likely talked about it because, again, it’s the closest non-girl person he has.
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2024/comic/book-14/04-for-me-it-was-tuesday/rebounding/
And hey, further development in the disposable/reusable cups in cafés discussion!
Going by the squiggle that is their logo, the name of this place is probably Lyman’s Mustache. Could also be a branch of Coffeeright Theft, with a Skunk instead of a Marten as their regular fixture.
Callbacks to Garfield (I have not seen Lyman in, like, 50 years) and Questionable Content (I hope Mood Coffee does well)!
Is Booster trying to be revelatory or cock-blocky?
And it’s a symposium of deans.
I think they’re trying to be helpful and revelatory, and not realizing how much of a giant asshole they’re being instead.
Inclined to agreed, although I’m not entirely sure Booster isn’t embracing the assholery.
Though in this case it would be the female version of a cock-block, so a clam-jam?
Also, I’ve been rewatching Community, so mentions of the Dean are causing me to imagine Jim Rash in this comic.
Well now I’m imagining Dean McHenry in Dean Pelton’s many outfits and the contrast is jarring.
https://youtu.be/UKDp5ZiClLI?si=91wkJc-e9Qx5Mbz4
Hm. Yes.
A Pelton of Deans. That’s the plural everyone’s been searching for.
Look at it this way Sarah – if it works out, you have a cute boyfriend AND Raidah’s head will pop.
And if the Dean ends up adoring her I’m gonna cackle.
For the record – the restaurant is Hopscotch Coffee IRL.
Dammit, right, Search for Sal episode.
With how stoic they are I’m not sure what a McHenry showing ‘adoration’ would look like.
A more professional, less mean version of the way Sarah shows adoration I’d imagine.
I’m also confused about how dating the ‘son of the dean’ translates to being outside of her comfort zone. Maybe because of the expectation that she needs to impress the dad? But I think that’d be a given for… anyone?
This was supposed to be a reply for Sirksome, whoops! Oh well!
If you want to really be cynical it could be to have an in given that she was very close to losing her scholarship last year. But that would be so cynical it would be like combining Ruth and Sarah into one megacynic.
Would Raidah date a white guy to climb socially? I don’t think it’s off the table but I feel like it’s slightly frowned upon in the Muslim faith so might depend on how much you want to buck the trend.
re: frowned upon in Islamic faith,
source? like Raidah doesn’t believe in angels, but some Muslims do
may very well be same basic dealio with whether or some believe it’s morally right to date a white guy just to climb socially, really it depends, Islam ain’t a monolith anymore than Christianity or Judaism
Why not? “White guy” isn’t a religion, and she already dated someone with a different ethnic and religious background in the comic.
Not so much the white guy part that’d be a problem so much as the ‘not a Muslim’ part which is a thing for some devout Muslims.
That said, Raidah’s already dated a non-Muslim with Jacob so I think it’s safe to say she personally does not care about that part.
As far as we’ve seen Raidah’s religion IS social climbing. Figure she goes to mosque because it’s, well, socially expected.
She’s definitely willing to date a christian, which as far as I know would be a bigger deal for a conservative muslim family.
That’s assuming Raidah has a conservative muslim family, which I don’t think she does.
Sarah’s there on a scholarship (can’t pay for school otherwise), Tony is a wealthy white guy, and Booster is a Latine from a small town. So…
– Just a comment on the expectations of impressing someone’s parent?
– Class/Race intersection?
– Just them knowing Sarah isn’t used to have good things happen to her?
– Do they keep in touch with Lucy and so they’re privy to Raidah’s habits?
There’s many exciting possibilities.Booster is also nosy as hell, granted, but I do think they’re happy for Sarah and wanting to be helpful.
You know what, that’s a good point! I suppose part of my issue is usually seeing mentions of someone’s comfort zone as being them, like, branching out into something negative or stressful. Although there is a bit of stress with the son of dean thing, I can also see it now being a case of “your comfort zone is usually not experiencing great stuff, and this guy’s a good catch”.
