Shortpacked! by David Willis
Toys are serious business.
Convention appearances:
Calgary Expo Calgary, AB: April 26-28
Phoenix Comicon Phoenix, AZ: May 23-26, 2013
BotCon San Diego, CA: June 28-30
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego, CA: July 18-21
SPX Bethesda, MD: September 14-15
Phoenix Comicon Phoenix, AZ: May 23-26, 2013
BotCon San Diego, CA: June 28-30
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego, CA: July 18-21
SPX Bethesda, MD: September 14-15
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Sorcery 101
Templar, AZ
The Transformers Wiki
Hail to the Slash
80 page GIANT
Axe Cop
The Book of Biff
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Comics Curmudgeon
College Roomies from Hell!!!
Diesel Sweeties
Dinosaur Comics
Dr. McNinja
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Hark, a vagrant
Hijinks Ensue
Intrepid Girlbot
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Medium Large
Not Invented Here
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Leslie’s face in panel 3.
Uh-Oh.
I don’t quite get the face. is she pregnant too?
So who would the father be?
Well, Les was married if I’m not mistaken. Maybe she did the deed before.
She might haze had a pregnancy scare with him and it made her consider having a kid some day.
If Leslie decide to have a kid, she would become a great mom! I bet almost everybody would like this to happen too.
Robin. The alien DNA combined with the birth control pills combined with the mutant kitten she ate reacted with her reproductive system and made her able to get girls pregnant.
Sounds like the ingredients needed to make a ‘super-baby’.
I think she’s catching on to the fact that Malaya isn’t exactly the sweetest, most supportive person around.
Amber: I’m pregnant!
Malaya: Well, shit.
Leslie: (¬_¬)
That, and “breeders” isn’t exactly a polite word, especially when used in front of the breeders.
Yeah, think of it like if your new rebound SO suddenly used a racial slur in front of you. About your friends.
No, because straight people are the privileged ones. Slurs against them don’t mean anything.
Still does mean something and it’s not good. A slur is a slur, and they should all be looked down at.
So, as a straight white male (about as “privileged” as it’s possible to get) I’m not allowed to be insulted by something intended to be derogatory towards who I am as a person? Fuck that. I don’t care how privileged you are, it’s still the same hateful mindset as bigotry towards minorities.
It’s not exactly hurtful to say that you have the ability have babies. Even cracker and honkey don’t stick. They’re just terms to try to return the hurt that more painful slurs make to minorities. It’s not mature, but they have it much worse off.
That being said, I hate the word “breeder.” It sounds like a child came up with it.
No, see, the word breeder is very offensive in this context. It implies that straight people are only good for propagation of the species, that if they has any sense they’d be gay, that they are worthless because they dare to have children. It’s offensive in the same way that gay can still be a pejorative term in certain contexts, or in the same way that cunt is offensive because it implies a person (usually female) is only valuable for their baby-making bits.
“It’s not exactly hurtful to say that you have the ability have babies.”
Yeah… there’s a slight difference between saying that and saying “Man. Fuckin’ breeders, am I right?”
The word breeder isn’t very offensive. It just means that straight people can have children. It’s like cracker or honkey. They don’t stick. And if they do, it means you’re really trying to find a reason to be offended. So, congrats. You won!
@PedanticJerkass It’s definitely not mature or embracing. But you do have to admit, it’s a pretty shitty insult. Like calling the rich “Richers.”
@cmglothlin:
That is just a pretty sad excuse to minimize or even justify bigotry. Two wrongs don’t make a right, and a person isn’t any less sad and pathetic for being an “underdog” bigot.
@Valdrax I think it’s adorable that you’ve never experienced real bigotry before. And hopefully you won’t either.
cmglothlin, can you please, from your position of emotionally stable privilege stop bloody telling us unprivileged ones what “sticks” and what doesn’t stick?
YOU CAN’T KNOW WHAT STICKS.
YOU CAN’T KNOW WHAT HURTS.
If you use a nasty word against a person, and that word happens to *hurt*, then all your theoretical arguments in the world about privilege and stickiness, mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
As a gay white male, I have to say that the use of “Breeders” in the context here comes off as a bit… Bad. I’d certainly make a “wait, what?” face at her too. Not cool.
@Aris Katsaris I’m not coming from a position of privilege. And that’s how I know what it is. Here’s an example: if a black person made fun of you for being white, what is the insult? You’re white. People are less suspicious of you. They’re more willing to believe you. You’re more likely to make more money, graduate from high school and college, and find a well-paying job.
But I guess you being hurt makes you worse off. Because you couldn’t find a way to dismiss a comment that was said by someone worse off than you. I’m not saying that the comment was right, but we choose to be offended. And if you’re not willing to reach out and make things better, then it’s just going to continue. But go ahead and act hurt. You have it really bad.
@beachfox How do you mean? I think it comes off as manipulative. I also think it’s such a childish insult word. But I’m pretty sure I agree.
cmglothlin, in your little privileged world, everyone who you can’t believe is actually hurt is merely “acting hurt”. It’s nice how sure you’re to know that you can’t hurt people’s feelings, that people are merely “acting hurt” when they complain.
And in regards to your question, cmglothin — if someone I cared about made fun of me for *any* reason, including being white, that’d *hurt*, because it was a person I cared about and they didn’t consider my feelings.
And if it was a stranger making fun of me for any reason, including being white, that’d also *hurt*, because it hurts to be reminded that people can be as cruel as to not consider the feelings of strangers. It makes me despair of the fate of humanity, that you can just Other people, and consider their feelings non-important, just because they belong in group A or group B.
It’s so very fucking privileged of you that you can just determine from afar what’s in my head, what things are hurtful and what things aren’t, to declare some of them non-hurtful and thus okay.
And before you deign to preach your myopic shortsigted views about privilege vs lack of privilege, I come from the Balkans, where we KNOW all about that: Namely every single group claims to be underprivileged, and use that as an excuse just before they commit their own rounds of murder and rape. Serbs were oppressed by the Croats in World War II, so it was okay that they oppressed other groups in turn in the 1990s. Albanians were oppressed by the Serbs, so it was okay that they now oppress Serbs in Kosovo. Turks oppressed Greeks, so it was okay that Greeks oppressed Turkish-Cypriots in Cyprus, which made it okay that the Turkish army came and oppressed Greeks right back.
Up yours, once more, cmglothin. You have the privileged standard-American view of thinking that you can do anything or hurt anyone as long as you’re “underprivileged” because you don’t have the fucking centuries of underprivilege-excusing-oppressions and “Call yourself underprivileged so you have the excuse to oppress others” that here in the Balkans is plain for everyone sane to see.
If you want the hatred to never end, just go on doing what you do. Excusing slurs by making it the privilege of the underprivileged. Then someone else will follow your example, and excuse violence as the privilege of the underprivileged. Or murder. Or terrorism. Or genocide. Because your attitude is “I can do no wrong, as long as I’m underprivileged”.
@Aris Katsaris Listen, apparently this is an issue that you feel very personal about. I am in no way saying that it is acceptable to hate someone else or to call someone names. It’s a pretty shitty thing to do. Period. I don’t like the term breeder and I would never use it. And I would never encourage it.
But when gays use the word, it’s one way they can strike back at the heterosexual community that they perceive as oppressing them. It’s also the only word gays really have. Meanwhile straight people have several slurs against gays. They’re all wrong to use. But you can’t blame the group who’s been hurt more for feeling hurt. Like the Balkan countries you mentioned. Anger isn’t going to make anyone happier. It just breeds more anger.
I’m also not saying that the words don’t hurt. I am saying one hurts significantly less than the other ones do, but they all hurt. But realizing the disparity between the cultures and reaching out is the only way it can get better. If we just get hurt, we get distracted from the real goal. A lot of the time in order to make things better, we all need thicker skin.
@This whole damned conversation:
ANY comment or action, no matter the target, that is intended as a means of degrading another human being for any reason, no matter the context, no matter whether it actually hurts the person it’s a degradation of, is a lessening of all humanity and a writing off of the entire human condition. It is never OK, because it’s a perpetuation of the kind of mindset that has led to bigotry in all it’s forms and an insult to all those who have worked over the years to end such behavior.
@vladamir1 Yes, but it won’t end by just getting angry back. Someone has to stop and reach out to the other.
@cmgothlin seems kind of rich coming from you, who talks about “striking back” at people despite just having had it explained why that is the most stupid, divisive attitude anyone can take.
Just because it happened to you in the past does not excuse you doing it to others now, nor does it allow you to excuse other people from the responsibility, which is exactly what you are doing with this talk about “privilege”. You are using this claim of “privilege” as an excuse to be a complete arsehole and I, for one, resent it. I have been the lowest of the low. I have been days away from living on the streets as a child. I have had the “privilege” of being so poor that we sometimes faced a choice between food and new clothing.
Should I use that as an excuse to be a dick to anyone with more money than me? I could have used it as an excuse to resent our far richer eurasian neighbours down the street or the very rich white family across the road but I didn’t. I see no justification for treating others badly just because I feel “underprivileged” because, unlike you, I don’t take it as given that “privilege” automatically removes the ability to feel pain.
@cmglothin: Don’t tell me what is and isn’t hurtful. The hurtful part comes from the very idea of an insult designed to attack race, gender, or sexual orientation, not from the fact that said insult is immature and uneducated. Anyone who uses these insults against a so-called “privileged” person is using them in the same bigoted mindset as slurs used against minorities.
