Done Her Road (Not that dissimilar from the original)
Joyce Queen of Southern Indiana
My Father’s House (Is a Terrible Place to Live)
I’m trying to come up with puns that are about fart jokes, but all Bruce’s titles are way too heavy. Streets of Farts? Poot it all night? Because the lower intestine?
No. She’s more a bongo. Seriously, as far as she’s aware, Joyce and Ethan really like each other and have a serious relationship. For her to be so dismissive and insist he leave the room simply because he respects Joyce’s boundaries for intimacy…that is beyond rude. She is not aware of any other boundaries keeping them apart, and she has no right to “fire” her friend’s significant other. Heck, she’s overstepping so many boundaries right now, might as well just over step hers and call her Dad to come get her.
Yeah, Becky’s confused “being out” with “being obnoxious and ignoring other people’s boundaries, even really obvious ones like not asking people you just met if they’re shagging”. This won’t end well.
Seriously. The backwards upbringing isn’t an excuse for being rude as hell to everyone. Joyce is proof of that. Becky just doesn’t have a nice personality.
Because the only reason he’s even there is that Joyce can’t make it across the campus without freaking out due to reasons. Combine that with there being an uncomfortable conversation he has to have with Joyce that he specifically requested happen “later”, and the fact that he almost certainly doesn’t want to have the discussion in front of Becky…
…the real question becomes “why did he come into Joyce’s room in the first place”?
The way the comic is structured, I’ll guess he stepped out momentarily (possibly to buy a soda or something while Joyce was occupied). Joyce will take Becky seriously and probably explain the situation with Ethan (while apologizing no less than fifteen times) and Ethan will return at a particularly awkward moment.
Luckily, he’s a got a good rep with Danny, but I don’t think Danny is looking for any new employees, so he’ll have to wait until Danny starts hiring temps for the Christmas rush.
Does anyone have that dark ritual to summon a character into the comment section? I could have sworn I left it around here somewhere when I was reading Lighter than Heir…
I think we need to meet certain diversity protocols in order to tear a hole in our dimension in order to allow a character to comment here… Meh, that or visit their twitter feeds.
Don’t look at me… I’m a Twenty-Something white cis male from the Midwest. I’m about as un-diverse as you can get… unless you count the not even remotely noticeable Japanese genes that I happen to have (like… 1/8th?).
(changed my name since I saw it was inaccurate)
Well… I can do the human transmutation, but it’ll cost me an arm and a leg…
*waits for the reference to be gotten*
She is attempting to alienate everyone who likes Joyce by being rude to them. The only person she hasn’t been rude to is Walky, because she doesn’t see him as a threat to getting attention to Joyce.
Rude her might be funny, but this is manipulation and co dependence and she quickly went from a character I liked to a character I’m severely concerned about, because I was once in Joyce’s position (being the object of dependence) and spoiler alert for the person in Becky’s position – it didn’t end well for them.
She doesn’t even know what happened to Joyce at the party. I’m waiting for that bomb to drop.
I also realize “didn’t end well for them” sounds super dramatic, but all I meant was once I realized what was up I got them out of my life and all my friends came back to me, because shocker, they had been an asshole to everyone.
Don’t worry about sounding dramatic. I didn’t assume you had murdered anyone after I read your follow-up comment where you assured any possible readers that what happened was not murder.
If this is what’s going on, she better not choose to alienate Sarah.
It’s her room too, and she’s had enough crap with her previous official roommate, never mind a “stowaway” who invited herself in. God help Becky if Sarah perceives her as a threat to Joyce’s well being.
I’m not so secretly hoping Sarah puts her foot down and insists Becky starts acting like a human being, stops being such a jerk, and gets out of their room. Let me tell you, tolerating a room crasher only goes so far (even when they’ve had bad circumstances), especially when they are rude, and it can last less than a day.
Mike is never around when you need him. He is only around exactly when you don’t need him.
Working with Mike is like making a deal with the devil. If you aren’t immediately screwed by him, it’s only because he’s setting you up for an even larger screwing.
Or if Becky did…actually that could work. Doesn’t immediately resolve her homelessness issues, but one thing at a time I guess, plus working at a pizza (and subs) joint would hypothetically reduce her food budget.
Especially if it was like the ones I used to work at and required employees to consume a “QC” pizza once per shift. After 2 years I was sick to death of pizza, and 50 pounds heavier. Of course it didn’t help that I was working 2 shifts a day sometimes 6 days a week.
Ross: “Sir, you’re harboring a run-away. I demand that you hand her over at once.”
Galasso: “BEGON YOU FOOL WHO SEEK TO DIMINISH MY FORCES, YOUR DEMANDS ARE OF NO CONSEQUENCE TO GALASSO.”
Ross: “This is madness.”
Galasso: “THIS IS PIZZA”
Conny: “And Subs!”
However if one were to start reading the Shortpacked archive at Book 4, Chapter 7, they would gain a further understanding of the heresy and how to avoid it.
Sorry, but there’s an issue with that, she can’t be around other guys. She needs time to adjust. PTSD can be a real bongo. try talking to your boss when you were raped by someone with similar liiks or attributes.
At this point it’s not so much adorable as interference.
I really hope the storyline moves away from Becky for an extended period of time. Because days pass by fairly slowly, we’re going to be stuck with ‘running away from her problems’ Becky for a long time and she’s doing more and more to appear unlikeable.
I disagree that running from somebody who presents a very legitimate threat is the same as running away from your problems. (Becky knows her dad best, and he was talking about ‘fixing’ her, which implies so-called therapies that are incredibly harmful.)
Becky is *in* her problems, which come from being rejected by her only family; her homelessness is his fault much more than hers.
However, I agree, she’s acting pushy and rude and mean, which is Willis’s favourite kind of character, but not really my bag either.
Those weren’t the problems I was referring to; she hasn’t given any real thought about what she’s going to do for food or lodging or income. If she’s going to have the agency to be running away from home (no matter how much she actually needed to) she also needs to be able to think about these things.
Im sure it’ll all be coming eventually, the comic does move at a glacially slow pace at times, but that hurts public opinion of Becky more than anything. I do agree on the ‘rude and mean’ character not really my cup of tea, hence I’m not that fond of Mike/Ruth/Carla either when people seem to love them.
I agree on this Mean character no likey thing… except for Ruth. For some reason I have a soft spot for her… It might be because of knowing her from the Walkyverse or may be because even when she is mean here in the Dumbiverse she seems to have a reason, albeit sometimes a not very good one. Also sometimes she uses the whole being mean thing to do actual good for her residents.
I usually like the mean characters, a la Mike, Ruth, and Malaya. I was trying to figure out why Becky grates me in a way none of the others do.
I think the reason is she’s caustic, but casually so. Like she’s not trying to be as inappropriate and brash and inconsiderate as she’s being, but it’s happening anyhow. And with the complete conviction she’s doing nothing wrong.
It’s a really different brand of mean compared to the other characters, who know they’re mean and make an art out of being as dickish as possible.
I was just wondering why I like characters like Malaya/Carla but still finding Becky to be quite irritating. I loved Becky to start with, and I was expecting to love her even more after she came out but whoooosh instead we got a *very* rude, unapologetic Becky who just makes everyone feel uncomfortable and tries to insult and push away all of Joyce’s friends.
I mean, I get it. I know why she’s doing it but goddd its irritating. I can’t wait for this to get to the point where Joyce has to say something. I think the fact that she’s doing it casually and not purposefully just makes it worse. Ugh Beckyyy whyyy
Yeah, those characters feel more like over the top personifications of tropes rather than actual people which is why it doesn’t bug me as much that they’re jerks whereas Becky’s behaviour is much more in line with how a real person who is a jackass behaves and it’s much more grating than the others’ cartoonish dickishness.
It’s funny but when Malaya first appeared in Shortpacked! people intensely disliked her for being more like a real-life jerk rather than a cartoonishly jerkish one.
Oh, I see, yeah, that makes more sense — her problem of how to survive now that she’s on her own. A week is an awfully short time to figure out a viable life plan, but yeah, I guess this is the week in which she’s gotta do it, huh.
That’s the really weird part. His parents were asshats about it but they were accepting to an extent. Ethan doesn’t HAVE to run away from everything. He can just be Ethan who is a gay man, not gay man is who is all he is. Like Kitty Pryde is a Jewish mutant. Ethan is a gay worshiper of Transformers. Storm is a black mutant goddess. Wolverine is a Canadian veteran mutant samurai widower redheadaholic schoolteacher. Cyclops is a dick. It all works out.
He can be both. I do find it kind of hilarious that I look at all the stuff which led to Scott being an edgy brutal antihero and think, “Yeah, that’s where his character should have gone” rather than derailment. As for Ethan? He needs to accept his identity is a part of him and let that help define him. Its only jerks who want to make Ethan nothing more than his sexuality.
Besides, this way, Ethan will be able to finally bang his roommate!
Cyclops just falls into the predicament that has plauged sitcoms for ages – when you’re the supposed main character, everybody around you is much more likable. After Jean/Rogue/Wolverine/everybody else surpassed him in main character status he was just kinda floundering.
Actually I prefer the sphincters, at least they are doing an honest job keeping things inside until it’s safe to let them out. At least most of the time.
Honestly, there are tons of “sphincters” in this comic already. Asshole Becky isn’t one of them, not in my eyes. She’s great. Let’s have her stay like this. 🙂
This was exactly what I thought too… As much as I hate the dude… it seems that Ryan is the kind of dude Becky would approve of… at least from her comments above that’s what it seems like.
Woah, hey, you lost me for a second there. I don’t think Becky is the best because she “fired” Ethan, and I know that she doesn’t know that he is gay.
Becky is jealous because she would like to tap that ass, as you say, with permission from Joyce. Which Ethan would most likely have as Joyce’s boyfriend, if he were into that and if she was not traumatized. So Becky sees it as “a waste” that Ethan isn’t doing the hanky panky with Joyce and yeah.
Didn’t think it needed to be spelled out, but hey.
I mean, let’s be for real here, Becky is Joyce’s closest friend for a reason. She wants Joyce happy. Joyce may not be into premarital sex but she definitely has the hots for Ethan and definitely wants to do things. If Ethan is all “no I would never touch her” and doesn’t even express any attraction to Joyce, of course Becky is going to be all “welp, you sound like a shit boyfriend, get out of the way so those of us who actually want to be in a relationship with her can have a chance.”
The point is moot anyways, they mutually broke up, why does this even matter can we not just revel in the hilarity that is asshole Becky?
But Becky knows that Joyce doesn’t want to do the ‘pre-marital hanky pankies’ and here she is told by her boyfriend that he respects her boundaries, and she basically tells him for that reason that he’s a shit boyf and should leave? I mean c’mon thats being a pretty bad friend right there.
Asshole Becky is rubbing me the wrong way, I like Becky but I don’t like /this/ Becky.
Also this is kinda the exact opposite of how a friend, a best friend mind you, should respond…
“You mean you ain’t totally a jerkwad and takin’ advantage of my sheltered bestfriend who is totally salivating over your totes hot body? How could you?!”
We know he’s gay, but she doesn’t… and so she thinks he’s failing as a boyfriend by not pushing Joyce into doing things she isn’t comfortable with… that’s not just being a horrible friend… that’s being a horrible human being…
To try and look at this impartially, she’s just gotten done declaring that her entire upbringing is evil enough to run away from. This rather explicitly includes celibacy, since the whole reason she left is because her religion was getting in the way of her sexings. So as a good friend she would want to help Joyce escape that lifestyle too, kicking and screaming if necessary.
Looking at it less impartially, she’s a short-sighted asshole who’s jealous of Joyce’s other relationships and trying to terminate them with extreme prejudice, at the expense of Joyce’s well-being if need be.