Popular. The popularest. The one everyone is constantly wanting to be around.
No need at all for Sarah to impress Tony’s father (the Dean). It’s guaranteed he knows who she and all the group are. All senior admins (and he’s def one) have to be fully updated on all the criminal, legal, and unusual goings-on there.
…sorry, Booster, but I’m looking for some of your fucking business around here, but I can’t seem to find any. Maybe you should go find some literally anywhere else.
Booster continues to be a character I can’t bring myself to like.
Just too much of a snark.
They’re also being willingly obtuse, they knew what Sarah meant with ‘what are you doing here’.
I’m not sure why Booster would be surprised that Sarah doesn’t know who Tony is, that would imply she likes watching football.
Which I mean, she could. But given that this is a local team, it would involve physically going to games. With people and cheering and noise.
Tony lives on their floor.
He does, but on the male side of the wing, and Sarah has no reason to go there other than to visit Jacob, much less get familiar with any of the other residents.
She wouldn’t know Tony from Arnold from Thad.
Anyone else think Booster inserting themself into situations that aren’t their business kind of obnoxious?
We know autism runs in the family
Wow, what an absolutely not relevant and weird thing to say. Say the autistic person.
Oh wow, does ableism run in yours?
try to get neurotypicals to stop automatically pathologizing being obnoxious
Challenge Level: Impossible (9-9)
I super don’t. I think it’s fun, but I’m aware that opinion isn’t everyone’s.
I love Booster precisely because of the reason people hate them. It wouldn’t be them without those parts. And my opinions are always objective and correct so that settled the matter.
See usually I’m okay with Booster being a busybody because they’ve often commented on the self destructive parts of the relationship or people’s behavior. This doesn’t feel like booster being helpful with their unabashed honesty. This feels like them just being disruptive at a time when Sarah appears ready to move on from her recent heart break. I don’t really see Booster’s endgame here- maybe there are red flags with Tony he sees that I don’t. At the moment this feels more like Mike type behavior.
Booster has been called “Replacement Mike”
Okay that was NOT the gravatar I was expecting!
… but maybe I’m okay with it?
Booster exists to do Mike type behaviour in a way that’s a little less outright abrasive, so that would make sense
As a thing that is happening in a fictional webcomic story on the Internet that one is reading for entertainment? Sure, I guess it could be possibly viewed as a “fun” scene involving a character of dubious likeability. If Booster were a real person doing this real thing in real life, though? Not so much. So… yeah, good thing this is all fictional, I guess!!!
To answer OP: yes, it is very obnoxious.
Oh, I mean I like both the character and the scene they’re in. I think both are fun and I’m very excited to see where their story goes!
Yes, because I’m capable of basic reading comprehension. Booster is written to be obnoxious, that’s the character.
And they’re ruining this scene with their presence. They can go be an obnoxious busybody somewhere else, just this once. But, of course, they’re not, because Mr. Willis has (unfortunately, in my opinion) written the scene to be this way, in which Booster is being an obnoxious busybody, butting in where he’s not wanted. I’m capable of reading comprehension, too, but that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy the interaction being presented in this scene.
To be fair to Booster (or, rather, since we’re apparently being all Doylist at the moment, Mr. Willis’s writing of Booster), I haven’t actually found myself disliking them or their antics prior to now, even if they have been (written as) an obnoxious busybody in the past as well. Booster’s derailment of this scene just feels… undeserved… at least as far as Sarah is concerned. And this is being said by someone who has not been Sarah’s biggest fan lately, either (prior to her meeting Tony, at least). I just don’t think she deserved having Booster inflicted upon her at this particular moment in the story. And yet, here we are.
Crap, a “he’s” slipped in there. Should be “they’re,” of course.
I wonder if Booster has been inserted so that a returning Tony can notice the vibe and ask, “Sarah, is this person bothering you?” while wearing his best game face. Booster has an “uh-oh!” moment. Exit Booster. Date continues.