@cmglothlin:
It’s not the word. It’s never the goddamn word. It’s the context, the meaning put into the word. The words “God” and “damn” are not necessarily offensive until you take the combined meaning into account: that you are calling on the highest power this universe has to place that person or thing into eternal torment because it bothers you. The word “bitch” has no meaning that is inherently good or bad, it’s the fact that it’s constantly used as a pejorative that makes it bad. The fact that it tends equates a person with a dog, and a female dog at that, implying sexist attitudes as well. The word “shit” is more offensive than “crap” despite the fact that they both mean “feces”. But it’s because “shit” is used to mean “a great steaming stinking pile of feces” while “crap” just means…crap.
Just the same, the word “breeder” is neutrally charged. If I go to a farm and they show me their bull or their stud and call him a breeder, I have no issue with it. But when someone–anyone, straight or gay–calls me a “fuckin’ breeder,” I get offended. Not because of the word, but because they are saying to me “you are worthless because you are straight, you are worthless because you have children/want to have children, you are worthless because you are not me or my kind.” That right there is just as offensive as nigger, spic, bitch, cunt, and any hate speech you can possibly think of. It is that offensive not because of the meaning, because as I said before it has a neutral meaning, but because it is being used in a hateful hurtful manner. When you invest a word with all the hate, scorn, anger, and whatnot you receive, it doesn’t matter how oppressed you are. You could be the poorest gayest blackest Jewish-est man in Nazi Germany, and you’d still be wrong for using the word in that manner.
@Justcheckinghere Reading this I have to wonder if anybody really knows what ‘cracker’ is supposed to -mean-. It has nothing to do with being plain as a snack bread, and is actually -very- loaded. Take it from a Jew.
TL;DR…No Homo
Can we all just agree that Malay is a total bitch?
it’s still the same hateful mindset as bigotry towards minorities.
It’s… really not.
Really, really, a whole lot not.
@dangermouse: Yes it is. In both cases something hateful is being said based soley on sexual orientation, race, or gender. If it’s not okay for a straight person to be derogatory towards a gay person simply because that person is gay, then it’s not okay for a gay person to be derogatory towards a straight one simply because they are straight.
@narmenduke – except that in the case of the straight person insulting the gay, that namecalling is one small part of a widespread fabric of hostility and discrimination covering everything from people being legally cut off from their partners, being discriminated against in the workplace, being afraid to even acknowledge who they are due to threat of violence and social shunning… y’know, that kind of thing. Whereas a gay person insulting a straight is at worst a harmless expression of derision that calls to mind the basically nonexistent history of discrimination, intimidation and violence towards straight people, and is entirely likely a reaction to all of the things that gay people have gone through and do go through. So, no, not the same.
Being a jerk from a position of privilege is being a jerk. Being a jerk towards those in a position of privilege is also, y’know, being a jerk.
Attempting to turn being the party not in a position of privilege into a calm and rational excuse to be a jerk is, when you get right down to it, an attempt to turn that quality *into* privilege. And that’s just immature and unproductive. It’s taking the worst aspect of the disparity and attempting to spread it around, rather than acting to fix *the disparity*.
Plus, it’s exactly the sort of attitude that gives ammunition to those mouth-breathing idiots who think today’s society “oppresses” straight white christian males. And we really shouldn’t be giving those morons any ammunition.
My two cents on the argument: if you say something in an ass-hat tone, whether it’s “Good morning” or “Fuckin’ breeders, man”, you’re being an ass-hat.
It takes neither privilege nor lack thereof for bitchiness in general to turn a statement into an insult: only ill intent or a lack of manners. Malaya has demonstrated the latter; many of you demonstrated the former.
Either way, you’re being an ass-hat. One version’s intentional, is all.
I get where cmg’s coming from. Malaya’s kind of using the term in a bitchy way (and without provocation) but the word itself does respond to the systematic discrimination of the lgbt and ‘childfree’ communities by heteronormative folks, who tend to tie in the teleological value of humanity to the ability to procreate. The word ‘breeder’ seeks to undermine the act of procreation of its association with human worth, and as cmg observes, it’s one of only a few responses available against heteronormative discrimination.
In short, ‘breeder’ is a slur, but it’s a defensive one –a rhetorical response to discrimination. the fact that Malaya uses it in the way she does only speaks to her own insecurities, and what she feels is a topic that excludes her (and, she assumes, leslie). We don’t need to rip each other’s eyes out about it. I doubt any of you has been called a ‘breeder’ in real life with the intent to hurt you. No need to get preemptively offended.
Hey, I just did the math and I must be like two thirds privileged because I’m white and male. So how unprivileged do I have to be before I can be a jackass and get excused for it by your reckoning?
If you have to ask, then you’ll never know. I guess you could try sex with a man and like it. Or being poor. It’s pretty much those two options.
That’s where the one third unprivileged comes from, not being straight.
Then go ahead. But remember it can only be against more privileged members of society than you. So, just straight white men and women. But that’s not really the point.
Also, your math amuses me. I like that my sexuality is one-third of me. Probably the middle third.
sorry, checking in late, and reading that, I was SO SURE he was joking, no doubt. Then the guy RESPONDED with an ANSWER.
Stop being a Troll.
Am I the only one who thought this was a joke?
I don’t know if you’re joking, but I surely hope you are — if you can be as nasty as you want against the feelings of others and face no consequences, then *you* are the bloody privileged one, not they. The idea that you can be as nasty as you want just because you claim “lack of privilege” is as privileged as one can get.
Worse yet, it makes all talk of privilege (which is by itself as a concept an *excellent* expansion in the understanding of group-power-dynamics in society) look like nothing but an excuse for a bullying kindergarten mentality that pats itself on the back for insulting others.
If you want to set majority-minority dynamics back *decades*, there’s no better way to do that than say “The underprivileged have the privilege to insult others”.
then *you* are the bloody privileged one, not they.
No I’m pretty sure it’s the people who can, for instance, get married in all 50 states that are still privileged.
Sorry if that hurts your feelings or w/ev
Dangermouse: speaking as an actual gay person (and female, and poor, so stuff that “privilege” accusation down right away)?
I find the idea that Malaya is somehow “justified” in using that term to be completely absurd. You speak of “well, she’s part of an underprivileged class and is insulting a member of the very privileged class”, as if that excuses it… but as ANYONE who is part of an oppressed class of people but OF ALL THINGS ESPECIALLY GAY people should know, just being part of a generic category (straight or gay) DOES NOT mean you should be lumped in with every single other member of that category. It’s not fair to do so, and gay people of all people should know this quite intimately and all too well, since they’ve been the victim of it for countless decades, at minimum, if not centuries. Demonizing an entire category of people for stupid, pointless reasons is EXACTLY what oppressed minorities such as gays have dealt with. Tit for tat you say?
Let’s recap: Malaya is a lesbian, insulting Amber for having gotten pregnant using a deliberately derogatory term referring to her ability to reproduce. Why? What has Amber, specifically, done?
Amber is someone WHO IS TOLERANT OF GAYS! Who has gay friends, whom she treats with no less respect than she does other people. Who even HIRED Malaya! Who didn’t go out of her way to be a bitch to Malaya after she found out she was gay, who in point of fact has seemingly improved Malaya’s life by giving her the very job that introduced Malaya to her current lover!
I’m not saying Malay needs to be grateful like “oh, mighty privileged one, thank you for being nice to me”… but not being a bitch to her, especially for something like SEXUAL ORIENTATION, is kind of the minimum to be expected of a non-sociopathic person. It’s literally completely unnecessary cruelty, seemingly spouted for no other reason than Malaya is a hateful little bitch to anybody she’s not currently sleeping with (see if you can count on even one hand the number of times she’s been not-bitchy to anybody other than Leslie. I don’t think it would fill a whole hand, personally…).
So, we don’t just have poor widdle Malaya striking back an an ebil oppressor with the use of a word, her only ammunition.
We have a woman who is judging someone BASED ON THEIR ORIENTATION AND NOTHING ELSE, a person who not only has done nothing to wrong her, but is actually responsible for her even having her own paycheck, and, by proxy I might add, having introduced her to her crush du jour, Leslie, since she would have never met Leslie if she hadn’t been hired by Amber!
That’s… that’s not just immature. That’s outright hypocritical, bitchy, and incredibly petty, for no good reason, to a target that has done nothing to deserve it from her. And no, “being part of a slightly more privileged class” does not mean she “deserves it”, because that logic is the same stupid illogical reason people use to sling mud at non-privileged folk too. Stooping to the level of random other nasty, judgmental people doesn’t make you better than them… it makes you just as nasty and judgmental.
Before reading the responses, I just assumed that (in the order of most likely): the comment was sarcastic or someone was trolling (in which case: successful troll is successful). Am I just too optimistic or is everyone else just pessimistic?
I don’t think he’s being sarcastic… i think he’s just doing a REALLY shitty job of expressing an opinion that I hold: That all these words that we find offensive would CEASE to be offensive if we’d stop reacting to them so strongly.
It’s why I refer to myself as a cracker whenever I can get away with it without being fired or something. If I use the world irreverently, it has no meaning.
That said, he said it in a really douchy way.
Oh, man that was the best troll ever. Good job, dude!
You mean she wasn’t talking about a type of nuclear reactor?
“That, and “breeders” isn’t exactly a polite word, especially when used in front of the breeders.”
- especially when used as a response to people having just successfully “bred”.
Huh, it’s been interesting to read all of your ideas. I really though that was Leslie thinking that she’d like to have a kid one day… (artificially, of course, but that’s still breeding.)