That is definitely not what’s happening. First and foremost is that Becky has clearly shown that she still holds Christian beliefs. She wants to have sex, sure, but so does Joyce, except she’s used to following rules that she doesn’t understand even if it means she’s unhappy. Becky doesn’t think being gay is a sin, and she doesn’t think God considers it a sin either.
Also, seriously? The whole reason she left? I would think being betrayed by her roommate, her peers, her school, and her father would cause her to reject her faith more than anything, and yet she persists. It’s possible to be sex positive as well as a Christian. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.
Of course not. I think Becky’s just trying to be funny, and not considering how her actions are annoying at best, and hurtful at worst. She came out *yesterday*. It’s to be expected that she be overly excited, and her harassing people for the lulz is in-character for how she was acting during the last arc, just turned up to eleven.
I want her to cut it out sooner rather than later, but she’s not Two-Face to Joyce’s Renee Montoya.
How shocking that basing your attitudes around “fuck my repressed fundie upbringing”, while still not knowing any more about sexuality than you got from that fundie upbringing (and some real lesbian sexual activities, but not that many), produces really, really terrible ideas about sex. I hope that when Becky learns about bisexuality she also learns about respectful attitudes towards sex. Good luck, Becky!
I remember reading somewhere that the most sex-negative groups are the ones with the highest recorded statistics of teenage “immaculate conception,” though I can’t for the life of me find where I saw it. Google’s giving me websites to schools NAMED Immaculate Conception, and the statistics of those schools.
Found it. http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f7102
“Results 45 women (0.5%) reported at least one virgin pregnancy unrelated to the use of assisted reproductive technology. Although it was rare for dates of sexual initiation and pregnancy consistent with virgin pregnancy to be reported, it was more common among women who signed chastity pledges or whose parents indicated lower levels of communication with their children about sex and birth control.”
Sex-negative culture doesn’t stop the sex from happening. It just makes people lie about it.
There are also instances of girls literally not knowing what sex is. I met a woman who never talked to her daughter about sex, and put her in an abstinence only school. The girl got pregnant, and told her mom that she didnt have sex, her bf just put his penis inside her. I mean, it still blows my mind, but there really are some teens out there who do not know what sex is.
You know, now that I think about it. That would make a good comic. A homeless newly-come out Christian homeschooled lesbian tries to make it in the big city. Is that what Rent is supposed to be about?
And to think Joyce was worried to leave the two of them alone…
I love how Ethan tried to build up to be introspective about coming out and cutting ties, and Becky cut him off. “S’No big” indeed. (And more power to you, Becky. If Ethan wants to be introspective he can be so on his own. You don’t have to use your situation as a discussion point any more than you want).
That would be glorious. He’d probably make up an excuse to leave them alone together and leave his emergency sock with Danny, “just in case, you know, whatever. But don’t make the sock a liar again, Dan.”
Nobody would really have the indelicacy to bring it up though. Most people would generally be looking out for Joyce and not want to re-open a potentially traumatic wound, and Joyce wouldn’t want to bring it up herself.
The only person that knows about the incident and that I could see telling Becky would be Sal.
Hmm, maybe Dorothy or Sarah, after torturing themselves whether they ought to or not. Or Walky, by incredibly stupid mistake. But it’s really Joyce’s story to tell; anybody who wants Becky to know would be wiser to try and convince Joyce to tell the story herself.
or, better yet, Becky should trigger Joyce by saying something totally idiotic in Joyce-context, and Joyce blurts out what happened, and then Becky is all OMG I will support you now. That’d be nice and dramatic.
I also think that is the most likely situation. Joyce prefers to pretend it didn’t happen, Sarah prefers not to intervene and probably still suspicious of Becky, and Dorothy wouldn’t betray her friend’s trust. Walky is still a possibility, though.
I think it’s inevitable that Joyce and Becky are going to have some kind of encounter due to their clashing views of sexuality. Especially since Becky is now not only being obnoxious about her own sexuality but now interfering in Joyce’s as well.
I will give you that Ryan did intend on raping her. As he was stopped, vis-a-vis a Sarah grand slam, before any sexual contact could be made I think we should say it would be a sexual assault charge definitely, but not quite a rape charge. I say this not to lessen the severity of Ryan’s actions, but to clarify what his actions would actually be viewed as by the legal system. (I am saying all of this from a background of having served in 2 different juries that convicted 2 different people for these very same charges.)
I know you’re trying to say that the experience was just as traumatic as if she were actually penetrated but considering Ryan only went so far as to roofie her drink, from where I’m sitting, it just comes across as saying “She wasn’t attempted murdered, she was literally murdered”.
Which further brings me to another problem which is that somehow attempted victimization is less valid than having the crime become fully actualized. As if being a target of an unsuccessful murder isn’t traumatic or something? Putting “attempted ” before something shouldn’t be seen as a way to belittle the act, because it is still a totally horrible thing to happen to you, so please don’t perpetuate that notion by assuming that’s what everyone means and then policing it even when they don’t mean that.
Even with the attempted rape aside, Joyce confirmed to Becky just this morning that she doesn’t believe in sleeping with people before marriage. “You still have to wait until marriage before hanky-panky, you know that, right?”
As much as I think waiting until after you’re married is a good way to be halfway to a divorce the first night in, it’s Joyce’s decision and nobody else’s. If Becky wants to talk to Joyce about her views that’s one thing. But it’s really incredibly disrespectful for Becky to just ignore Joyce’s input and tell her boyfriend he should be screwing her, when Joyce has made it clear that’s not what she wants.
I do wonder if Joyce will be able to talk about her incident with Becky. Because that’s a huge part of why she needed someone… “respectful.”
Considering how Becky’s behaving currently, and the fact that Joyce is trying to be there for Becky due to something that just happened to her (while Joyce’s thing was weeks ago), I’m guessing that conversation either won’t happen, or won’t end well if it does.
But on the other hand, Becky is still Joyce’s friend. She might be in off-the-wall, insensitive freedom mode right now (because that’s what I’m calling it), but it’s possible if she knew about Joyce, she’d understand. Especially since she knows what it’s like to deal with sexuality after coming from the background they did.
I guess it comes down to fears. Becky has chosen (in an over-the-top way), either to not be afraid of her sexuality or, if she actually is, to pretend the fear doesn’t exist and be proud. But if Joyce confides in her about her fears, would Becky b able to see where she’s coming from? Or would she be disappointed in Joyce and think she was weak?
Sorry, that turned into a long ramble. I needed to unpack my thoughts on this.
I’d sure like to think that Becky would be supportive of Joyce. I mean, they’re best friends, and there’s a reason for that! They have to be awesome to each other. It’s the law.
Anybody else who tells Becky about the assault will probably feel like they’re breaking Joyce’s confidence, since it’s Joyce’s story to tell and Joyce requested nobody talk about it. So, unless somebody unhappily spills it, we’ve got a lot more dramatic irony to get through before Joyce gets to open up about it.
I really hope Joyce will get around to tell it soon. She needs Becky, and Becky needs to be the one that is there for Joyce and not only the other way around.
Much as I love her, I have this feeling that Becky is going to stumble into full knowledge of Joyce’s trauma by accidentally triggering her. She’ll say something oblivious that would be fairly innocent in another context, and Joyce will just completely lose it like she did with Amazi-Girl. And that won’t be a completely bad thing, because at this rate, after this day, Joyce needs to safely express her anger and fear to someone before she implodes.
Not a chance, not with something that serious. She has poor judgment in many social areas, but she’s not a monster. Also, thoughts of killing Ryan would be filling her brain and not leaving room for her to think about much else.
Becky has the emotional maturity of a 14 year old so yeah I could see wanting to destroy Ryan but I could also see her trying it on again because, from her point of view, she’d be helping her ’cause boys are icky or something
True. “So you are in the middle of a crisis on the run from your family who cast you out because of your sexual orientation… sounds dumb.” [just a tiny bit paraphrased, and could easily be read that way if you don’t know where he is coming from – which Becky doesn’t]
Interesting, opinion on Becky seems pretty much split into those who can’t stand her, those who love her & those who are OK with her, the most silent of the 3. Me, I’m happy sitting back & watching them madness unfold…
And here we continue with Becky acting like an asshole but fans rave on and on about how super amazing awesome Becky is and how her farts contain a cure for cancer.
It’s just kind of lame reading about a character consistently being really fucking annoying while also understanding that it’s perfectly valid for her character and what she’s gone through. It’s like if all there was to Danny was ceaseless whining with none of the foibles I like about him.
I was thinking the same thing. I honestly don’t get how everyone can see all the crap Becky has been spouting and think its still Gold pouring from her mouth. Sure, when she first arrived on the scene I actually liked her. Now I think she may be the character who annoys me the most…
Well, isn’t that kinda true for most characters? Some fans are annoyed by them, some thinks they are awesome, often for almost the same reasons. Joyce, Roz, Mike, Danny, Ethan, Joe, Dina…
…OK, not Dina. The only discussion about Dina is if she’s awesome or awesome-er.
Anyway, you can’t exactly look at this comment section and notice a lack of people calling Becky an asshole (just as I cannot notice a lack of people saying Becky is awesome)
I just find it kind of grating when Becky is being praised for the worst parts of her. character Mike’s one thing, but nobody likes it when Danny’s being a whiny prick, or when Joyce lets her upbringing’s worst aspects shine through, or when Ruth was constantly abusing Billie. But with Becky, I see so much praise here and on Willis’ tumblr about how she’s so amazing *because* of how she’s acting now.
I mean, I haven’t turned on the character yet. It is possible to be a total butthole and also be really entertaining, like Walky. She’d have to, like, deny evolution in front of Dina before I started to dislike her.
Dunno… I don’t really see the difference. People like [the character I don’t like] because of [reasons I don’t agree with.]. Isn’t that the same for all of them? I know that’s true for the characters I don’t like.
“She’d have to, like, deny evolution in front of Dina before I started to dislike her.” – What, like Joyce?
I mean that I think Becky’s recent actions, being rude towards Dorothy and now Ethan in particular, are just kind of annoying and I don’t get how people can look at this and go “lol Becky is so fab u go grrl” I admit it is pretty pedantic and it’s not like I can tell people what to like, but I don’t think any other character would be allowed to get away with acting like this. Maybe I’m wrong but the way Willis has been talking about her I feel like I’m “supposed” to like Becky right now, like how I was “supposed” to agree with Roz a while ago.
You know, I honestly forgot that Joyce did that. I meant it as “Becky has to like a jerk to the most beloved character in DoA before I got cross with her.”
People seem to forget that time flows in relation to the real world like time in the real world flows in relation to Narnia: in the former, time is much slower.
On this vein I guess that means my character development over the last 5 hours consists of Ranch Corn Nuts (which I only just recently decided were ok to eat), Sweet Tea, and about 3 hours of reading online comics while at work…
Can’t you see that’s her cunning plan? Alienate and isolate Joyce socially so she comes back to her and out of desperation makes that sweet, sweet whoopie.
I’m starting to think that’s actually the plan, whether consciously or not: to isolate Joyce and reestablish herself as #1 Friend. Joyce needs all her friends, though. And if only Becky knew it, her status as old-and-gold friend has remained paramount…
He didn’t really follow the stereotypical reaction to the question “do you sleep with her”, did he? It was more like, “Huh? What? Why on earth would I want to do that.”
Anyway, Becky’s gaydar is tuned to another frequency (not that it’s much better with wimmen, at least not at sorting out false positives).
Has anyone noticed that Lyle pulled the exact same crap in that comic as Becky pulled just now? Based on the comments of both strips, it was better received when Lyle did it.
Sal’s also pulled it off in DoA with Dorothy and Walky, to a lesser extent.
The difference is that Lyle didn’t ‘fire’ Ken as Lucy’s boyfriend, and it was fairly obvious it was ribbing (though not from Ken’s perspective). The readers know that Becky is either semi-serious or subconsciously serious.