It’s pretty presumptuous for them to insert themselves but not out of character. Sarah already likes Tony and vice versa based on their interaction. Why throw in social class standing in the mix? Unless Booster thinks Sarah cares about something so superficial. I wonder what Tony’s interaction will be to Booster
It sort of is, yes. However, I am not sold on it being malicious. I think Booster is either trying to be some form of benign trickster (they come in cause chaos, prove themselves oh so smart and insightful, and leave the situation better for all), or Booster, having just come from a small town with only a sister who is largely lost in her own head, is just very lonely and desperately inserting themselves any where they think they might fit.
You’ve got it. Thank you.
Booster is the kind of person who’s been lonely enough to know how to Read People, yet have zero training on Interacting With People. They have no idea of how to make friends so they try to be helpful instead, except they’re also allergic to be vulnerable (due to said combo of a lack of interacting, queerness, neurodivergence, and a small town.) I adore them.
They’re also not as good at Reading People as they think they are, which I hope will eventually come back to bite them. A lot of their reads are very superficial and sometimes just outright wrong.
Nah it’s great and they should do it more
I dont not care for booster
I think they are, at the very least, a pretty unique and interesting character. I believe this has value on its own. For example, I did not necessarily enjoy most A24’s the Green Knight, but it is still a cool film that is certainly … something. I am glad I watched it, but I am not sure I would wish to do so again for some time. So I am glad that Booster is here, if only to watch Mr. Willis at his craft with this new and strange creation.
Most of the time I kind of like Booster. But I think sometimes they get a little too personal with people they do not know all that well.
When Booster is in a situation where people are asking them for help, or otherwise intentionally involving them in their situations, they’re great! Booster’s pretty sharp and good at reading people.
But they need to learn boundaries and respect other people’s agency, and they have shown to have terrible judgement in that regard.
I think the only people we’ve seen ask them for help might be Amber and Carla, right? And then they were kind of annoying about it.
Yes that is in fact their whole deal. They’re nice about it but it’s kind of rude and mean even when they’re nice about it.
I think one of the reasons I kind of have a problem with Booster, despite on the whole still kind of liking them as a char, is that we sort of have clashing personality flaws. They are kind of bad at recognizing/respecting social boundaries, and I am bad at stating my boundaries and clarifying when someone makes me uncomfortable. So irl, they would be the kind of person I kind of dread being around.
Good! Room for character growth is always better than people just turning up in the comic without a single issue to be boring and perfect all the time.
♥
I really want them to learn how to actually make friends with someone tbh :33 So far they’ve been Assigned Friend By Amber (to Ethan), and then kinda stayed talking with Amber because both are messy and love drama. And there’s Walky who is their roommate. Neither are that organic.
So, Jennifer.
Yeah, this isn’t really the kind of story where ‘the Ace’ archetype works. Any Ace-seeming types will be broken down into a pile of issues eventually.
I had just been thinking about asexuality, so this comment seemed acephobic to me for a second. And then I was confused because it was you commenting. And then I remembered how to use context clues.
A veritable plethora of deans.
Continuing yesterday’s observation: now Booster has a regular cup? While Tony had a single use one? What kind of a place is this!?
A normal one.
Seems like a coffee shop. Morally and ethically, we must consider the possibility of the establishment selling mugs. I don’t recognize that fucked-up ancient glyph on the one Booster is using, though.
Also an excellent point.
I have not done it, but I have heard of cynical people on coffee dates getting their cups to go in case the date sucks
Sounds practical rather than cynical, better than getting stuck or wasting coffee.
True! I probably said cynical because it was Tony and Sarah, tbh
Honestly valid.
yee yee! coffee is one of our most precious natural resources! ^^
Maybe it’s a place where you can choose to bring your own cup, but if you don’t then they have disposables.