Hehe, I thought this same thing too, that Leslie was just a little sad at Malaya’s opinion because she wanted to raise a child someday. I’m pretty sure everyone has accepted the fact that Malaya’s an insensitive bitch, kinda in the same way that everyone accepts Mike’s sociopathy, so hearing her say something derogatory can’t really come as a new thing to Leslie. I suppose we’ll just have to wait and read to see what that look was for…
on another note, i’ve skimmed through most of the comments in that little hissy fit above and it reminded me of class debates from high school. You both seem to be saying the same thing. Insults and slurs, especially in reference to economic status, race, or sexual orientation, are a BAD thing. And this is a webcomic. Not a forum for philosophical or intercultural debates. But I guess, oh well. Go do whatever the hell you want.
I took it as Leslie saying “Damn, but I want to have a kid someday!” since being gay and having children are not mutually exclusive. There’s unfortunately a decent amount of people in the gay community who talk that way about people who have children and don’t consider the feelings of other gay people, never mind straight people.
I’m assuming she’s put off by Malaya’s cynical attitude towards parenting.
Is there anything that Malaya doesn’t have a cynical attitude towards?
Iguanas
True. That said, Iguanas are Fucking Awesome
It could be that she’s heterophobic. I mean, that’s a reverse-WBC kinda slur.
Nah, it actually is a slur. Like, have you seen some of the hardcore child-free people? They get funny at times.
(although “breeder’ is kind of mild. You’ve also got “cows,” “moos,” and for the kids, “crotch droppings,” “sprogs,” “shits,” and whatever else they feel like yelling.)
Hmm, yeah that makes more sense as opposed to hardcore homosexuals who are against heteros because some of them probably still want children.
Regardless, hate and slurs are awful and Leslie’s one of the nicest people ever, and definitely the nicest in this comic. Malaya’s letting her true self show and Leslie’s kind of picking up on the fact that it’s not the same way Malaya’s presenting herself to Leslie.
That particular slur may be used by the child-free, but it originated in the GLBT community.
And have you ever been around children? Those terms are fairly accurate.
…yeah, most of us have been around children before. We just had the good graces not to piss and moan about it.
Most of us have *been* children before.
Uhm.. Sprog might be still derogatory in the US, but in GB it’s used as a term of affection these days.
Example: “I’ll stop by for a spot of tea after I drop the sprogs at school.”
I don’t think it’s derogatory, but the one time I heard it used was in a flash animation.
I’m pretty sure “Sprog” isn’t used in the US for the most part.
Hmm…
Odd.. That was supposed to have been a direct response to Ridureyu.
No idea why it ended up where it did. *shrugs*
I found your response!
Yeah, Sprog is kind of an obscure epithet, since childfree-hardcore folk are pretty obscure. And I don’t doubt that it’s okay elsewhere – think of all the slang in the US or UK that’s not so nice across the pond, right?
So how do they refer to themselves and their lovers?
Because the funny thing about “breeders”: We’re ALL only here because our parents were “breeders.” Which, I guess, makes these lovely people “crotch droppings” too. Hah. Let’s see them send that on a card. “Happy Mother’s Day, you cow, love from your crotch dropping.”
It’s such a STUPID insult. Not everyone’s black, or Jewish, or female, or gay, or or or, but EVERYONE is a “crotch dropping” that fell out of a “breeder.”
Now run and hug your parents and tell them how much you hate them and everything they stands for. *Eyeroll*
I think Leslie is making a face because she’s happy for her friends, but Malaya only has something insulting to say.
Looks like she want’s to be a breeder too.
ROBIN CHEEZ Didn’t you realize they weren’t mints when they didn’t make you hyper as hell??
Well huh.
I just realized Ethan’s holding the tester.
Eew.
It’s got a cap on it.
Ethan works retail. That involves bathroom cleaning. I doubt a used pregnancy test holds much terror for him at this point.
Well, they could have been the sugar-free birth control pills.
What concerns me is that it can’t be good for her if she decided to eat more than one “mint” on a given day.
Meh, Robin’s metabolism probably renders most drugs useless, like the Flash
…She was drinking bleach in an earlier strip. Robin has consumed some pretty random stuff, and the MOST she ever gets is a sugar high.
I think she’s fine eating birth control pills. At least now we know Leslie never had a chance to get her pregnant!
not to mention she’s eaten urinal cakes,yum!
So much intrigue! I have no idea what’s going to happen from here.
Typical Robin…tampering with others lifes. Thats why she pulled that Drama Tag
It’s like Robin is a reverse midas.
Everything she touches turns to shit.
Girl seriously needs to learn some boundaries. Ugh.
Pffff, way to go there Malaya
@ Robin: FREAKIN’ AWKWAAAAARD
Oh but hey, at least Mike’s hand wasn’t suspended awkwardly anymore and we now know it made it all the way onto Amber’s shoulder in panel 1~ Also his eyebrows are way up, hahahaha.
Oh good, Leslie’s finally going to see that Malaya has this habit of crapping on other people’s moments of happiness.
Also, Robin, you are a terrible person.
Also also, I think I remember a gag like this in King of the Hill. Heh.
You can call Robin a terrible person for other things, but not for this. This was genuinly an accident. I mean how was she supposed to know what Birth Control looked and tasted like. The first time she had sex with a guy whats his face.
You mean his FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!
Please. Stop.
No silly, she used his penis. I have no knowledge regarding the possibility of nickels, however.
Last I checked, breath mints weren’t put into foil-sealed bubble things (I forget what they’re called at the moment) and labeled with the days of the week on them. Not to mention BC pills are TINY, like half the size of altoids, if that. It would be a really difficult mistake to make.
Generally referred to as a blister pack.
..and how did Amber NOT notice the blisters were open? I almost typed “highly unbelievable…” but then I remembered what comic I’m reading.
BC doesn’t always come in sealed blister packs. Sometimes it can come in little packs like tiny tupperwares strung together. Generally, people who take more than one daily medication will use them to group all their daily doses together.
That is a good question, but she does wear glasses. If she takes them first thing in the morning and hasn’t put them on yet, and doesn’t turn the thing over to see the back of it where the foil seals are, she *might* not notice…
It also comes in little round wheels with each pill in its own slot around the edge. It sounds like she used that kind. With those kind one COULD theoretically replace them, but the container doesn’t really want to spin backwards and if you try and spin it forwards while the pills are still in it, you snap the pills in half. I can see it being reeeeaaaaally fiddly to get them back in there, yeah.
http://0.tqn.com/d/contraception/1/7/h/6/-/-/Combo_Pills1.jpg
But the pills are also colour-coded by week (brown, yellow, etc) so Amber might have noticed that they weren’t the same colour. Or, like, Robin might have noticed that they didn’t taste of mint and didn’t do a damned thing to freshen her breath. “Mmm, estrolicious!” Sheesh, Robin.
Better question, who the hell puts birth control in a plastic container instead of it’s orginal packaging but doesn’t lable it?
Can’t really get pissed at Robin for not knowing what’s in there.
Uh, I’m a 6′, 200lb guy and I know original packaging for most birth controls is some kind of plastic container.
And you know that for one of three reasons.
1) You’ve had sex with someone who took birth control to prevent pregnancy (Robin did not do this).
2) You have a sister (Robin does have one, but was abducted and pushed into a secret government organization before she would have normally learned this).
3) You have a female friend or roommate who owned this item for you to notice. Robin was in squads with dudes and then bunked with a lesbian.
She seriously had few places to learn about this, unless there was a movie that had it in there.
There indeed are a lot of guys who know next to nothing about birth control pills. Not too long ago, two friends of mine (both of them in long-term-relationships with girls who are on the pill) asked whether you have to take them once a month or once a week.
So, as you pointed out, Robin really had little chance to learn about birth control pills from someone. And it really would be very un-Robin to show as much foresight as informing herself about pills.
And as someone who takes the pill, ‘plastic container’ really does sound like Amber put them out of the blister packages.
Exactly, I have seen them before but only in clearly labelled blister packaging. The desceiption Amber and Robin gives makes it sound like she’s using a secondary container like a pill case to store them instead.
Well, there also the round cases that rotate through the days of the month.
The marking are molded in but they have nothing actually printed on them (save a fraction of a cent on ink most likely but makes them hard are all get out to read) and could easily be mistaken for one of those fancy mint dispensers.
N0083rP00F is correct, some types do come in a little round plastic container, but the blister pack goes inside that, I believe (thanks to whoever reminded me what they’re called!). Most people still wouldn’t think THAT is a breath mint, though. Apparently Robin isn’t as smart as I thought she was.
I assume Amber’s birth control is this type (they are sold like this, it’s not a separate container you buy):
http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1491/PreviewComp/SuperStock_1491R-1075573.jpg
That’s the presentation I was thinking of.
The answer to this question is twofold.
First, Amber doesn’t live with Robin anymore. She’s hasn’t lived with Robin for a long time. Why would she be worried about someone else messing with her pills if Mike and the hamsters are the only ones she lives with?
Second, Robin SAYS that it was difficult to put the mints back in the container. So, it doesn’t matter HOW she did it, all we need to know is that she DID do it in a convincing matter.
…ok, my bad. I forgot that Mike invited Robin back in to live with them. So part one doesn’t entirely apply.
I think this is less “terrible person” and more “idiot.”
Well, I did forget that tone does not convey over the internet. “Terrible person” is a pretty standard phrase among me, my friends, and my coworkers, usually when one is caught doing something that’s not particularly nice. It’s replaced most other casual, camraderie-inspired insults.
Ha, Robin owned Mike so goddamn hard and she didn’t even realize it. There is no way he can get her as good as she got him.
He could send her a video of Leslie and Layala having sex followed by a video on him and Leslie having sex.
This, so very much. Mike has been thoroughly out-Miked by Robin. And she didn’t even intend to do it!
Oh I don’t know… He could get HER pregnant.
Or her mom…. For a nickle.
scnr..
Robin out-Mike’d Mike
Wow that is.
Wow.