Another difference is that Ken and Lucy’s and Walky and Dorothy’s relationships were budding and going strong – but Ethan and Joyce just broke up.
In one way it makes Becky’s actions much harsher, in another way it makes her… right. If it is meant as a joke, circumstances make it harsher than intended (as is true for most of her jokes), and if it is meant to be semi-serious it touches a raw nerve.
Alright, Becky started off pretty awesome, but she has grown more annoying as the story progresses. Shows nice character development on Willis’ part, but this is all going to lead to more drama. Of course we know more than what Becky knows, which definitely skews our view of her, but if she had known that thing that happened to Joyce earlier in the year, she probably wouldn’t have been so adamant about firing Ethan.
Okay, Becky, we’re getting a sense of your powers now. Good powers to have, mind you. But, remember that famous line, “with great power comes the responsibility not to be an ass with it.”
While Becky is completely over the line, she’s not exactly *wrong*, you know. Joyce and Ethan aren’t a good match. Maybe not exactly for the reasons she thinks, but she’s picking up on *something* here, and being blunt enough to call it out. Numerous other people have called it out/picked up on the fact that this relationship isn’t really right–Amber, Sarah, Dorothy, Walky, and even Joyce–this is just the first time it’s really gotten through to Ethan. About time.
Getting rid of a girl’s boyfriend just because they have not had sex is just….the worst thing. Especially knowing that Joyce is so very Christian. I am Christian too, not to Joyce’s naive and head-in-the-sand extent….but I too want to wait for marriage to have sex. So, seeing that she basically just implied “you aren’t worth her time because you have not forced her into sex” thing….
Either they love them as villains (which is what love/hate means, you love to hate) or they are villains themselves and therefore don’t count.
That said, there have been people, Rycan included, expressing the sentiment that they would never want to see Ryan ever again, because he has served his purpose and has more effect as a cloud of fear than an actual person. Same with Blaine and Ross, the other two d-nuggets on the cast (although I don’t think Ross is done yet).
I sorta want to go through the Shortpacked! archives and find the comic that’s just one big panel of a happy Ethan who’s left his job and is now free to do his own thing…
I think that Becky is shaping up to be the River Song of Dumbing of Age. Her likability is inversely proportional to the percentage of comics that she appears in.
One would think that Joyce’s BFF would know Joyce better than anyone save Joyce herself. But, yesterday she got Joyce’s sexuality completely wrong, and today she has shown an utter lack of understanding of what Joyce wants when it comes to sex (I’m ignoring the fact that Ethan is gay, since this is presently unknown to Becky). One more strike and you’re out, Becky.
You mean like Becky’s BFF could be expected to not get Becky’s sexuality wrong? Or Becky’s attitude to religion? Two strikes each.
Thing is, both Becky and Joyce have changed a lot since they left the umbrella of home. In some ways they have been allowed to bloom, in some ways they have had to rethink deeply integrated values. They don’t really know who they are themselves and they can be excused for needing to get to know each other again.
Also, timescale. It’s still just above 24 hours since Becky came here.
I dunno I kinda feel uncomfortable with the best friend getting her sexuality wrong part. My best friend is asexual, but I was thought she was straight until she came out. I don’t think that THAT should be a strike. I’d say the second strike is being a dick to all of Joyce’s friends.
While this may be the case, if you’ve reached the point where it’s hard to tell the difference you should probably consider reevaluating your behavior.
Yep. Becky never actually did anything likeable. We just sympathised with her because jerk homophobes persecuted her, and fell for the old “enemy of my enemy is my friend” trap.
No, I think Becky’s subsconcious mind has already look through Ethan’s beard. Hence, he’s fired. Remember, she’s “the more socially adjusted” of the previous friends of Joyce. The way Ethan answered reeks of pansyness. He should have answered in Walky’s Style ™ to pass that door. He didn’t. Of course, it helps she’s so self-centered right now.
Yeah, Becky’s persistent efforts to alienate Joyce’s friends (whether intentional or not) is incredibly toxic and manipulative behaviour that needs to be addressed ASAP. Preferably before she tries to pull it with Sarah and is wiped off the face of the earth by the backlash.
Honestly, I think Sarah may be what’s needed at this point. I doubt Joyce has the balls to give her the chewing out she deserves for this really awful behavior. Sarah certainly does, though.
Yeah, but will Becky listen to Sarah? I doubt it. If Sarah chews her out, she’ll just get angry and defensive. On the other hand, if Joyce stands up for herself, that might be a wake-up call.
No because Sarah won’t just chew her out if she decides that she’s a damaging influence she will make her unsanctioned residence in the dorms known to the school and boop she’s out of there. She’s already shown that she’s perfectly willing to make unpleasant choices when she feels a situation is out of control.
Problem is, those pages she was lying and keeping up the mask of “everything is at is has always been.” These last pages have been “Super high on coming-out rush”. We haven’t had a chance to get to know Becky in anything resembling normal circumstances.
Hear, hear! I speak from experience, “high on coming-out rush” does weird things to your brain. (Well, in my case, it was more “realizing-your-sexuality-and-also-that-it-is-sometimes-okay-to-criticize-your-religion” rush, but same difference).
It was fun, I agree! And I’m sure that part of Becky’s true personality shone through, but there were two enormous lies at play at that point. She flirted with Walky for the expressed purpose of making Joyce jealous (so she played up that part of her persona as well as suppressed her homosexuality), and she told Joyce that she was only visiting rather than that she was on the run.
She was on the run, she was worried for her future, she was scared that her dad could show up at any minute, she was worried that Joyce parents would call and ask for her, she was afraid for her future. She was out-and-proud lesbian who had just embraced her sexuality, but still had to suppress it a while longer. She was talking herself into believing that Joyce was also a lesbian and working herself up to kiss her.
And during all that she was chill as beans and presented a cool and casual persona that fooled her best friend since forever. Becky is a very good liar when she wants to be.
I am happy I voted or her. Didn’t expect her to be perfect right off the bat. If I can like Amber after attacking a bunch of folks in a wal-mart parking lot and Ruth after starting off as just plain abusive, I can forgive some rudeness and skewed view on what is socially acceptable.
I’m still cool with my vote. “When Somebody Loved Me” is my favourite arc in all of DoA, and I think that Becky’s actions now are understandable due to her circumstances. I’m a bit annoyed, sure, but all my favourite characters in this comic piss me off sometimes.
Yeah, I know Becky thinks she’s trying to help, and I suspect she’s about to be redeemed big time (maybe even quickly depending on how fast this particular plot thread moves.) Still, this is the first time I have ever wholly and truly despised a DoA character.
Congratulations, Becky. After ONE whole strip, you’re back to being someone I like being a redhead because it’s easier to imagine your head on fire. You’re not a best friend, you’re an unrepentant bongo (not, say, Mary-level bongo, but you’re really speeding up that beat).
It’s been a short time to Joyce but when is she going to call home or other friends to find out the rest of the story with Becky? Becky’s a bit of an unreliable narrator, isn’t she? I’d also like this universe not to be one where every gay character gets mistreated by their parents for being gay. I know it’s only two for two but most of the experiences of my friends and my own weren’t even as harsh as Ethan’s, much less Becky’s …
Em, raised Methodist and Baptist but both Pentecostal. Every female in my family has been a Christian missionary and now most of the next that have reached legal age. My mother is a part-time church secretary at age seventy-five. No rejection at all. They let God handle the judgin’. The kid at work with a devout Mormon mom was embraced fully when he came out to her and another at my old store had mere weeks before her parents stopped a slight chilliness. Coming out in a loving family isn’t much drama and that could be why you don’t see it in even melodramatic venues like this one. It’d be one strip with three panels: 1: Mom, I’m gay 2: Still love you just the same! 3: Going back to watching TV together…
Um, never? Because everyone she knows from home are homophobic bigots who will demand she either turn Becky over for abuse and brainwashing or demand she throw Becky out.
I’ve never belonged to a full gospel spirit filled church where most have been homophobic bigots, much less all. Joyce should at least contact her older brother to find out if Becky’s dad has eased off on his alleged viewpoints in the absence of his daughter. By the by, Becky’s REALLY proving that Joyce was the best socialized of her group back home…
I think it’s so cute that Becky curses like Joyce. Also an interesting character study in what parts of a common background stick with different personalities.
I love that Becky has been such a disrupter — first adored by many, loathed by few, now cherished by some, disdained by multitudes. She’s definitely doing some unlikeable things, but what an awesome character! Joyce is going to call her out soon enough. There will be more tears soon enough. But this snarky-obnoxious firecracker is fantastic.
I agree. I’m firmly on the “Becky is fantastic” side of the fence, but I can see where other people are coming from, and I just love how divisive the character has been.
To introduce a new main character a few years into a comic’s run can be tricky, but I think this is a masterful example of how to do it.
So, not meaning to deflect Becky’s buttholiness (plenty of comments about that already), but there is a subtext that I think is the main reason Ethan left.
His relationship with Joyce was a scam, and Becky is calling him on it.
For Ethan their relationship has always been about his need of fitting in. He wanted to be normal and have a girlfriend, so he hooked up with Joyce to create that facade. But since the whole thing was a scam it left her unfulfilled. He never responded to her advances, her cuddling, her hugs and their first kiss left her crying in a toilet. I’m not talking about sex either, I’m talking about affection via light touches, to whatever level they were willing to take it. To put it another way, Joyce’s boundaries was never the issue, he never let her close enough for them to be.
As emotional support he did a lousy job. He hid in the confrontation between Joyce and her parents, he took every opportunity to hit on cute boys (including her – as far as he knew – brother), he had to be coaxed into every single sign of affection. Sure, there were Joyce’s sense of security, and Ethan did a good job as a bodyguard, but he was inadequate as a boyfriend
And remember that Joyce didn’t knowingly enter a relationship with a gay man. She allowed the relationship she had been tricked into to continue (for a few weeks) after he admitted it to her. She needed the breakup at least as much as he.
Ethan used Joyce, and he hurt her in the process. He has always defended his own right to chose, but as far as I remember he hasn’t owned up to the problems that cause for the people who plays into his charade. I think Becky might have pushed those buttons here.
Most of this is completely unknown to Becky, of course, but she DOES know Joyce and even with her head up in the pink clouds I’m pretty sure she can see that this is not the relationship Joyce wanted (one of the reasons she managed to talk herself into believing Joyce was gay). She’s off the mark here, and she’s a butthole about it, but the nerve she touches in Ethan deserves to be touched.
…OK, fine, that last remark is true for what Roz said to Joyce back during the Bongo incident as well. I still say Becky managed to do a better choice of time and place.
In Ethan’s defence, he seems to be really sorry for what he put Amber through.
In an ideal world, for Ethan his sexuality wouldn’t be an issue, and with any luck, many years down the line it won’t be. But right now, while he’s discovering himself like so many members of the cast are, it is to him, and he’s trying to find a sense of normalcy and comfort in that. Like Danny said, ‘Math is… simple. I know the rules.’ For Ethan, that’s caring for someone. He hasn’t had a chance to meet a guy that he can do that with yet.
Absolutely, and he tries to do as good as he can in a shitty situation – he’s just not very good at it (again – excusable and understandable given where he comes from). One thing I can’t take from him – he was a really good body guard, especially as seen after the breakup.
Just as so many of the other members of the cast we can see where he’s coming from and why he’s doing as he’s doing – but just as so many of the others his actions are hurting other people and he can’t pretend otherwise.
…okay, so Becky’s being blunt and controversial again, and this will probably be part of her character arc, as others have pointed out. No real surprise, and best of luck to Becky!
Factual question, though: how long have these kiddos been dating? A week? Two?
It’s hard to say. Depends what you count as them starting to date; there wasn’t really any definite “you’re my boyfriend now” moment.