A lot of places offer reusable cups for there even if they default to disposable ones. Even at some of the Starbucks near me, I know you can order your drink specifically “for here” and get it in a ceramic mug. (I prefer bringing my own reusable cup places… when I remember…)
But places often want most customers getting their coffee to go, so they don’t bring up the option (or the worker forgets to ask, and the disposable cup is the safe bet).
Well, a paper coffee cup means no expectations. If Tony and Sarah hadn’t hit it off, boom coffee has been bought, we can leave now. They’re liking each other, though, so they sat down to drink and now Tony’s gone straight to the matter at hand (but seems to be tidy enough to dislike an empty cup in front of him.)
Maybe it’s one of those places where the regulars have their own mugs. The squiggle on the side says “Booster”.
Booster how dare you be a regular at this place where Sarah is flirting with a guy, it’s so inconsiderate of you to be here!
booster you were not invited to this date; back off a little and let sarah have something nice for once
Booster is such a shit-stirrer. I generally love it, but don’t fuck this up for Sarah.
I think if Sarah tells Booster off in no uncertain terms, it may well plus her in Tony’s estimation: immediate proof of her lack of patience for buffoonery.
I don’t think Booster is trying to start drama tbh. They were having a cup of coffee nearby (likely on the next table), and caught enough of the conversation to go their version of “OMG GURL SO HAPPY FOR YOU.”
Also to dole out advice because they seem to like Sarah and dating a Dean’s son might feel overwhelming, and that’s the closest they (know how to) get to having a friend. I really don’t think it’s malicious.
I don’t think anyone really thinks Booster is malicious (at least not in the same way Mike was), it’s just that they’re being a little unwanted right now (Sarah clearly doesn’t want them around, and they’re deliberately not moving).
Eh, I saw some comments going that way. I’ll take obnoxious, though ;3 I maintain they don’t know how to make friends unless they’re kinda forced into proximity, but one thing doesn’t preclude the other.
Since I went for a quick check, though… This is two days after the party. Booster did see Sarah’s heart getting broken quite publicly.
While I agree with you that Booster struggles to make friends (while seeming to desperately want to), I think your interpretation of the “dean” comment is at odds with their character as introduced so far.
We’ve been shown they have a very good grasp on people—just maybe some difficulty translating that into their own interactions with those people. So when they elbow themselves into conversations or don’t know how to actually talk *to* the people they’ve been analyzing, that all makes sense. But here? Either Booster really understands people, or they don’t—for your interpretation to make sense, they would have to be totally off-base about Sarah’s character, and we haven’t seen them be wrong about people like that before (and Sarah’s a pretty easy one). Like, Sarah is who she is; she doesn’t hide like a lot of the other people in this cast. I genuinely dont see how someone who has known Sarah for more than a week would think of the “dean” comment as something that would encourage her as opposed to something that would stir shit.
Even looking at it through the lens of, “booster knows people but struggles to apply that to their own relationships,” I genuinely don’t see how panel 3 is anything more generous than teasing (taunting if malicious), let alone genuine “advice.” (I mean, “advice”? You know what’s a good way to not make making a dean’s kid seem overwhelming—NOT TELLING THEM. Again, either booster gets people, or they don’t.)
Yay! I actually like Booster, so them and Sarah together should be very… amusing
…perfect gravatar I’m gonna keep this
I’ve always been pretty neutral concerning Booster.
But now I’m wary and bordering a possible hostility. I don’t know what their deal is but they better not be trying to start shit.
I think Booster maybe the sort of Person who sometimes start shit without trying and entirely against their own intention.
Man I really doubt Booster is going to be the one to help Sarah relax and just let things happen rather than her trying to conform to the standards of others. Mostly because Booster to use the comic’s own words, participates in buffoonery.
Erm Tony just leave to throw out cup meeting dont end here, why Buster almost getting started singin Summer Nights as somewhat Sarah bestie?
Seems like Tony should be back at the table by now, maybe he got kidnapped.
Fuck off, Booster.
They’re not even doing anything wrong.