Soooo Robin hasn’t noticed she’s stopped getting her period, and Amber didn’t notice that her periods came back? How long has Robin been living with Amber and Mike in comic time, again?
You do know there’s a week’s worth of sugar pills, right?
Of course I know, and I’m insulted you think that I don’t. It takes more than missing a week’s worth of sugar pills to flush your body of BCP hormones. There’s also the fact that even without contraception, women don’t make babies every single time they have sex. The implication that Robin gives is that this has been going on for a lot longer than a week.
Birth Control Pills do not consistently do the same thing to all girls body. The effects could easily be minor enough(even no existent) that neither character notices.
Birth control pills don’t stop your period, though they often do make it lighter and reduce cramping, and regulate your cycle so that you’ll know more or less what day it’s going to happen.
Also, I’m assuming that Robin isn’t eating *all* the pills, and is taking them pretty irregularly, so it’s possible that she wouldn’t have seen any changes in her cycle. If Amber were still taking her pills most days, her cycle would probably still stay on track, but the effectiveness of the pills would drop substantially.
Some do actually. the only ones I know are the shot though.
Ninja’ed. And some pills do too, not just the shot. Look up extended-cycle birth control pills, like Seasonique.
With seasonique you get your period 4 times a year. There is another name brand pill that eliminates it completely, until you stop taking it…I can’t remember what it is called though. My lady dr and I talked about that one at length.
It’s so trippy reading robots and superheroes talk about birth control. Ha ha ha
Lybrel.
Some do prevent a period for some girls.
Also there’s the issue that we don’t know if they would have any effect on Robin in the first place…
I mean.. She’s an Abductee. She’s got Alien DNA in her system, plus her metabolism is just shy of that of the Flash as well
Oh Aldo, we’ve missed you.
Not all Birth control pills stop periods, some women even take birth control to have more regular periods
Fun fact: Some of us do not menstruate regularly unless we’re on bc. Just because you’re not currently fertile doesn’t mean you don’t bleed – in fact, most doctors will want to make sure you have at least four periods a year just to keep things fresh in there.
I am amazed by all the people lecturing me thinking that I don’t know how the fuck birth control pills work.
Because? You either didn’t know that not all birth-control do not stop all girls periods or you made a huge assumption.
No offense, but you did make a statement that displayed ignorance. Unless you know what specific regimen Amber’s on and how both Robin and Amber react to that drug, then you’re making a big (faulty) generalization there.
(Also, how long has Robin been doing this? More than part of one cycle?)
Well, you seemed like you didn’t, so if the shoe fits…
It seems that you know how ONE KIND of birth control pill works. There’s more than one, though.
Oh Robin. Though she was taste buds of iron. I’ve had birth control pills melt/bit down on them, and they taste nasty.
However, this comic made me smile.
She probably downs them too fast to taste anything.
…which I suppose kinda defeats the purpose of taking mints.
Well you’d think Amber would have noticed that her birth control pills suddenly tasted like mints.
Not if she brushed her teeth before taking them. The taste of the toothpaste would mask the taste of the mints.
Robin will eat anything.
And we haven’t seen Singularikitty in a while. NO! She couldn’t have!!
Don’t worry, singularikitty was so traumatized by the short time in Robin’s mouth that he (she?) is hiding out with Jacob now.
So, she’s a lot like the Animaniacs Wakko, then?
http://www.shortpacked.com/2005/comic/book-1-brings-back-the-80s/04-roomies/a-42/
i accidentally clicked to the next page and found this, which also has a Robin mood swing
Robin, are you really this stupid or are you secretly a bigger asshole than Mike?
I’d be willing to bet both, but not at the same time.
I think Robin is (partly) trying to laugh away the awkwardness of the situation.
This? Is perfect.
Dammit, Willis, you did it after all. This storyline’s gonna be a looooot of fun.
robin just out-miked mike. by accident
also this is funniest strip of this storyline, i embarrassed myself laughing out loud
bravo willis
Robin has always been the greater force of destruction to Mike. Mike is characterized by knowing malignancy. Robin is characterized by carelessness and a lack of foresight.
In some ways they are opposites. Mike tries to screw people over, but at times they leave strengthened by the experience, and everyone guards themselves from him with a relative degree of effectiveness. Robin tries to do good by people, but fucks them over far worse than Mike even intends to.
Mike attempts to exacerbate Ethan’s inner torment by guiding him down a path of moral ambiguity. Instead he merely guides Ethan to the peace of mind that comes from knowing he’s not perfect and not everything depends on him. Robin tries to do good by her country and causes long lasting emotional damage to a loved one while disrupting the peace of the social group in far reaching ways that Mike’s never been capable of.
Mike tries to screw with Robin by making out with Ethan, instead helps Ethan find himself and allows Robin to move on to another chapter of her life. Robin tries to help Ethan out of his shell by setting him up on a date and instead opens him up to a world of stresses and problems he never had before.
One seeks to do harm with varying degrees of success. The other cannot help but harm regardless of intentions. Mike’s work holds the beauty of craftsmanship, whereas Robin’s holds the beauty of a raging storm.
It’s a well-put-together argument, except for the Drew thing. Even now I doubt that Ethan thinks he’s worse off for having had Drew in his life. And that completes the picture: there are lots of times where it’s been very beneficial to know Robin, especially if you like living rent-free. But when she screws up, it’s all the way.
Time will tell whether this even qualifies as a screw-up or not, though. Mike doesn’t seem happy about it, but… it’s Mike. Amber DOES seem happy with the results, and this might be one time where the results justify everything.
I think Mike’s deal here is less that he’s Mike and more that he sees this as another tie keeping Amber with him, when he was trying to sever all ties and push her away.
Yeah, but I don’t think it would have been quite so humorous if I’d gone for a Robin example that didn’t have as strong a parallel with a Mike example. Another flaw to be found in that example is that Ethan was actually quite excited about this, and didn’t need to be pressured, manipulated, or even prodded to take part in this.
Personally I think today’s deal is a screw up no matter how you slice it or what happens after though. Just like how she’s not actually culpable for what happens to Ethan as he tries his hand in the romantic arena she’s not actually culpable for anything that happens with the baby after this moment. She’s culpable for taking the decision away from Amber and Mike though, and no matter what happens after this moment that was still taken from them.
Honestly, I think Amber will love the baby, Mike will be a surprisingly good father, and nothing but good will come of this, but that’s kind of beside the point. Now we’re getting a bit too serious for my liking though. Robin is Hijinks incarnate. Stuff is gonna happen around her. I can’t genuinely condemn her of anything since she is at most times mentally incapable of understanding her own actions. Like she said that one time, her reality has always been everyone else’s hyperbole. She’s pretty much just not meant for the daily grind at this point. Can’t blame her for her failures anymore than I can blame a fish for drowning on dry land.
…
…
So, taking bets? Who’s going to beat Robin to death? Mike, Amber, or will they do it together as a couple?
Mike holds her down, Amber pops her corn.
I vote they do Robin together as a couple.
Ooooh… Threesome..
Another something that Robin can cross out on her things to do list then.
:p
Shouldn’t Amber have noticed the taste difference?
That’s what I’m thinking, I am reasonably certain that bith control pills are not know for their minty freshness.
As I said, if she brushed her teeth first (since they were right next to the toothpaste), that would mask the taste of the pill, especially since she probably swallowed them whole.
Oopsie, next to the *toothbrush. Even so, my point still stands.
Fun fact: Chewable, mint flavored birth control exists. No really, it does.
Huh. I hadn’t heard of that before. (Googles…) Yep, Femcon Fe.
Or, I dunno, a universe where Robin and Mike have super powers might have figured out how to make mint flavored contraceptives.
When taking a pill that is designed to be swallowed and not chewed, one does not let it sit in one’s mouth for an extended period of time.. she probably didn’t have *time* to taste it!! She just reflexively swallowed it, like most women do.
Well, at least Ethan’s happy.
Aw, darn. I was really hoping for no pregnancy. Oh well. Good luck to those two o.o
Somebady needs to smack Robin upside the head…
Mike should do it. If she has abductee endurance, the others won’t have the desired effect.
And somebody needs to smack Mike a few times and then some up-side the head. Relying on only her using “The Pill” and not taking any responsibility on his part by wrapping things up proper like.
So how many young people are going to show up claiming Mike as Daddy and a pack of Lawyers/Psychologist/Feds all wanting a piece of him? That roll of nickles will only go so far in paternity/polygamy suits.
I foresee much hilarity ensuing or at least a quick visit to the local urologist.
So that’s an interesting look Leslie gives Malaya after her “breeders” comment.
Glad to see Leslie react like that. I thought Malaya might be fun after “mazel tov”, but now I wonder. Robin is childlike but there is a kind of zen to her that worked with Leslie. Malaya, though, is looking more like just a dumb kid who might need too much work to make her worth the time as a relationship with Leslie. Hopefully that doesn’t happen.
I think for the most part Malaya’s been on her best behavior with Leslie when she gets too comfortable and lets her guard down her deeply unpleasant personality shines through. Unfortunately for Malaya Leslie isn’t Amber and assholes do not turn her on and with her “breeders” comment I think she must have some kind of “us vs. them” mentality against heteros that I doubt Leslie’s cool with. Then again maybe I should cut her some slack and assume that Malaya just hates people with children.
Yeah, I’m not cool with “Fucking breeders” no matter whether she’s against kids or because she’s got the “Us vs them” mindset. My thing with offensive words is that context matters more than the word itself. Either way, Malaya is saying there’s something wrong with couples that decide to have children, simply because they decide to breed. That really isn’t cool.