They met Wednesday evening of Week One, and Joyce immediately fixed her marriage plans on Ethan. It was Sunday beginning Week Two that Ethan volunteered to go to church with Joyce. Friday 2 he invited her to hang out and watch cartoons with him. Sunday 3 they went to church and Joyce called Becky to tell her she was holding his hand. Tuesday 3 was the pizza date at Galasso’s, their awful first kiss, Ethan coming out to Joyce, the kiss after that, and Joyce’s vow to date him straight, which I think is the latest point where you could say it started.
It’s currently Friday of Week Four, so… somewhere between a week and a half and two weeks.
It’s times like this that make me realize that the sliding timescale has compressed so much drama into just a month. Not to mention we’ve missed about a week’s worth of days with timeskips now.
Not sure if anyone mentioned yet, but this sounds like Becky’s “You have the greatest gift of all and you don’t even realize” reaction to Ethan. Similar to how Joyce reacted to Walky when Dorothy first told him “I love you”.
Quick reminder Becky–If it was you dating Joyce, you guys wouldn’t be knocking boots either because Joyce isn’t into premarital sex. So. I guess you’d also be wasting those glorious pants.
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“You can’t fire me! I QUIT!”
…
“wait no”
Didn’t they already break up? Several strips ago? So yeah, he already “quit”!
Joyce actually “fired” him first. For being a sweet gay baby if I remember.
NEVER FORGET THE GAYBIES
Don’t forgaybies
Yay, Gaybies!
http://www.gogetaroomie.com/index.php?id=434
Did you know when you enter the search term “yay, Gaybies” in google it comes up with that link as the first term?
How long now, I wonder, until Becky puts two and two together and comes up with Ethan being a sweet gay baby?
That comic is the most amazing thing. Thanks!
don’t forgaybies when I’m gone
my heart will break
This economy has gone down the pooper.
Joyce broke up with Ethan, but I don’t think Ethan believed her considering she let him hang around her. Ethan still needs his beard!
dammit literally the first comment
thats what i get for getting here at 12:03
BECKY IS BOSS.
LIKE A BOSS
FIRING BOYFRIENDS
LIKE A BOSS
RAD HAIRCUTS
LIKE A BOSS
PROMOTE SYNERGY!
LIKE A BOSS!
SHIT ON DEBRA’S DESK!
LIKE A BOSS!
I’M ON A BOAT!
LIKE A BOSS!
BEING A BOSS
LIKE A BOSS!
That made me think of Bruce Springsteen with Becky’s haircut.
Order now and get all of Becky’s greatest hits!
* Born in the LGBT
* Tunnel of LadyLove
* Glory Gays
* Dancing in the Dark (With Hot Chicks Because I’m Totally a Lesbian, Guys)
* I’m Goin’ Down (this song title didn’t require any alteration)
(My Hair Makes Me Look Like) I’m On Fire
Done Her Road (Not that dissimilar from the original)
Joyce Queen of Southern Indiana
My Father’s House (Is a Terrible Place to Live)
I’m trying to come up with puns that are about fart jokes, but all Bruce’s titles are way too heavy. Streets of Farts? Poot it all night? Because the lower intestine?
10th Avenue Fartout
* Candy’s Room (Where I’m Gonna Score With Candy Because She’s Gay)
* My Hometown (Can Go Fuck Itself)
* Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (Springsteen’s parenthetical title, not mine, which means this really requires no alteration)
Bruce doing “Thunder Road” with Melissa Etheridge. I mean, for real.
Just gonna leave this here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EnM7xd4oas
It makes me think of Becky with Bruce Springsteen’s physique circa 1984.
Unf.
Nah, that’d be “Like -the- Boss”.
No. She’s more a bongo. Seriously, as far as she’s aware, Joyce and Ethan really like each other and have a serious relationship. For her to be so dismissive and insist he leave the room simply because he respects Joyce’s boundaries for intimacy…that is beyond rude. She is not aware of any other boundaries keeping them apart, and she has no right to “fire” her friend’s significant other. Heck, she’s overstepping so many boundaries right now, might as well just over step hers and call her Dad to come get her.
Why did he leave.
Why.
Because he was fired, can’t you read?
If I have the continuity right, he’s been fired twice! In the same day!
One more and I think he’ll be tied with George Jetson.
“SIEGAAAAALLLL!”
… Nope. Doesn’t have the same ring to it as “JETSOOOON!”
All I hear is someone shouting out a warning cry of
“SEAGUUUUULLLL!”
Which definitely sounds cooler than JETSOOOON.
you rang?
“YOOUURR! FIIIRREEDD!!!”
Sorry, had to…
Well shoot. What am I going to tell my girlfriend? (Funny enough, I’m bi :P)
Sorry, found some Jetsons clips once… 😛
I guess i’m FIIIRREEDD!!! then.
Because Becky is unpleasant to be around?
This.
Yeah, Becky’s confused “being out” with “being obnoxious and ignoring other people’s boundaries, even really obvious ones like not asking people you just met if they’re shagging”. This won’t end well.
Mm, she seems to be turning into Roz.
We don’t actually know she wasn’t obnoxious and rude before she was out, do we?
This. I always assumed Becky was always obnoxious, but reading the comments makes me think that maybe she got worse.
Seriously. The backwards upbringing isn’t an excuse for being rude as hell to everyone. Joyce is proof of that. Becky just doesn’t have a nice personality.
oh, thank pizza. i thought i was the only one.
Yes. Seriously.
Because the only reason he’s even there is that Joyce can’t make it across the campus without freaking out due to reasons. Combine that with there being an uncomfortable conversation he has to have with Joyce that he specifically requested happen “later”, and the fact that he almost certainly doesn’t want to have the discussion in front of Becky…
…the real question becomes “why did he come into Joyce’s room in the first place”?
Because standing in corridors is awkward?
The way the comic is structured, I’ll guess he stepped out momentarily (possibly to buy a soda or something while Joyce was occupied). Joyce will take Becky seriously and probably explain the situation with Ethan (while apologizing no less than fifteen times) and Ethan will return at a particularly awkward moment.
“You need to leave.”
“I need to leave?”
“I needed to leave.”
Wait, what? Where did he go?
The unemployment line.
Yeah, he’s applying for a job at Galasso’s. He’s probably going to bang Conni…
*checks Shortpacked! again*
The Walkyverse didn’t end and get replaced by Dumbing of Age. It’s all one big Ouroboros loop that will eventually catch up to itself.
So… is Dexter and Monkey Master a big conspiracy? Is it actually the Head Alien running it?
He went out the door. He just turned around now. He’s not welcome anymore.
Um, technically didn’t Joyce “fire” him several hours ago?
He failed the reapplication process.
And thanks to Becky’s scathing review of his current relationship with Joyce, he’ll have a tough time finding other businesses to hire him.
Luckily, he’s a got a good rep with Danny, but I don’t think Danny is looking for any new employees, so he’ll have to wait until Danny starts hiring temps for the Christmas rush.
So I wanna make a White Christmas joke, but not only am I late, I’m practicing subtlety.
If you don’t hit it you quit it?
If you don’t hit it, its bff fires you.
I can see Becky ‘moving on’ from Joyce by screening any future romantic prospects and declaring all of them unsuitable for Joyce.
She would fit right in here in the comments section.
Does anyone have that dark ritual to summon a character into the comment section? I could have sworn I left it around here somewhere when I was reading Lighter than Heir…
I think we need to meet certain diversity protocols in order to tear a hole in our dimension in order to allow a character to comment here… Meh, that or visit their twitter feeds.
I’ve got canadian. Anyone else? We need critical mass, people!
Ah, here’s the ritual. It seems to require human transmu-
*drops paper and runs away*
How about “unkillable badass/high-functioning zombie” need one of those?
That’ll do, zombie, that’ll do.
Don’t look at me… I’m a Twenty-Something white cis male from the Midwest. I’m about as un-diverse as you can get… unless you count the not even remotely noticeable Japanese genes that I happen to have (like… 1/8th?).
Well I’m ever-so-slightly more diverse than you, but not by much.
I’m a 30-something white cis male from the UK, 3/4s English and 1/4 Scots.
You can do the transmutation! I’m sure Truth will be fine with it…
Need any Cybertronians? An alien robot in disguise is something most don’t have. Mind you, I don’t think I qualify for “HUMAN” transmutation…
(changed my name since I saw it was inaccurate)
Well… I can do the human transmutation, but it’ll cost me an arm and a leg…
*waits for the reference to be gotten*
Careful it doesn’t cost someone else more. Noone’s getting MY armour, I like it & it makes me look human…
Just stay out of the transmutation circle. It’s not like i’m going to try to raise a dead mother or anything… *goes to market with spare change*
How do we know she hasn’t been Jen Aside this whole time?
Boo-yah
Okay but Becky is so annoying though
At least she doesn’t pretend to date a dude.
Preach it. (+1)
No, she just angrily stomps on Joyce’s right to not have a boyfriend who is constantly worried about nailing her.
She wasn’t pretending. She was letting him pretend . . . and encouraging him to do so.
She is attempting to alienate everyone who likes Joyce by being rude to them. The only person she hasn’t been rude to is Walky, because she doesn’t see him as a threat to getting attention to Joyce.
Rude her might be funny, but this is manipulation and co dependence and she quickly went from a character I liked to a character I’m severely concerned about, because I was once in Joyce’s position (being the object of dependence) and spoiler alert for the person in Becky’s position – it didn’t end well for them.
She doesn’t even know what happened to Joyce at the party. I’m waiting for that bomb to drop.
Oh cool, I’m leslie now.
I also realize “didn’t end well for them” sounds super dramatic, but all I meant was once I realized what was up I got them out of my life and all my friends came back to me, because shocker, they had been an asshole to everyone.
Don’t worry about sounding dramatic. I didn’t assume you had murdered anyone after I read your follow-up comment where you assured any possible readers that what happened was not murder.
Wow, that just put everything in a whole new light for me, thanks!
If this is what’s going on, she better not choose to alienate Sarah.
It’s her room too, and she’s had enough crap with her previous official roommate, never mind a “stowaway” who invited herself in. God help Becky if Sarah perceives her as a threat to Joyce’s well being.
I’m not so secretly hoping Sarah puts her foot down and insists Becky starts acting like a human being, stops being such a jerk, and gets out of their room. Let me tell you, tolerating a room crasher only goes so far (even when they’ve had bad circumstances), especially when they are rude, and it can last less than a day.
http://xkcd.com/513/
Probably the scariest xkcd strip.
Yup.
“No, I’m Joyce’s special friend! No-one else gets to be her friend!”
*systematically alienates all Joyce’s new friends*
where’s mike when you need him?
In your mother’s bed.
For a nickel.
Off annoying other people.
Mike is never late, nor is he ever early. An asshole arrives precisely when he means to.
+1 internet
Mike is never around when you need him. He is only around exactly when you don’t need him.
Working with Mike is like making a deal with the devil. If you aren’t immediately screwed by him, it’s only because he’s setting you up for an even larger screwing.
You… or your mom.
For a nickel.
He needed to leave.
Sorry Becky, Joyce already beat you to it.
All loose ends tied up.
Cut to Ethan standing in an unemployment line.
Ethan: “Wait, how the hell did this happen?”
Galasso: “Silence, fool! You desire employment? I am starting a new business venture, and require minions. Do you know anything about plastic robots?”
And so the adventure begins!
TIME LOOP.
…waitaminute… *stares suspiciously at previous poster*
*Whistles innocently*
That is a familiar tune…
Wait, I feel like I’ve read a comic with that basic plot before, but I just don’t know where…
Somehow I find this to be ironically perfect. In all seriousness I think it would be humorous if Ethan got a job at Galasso’s.
Or if Becky did…actually that could work. Doesn’t immediately resolve her homelessness issues, but one thing at a time I guess, plus working at a pizza (and subs) joint would hypothetically reduce her food budget.