Other than sticking their nose in where it doesn’t belong? Sure, they’re not doing anything “wrong,” technically.
They can still fuck all the way off, though.
Been there, coffee was decent, wallpaper unmistakable, grammed.
Booster why do you like you’re trying to sink that ship
Being chaotic evil of course, Sarah
“Also here’s a bunch of other useful info”
*booster throws some files across the table to Sarah*
“Thought I’d throw some ethical drama into what looks like a new permanent relationship in the strip”
“The what?”
What ethical drama?
ever here of organized crime?
this is Organized Pestering Out Of Boredom XD
I could be wrong but I think Sarah wouldn’t like to succeed via someone she’s dating, or at least she’ll struggle with that
Even if she’s cool with those kinds of benefits, would she want the one guy she truly clicks with to have that making her feel like she’s using him
I doubt any of that is gonna happen, at least not in a way that turns it into a dilemma.
Just you wait taffy-Maximillion Pegasus! What are you doing here?!?
Sending you to the Shadow Realm, of course.
Technically, he’s standing in Amaurot from Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, not the Shadow realm. Pegasus and Emet-Selch have very similar energy.
I find the way Sarah objectifies men really jarring. And I also find it jarring that she constantly gets a pass on it. It’s just as bad as objectifying women, because *it’s exactly the same thing* – reducing a person, with feelings, a personality, opinions, a unique perspective, to a thing to be used for your pleasure.
It helps that it’s just her way of expressing sexual desire, and she has a lot more going on than wanting to have sex. Though it was weird when she tried to get Jacob in bed while he made it clear he was trying to be friends, I got the impression she learned her lesson when she didn’t get Jacob. She has been attentive to Tony and appreciating his opinions in a way she’s never been seen to interact with anyone before. The slab comment is maybe a little over the line of appreciating what she finds attractive about his physique, but I’m willing to attribute that to muscle memory – repeating a familiar refrain without thinking.
I mean, she’s also a fictional character who is meant to be, like, 20. It’s okay for her to objectify people. It was even okay for Joe to objectify people, back in the day. They’re all meant to be 18-20 years old. When I was 20 and dating my now-husband, I called him a “pussy” once over something stupid—I hated as soon as I did it and still feel disgusted/embarrassed over it (and it’s been like 10 years). Sometimes I think people in these comments forget how old the characters are *meant* to be because so much drama is constantly happening and characters keep dropping comments or insights that read super mature.
I’m not saying it’s deliberately malicious, but it is dehumanizing, which was blatantly obvious in the arc with Jacob, where his agency and his feelings were completely dismissed by Sarah. I just don’t think it’s ok to treat people like that, and I find it more than a little disturbing that many kinds of bad behaviour do get called out in the comments, but treating people like objects should somehow get a pass if it’s muscular men being objectified.
My personal stance is that it’s OK to see people as sexual objects (it’s a normal part of sexuality and the vast majority of people will do it to some degree or another). What’s important is that you don’t ONLY see them as sexual objects, and whether or not you find someone or a type sexually attractive must not lead to you treating them in a objectifying, harassing or derogatory manner.
Well, I suppose I see things differently. I just find that kind of thinking – people as (sexual) objects – very unsettling. Maybe I’m weird that way, but I certainly don’t recognize myself in the statement “the vast majority of people will do it to some degree or another”. A person is always a person, not a “slab” or a “piece of a**” or anything like that.
That seems dramatic and ignores a lot of reasons why it isn’t at all “exactly the same thing”.
She’s into him for a lot of reasons, and one of them is allowed to be “because he’s a total fucking hottie”.
I’m sorry, maybe I’m reading this wrong – are you really saying that objectifying a man is somehow fundamentally different from objectifying a woman?
That is one of the things I was saying, yes.
Objectifying a man (which, again, I don’t think is happening here) is rude. It’s dehumanizing. It definitely is not okay. It doesn’t, however, have the same knock-on effects that objectifying women does (as a general rule).