Oh don’t get me wrong I think it’s offensive either way. I’m just looking at all possible motivations. I probably shouldn’t have used the words “cutting her slack” either way she’s still just…the worst.
Yay! Mike’s angry again!
Mike’s face in that last panel is the funniest part, though Amber’s face in the same panel is a close second.
Really Malaya? “Fuckin’ breeders”? I have the same reaction as Leslie.
bad thing to say mayala. You made leslie rethink picking you. And strangely I am not surprised Robin ate the birth control.
I think Robin has killed any and all chances (however slight) of ever getting back with her lesbian.
Robin has? What about Mayala and her comment about the pregnancy?
Mike has finally returned to his regularly scheduled full scowl.
Also, Malaya has officially gone from being the dumb jock in gym class to an inverse homophobe.
Heterophobe?
Maybe she’s one of those Childfree people, they are sometimes known to hate ‘breeders’.
Doh! And this just came up when the speculation about is she or isn’t she pregnant was fresh. Childfree… Milholland had a problem with them with kids in S*P… Is Malaya related to PeeJee or something?
Distantly related maybe…
…there are like, three kids in S*P now.
I feel like that’s her misguided way of trying to suck up to Leslie. Except she doesn’t know Leslie very well, or else she’d realize that Leslie doesn’t cotton to that nonsense.
I think it’s probably more this combined with being a generally thoughtless jerk rather than any actual, deep-seated bigotry. Hard to tell, though, ’cause of the general, thoughtless jerkery.
Indeed. Especially since, being heterosexual (I think it’s pretty clear she doesn’t want an actual relationship with Leslie) Malaya’s one of the aforementioned “breeders”. I doubt she’d be bigoted against her own sexual orientation.
Cool, so I’m not the only one feeling like she’s only hanging around Leslie because she figured out early that would tweak Robin and she’s just been running with it since then.
Malaya is straight? How does that work?
http://www.shortpacked.com/2011/comic/book-13/02-the-new-girl/coyote-2/
Many gay & bi individuals go through a period of unsatisfying hetero relationships before discovering their orientation. For example, did you forget that Leslie was married to a man when she found out or that Ethan had sex with both Amber and Connie before discovering he was gay?
Unquestionably true, but while this strip us undoubtedly LGB friendly (Have we seen any Ts?) we already have four characters that have undergone that process (admittedly off-screen for two of them) in Ethan, Drew, Leslie and Robin.
Plus Malaya’s immediate cottoning to Leslie doesn’t come across as someone that’s confused about their sexuality. She’s either just being a bitch to spite Robin, and willing to play along with being bisexual for spite’s sake, or she was pretty solidly bisexual to begin with.
Of course, that assumes any of her unseen boyfriends actually got anywhere with her.
However, I would note that I also had the impression it was an attempt to “bond” with Leslie in its’ own awkward way. Malaya’s making assumptions about Leslie that aren’t true because she really hasn’t bothered to get to know her at all.
Hey, if it’s a familiar story, it’s because it’s one that many people IRL go through. Even if Malaya’s boyfriends got somewhere with her, she could have been experimenting. Either way, I think it’s pretty clear from her demeanor — particularly the way she’s tried to act nice around Leslie and is now trying to unsubtly signal her own availability as a girlfriend via LGBT shibboleths — that she is interested in Leslie.
And she didn’t know pursuing Leslie would irritate Robin until after she’d already shown signs of being attracted to her. Notice the uncharacteristic smile and niceness immediately before finding out about her ties to Robin/orientation:
http://www.shortpacked.com/2011/comic/book-13/02-the-new-girl/dhalsim/
So, no, it’s very doubtful that Malaya is actually heterosexual and just flirting with Leslie to screw with Robin. It’s more likely that she’s bi or a (previously confused) lesbian who is interested in Leslie but also finds getting one over on a woman she took an instant dislike to as a savory bonus.
It might be that Malaya is gaining feelings of some sort for Leslie, seeing as she’s referred to her as “cool” several times and even “cute” once. But I agree with Jmacq1, her initial interactions with Leslie were calculated to get under Robin’s skin, and she even said that “Leslie’s fun to mess with,” so maybe she just enjoys causing chaos for her own amusement.
I’m still not *entirely* convinced that she wants a real relationship with Leslie, because even when she was singing her praises she referred to her as a “friend.” I’ll buy that she likes Leslie, but whether that’s as an awesome person or a potential girlfriend remains to be seen.
Meh. I’m of a mind that she’s just a caustic bitch who deserves to be homeless.
There really isn’t such a thing as a heterophobe. The world is taken by straight people and they can do whatever they want. It’s everyone else who is oppressed.
That’s like people who talk about “reverse racism,” when there is no such thing.
The concept of reverse racism is ridiculous simply because any form of racisim no matter which race is the target it just racisim. I mean really, you can make privilege excuses for against white people, but it’s still racist to paint them all the same.
As long as we’re discussing racism, I’ve been meaning to ask: Can Asian people be racist against black people? I’m pretty sure they’re more privileged than black people even if they’re not as privileged as white people, so they should be allowed to be racist against black people, but not the other way around.
Or we could just stop the oppression Olympics.
You asking about in the real world or the strange world the above poster lives in?
Real world anyone from any race can be racist.
I’m wondering what Marlowe’s view is on the matter.
Also, when I phrase it that way it makes the perspective seem more prejudiced against gay people and the like, saying they’re not allowed to be bigoted because they are gay.
Not the person you asked, but it depends on the usage of the word ‘racism’. In the common definition of “having pre-conceived notions about someone because of their race”, than yes to your question. (And note; racism isn’t exclusively about HATING someone.)
Anti-racist groups, however, add on the definition of “power plus privilege”. A race that hold a position of power and privilege over other races because of their their race are said to be racist/exhibit racism. Generally, any race in this position has “institutionalized racism”; racism so deeply woven into their culture, they’re largely unaware of it. It’s not something they do hatefully or intentionally or with the goal to be harmful, it’s just what they’ve been taught is normal and acceptable.
So if we’re talking America, Asian-Americans would be said to be prejudiced or bigoted against African-Americans, but not racist since they are both disadvantaged. However, if we’re talking about say, Japan, the Japanese people are indeed racist against black and African people living their country.
But you know. I feel like the reason you asked that question was, for one, to throw around “racism” like being accused of it is getting spanked for being naughty, and for two, to get absolution. “Well, sure, it sucks that white Americans do racist stuff, but those other people do racist things too!! If they aren’t getting spanked for it, then it’s not fair that I am! So punish them more, or I refuse to do anything different!”
But you know. I feel like the reason you asked that question was, for one, to throw around “racism” like being accused of it is getting spanked for being naughty, and for two, to get absolution. “Well, sure, it sucks that white Americans do racist stuff, but those other people do racist things too!! If they aren’t getting spanked for it, then it’s not fair that I am! So punish them more, or I refuse to do anything different!”
Major reading comprehension fail on your part, there, then. I was asking a hypothetical about the notion that racism has to come from a position of privilege by pointing out a scenario whereby two unprivileged people are treating eachother like shit because of their race. No self-loathing, just two people with relatively different positions on the social ladder engaging in behavior that some people, like the one I was responding to, would have to either clarify his/her position or admit that the position was in itself flawed.
Basically, it’s the notion that shit can only flow downhill. By putting it in a position that is very clearly not binary (that is to say, race, which can have many different categories each with different levels of privilege but with very little overlap with regards to the nature of the privilege/lack thereof) I can challenge that notion in a way that requires the consideration of what that notion means for the same minorities that it was meant to champion. So it was significantly less “they do it so it should be okay” and more like “if it’s okay when they do it, what exactly does that mean?”
And this: “so they should be allowed to be racist”
It’s not about allowing or excusing. Minorities of color don’t ‘get away’ with being prejudiced (or racist, if you prefer) against white people. They’re already being crapped on. That’s why they’re mad. Isn’t telling them that they have to be nice, proper, non-judgmental, and patient and not utter a single hurtful word while we’re in the process of crapping on them kind of dickish?
Oops, delete the “against white people” out of that. Against anyone, really.
You’re avoiding the question. And mixing your metaphors. In this scenario, all sides are crapping on eachother, since not being nice, proper, non-judgmental, and patient and uttering hurtful words is part of the crapping. but you’re saying that only the crap which comes out of the very top counts. Since I know your answer as to whether or not the bottom is allowed to crap on the top, I want to find out whether you think it’s okay for the middle to crap on the bottom, or vice-versa.
I’d sure love a world where no one craps on other people, but I really don’t think the way to get there is to establish a world where one group is allowed or even encouraged to crap on the others.
Lovely metaphor you’ve got there, by the way.
Troll.
Bull. If you hate people based on their sexual orientation, it doesn’t matter whether it’s out of ignorance or out of bad experiences — you’re still a bigot. You aren’t entitled to be a bigot just because you aren’t in a position of power over the people you hate.
SO I’m guessing Leslie wants to have kids somewhere down the line? Her look after “Fucking breeders” says something…
…As does Mike’s, but that doesn’t hint towards Malaya’s actions, noooo, that hints at regretting telling Amber and Robin to check for scorpions.
Leslie doesn’t need to want a child to have a problem with hate speech, bro.
Personally, as a gay guy I don’t like it when other gay people turn around and say things like “breeders” about straight people. I assume Leslie is of the same idea. It’s about respect, I don’t like being called… certain words. So doin it back is counter productive.
Everyone, we’re forgetting the most important part about this kind of idea! Wouldn’t Leslie be the most awesome mother ever?
I think Mike is considering an upgrade to those scorpions he left for Robin a few comics ago.
And there’s that ever so charming, classic Malaya judgementalism! Ain’t it wonderful what a likable character she’s turning out to be?