Especially if it was like the ones I used to work at and required employees to consume a “QC” pizza once per shift. After 2 years I was sick to death of pizza, and 50 pounds heavier. Of course it didn’t help that I was working 2 shifts a day sometimes 6 days a week.
Becky working for Galasso isn’t likely to solve her personality problems.
Ross: “Sir, you’re harboring a run-away. I demand that you hand her over at once.”
Galasso: “BEGON YOU FOOL WHO SEEK TO DIMINISH MY FORCES, YOUR DEMANDS ARE OF NO CONSEQUENCE TO GALASSO.”
Ross: “This is madness.”
Galasso: “THIS IS PIZZA”
Conny: “And Subs!”
…that would be satisfying.
It would.
Personally I think Ross and Blaine should meet and then fight to the death.
That would be epic and also the best thing ever. Also, she’s 17-18. she can’t be considered a runaway.
And then Joyce finds a new awesome not-using-her-as-a-beard boyfriend whose name is, wait for it, Eaton.
ha ha ha ha
Pretty sure this means it’s canon
In about 5 years our time
Hey, we agreed to forget about that “Second Eaton” crap!
I mean, it’s a whole new universe, but still!
I’m with Spidergirl!
Shun the heretic!
I regret nothing!
I’ve read all of Shortpacked! but my memory must be faulty… I don’t remember this “Second Eaton” stuff.
A quick google search shows me the only tags for it are strips that reference it later.
I am curious. 🙁 Someone help me out? 🙂
We do not speak of it!
However if one were to start reading the Shortpacked archive at Book 4, Chapter 7, they would gain a further understanding of the heresy and how to avoid it.
Interesting. Rule #1 of covering stuff up, someone’s gotta know what’s being covered up…
Sorry, but there’s an issue with that, she can’t be around other guys. She needs time to adjust. PTSD can be a real bongo. try talking to your boss when you were raped by someone with similar liiks or attributes.
Yaaay, Becky still crushing on Joyce. It’s too adorable to not have happen. =P
At this point it’s not so much adorable as interference.
I really hope the storyline moves away from Becky for an extended period of time. Because days pass by fairly slowly, we’re going to be stuck with ‘running away from her problems’ Becky for a long time and she’s doing more and more to appear unlikeable.
This is exactly how I feel about it too.
Subjectively…it’s super adorable. But then again, I love that sort of storyline.
I disagree that running from somebody who presents a very legitimate threat is the same as running away from your problems. (Becky knows her dad best, and he was talking about ‘fixing’ her, which implies so-called therapies that are incredibly harmful.)
Becky is *in* her problems, which come from being rejected by her only family; her homelessness is his fault much more than hers.
However, I agree, she’s acting pushy and rude and mean, which is Willis’s favourite kind of character, but not really my bag either.
Those weren’t the problems I was referring to; she hasn’t given any real thought about what she’s going to do for food or lodging or income. If she’s going to have the agency to be running away from home (no matter how much she actually needed to) she also needs to be able to think about these things.
Im sure it’ll all be coming eventually, the comic does move at a glacially slow pace at times, but that hurts public opinion of Becky more than anything. I do agree on the ‘rude and mean’ character not really my cup of tea, hence I’m not that fond of Mike/Ruth/Carla either when people seem to love them.
I agree on this Mean character no likey thing… except for Ruth. For some reason I have a soft spot for her… It might be because of knowing her from the Walkyverse or may be because even when she is mean here in the Dumbiverse she seems to have a reason, albeit sometimes a not very good one. Also sometimes she uses the whole being mean thing to do actual good for her residents.
I usually like the mean characters, a la Mike, Ruth, and Malaya. I was trying to figure out why Becky grates me in a way none of the others do.
I think the reason is she’s caustic, but casually so. Like she’s not trying to be as inappropriate and brash and inconsiderate as she’s being, but it’s happening anyhow. And with the complete conviction she’s doing nothing wrong.
It’s a really different brand of mean compared to the other characters, who know they’re mean and make an art out of being as dickish as possible.
You know… That’s a good point…
I was just wondering why I like characters like Malaya/Carla but still finding Becky to be quite irritating. I loved Becky to start with, and I was expecting to love her even more after she came out but whoooosh instead we got a *very* rude, unapologetic Becky who just makes everyone feel uncomfortable and tries to insult and push away all of Joyce’s friends.
I mean, I get it. I know why she’s doing it but goddd its irritating. I can’t wait for this to get to the point where Joyce has to say something. I think the fact that she’s doing it casually and not purposefully just makes it worse. Ugh Beckyyy whyyy
Yeah, those characters feel more like over the top personifications of tropes rather than actual people which is why it doesn’t bug me as much that they’re jerks whereas Becky’s behaviour is much more in line with how a real person who is a jackass behaves and it’s much more grating than the others’ cartoonish dickishness.
It’s funny but when Malaya first appeared in Shortpacked! people intensely disliked her for being more like a real-life jerk rather than a cartoonishly jerkish one.
Oh, I see, yeah, that makes more sense — her problem of how to survive now that she’s on her own. A week is an awfully short time to figure out a viable life plan, but yeah, I guess this is the week in which she’s gotta do it, huh.
After reading Joyce’s search history, Becky buys a strap on.
It has been less than 24 hours since Becky professed her love to Joyce. Damn right she’s still feeling it.
Out of a cannon. Into the sun.
…which will then proceed to go down on him.
That’s the really weird part. His parents were asshats about it but they were accepting to an extent. Ethan doesn’t HAVE to run away from everything. He can just be Ethan who is a gay man, not gay man is who is all he is. Like Kitty Pryde is a Jewish mutant. Ethan is a gay worshiper of Transformers. Storm is a black mutant goddess. Wolverine is a Canadian veteran mutant samurai widower redheadaholic schoolteacher. Cyclops is a dick. It all works out.
Scott isn’t a dick. He’s just doing what needs to be done.
He can be both. I do find it kind of hilarious that I look at all the stuff which led to Scott being an edgy brutal antihero and think, “Yeah, that’s where his character should have gone” rather than derailment. As for Ethan? He needs to accept his identity is a part of him and let that help define him. Its only jerks who want to make Ethan nothing more than his sexuality.
Besides, this way, Ethan will be able to finally bang his roommate!
Cyclops just falls into the predicament that has plauged sitcoms for ages – when you’re the supposed main character, everybody around you is much more likable. After Jean/Rogue/Wolverine/everybody else surpassed him in main character status he was just kinda floundering.
Let’s just face it: Cyclops is Ross from friends.
I was leaning closer to Ted from HIMYM, but both work.
Same show, different decade!
Asshole Becky is the best Becky, can we keep her like this forever?
I like assholes. When they’re people. And not sphincters.
Actually I prefer the sphincters, at least they are doing an honest job keeping things inside until it’s safe to let them out. At least most of the time.
Sphincters are great! Just ask Joyce’s search history for ‘strap-on’.
Shhhhhh. Embrace the asshole Becky.
Honestly, there are tons of “sphincters” in this comic already. Asshole Becky isn’t one of them, not in my eyes. She’s great. Let’s have her stay like this. 🙂
No I like becky. I was being very literal.
Sorry, it’s hard to read tone over the internet.
The barber was like “There’s only one way I’m giving you this haircut. You’ve got to turn the tude up to ELEVEN!”
“Best” Becky apparently means being approving of a male romantic interest of Joyce’s forcing himself onto her?
Eek.
Remember: Becky does not know Ethan is gay. She just “fired” him for not having, as the saying goes, “tapped that ass”.
This was exactly what I thought too… As much as I hate the dude… it seems that Ryan is the kind of dude Becky would approve of… at least from her comments above that’s what it seems like.
Woah, hey, you lost me for a second there. I don’t think Becky is the best because she “fired” Ethan, and I know that she doesn’t know that he is gay.
Becky is jealous because she would like to tap that ass, as you say, with permission from Joyce. Which Ethan would most likely have as Joyce’s boyfriend, if he were into that and if she was not traumatized. So Becky sees it as “a waste” that Ethan isn’t doing the hanky panky with Joyce and yeah.
Didn’t think it needed to be spelled out, but hey.
I mean, let’s be for real here, Becky is Joyce’s closest friend for a reason. She wants Joyce happy. Joyce may not be into premarital sex but she definitely has the hots for Ethan and definitely wants to do things. If Ethan is all “no I would never touch her” and doesn’t even express any attraction to Joyce, of course Becky is going to be all “welp, you sound like a shit boyfriend, get out of the way so those of us who actually want to be in a relationship with her can have a chance.”
The point is moot anyways, they mutually broke up, why does this even matter can we not just revel in the hilarity that is asshole Becky?
But Becky knows that Joyce doesn’t want to do the ‘pre-marital hanky pankies’ and here she is told by her boyfriend that he respects her boundaries, and she basically tells him for that reason that he’s a shit boyf and should leave? I mean c’mon thats being a pretty bad friend right there.
Asshole Becky is rubbing me the wrong way, I like Becky but I don’t like /this/ Becky.
I couldn’t have said it any better. Thank you.
Noooooooooo. This Becky needs to die.
Gotta love a confident young lady.
Just not necessarily this one.
WELP ! that’s the end of that Chapter for all 3 of them time to look for a proper replacement.
Good job, Becky.
Oh okay, guess that’s over with then.
Man if Dorothy had realized what was going on sooner we would have already been done with this.
Dorothy: Joyce You got to stop what your doing with Eathen!
Joyce: What? Dude I already dumped him where was this in chapter one of book 4?
Why do I feel like that last line should be “He quit”.
I 100% agree
Darn it, Becky. Can you please take your head out of your ass for more than like… 10 seconds at a time?
Also this is kinda the exact opposite of how a friend, a best friend mind you, should respond…
“You mean you ain’t totally a jerkwad and takin’ advantage of my sheltered bestfriend who is totally salivating over your totes hot body? How could you?!”
We know he’s gay, but she doesn’t… and so she thinks he’s failing as a boyfriend by not pushing Joyce into doing things she isn’t comfortable with… that’s not just being a horrible friend… that’s being a horrible human being…
To try and look at this impartially, she’s just gotten done declaring that her entire upbringing is evil enough to run away from. This rather explicitly includes celibacy, since the whole reason she left is because her religion was getting in the way of her sexings. So as a good friend she would want to help Joyce escape that lifestyle too, kicking and screaming if necessary.
Looking at it less impartially, she’s a short-sighted asshole who’s jealous of Joyce’s other relationships and trying to terminate them with extreme prejudice, at the expense of Joyce’s well-being if need be.
You pick the answer you like.
I think it’s pretty clear which of those two I think is more of the case.
That is definitely not what’s happening. First and foremost is that Becky has clearly shown that she still holds Christian beliefs. She wants to have sex, sure, but so does Joyce, except she’s used to following rules that she doesn’t understand even if it means she’s unhappy. Becky doesn’t think being gay is a sin, and she doesn’t think God considers it a sin either.
Also, seriously? The whole reason she left? I would think being betrayed by her roommate, her peers, her school, and her father would cause her to reject her faith more than anything, and yet she persists. It’s possible to be sex positive as well as a Christian. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.
So you’re in the “she’s a short-sighted, jealous asshole” camp too, then?
Of course not. I think Becky’s just trying to be funny, and not considering how her actions are annoying at best, and hurtful at worst. She came out *yesterday*. It’s to be expected that she be overly excited, and her harassing people for the lulz is in-character for how she was acting during the last arc, just turned up to eleven.
I want her to cut it out sooner rather than later, but she’s not Two-Face to Joyce’s Renee Montoya.
BLASPHAMY! Christians should be sex-negative!
Sorry. I had to let that out.
“Joyce has boundaries and didn’t want to have sex yet–”
“FUCK YOU, YOU SUCK!”