Therefore, is not “exactly the same thing”. If your opinion differs, that’s fine, but for me – the effect of an action matters as much as the intent. And while the intent of objectifying any gender might be the same, the effect varies wildly based on their position within society.
I find that a pretty horrible world view, and fiercely counterproductive to the aim of equality. You’re basically saying that because women suffered from institutionalized sexism, they get to be sexist. Which just perpetuates sexism. Belgium got trampled by Germany in 1914 – that doesn’t mean they get to invade Germany
So, a few things here:
If you ever find yourself saying “you’re basically saying” you should just stop right there. You rephrased what I said so that it was easier for you to attack. I very specifically said that it isn’t okay and it’s rude and it’s dehumanizing to objectify men. Which you ignored because you’re ready for a fight and that didn’t fit into the fight you wanted to have.
Cultural context adds a different weight to similar actions taken against different people. Being racist against white people doesn’t have the same effect as being racist against black people. Being sexist against men doesn’t have the same effect as being sexist against women. You can feel your big feelings about that, but it’s objective truth.
And that is what matters to me, personally, when deciding whether something is “exactly the same thing” as something else.
As for your “horrible world view” comment – that’s fine. I wasn’t asking for your approval.
Men being sexist leads to deeply unsettling and horrific outcomes like forced pregnancies and sex trafficking. Women being sexist leads to men getting their ego wounded temporarily. There’s a vast gulf of difference.
Too much deans and not enough beans.
I hope being an authority figure (or a child of) isn’t a turn-off
Forget Booster, that mug is a cryptid
I reiterate.
Nobody asked, Booster.
Exactly. Nobody’s asked Booster why they have encyclopedic knowledge of the faculty and extended families thereof. What do they need that information for?
I mean, nobody asked you either (no rudeness intended, just making the point). Sometimes people talk without being asked, that’s pretty standard.
Booster, please don’t mess this up for Sarah. Just let her enjoy this good thing with Tony.
I need my pic to not be Jacob rn. I feel like he’s judging me
Mmmn…nnaaahhhv
:/
and you thought Jacob was judgy…
For a moment there my subconciousness assumed Booster to be a figment of Sarah’s imagination.
I’m definitely getting the feeling that Booster just doesn’t quite know how to turn off the “I know just enough about both of you that I can start playing the prediction game to start psychoanalyzing how I think this will turn out” switch and keep their mouth shut. I’ve known plenty of people like that IRL. I do actually like Booster *and* I think they’re being much less helpful than they think, so I’m excited to see how they end up developing, especially since they haven’t experienced a lot of consequences yet for their butting in on people’s moments.
Also, honestly, I just can’t wait to see how Tony’s going to deal with them, given his stated intolerance of buffoonery and the like.
The problem I have is that Booster’s shown awareness that this is an issue of theirs, that they instinctively butt in and drop Freshman Psych Student Bombs through cold reading on people.
Obviously its not as simple as “if you demonstrate one iota of awareness of a problem, you should have total control over it”, but I expect some effort from them on trying to hold themself back and… Booster’s just full-on indulging here.
Booster, you’re giving Cheschire Cat. Stop that. Just talk like a human being.
Please please please let Raidah find out that Sarah and Tony are starting to hit it off an try a buffoonery. It’d be satisfying for her to actually face consequences for how she treats people.
Oh lemme try a new icon.
Cute but nah.
God dammit Mayala
Well it didn’t go to reply but Joyce is ok, but I’m not feeling it.
Joyce twice in a row? wtf?
Nooooooo
Ok Sal is acceptable. At the very least I love her vibe.
Yes, a preferable alternative to the Malaya one. And on-par with the Joyce one. You got a good one here. 😀
Dumbing of Age Book XX: That’s The Comfortest Of Zones For Me.
What is Booster doing there? By the looks of that mug, playing mahjong.
I do want to hear more about Sarah’s dating past.
Rollin
Man that’s a pretty Ruth. Anyway
Rollin
Rollin
One more?