Aaaaanyhow, really, Willis? THAT’S what you’re going with? Robin ate the birth control pills thinking they were mints? I mean, I guess it’s understandable given that Robin hasn’t exactly had an opportunity to EVER see one before but it still seems a bit of a stretch. :/
Ah well, why the heck am I complaining? We’re having a hellspawn, everybody!
Re: plausibility? This is the same universe in which aliens made a giant honey bun monster and Robin solved world peace while hopped up on sugar.
That’s part of what makes this particular instance so ridiculous, though! All sorts of crazy stuff happens in this universe! I mean, if she was somehow implanted with the genetic clone of Abraham Lincoln in some plan to revive some of history’s most revered presidents spearheaded by Reagan, it’d seem more fitting. This idea feels like it was pulled out of a bad sitcom. I mean, sure, it makes sense, and it’s even kinda funny, but it just seems a little weak to me.
Again, doesn’t make me any less excited about the idea of these two actually reproducing.
Well he had to do SOMETHING. Otherwise this would be rather stupid on Ambers part. Since it would mean she purposely did not take the pills or use a condom and most likely not wanting to get pregnant. I think part of the poinbt of this is that its supposed to be an unexpected and surprise pregnancy. And Amber isn’t stupid so I doubt Willis would have went with “She never used them” or “she forgot this ONE time.
What would you have had him do?
I think that Mike might just actually kill Robin for real. And very slowly.
But this is a good storytelling way to explain how a smart person like Amber got pregnant and is in character with Robin’s personality.
I’m wincing at the implication that no smart people get pregnant.
If you don’t want kids and you or your partner gets pregnant, something’s wrong. Usually it means one of you made a mistake. There’s exceptions, but usually someone was dumb.
Though if nothing else, this strip should show that doubling-up on birth control is always a good idea.
You don’t have to be dumb for a condom to break (and not notice in the heat of things). See also defective birth control pills.
But when you notice the condom afterwards, that’s what Plan B is for. Or you double-up from the get-go. Taking chances with this is not a good idea.
Actually I’ve heard from multiple places that doubling up is bad and can cause more failed condom uses than just using one properly. American Pie has a lot to answer for.
I realize this is a few days late, but Viktor, seriously? You never double up. It seriously increases the chance of condom breakage. That’s the sort of thing 15-year-olds in abstinence-only districts do because it seems “intuitive” that more condoms = safer sex.
The fact that you claim only stupid people can make birth control mistakes (or have their condoms broken) just makes this comment more ironic, and makes your initial attitude of superiority all the more deliciously douchey.
Uhm… Both you and Shoeboxjeddy seem to have missed Viktor’s previous comment, where he says “doubling up ON BIRTH CONTROL.” (emphasis mine)
In other words, using more than one form of birth control, i.e., the Pill AND condoms (instead of just using ONE form of BC).
Who else bets that Robin is going self-appoint herself as “co-mother”?
An OMGodmother?
+1
Two things, 1) I think that Leslie is starting to realize what a bitch Malaya is and 2) Angry Mike is entirely back now that he has someone to focus his rage upon.
This is why, though some people dislike Robin, I love her. A comedy series like this works best when there are multiple types of humor. It can’t all be Ethan’s toy obsessions, Mikes assholery, or Faz’s idiocy. A comedy with only one type of joke is no better than just people getting hit with pies (and Shortpacked has that too).
Robin is the classic clown who screws things up without meaning to, rarely learns from her mistakes, and can’t catch a break. She’d fit in well with Charlie Chaplin or the Buster Keaton.
Yeah, in the real world she’d be insufferable. Well, in the real world Mike would be imprisoned or executed, Galasso would live in an asylum, and Ronnie would…okay, I have no idea how the real world would react to Zombie Reagan. But I doubt it would be pretty.
But in the absurd continuity of the Walkyverse, I think she fits in well, and her interactions with other characters are funny and sometimes rather touching. She really just wants everyone around her to be happy. And dealing with her has caused a lot of change and growth in them (as well as some in herself). Calling her annoying and dumb kind of misses the point. The Three Stooges would have been hell to deal with in real life, but it was sure fun to watch the train wreck from afar.
::Looks down::
Anyone know how this soapbox got here?
You mean the singularity soapbox? Yeah it does that.
That being said I agree with you on Robin.
I love you Doctor Who. You always say the right things.
Classic Robin!
That was exactly my first thought, actually.
Just a few things–I love how happy Ethan looks holding the pee stick. It’s just….perfect. almost looks like he’s going to touch it though. Although somebody above mentioned that they have caps. If they do, I wouldn’t know. it just…..is perfect, Willis.
Everything else has been said by someone else. Although Ethan looks….different.
Is he….is he….almost….HAPPY?
How dare you, Willis. Ethan, happy?
Damn you Willis.
(and yes, I’m not being serious about that. for those of you who are bad at internet sarcasm)
Internet sarcasm is the best sarcasm.
Robin is going straight to the top of the list.
Robin’s fault? Ha,ha. Awesome.
Amber seems to have a floaty, unattached head in panel 4.
And LOL, “This is so BABIES.”
All together, everyone!
How babies is it?
It’s babies MacIntyre.
How does Ethan know of the Cheese?
God… dammit…. Robin.
Wow Malaya; I knew you could be kinda a bitch, but just…
You know there is a line between childfree and obnoxious asshole right? The sad part is there are people like that in real life and – just – damn. Why don’t you just casually push Amber down the stairs well you’re at it! I mean seriously, why should Mike be the only asshole in the room!?
Leslie, you really need to break up with this women; she’s making Robin look like the perfect girlfriend by comparison and no one; not even those who think Leslie should get back together with Robin, think THAT is a good sign!
Now for a run down:
Amber and Mike are having a baby.
Amber is crazy and has probably learned to brush her teeth AFTER she takes her birth control pills.
Mike is still an asshole, but at least has some semblance of humanity.
Malaya is still a bitch who apparently is also an extremist childfree member.
Leslie still has terrible luck when it comes to picking girlfriends.
Robin is still Robin.
Ethan is still gay – just saying.
Drew told Ethan they need a break so Ethan and Drew have separated.
Ethan is on a road to becoming a hoarder.
Jacob is still a hoarder and a sex addict.
Drama and crazy plot twists wait around every corner.
Mike banged your mom for a nickel.
And in all this I have but one question.
I think it was 9/5/2011 the strip was titled Fault I believe…
Now this is totally important!
…
What toy was the little girl in panel 1 holding?
That question HAS yet to be answer and I am certain it will be important!!!
You can’t fool me Willis; I’m on to you!!!
Malaya could also just be bigoted against heterosexuals.
I doubt she’s even gay. I think she’s just trying to get at Robin. But hate is a universal language.
She was pretty obviously pursuing Leslie before she ever knew that Robin and Leslie had been involved.
the toy the girl is holding is called “drama tag”. it’s going to be THE holiday toy for 2011. the level of mania that little girls have for these things just depresses robin.
Oh man guys it’s gonna suck if we don’t get an evil hellspawn but something more like Mike’s mom. I wanna see an evil evil hellspawn!
But yayz for Amber actually pregnant.
i don’t know. i think the contrasting personality would be more entertaining.
Annnnnd as of the last panel, Mike is definitely back to sober. No need to fake those angry eyes anymore.
… I’m gonna guess Robin never took any before seeing as she confused them for mints
She’s only had sex with one guy at one time. Unless she has really awful periods, there wouldn’t be any other reason to take them.
Okay, Malaya and Leslie aren’t together, and if Malaya does hate straight people, can you really blame her? Isn’t anyone here aware of what some straight people have done to other people?
I’m well aware, I’ve been the target of it before. But to paint all straight people as the same and start chanting slurs is equally as bad if not worse because we should know better.
So, because some straight people have done horrible things to gay people, it’s TOTALLY justifiable to hate all straight people. Yeah. THAT’S good logic.
You know, -Hitler- was straight.
You are aware there are plenty of straight people who are kind, courteous, friends, totally awesome, and not bigoted or prejudice right?
Also I doubt it’s about straight people; seems more like she’s one of those extremist child-free types who hates anyone who has kids.
I don’t think she hates straight people – think she hates kids – and puppies – and rainbows- and dreams and snakes – and trees – and oxygen – and bats- and Leslie – and…
Basically – if it can bring joy to someone other than her she hates it and shits on it…
Well that certainly explains why she sorted the Dark of the Moon toys before Ethan got a chance.
Are you aware of what some gay people have done to other people? How about some black people? Some transexual people?
Go ahead, name one group of people (other than dead people) which doesn’t have members that have done bad things to other people. So therefore prejudice of any kind is a-okay according to your argument, huh?
During the middle ages, dead bodies of plague victims were launched into besieged cities to spread disease. There is literally NO group out there that hasn’t done something awful.
Plus the zombies.
Plus Hitler and Stalin. They’re both dead people, and they’ve done tons of horrible things to lots of people.
but they weren’t dead when they did such horrible things. upon death, they turned a new leaf.
Yeah, but being a minority doesn’t give you the liberty to be an asshole.
If someone is an asshole, that person it’s an asshole, it doesn’t matter if it’s a minority or from a priviliged group.
And sorry for my english, I only speak spanish.
Don’t sweat the language thing. That was actually one of the most clear and concise things said on the page.
Wow, you have been ALL OVER this page declaiming that there is no such thing as hate/hate speech/prejudice against straight people because they are privileged.
I kind of hate to aim a blow at something that obviously forms a pillar of your life, but IT DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY.
Who cares what some people have done? If you judge an entire group of people by their assholes, then you’re the very picture of a bigoted fool — too lost in your hate to see the forest for the trees.
I am going to assume you are being sarcastic.