Plus she’s ignoring Ethan’s boundaries. Maybe he hasn’t wanted to have sex, for all she knows (and she’d be half right!).
Well, doesn’t Joyce’s idea of romance come from romance-comedy movies?
…And don’t those movies basically say all dudes always want sex all the time forever?
Becky probably has the same mindset. (Hell, most of our society does, considering it’s still a huge insult to call a man a “virgin.”)
Doesn’t this technically mean he was fired as Joyce’s friend twice now?
How shocking that basing your attitudes around “fuck my repressed fundie upbringing”, while still not knowing any more about sexuality than you got from that fundie upbringing (and some real lesbian sexual activities, but not that many), produces really, really terrible ideas about sex. I hope that when Becky learns about bisexuality she also learns about respectful attitudes towards sex. Good luck, Becky!
+1
And yet we wonder why abstinence only education leads to higher teen pregnancy rates.
I remember reading somewhere that the most sex-negative groups are the ones with the highest recorded statistics of teenage “immaculate conception,” though I can’t for the life of me find where I saw it. Google’s giving me websites to schools NAMED Immaculate Conception, and the statistics of those schools.
Found it.
http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f7102
“Results 45 women (0.5%) reported at least one virgin pregnancy unrelated to the use of assisted reproductive technology. Although it was rare for dates of sexual initiation and pregnancy consistent with virgin pregnancy to be reported, it was more common among women who signed chastity pledges or whose parents indicated lower levels of communication with their children about sex and birth control.”
Sex-negative culture doesn’t stop the sex from happening. It just makes people lie about it.
There are also instances of girls literally not knowing what sex is. I met a woman who never talked to her daughter about sex, and put her in an abstinence only school. The girl got pregnant, and told her mom that she didnt have sex, her bf just put his penis inside her. I mean, it still blows my mind, but there really are some teens out there who do not know what sex is.
Now that I think about it, that girl called it a wee-wee. And she was 16…
+1
Ethan should be ashamed. How’s a girl supposed to live vicariously through him if he can’t seal the deal?
i am now imagining ethan sealing some sorta contract with Joyce, and using, as a seal, his… nevermind, bad train of thought
You tell him, Becky. Ethan’s certainly wasting his glorious pants.
Guess it works out in the end, but I still hope Joyce Fires Becky for being “Too Much”.
I’d be terrified if I were Becky right now. She has nobody to pay her rent and no college education. Her life is going to be tough!
You know, now that I think about it. That would make a good comic. A homeless newly-come out Christian homeschooled lesbian tries to make it in the big city. Is that what Rent is supposed to be about?
Add more AIDS and a bangin’ soundtrack and you’re about halfway right.
She has a Joyce to mooch off of, Joyce is the one terrified.
Exactly. Joyce is being her safety net. Unfortunately Becky doesn’t quite see that the “Safety Net” has quite a few holes in it due to recent trauma.
She can’t smooch, so she has to settle for mooch
And to think Joyce was worried to leave the two of them alone…
I love how Ethan tried to build up to be introspective about coming out and cutting ties, and Becky cut him off. “S’No big” indeed. (And more power to you, Becky. If Ethan wants to be introspective he can be so on his own. You don’t have to use your situation as a discussion point any more than you want).
I actually prefer Mike right now.
That is because Mike is the best character in this universe and the next one over.
I have kind of a tepid view of Becky– I liked her a good bit toward the beginning, but she has worn on me fast and now is just a bit dull.
Mike, however, is a glorious, beautiful shitstain whenever he shows up.
Fired him right into Danny and Joe’s room.
Í’m waiting for Joe to meet Ethan, immediately pick up that he’s gay, realize Danny’s problem, and attempts to (un)subtly set the two up.
Because Joe never stops being your wingman.
No matter how much you wish he would.
Maybe for good reason. http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/03-men-are-from-beck-women-are-from-clark/best-2/
Hah, that would be grand.
That… would actually probably make me start to warm up to Joe again.
That would be glorious. He’d probably make up an excuse to leave them alone together and leave his emergency sock with Danny, “just in case, you know, whatever. But don’t make the sock a liar again, Dan.”
And probably an arrow to wherever his condom stash is.
And he might hand Danny that bottle of KY first.
Yes! Please make this happen
That would be adorable and I hope it happens.
Becky would be an excellent HR axelady.
No kidding.
Uh huh, yea Becky, shut up.
You’d think He would have had enough of this in Short packs.
Someone, maybe Joyce, really should tell Becky about that near-rape experience.
…yeah, that’s probably a good move. Logically. For everyone. There’s a lot of serious damage there that has not been dealt with.
Nobody would really have the indelicacy to bring it up though. Most people would generally be looking out for Joyce and not want to re-open a potentially traumatic wound, and Joyce wouldn’t want to bring it up herself.
The only person that knows about the incident and that I could see telling Becky would be Sal.
Hmm, maybe Dorothy or Sarah, after torturing themselves whether they ought to or not. Or Walky, by incredibly stupid mistake. But it’s really Joyce’s story to tell; anybody who wants Becky to know would be wiser to try and convince Joyce to tell the story herself.
or, better yet, Becky should trigger Joyce by saying something totally idiotic in Joyce-context, and Joyce blurts out what happened, and then Becky is all OMG I will support you now. That’d be nice and dramatic.
I also think that is the most likely situation. Joyce prefers to pretend it didn’t happen, Sarah prefers not to intervene and probably still suspicious of Becky, and Dorothy wouldn’t betray her friend’s trust. Walky is still a possibility, though.
Walky can be pretty indelicate.
I think it’s inevitable that Joyce and Becky are going to have some kind of encounter due to their clashing views of sexuality. Especially since Becky is now not only being obnoxious about her own sexuality but now interfering in Joyce’s as well.
Yep! *gets popcorn* I hope it’s soon.
I was just thinking this too.
Nothing “near rape” about it. Rape does not require penetration: Joyce was raped.
I will give you that Ryan did intend on raping her. As he was stopped, vis-a-vis a Sarah grand slam, before any sexual contact could be made I think we should say it would be a sexual assault charge definitely, but not quite a rape charge. I say this not to lessen the severity of Ryan’s actions, but to clarify what his actions would actually be viewed as by the legal system. (I am saying all of this from a background of having served in 2 different juries that convicted 2 different people for these very same charges.)
I know you’re trying to say that the experience was just as traumatic as if she were actually penetrated but considering Ryan only went so far as to roofie her drink, from where I’m sitting, it just comes across as saying “She wasn’t attempted murdered, she was literally murdered”.
Which further brings me to another problem which is that somehow attempted victimization is less valid than having the crime become fully actualized. As if being a target of an unsuccessful murder isn’t traumatic or something? Putting “attempted ” before something shouldn’t be seen as a way to belittle the act, because it is still a totally horrible thing to happen to you, so please don’t perpetuate that notion by assuming that’s what everyone means and then policing it even when they don’t mean that.
I think that’s why rape and attempted rape tend to fall under the umbrella term of ‘sexual assault’.
Even with the attempted rape aside, Joyce confirmed to Becky just this morning that she doesn’t believe in sleeping with people before marriage. “You still have to wait until marriage before hanky-panky, you know that, right?”
As much as I think waiting until after you’re married is a good way to be halfway to a divorce the first night in, it’s Joyce’s decision and nobody else’s. If Becky wants to talk to Joyce about her views that’s one thing. But it’s really incredibly disrespectful for Becky to just ignore Joyce’s input and tell her boyfriend he should be screwing her, when Joyce has made it clear that’s not what she wants.
Indeed – especially with regards to the last sentence, because Becky sounds just like Ethan’s unpleasant mother.
that’s not really the easiest thing to talk about. even with friends.
I do wonder if Joyce will be able to talk about her incident with Becky. Because that’s a huge part of why she needed someone… “respectful.”
Considering how Becky’s behaving currently, and the fact that Joyce is trying to be there for Becky due to something that just happened to her (while Joyce’s thing was weeks ago), I’m guessing that conversation either won’t happen, or won’t end well if it does.
But on the other hand, Becky is still Joyce’s friend. She might be in off-the-wall, insensitive freedom mode right now (because that’s what I’m calling it), but it’s possible if she knew about Joyce, she’d understand. Especially since she knows what it’s like to deal with sexuality after coming from the background they did.
I guess it comes down to fears. Becky has chosen (in an over-the-top way), either to not be afraid of her sexuality or, if she actually is, to pretend the fear doesn’t exist and be proud. But if Joyce confides in her about her fears, would Becky b able to see where she’s coming from? Or would she be disappointed in Joyce and think she was weak?
Sorry, that turned into a long ramble. I needed to unpack my thoughts on this.
Good thoughts though. And comment sections were made for ramblers!
I’d sure like to think that Becky would be supportive of Joyce. I mean, they’re best friends, and there’s a reason for that! They have to be awesome to each other. It’s the law.
Anybody else who tells Becky about the assault will probably feel like they’re breaking Joyce’s confidence, since it’s Joyce’s story to tell and Joyce requested nobody talk about it. So, unless somebody unhappily spills it, we’ve got a lot more dramatic irony to get through before Joyce gets to open up about it.
I really hope Joyce will get around to tell it soon. She needs Becky, and Becky needs to be the one that is there for Joyce and not only the other way around.
The good news is that this gives Joyce the perfect setup to tell Becky that she broke up with Ethan.
Much as I love her, I have this feeling that Becky is going to stumble into full knowledge of Joyce’s trauma by accidentally triggering her. She’ll say something oblivious that would be fairly innocent in another context, and Joyce will just completely lose it like she did with Amazi-Girl. And that won’t be a completely bad thing, because at this rate, after this day, Joyce needs to safely express her anger and fear to someone before she implodes.
The way Becky is she’d probably try to use it as a way to get into Joyces pants
Not a chance, not with something that serious. She has poor judgment in many social areas, but she’s not a monster. Also, thoughts of killing Ryan would be filling her brain and not leaving room for her to think about much else.
Becky has the emotional maturity of a 14 year old so yeah I could see wanting to destroy Ryan but I could also see her trying it on again because, from her point of view, she’d be helping her ’cause boys are icky or something
NEW FAVORITE BECKY COMIC
THIS IS THE BEST
I just loved this strip.
To be fair, Ethan’s kind of made an ass of himself this whole conversation. He’s been fired for trying to insert both feet into his mouth at once.
True. “So you are in the middle of a crisis on the run from your family who cast you out because of your sexual orientation… sounds dumb.” [just a tiny bit paraphrased, and could easily be read that way if you don’t know where he is coming from – which Becky doesn’t]
There’s going to be a point where Becky does something *not* awesome.
You mean pretty much every point where she’s interacted with another human being since she came out?
Interesting, opinion on Becky seems pretty much split into those who can’t stand her, those who love her & those who are OK with her, the most silent of the 3. Me, I’m happy sitting back & watching them madness unfold…
A very, very, convenient time to cry back to Danny.
They can play another few rounds of ‘No, You’re the cutest”.
Y’know, in a totally not I-wanna-ride-you-like-a-damn-horse kinda way!
That is kind of the perfect way to sum up their relationship.
I love it.
And here we continue with Becky acting like an asshole but fans rave on and on about how super amazing awesome Becky is and how her farts contain a cure for cancer.
It’s just kind of lame reading about a character consistently being really fucking annoying while also understanding that it’s perfectly valid for her character and what she’s gone through. It’s like if all there was to Danny was ceaseless whining with none of the foibles I like about him.
It’s like being back in Roomies!
I was thinking the same thing. I honestly don’t get how everyone can see all the crap Becky has been spouting and think its still Gold pouring from her mouth. Sure, when she first arrived on the scene I actually liked her. Now I think she may be the character who annoys me the most…
Well, isn’t that kinda true for most characters? Some fans are annoyed by them, some thinks they are awesome, often for almost the same reasons. Joyce, Roz, Mike, Danny, Ethan, Joe, Dina…
…OK, not Dina. The only discussion about Dina is if she’s awesome or awesome-er.