That … was a really bad joke, right? I mean, seriously, no rational human being can MEAN what you just said. You’re just trolling, right?
So only straight people are capable of being moronic bigots?
Thats kind of a bigoted comment right there? So what are you straight? 8o
Glad to see the news cheered Ethan
Oh Robin… you did it again… and Mike will probably want to murder you… even more now XD Oh Amber you just can’t escape Robin’s domino effect XD
I do not want to have children… but now am I wondering… is there anything in the world Malaya doesn’t actually dislike or want to put down, must be tiring be with a person like he O.o
Oh boy, I don’t like the look on Mike’s face.
Okay, so I’ve been down on this Mike-and-Amber thing, but this made me chuckle.
If I had to hazard a guess as to Leslie’s eye twitch, I’m thinking she might hope to have kids someday herself, and Malaya’s not looking good as a potential parental figure she wants to spend her life with.
Dude, Lewis, not you too. Everyone else is over analyzing that panel.
Why must it be something more specific than “I don’t like how much of an asshole Malaya is being?”
Because she’s a total bitch and everyone wants Leslie and Robin to get back together? Maybe?
Thank you, Lewis! I’m glad I’m not alone in this thinking…even if it doesn’t end up being true. ^^; I’m just glad people are on my side.
You guys all know that the straight term for breeding is “having a baby,” right?
And “Colored” is technically an accurate description of people of African decent. Being accurate doesn’t mean it’s not a slur.
I was just commenting on people being offended by the term “breeder” and then repeatedly using the word. And why do you think having a baby is offensive? I think some would take offense to that.
You’re deliberately ignoring context, aren’t you?
Is being able to have a baby offensive? This is the first time I’d heard that. Thank you for teaching me so much.
My father drive a bus. That’s a fact. But when other people use that fact to insult him, or me, or my brother or sister, it’s an insult.
It’s the context is what make it bad.
I don’t think I shall feed the trolls today, thank you. You clearly know why your comments are wrong, and you may even know why they are homophobic and ablist as well. I shall indulge you no further.
You don’t even know who I am. You’re the one who is acting like a victim over a term that doesn’t even hurt. But go ahead and feel morally superior over an issue that you can clearly have no understanding of. I cannot wait to listen to your enlightened view of how hard it is to be a minority.
I’m not straight. I consider the term “breeder” offensive. Do I consider being someone who has kids a bad thing? No. I also don’t consider being black or gay bad things, but I consider calling someone “nigger” or “fag” derogatorily is offensive and inappropriate.
Heterophobia is a thing and it is bad. Just like it’s still racism to hate white people for being white.
Any word could hurt if said with obvious hate by someone who you have a relationship with. Don’t be such a trolling douchebag and don’t pretend like “privilege” means “invulnerable to hatred and attacks.”
Oh, what the hell, can’t be mature all the time.
Here’s a little experiment for you. Go around calling all the gay men you know (assuming you know any) “butt-fuckers.” If anyone complains, say something along the lines of “but there’s nothing wrong with butt fucking, so how can you be offended by it?”
When you condense people down into just one thing they are able to do, and express it like that’s all that they’re good for, it becomes a slur. Not only is this fairly self-evident, but people have explained it to you several times now. That is how I know you’re a troll.
When gay men and women come out of the closet, it does not come with a free tubal ligation/vasectomy, so they can have babies, too. Some even want to have babies through surrogates, adoption, or in vitro. Your argument is homophobic because it basically hinges upon that not being the case.
It also discounts the identities of straight men and women who are incapable of having babies for no fault of their own, hence ablist.
And, yes, my sexual orientation does put me into minority status, and it’s awfully prejudiced of you to assume otherwise based on no evidence. I wasn’t aware we needed credentials for this discussion.
In the GLBT context, “Breeder” is an insult because it implies that someone’s an idiot for not being gay, and the only worthwhile thing about their life is that they’re producing kids that might turn out gay. Everything else about them is a waste because they aren’t gay, but at least they breed. It’s a massive slur, and ignoring that fact in favor of the literal dictionary definition when the slur was clearly what Malaya meant is willful blindness on your part.
That’s a really homophobic view of how the LGBT community thinks. It has much more to do with trying to take back the dignity that is robbed of living outside of society’s norms.
It is, however, an accurate view of how I’ve seen it used. There are a LOT of great people who are gay, it’s just the idiotic bigoted few that ruin everything. Look at Malaya in that panel. She clearly intends it as an insult.
Right. But if I called you a “doo doo head” would that hurt you? I think it would be more insulting about me. And I’m not even convinced she’s gay. It seems to me like she’s just trying to get under Robin’s skin.
I initially thought that Malaya was just messing with Robin, but it’s gone on too long now. Mike, sure, he’d do it, but most people aren’t willing to put that much time and effort into a single trolling.
And some people are offended by different things. Yes, “Breeders” isn’t exactly imaginative, but it carries negative implications and, at least in this instance, is intended to be insulting. That makes it an intentional insult, and people are justified in taking it as such.
I really don’t get the theories that Malaya isn’t a lesbian… seriously, it’s pretty clear. She was visibly attracted to Leslie right off the bat, before she even knew that Robin and Leslie had dated.
@cmglothin: in case you really believe what you’re saying. Since it’s important to you to find out whether your respondents “know what it’s like to be a minority”: I’m gay, I’ve been out, and an activist for fifteen years. That definition of the term “breeder” you’re railing against actually sounds 100% accurate to me. (Yes, it’s a slur. Deal with it.) It’s your strange characterisation of the queer community and how we deal with crap that sounds borderline homophobic to me.
Since you want everyone else to show their credentials: can we see yours, please? You’re constantly batting down others based on ad hominem arguments claiming they’re clearly “privileged” and therefore both inconsiderate and lacking in personal experience – but you’ve never put your own creds on the table.
First of all, this isn’t how I actually feel. As I’ve said several times, I hate the word breeder. It just feels so childish. But also, it’s not in my nature to use slurs anyway. I try to understand people.
It appears that most people don’t know what it’s like to be a minority. I myself am a gay male. I’m not talking from personal experience, but merely stating that there is a reason why other people lash out and use words like “breeder.” That doesn’t make it acceptable. But there is a logic behind it. Words and actions hurt, but without understanding it just becomes a war. If anything, I’m trying to promote reaching out to resentful parties. That is the only way to soothe hurt feelings and reach a mutually beneficial conclusion.
Perhaps a discussion on privilege is too academic for an internet message board, but it is still at the heart of the matter.
1. Your characterisation of the gay community is bizarre. Do the other queer folk you hang out in RL with really actually act and think like this? The last time I heard the term ‘breeder’ used in anger was the late 90s, and even then the justification for it didn’t sound much like yours.
2. Legitimate anger doesn’t give you the right to express that anger any way you like, or to redirect it at bystanders. You say you’re not angry. Well, I am angry, but I don’t express it like this or redirect it at straight friends who’ve personally done nothing to anger me.
2. You are not too smart for this forum. I understand your “academic” arguments, I just disagree with them. There are a good few intelligent and well-argued rebuttals of your views on this page. The idea of privilege may be a complex one, but you’re not using it in a complex manner. In fact, you’re caricaturing a valid and potentially useful concept in a hugely unhelpful way.
3. You’ve come along to this comments page, stirred the pot with a heap of divisive and inflammatory comments, personally insulted anyone who disagreed with your perspective – and then switched over to talk of “reaching out” and healing divisions. Why should we take you seriously?
Taking back your lost dignity by attempting to take it away from someone else is unacceptable. It’s unacceptable to call someone a fag to feel better about being straight (and thus superior) and it’s also unacceptable to call someone a fucking breeder to imply they are a waste of space for using their reproductive organs. This isn’t a rap off where Malaya has cleverly gotten the best of her opponent, it’s an unsolicited and unwarranted attack.
Yup. But this isn’t about why Malaya said breeder, it’s more about the word itself. I think Malaya is just being a jerk there. And actually, the whole thread started when people were offended by the word breeder and kept using breeding to describe having a baby.
But back to your point: yes, you’re right. It is unacceptable. But it’s also understandable. Which doesn’t mean it’s right. It just means that from there, we can find a way to solve why people even use the word in the first place. Both sides just need to reach out to the other.
True enough in the general sense. But Malaya is very much a case of “don’t start none, won’t be none.” She starts shit for no reason other than that she’s an unpleasant person. And she doesn’t need to be “reached out to”. Unless it’s Mike reaching out with his fist.
(Please note that I don’t condone violence towards non-fictional people)
You know there’s a difference between playing the Socratic fool and just a fool, right?
Is there any point in trying to drive home a point to people who think that they’re superior and know everything? In this case, being the fool is being wise.
My point is that you should just get to yours instead of pretending not to get the point of the person you’re debating with. Dragging out a Socratic style argument is a waste of time and space on the internet.
However, I’m not entirely sure anymore that you actually do understand other people’s points. You display an amazing narcissism that suggests that you really don’t understand anyone’s views but your own; at least, that seems to be the core of your argument that it’s okay for gay people to be bigots because straight people don’t actually feel pain nor have any right to be offended by hateful words due to their privilege.
“Straight” is a language now? What do gay people speak? Bisexuals?
Maybe you’ll find out if you are gay or bisexual.
I’m gay, and I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about. “Breeder” is a slur, and as such it doesn’t need explanation for WHY it’s a slur. Gay people can bundle up sticks and are quite happy with meaty balls, but that doesn’t make “faggot” okay.
Here’s what I’m saying Ian: everyone is complaining about the word breeder and then keeps using the word breed. It’s like they can’t stop “slurring” themselves, although we can further debate whether or not everyone should be getting all worked up about it.