Anyway, you can’t exactly look at this comment section and notice a lack of people calling Becky an asshole (just as I cannot notice a lack of people saying Becky is awesome)
I just find it kind of grating when Becky is being praised for the worst parts of her. character Mike’s one thing, but nobody likes it when Danny’s being a whiny prick, or when Joyce lets her upbringing’s worst aspects shine through, or when Ruth was constantly abusing Billie. But with Becky, I see so much praise here and on Willis’ tumblr about how she’s so amazing *because* of how she’s acting now.
I mean, I haven’t turned on the character yet. It is possible to be a total butthole and also be really entertaining, like Walky. She’d have to, like, deny evolution in front of Dina before I started to dislike her.
Dunno… I don’t really see the difference. People like [the character I don’t like] because of [reasons I don’t agree with.]. Isn’t that the same for all of them? I know that’s true for the characters I don’t like.
“She’d have to, like, deny evolution in front of Dina before I started to dislike her.” – What, like Joyce?
I mean that I think Becky’s recent actions, being rude towards Dorothy and now Ethan in particular, are just kind of annoying and I don’t get how people can look at this and go “lol Becky is so fab u go grrl” I admit it is pretty pedantic and it’s not like I can tell people what to like, but I don’t think any other character would be allowed to get away with acting like this. Maybe I’m wrong but the way Willis has been talking about her I feel like I’m “supposed” to like Becky right now, like how I was “supposed” to agree with Roz a while ago.
You know, I honestly forgot that Joyce did that. I meant it as “Becky has to like a jerk to the most beloved character in DoA before I got cross with her.”
I’m just waiting for the point where the ‘she’s just relishing in her new-found freedom’ reason to no longer really be applicable anymore.
It has been, what, five or six hours since she exploded out of the closet just before math class?
People seem to forget that time flows in relation to the real world like time in the real world flows in relation to Narnia: in the former, time is much slower.
In the last five hours my character development has mostly consisted of blueberry pie.
Well that’s excellent character development.
Or perhaps just delicious.
Walky would approve, but I’m not sure it measures up to what Joyce and Becky are going through…
On this vein I guess that means my character development over the last 5 hours consists of Ranch Corn Nuts (which I only just recently decided were ok to eat), Sweet Tea, and about 3 hours of reading online comics while at work…
Like Donald Trump, but with better hair and scissoring skills.
LMAO
Skills? She’s done it, like, once.
I’d put it down on her CV as “scissoring experience”
I’m hoping this is the start of a strip where Joyce learns that its ok to tell friends when they’re being idiots (like Dorothy is starting to learn)
Annnnnd that’s three for three. Good job Becky, at this rate you’ll have alienated Joyce’s entire social circle in just a couple more days.
“Three is a crowd”
Also: “What the hecky, Becky,” counter+1
… Dammit, I’m mad that I didn’t think of that before
Can’t you see that’s her cunning plan? Alienate and isolate Joyce socially so she comes back to her and out of desperation makes that sweet, sweet whoopie.
A regular Baldric Becky is.
Just wait until Sarah gets here. Becky’s got another thing coming if she thinks Sarah’s going to put up with any of her shit.
Earlier, Sarah was about ready to forcibly remove Becky if she were to hurt Joyce, best friend status be damned.
I’m starting to think that’s actually the plan, whether consciously or not: to isolate Joyce and reestablish herself as #1 Friend. Joyce needs all her friends, though. And if only Becky knew it, her status as old-and-gold friend has remained paramount…
Becky’s gay-dar must be on the fritz.
It is entirely possible that, like Joyce, hers hasn’t been properly installed
He didn’t really follow the stereotypical reaction to the question “do you sleep with her”, did he? It was more like, “Huh? What? Why on earth would I want to do that.”
Anyway, Becky’s gaydar is tuned to another frequency (not that it’s much better with wimmen, at least not at sorting out false positives).
Has anyone noticed that Lyle pulled the exact same crap in that comic as Becky pulled just now? Based on the comments of both strips, it was better received when Lyle did it.
Sal’s also pulled it off in DoA with Dorothy and Walky, to a lesser extent.
The difference is that Lyle didn’t ‘fire’ Ken as Lucy’s boyfriend, and it was fairly obvious it was ribbing (though not from Ken’s perspective). The readers know that Becky is either semi-serious or subconsciously serious.
Another difference is that Ken and Lucy’s and Walky and Dorothy’s relationships were budding and going strong – but Ethan and Joyce just broke up.
In one way it makes Becky’s actions much harsher, in another way it makes her… right. If it is meant as a joke, circumstances make it harsher than intended (as is true for most of her jokes), and if it is meant to be semi-serious it touches a raw nerve.
Becky, dude, that is not your fucking job.
I wanted to like Becky a lot but she’s making it very difficult.
Alright, Becky started off pretty awesome, but she has grown more annoying as the story progresses. Shows nice character development on Willis’ part, but this is all going to lead to more drama. Of course we know more than what Becky knows, which definitely skews our view of her, but if she had known that thing that happened to Joyce earlier in the year, she probably wouldn’t have been so adamant about firing Ethan.
even if we didnt she’d still being pretty creepy and douchey tho
like she’s giving ethan shit for not having sex with joyce. Even if he wasn’t gay thats still a shitty thing to do.
Okay, Becky, we’re getting a sense of your powers now. Good powers to have, mind you. But, remember that famous line, “with great power comes the responsibility not to be an ass with it.”
While Becky is completely over the line, she’s not exactly *wrong*, you know. Joyce and Ethan aren’t a good match. Maybe not exactly for the reasons she thinks, but she’s picking up on *something* here, and being blunt enough to call it out. Numerous other people have called it out/picked up on the fact that this relationship isn’t really right–Amber, Sarah, Dorothy, Walky, and even Joyce–this is just the first time it’s really gotten through to Ethan. About time.
Getting rid of a girl’s boyfriend just because they have not had sex is just….the worst thing. Especially knowing that Joyce is so very Christian. I am Christian too, not to Joyce’s naive and head-in-the-sand extent….but I too want to wait for marriage to have sex. So, seeing that she basically just implied “you aren’t worth her time because you have not forced her into sex” thing….
Ugh, Becky is being super creepy and gross.
This article sums up pretty well why I don’t like her.
“How Misogyny Shows Up in the Queer Community”:
http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/03/misogyny-queer-community/
Did… did Becky change pants in the last panel?
well SOMEONE had to get in joyce’s pants.
Not that the pants she had on at first wasn’t also Joyce’s.
Yep! Either a mistake, or Becky decided to get in those goshdarned glorious pants.
The comments section kind of has a love/hate relationship going on with ALL of the characters, doesn’t it?
Always.
Except the characters that we simply hate. Granted, it’s because they’ve been cast as the villians.
I dunno, isn’t there always someone that loves the villains?
Either they love them as villains (which is what love/hate means, you love to hate) or they are villains themselves and therefore don’t count.
That said, there have been people, Rycan included, expressing the sentiment that they would never want to see Ryan ever again, because he has served his purpose and has more effect as a cloud of fear than an actual person. Same with Blaine and Ross, the other two d-nuggets on the cast (although I don’t think Ross is done yet).
No, Ross isn’t over, if you ask me. He and his bag of fertilizer will be in this comic’s future.
Yes, I am hoping that the bag of fertilizer makes a cameo appearance, because I love black humor.
I sorta want to go through the Shortpacked! archives and find the comic that’s just one big panel of a happy Ethan who’s left his job and is now free to do his own thing…
http://www.shortpacked.com/index.php?id=1842
Just for you.
😀
I think that Becky is shaping up to be the River Song of Dumbing of Age. Her likability is inversely proportional to the percentage of comics that she appears in.
You are Faiya’d !
http://www.marycagle.com/index.php?id=66
Wow. Um, I think my enjoyment of Becky just dove headlong off a cliff. Not cool at all, girl.
One would think that Joyce’s BFF would know Joyce better than anyone save Joyce herself. But, yesterday she got Joyce’s sexuality completely wrong, and today she has shown an utter lack of understanding of what Joyce wants when it comes to sex (I’m ignoring the fact that Ethan is gay, since this is presently unknown to Becky). One more strike and you’re out, Becky.
You mean like Becky’s BFF could be expected to not get Becky’s sexuality wrong? Or Becky’s attitude to religion? Two strikes each.
Thing is, both Becky and Joyce have changed a lot since they left the umbrella of home. In some ways they have been allowed to bloom, in some ways they have had to rethink deeply integrated values. They don’t really know who they are themselves and they can be excused for needing to get to know each other again.
Also, timescale. It’s still just above 24 hours since Becky came here.
I dunno I kinda feel uncomfortable with the best friend getting her sexuality wrong part. My best friend is asexual, but I was thought she was straight until she came out. I don’t think that THAT should be a strike. I’d say the second strike is being a dick to all of Joyce’s friends.
Eh, you’re probably right.
Yeahhh she’s trying to push all of Joyce’s new friends away>_> not cool Beck, not cool.
Is it just me or is Becky clearly just being playful here (as opposed to insulting)?
While this may be the case, if you’ve reached the point where it’s hard to tell the difference you should probably consider reevaluating your behavior.
“Being playful” doesn’t excuse being a jerk.
Sorry, I think it’s you…
I think that was the intent, but Ethan took it a little more seriously than intended.
Look at her facial expressions, that’s not playing that’s serious.
Perhaps, but sometimes people make mock serious expressions when joking.
Also, I find it hard to believe Becky could seriously expect that she can “fire” Joyce’s boyfriend.
Case closed!
*Ethan dismissed*
Bring in the dancing lobsters!
you are a beautiful human being
How about an emoticon dancing with pants on their head?
And Ethan is never seen or mentioned ever again.
The fact that Ethan actually left is hilarious. His commitment to Joyce doesn’t run very deep!
http://youtu.be/v31CZOGZCwY?t=12m48s
And nooooow I think I understand even less why people voted for Becky as “favorite DoA character”.
Because she was new and funny and wasn’t a jerk yet.
Correction, she was being a jerk to Joyce an people thought that was funny.
Touché.
Yep. Becky never actually did anything likeable. We just sympathised with her because jerk homophobes persecuted her, and fell for the old “enemy of my enemy is my friend” trap.
Becky is a cow, and not in a nice way.
Ethan: “I respect Joyce’s boundaries.”
Becky: “Lemme show you just what I think of Joyce’s boundaries! Or anyone else’s!”
That is too much Becky.
I feel like “Too much Becky” should be the title of this arc.
No, I think Becky’s subsconcious mind has already look through Ethan’s beard. Hence, he’s fired. Remember, she’s “the more socially adjusted” of the previous friends of Joyce. The way Ethan answered reeks of pansyness. He should have answered in Walky’s Style ™ to pass that door. He didn’t. Of course, it helps she’s so self-centered right now.
I really dont like becky…
Becky seems to be turning into an obnoxious little pest.
… DAMN YOU WILLIS, YOU DID THIS.
Willis takes everything we love, and makes it horrible. He does this to harvest our tears.
Yeah, Becky’s persistent efforts to alienate Joyce’s friends (whether intentional or not) is incredibly toxic and manipulative behaviour that needs to be addressed ASAP. Preferably before she tries to pull it with Sarah and is wiped off the face of the earth by the backlash.
To be honest I’d be excited to see Sarah do… just about anything again.
Perfect gravatar is perfect.
But actually.
Good observation — it does seem like she’s trying to alienate people close to Joyce.
Honestly, I think Sarah may be what’s needed at this point. I doubt Joyce has the balls to give her the chewing out she deserves for this really awful behavior. Sarah certainly does, though.
Yeah, but will Becky listen to Sarah? I doubt it. If Sarah chews her out, she’ll just get angry and defensive. On the other hand, if Joyce stands up for herself, that might be a wake-up call.
Joyce will listen to Sarah. If Joyce is made to realize what’s going on, there’s little Becky can do about it.
No because Sarah won’t just chew her out if she decides that she’s a damaging influence she will make her unsanctioned residence in the dorms known to the school and boop she’s out of there. She’s already shown that she’s perfectly willing to make unpleasant choices when she feels a situation is out of control.
Oh, believe me…it’s quite intentional. She wants Joyce all to herself.
Beckyyyyyyy. I really liked you for the first dozen pages, stop making me not like you.
Problem is, those pages she was lying and keeping up the mask of “everything is at is has always been.” These last pages have been “Super high on coming-out rush”. We haven’t had a chance to get to know Becky in anything resembling normal circumstances.
Hear, hear! I speak from experience, “high on coming-out rush” does weird things to your brain. (Well, in my case, it was more “realizing-your-sexuality-and-also-that-it-is-sometimes-okay-to-criticize-your-religion” rush, but same difference).
Her joking with Walky and teasing Joyce was the part I liked, I don’t think she was being particularly guarded at that point.
It was fun, I agree! And I’m sure that part of Becky’s true personality shone through, but there were two enormous lies at play at that point. She flirted with Walky for the expressed purpose of making Joyce jealous (so she played up that part of her persona as well as suppressed her homosexuality), and she told Joyce that she was only visiting rather than that she was on the run.
She was on the run, she was worried for her future, she was scared that her dad could show up at any minute, she was worried that Joyce parents would call and ask for her, she was afraid for her future. She was out-and-proud lesbian who had just embraced her sexuality, but still had to suppress it a while longer. She was talking herself into believing that Joyce was also a lesbian and working herself up to kiss her.
And during all that she was chill as beans and presented a cool and casual persona that fooled her best friend since forever. Becky is a very good liar when she wants to be.
I don’t think any character has gone from beloved to just plain the worst so quickly. Wonder if people are re-thinking their poll votes.
I wish I could change mine to vote FOR her, actually.
I am happy I voted or her. Didn’t expect her to be perfect right off the bat. If I can like Amber after attacking a bunch of folks in a wal-mart parking lot and Ruth after starting off as just plain abusive, I can forgive some rudeness and skewed view on what is socially acceptable.
Same here. I’m actually just happy to get to know a more nuanced side of her.
I’m still cool with my vote. “When Somebody Loved Me” is my favourite arc in all of DoA, and I think that Becky’s actions now are understandable due to her circumstances. I’m a bit annoyed, sure, but all my favourite characters in this comic piss me off sometimes.
Yeah, I know Becky thinks she’s trying to help, and I suspect she’s about to be redeemed big time (maybe even quickly depending on how fast this particular plot thread moves.) Still, this is the first time I have ever wholly and truly despised a DoA character.
… The first time? Blaine? Ryan? Mary? Ross McIntyre?
Congratulations, Becky. After ONE whole strip, you’re back to being someone I like being a redhead because it’s easier to imagine your head on fire. You’re not a best friend, you’re an unrepentant bongo (not, say, Mary-level bongo, but you’re really speeding up that beat).
Becky the Colossal Jerk.
Wow, Becky… you become less likeable in every strip.
“Joyce! I found you a great boyfriend! *introduces Ryan*”
Now thats funny (though I feel bad for laughing)
Next chapter, “Skeletons in the Closet”, will be about body disposal.
It’s been a short time to Joyce but when is she going to call home or other friends to find out the rest of the story with Becky? Becky’s a bit of an unreliable narrator, isn’t she? I’d also like this universe not to be one where every gay character gets mistreated by their parents for being gay. I know it’s only two for two but most of the experiences of my friends and my own weren’t even as harsh as Ethan’s, much less Becky’s …
Well where are you from? Are your and your friends families religious? Being accepted by family is not as common as it seems.
Em, raised Methodist and Baptist but both Pentecostal. Every female in my family has been a Christian missionary and now most of the next that have reached legal age. My mother is a part-time church secretary at age seventy-five. No rejection at all. They let God handle the judgin’. The kid at work with a devout Mormon mom was embraced fully when he came out to her and another at my old store had mere weeks before her parents stopped a slight chilliness. Coming out in a loving family isn’t much drama and that could be why you don’t see it in even melodramatic venues like this one. It’d be one strip with three panels: 1: Mom, I’m gay 2: Still love you just the same! 3: Going back to watching TV together…
Um, never? Because everyone she knows from home are homophobic bigots who will demand she either turn Becky over for abuse and brainwashing or demand she throw Becky out.
I’ve never belonged to a full gospel spirit filled church where most have been homophobic bigots, much less all. Joyce should at least contact her older brother to find out if Becky’s dad has eased off on his alleged viewpoints in the absence of his daughter. By the by, Becky’s REALLY proving that Joyce was the best socialized of her group back home…
I bet there are a lot of characters with accepting parents in the DOA-verse, but we don’t talk about that because it’s not good drama.
what about Mandy and Grace? Maybe they’ve come out to their parents. They seem pretty well adjusted.
Sierra’s bisexual and her parents seem pretty chill. We don’t know about Marcie, Carla, Mandy, Grace, or Daisy’s homelife yet.
Sad to say, though, but lots of otherwise decent people act like complete fucking scumbags to their kids when they come out.
Wait when did we find out that Sierra was bi?
Sierra (as well as Mandy, Grace and Marcie) were bi in the Walkyverse. Sexuality is consistent through both continuities.
I think it’s so cute that Becky curses like Joyce. Also an interesting character study in what parts of a common background stick with different personalities.
I love that Becky has been such a disrupter — first adored by many, loathed by few, now cherished by some, disdained by multitudes. She’s definitely doing some unlikeable things, but what an awesome character! Joyce is going to call her out soon enough. There will be more tears soon enough. But this snarky-obnoxious firecracker is fantastic.
I agree. I’m firmly on the “Becky is fantastic” side of the fence, but I can see where other people are coming from, and I just love how divisive the character has been.
To introduce a new main character a few years into a comic’s run can be tricky, but I think this is a masterful example of how to do it.
it’s a little mind boggling to be sure. I must study it… I must UNDERSTAND how the magic was done!!!! 😉
Not sure how being an arse to people who’ve done nothing deserving makes a character “great”…
Well she went from annoying to just plain obnoxious in less then a day (in comic time).
So, not meaning to deflect Becky’s buttholiness (plenty of comments about that already), but there is a subtext that I think is the main reason Ethan left.
His relationship with Joyce was a scam, and Becky is calling him on it.
For Ethan their relationship has always been about his need of fitting in. He wanted to be normal and have a girlfriend, so he hooked up with Joyce to create that facade. But since the whole thing was a scam it left her unfulfilled. He never responded to her advances, her cuddling, her hugs and their first kiss left her crying in a toilet. I’m not talking about sex either, I’m talking about affection via light touches, to whatever level they were willing to take it. To put it another way, Joyce’s boundaries was never the issue, he never let her close enough for them to be.
As emotional support he did a lousy job. He hid in the confrontation between Joyce and her parents, he took every opportunity to hit on cute boys (including her – as far as he knew – brother), he had to be coaxed into every single sign of affection. Sure, there were Joyce’s sense of security, and Ethan did a good job as a bodyguard, but he was inadequate as a boyfriend
And remember that Joyce didn’t knowingly enter a relationship with a gay man. She allowed the relationship she had been tricked into to continue (for a few weeks) after he admitted it to her. She needed the breakup at least as much as he.
Ethan used Joyce, and he hurt her in the process. He has always defended his own right to chose, but as far as I remember he hasn’t owned up to the problems that cause for the people who plays into his charade. I think Becky might have pushed those buttons here.
Most of this is completely unknown to Becky, of course, but she DOES know Joyce and even with her head up in the pink clouds I’m pretty sure she can see that this is not the relationship Joyce wanted (one of the reasons she managed to talk herself into believing Joyce was gay). She’s off the mark here, and she’s a butthole about it, but the nerve she touches in Ethan deserves to be touched.
…OK, fine, that last remark is true for what Roz said to Joyce back during the Bongo incident as well. I still say Becky managed to do a better choice of time and place.
Good take. Does make sense. +1 internets for you.
In Ethan’s defence, he seems to be really sorry for what he put Amber through.
In an ideal world, for Ethan his sexuality wouldn’t be an issue, and with any luck, many years down the line it won’t be. But right now, while he’s discovering himself like so many members of the cast are, it is to him, and he’s trying to find a sense of normalcy and comfort in that. Like Danny said, ‘Math is… simple. I know the rules.’ For Ethan, that’s caring for someone. He hasn’t had a chance to meet a guy that he can do that with yet.
Absolutely, and he tries to do as good as he can in a shitty situation – he’s just not very good at it (again – excusable and understandable given where he comes from). One thing I can’t take from him – he was a really good body guard, especially as seen after the breakup.
Just as so many of the other members of the cast we can see where he’s coming from and why he’s doing as he’s doing – but just as so many of the others his actions are hurting other people and he can’t pretend otherwise.
Technically Ethan and Joyce were only dating for two or three days before Amber found out and forced him to confess.
…okay, so Becky’s being blunt and controversial again, and this will probably be part of her character arc, as others have pointed out. No real surprise, and best of luck to Becky!
Factual question, though: how long have these kiddos been dating? A week? Two?
Two weeks? I think? Maybe three?
It’s hard to say. Depends what you count as them starting to date; there wasn’t really any definite “you’re my boyfriend now” moment.
They met Wednesday evening of Week One, and Joyce immediately fixed her marriage plans on Ethan. It was Sunday beginning Week Two that Ethan volunteered to go to church with Joyce. Friday 2 he invited her to hang out and watch cartoons with him. Sunday 3 they went to church and Joyce called Becky to tell her she was holding his hand. Tuesday 3 was the pizza date at Galasso’s, their awful first kiss, Ethan coming out to Joyce, the kiss after that, and Joyce’s vow to date him straight, which I think is the latest point where you could say it started.
It’s currently Friday of Week Four, so… somewhere between a week and a half and two weeks.
It’s times like this that make me realize that the sliding timescale has compressed so much drama into just a month. Not to mention we’ve missed about a week’s worth of days with timeskips now.
oh becky, I love your adorable jerkface. You aren’t perfect but you are my jerkface.
bus seriously respect people’s boundaries. that’s important
Becky, I don’t think them getting into each others’ pants would work out very well.
His would be too big on her, and I doubt he could even fit into hers.
I c wut u did thar.
I think it’s funny that Becky is showing signs of posessivness and unhealthy relationship dynamics and so many are cheering her on.
She’s a great Character. i think everyone agrees on it. but for different reasons
Just same as Billie and Ruth I guess, thats something I don’t understand
The poll — why isn’t Penny on it!
Becky, weren’t you listening? You CAN’T fire Ethan!
Not sure if anyone mentioned yet, but this sounds like Becky’s “You have the greatest gift of all and you don’t even realize” reaction to Ethan. Similar to how Joyce reacted to Walky when Dorothy first told him “I love you”.
Well spotted.
Quick reminder Becky–If it was you dating Joyce, you guys wouldn’t be knocking boots either because Joyce isn’t into premarital sex. So. I guess you’d also be wasting those glorious pants.
god dammit becky
Gosh, I wish I’d had Becky’s chutzpah at that age. Would have saved myself twelve years of grief.
Ugh this strip reminded me of Joyce’s sex dream.
Ummm, what the hell, this is INCREDIBLY rude of Becky. I hope she gets a well-needed chewing out, and fast.
If no one else has coined the word, I claim “Becklash” to describe people becoming disenchanted with Becky not being the perfect baby dyke.
Spot on!