Oh my god! It’s almost like language has literal meaning and connotative meaning, and intention and context matter in word usage! Golly, isn’t that something incredible?
And it can even be expressed to say one thing, but mean something else completely!
Current girlfriend: Hinting at bigotry.
Ex-girlfriend: Admitting to mistaking birth control pills for breathmints and causing an unplanned pregnancy.
Leslie wonders if her taste in women is self-destructive. >=
That said, Ethan’s face is the cutest thing and I hope he gets to be a god-parent. <<33
Personally, I would prefer the well-meaning idiot to the bigot.
I admit, I encountered ‘breeders’ first in childfree communities, too. And the link in the comments above confuses me as to whether Malaya is actually gay or not (the existence of past boyfriends doesn’t necessarily mean much; she could have been in the closet, or be bisexual.)
I guess I’ll have to go with, whether lesbian or not, definitely childfree. And Leslie is not happy with the little glob of toxicity that Malaya just dropped into the conversation.
Are Leslie and Malaya holding hands or are they just unusually close to each other?
I don’t like this storyline, but I like some people’s implications here that straight people are ‘privileged’ so they have to take whatever slurs are thrown their way (it might also just be this one Marlowe guy, but I keep seeing it) even less.
Someone has obvious anger issues. I don’t want to seem like an overly dramatic douche, but fuck that, and fuck you if you think that. Way to make a case for social equality, you tremendous retard(s).
Way to not prove your own point. xx
It offends me when I see straight people acting butthurt. Every day is their day; every sidewalk is their parade. They show their partners’ pictures proudly on their desks, kiss their lovers without fear. The world caters to them and theirs.
Now they want to act like they’re oppressed, particularly the ones who are also white and male. You guessed it, the all around privilege havers, the ones who tend to whine most, because their harassment free, not giving a crap about other human beings lives are just SO tiring!
And then they have the gall to show up on shortpacked.com and whine when one person points out their huge amounts of privilege.
But can you really be mad at them? No one understands their privilege until it’s gone. They just can’t understand it. But that doesn’t make it any less frustrating.
But you didn’t point our huge privilegies. Hell, we know about those. You just said two things:
1) Just straight white people can discriminate.
2) Malaya has the right to hate all straight white people.
And we (or at least me) don’t believe in that.
But well, that’s just your opinion and nothing will change that. We have to agree on disagree.
Screw privilege. Some of us just want all people to be treated equally and with tolerance are just as disgusted by minority bigots as majority ones.
In short, you’re not helping build a better world, and you’re openly disdainful of doing so. You’re part of the problem, not the solution.
If you’re mad that people who are disadvantaged are angry, then you’re a fool. The underprivileged are angry for good reason. And you’ll never understand it. But you can’t say that you support equality while not trying to listen why they’re angry. That’s the only way you can really be part of any solution.
There’s perfectly legitimate targets for your anger. The Tea Party is growing more powerful, marriage equality is still years away, and anti-discrimination legislation is either toothless or non-existent. You’re not expressing outrage over any of that. Malaya said something intended to insult a large group of people, and members of that group said that it is insulting. And you’re angry that they’re insulted. Sorry, but you don’t get to determine what other people are insulted by.
Ah, yes. I’m on the internet arguing something so I must be angry. I’m sorry. I was just trying to explain something from the point of view of someone other than yourself and explain why breeder isn’t even an insult.
I guess the only think I can say is that you all should just get over it. You’re just looking for a reason to feel insulted. It must feel good to know that you make up your own persecution.
1: You said you were angry. Right there, at 4:16 AM. See it?
2: It’s intended as an insult. That makes it one.
3: You haven’t tried to explain anything. Most of your posts have been yelling at people, which might make you feel better, but won’t convince anyone to join your side.
4: (in reply to your post below) The Tea Party might not be the only group against GLBT rights, but it was a quick, obvious reference. It’s 4 AM here, too, and I don’t want to have to type any more qualifiers than necessary.
1) No, I said they’re angry. Not me. I would’ve said “we’re angry.” I would never use the word breeder. It’s too childish and why would I want to call straight people names? I’d rather go against specific people.
2) Yes, it is intended as an insult. But it’s a rather lame one. Coming from people who have been insulted for most of their lives. I agree it’s not right that they say it, but they’re not going to stop if you try to make them feel bad for saying it. Anger only breeds more anger, poor word choice intended. Ha ha ha.
3) It’s actually next to impossible to convince someone to change their opinion that they’re set on. Especially online. And if you think it feels good, it doesn’t. I only really heard of privilege from a black student on campus and I thought it was ridiculous. Then I learned what he meant when I realized I was gay. Not many will understand it. But I don’t hate them for it. That’s also part of the privilege. They’re lucky in that regard.
4) Right. And I know what you meant. I’m not a fan of Tea Party politics, but when you tell me not to hate someone who is different than me and then use them, how am I not to use that as an example that you contradicted your point?
Hate is hate. It’s wrong on all accounts. But it’s counter-productive to just tell people to get over any pain they have. We have to help them get over it. Or they’ll probably just hate the more privileged for their lives.
There’s a difference between being angry and being a jackass.
Correct. But you can’t blame people for being angry. There’s a legitimate reason for it. But the biggest thing is how you act in the face of it. If you return it with hate, then that’s wrong. You can’t change how others feel. You can only reach out and try to ease their pain.
Except there’s NEVER a legitimate reason to be angry at a whole group for what few of said group may have done. In fact that hinders us more then anything, because insulting people isn’t a way to get them on side.
Frankly, we should know better since we know what it’s like.
Well, I agree with that. But you can’t change how other people feel. But even if gays hate straights, it only hurts us. Not them. They couldn’t care less. And they get the last laugh.
This stopped being a “discussion” long ago. It now seems like an argument for your own hurt pride. You clearly are refusing to see the other side of the argument, which as any debate team member knows, is important for any discussion. You’re not going to change anyone’s opinion here. You are arguing against a perfectly logical side. Honestly, I’m having trouble finding where you even get off on this, and thus am thinking you’re just another forum Troll.
Who are you to declare that I’ll never understand it? Have I ever once mentioned my orientation? My gender? My race? My creed? My social standing? Who are you to declare that I’ve never know what it’s like to be the outcast or the underdog?
No, you’re just so wrapped up in your own pity parade, you’re whole “my pain is the only valid pain” narcissism that you can’t see that everybody hurts and that contributing to the pain and anger of others only makes the world a worse place for you and for everyone else in it.
Worse, your bigotry is so ingrained that you simply assume everyone who doesn’t agree with you is a member of whatever group you’re bigoted against without any evidence other than their lack of respect for your “woe is me” hate-mongering. You just file people into a box that says, “Enemy,” and consider them safe to ignore except to hate. You’re just wrapping yourself in a cloak of bitter ignorance and patting yourself on the back for it. Frankly, you’re a pathetic fossil.
I’m an atheist liberal from Texas. Guess what: In high school, I got beaten up and accused of being gay more often than actual gay kids. Bigotry, of any type and against anyone, is wrong. You seem to hate people who are different from you, and that’s just going to make it harder on everyone. When the Tea Party wants to yell about the “Gay Agenda”, they don’t point at Neil Patrick Harris, they point at people like you.
Lose the victim complex and try to actually convince people instead of just pissing them off next time.
Listen Viktor, you can’t go around spreading bigotry and expect people to accept to be on the same page as you. You understand what it’s like to be different from your peers and to have that be hated. You can’t blame other people for feeling angry back: it’s human nature. It would be a lot more constructive if you listened and offered an olive branch instead of just attacked people.
Also, for someone who is against what you call bigotry, you sure like villainizing the Tea Party. They’re not all nor the only ones against gays.
Nice job trying to tell me I’m a straight white male. You’re two for three, but I guess that means I’m still an over-privileged douchebag, right? It’s not like I spent a good deal of my childhood known as the ‘dog eating Communist monkey boy’ because I was a Chinese kid who believed in evolution. It’s not like I didn’t get pounded on while my classmates stood in a circle, pointing and laughing. It’s not like teachers treated me like trash because I spoke another language to my parents. Nope, because I’m a straight male I’m privileged.
You disgust me. I may have my problems with Willis’ work but one thing I can’t call it is prejudiced; he paints a society where everyone can live and work together without fear of judgment due to race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or what have you – which is fucking ironic because David Willis is one of those straight white males you hate so much. There are honest, good people out there who are trying their hardest in what may possibly be a losing battle to make a society like this a reality. There are those who triumph over the adversity that prejudice against them supplies and help others to do the same. You spit on and demean all their efforts playing the victim and lashing out at people who don’t deserve it.
I pity you. Not because of your sexual orientation, gender, or race, but because while people are overcoming oppression and prejudice to carve out a better world, you will never crawl out of your hole, because your self-pity and jealousy have colored your entire existence. Your hatred and obvious jealousy of those you feel ‘have it better’ than yourself have made you exactly the same as those you hate – in fact, it has made you worse; you should know better.
I know my words are as wind, and no amount of howling will change your mind from this disgusting, destructive path you’ve taken. You are the worst humankind has to offer – one who justifies hatred, bigotry, and evil by point to those of others. There can only be one word for you: disgraceful.
Hooray for teamwork!!!
I love how the one time Robin acts ‘responsible’, i.e. replacing the ‘mints’ that she took, she makes a baby.
Amber and Mike are going to have a mint baby.
Oooooo … We have a name suggested for the baby … mind you Mint might be problematic if it turns out to be a boy =P
“Birth control pills aren’t mints!”
Wocka wocka!
Wow, what a hilarious and original joke.
It could of course just be a reference to something that has absolutely nothing to do with Malaya’s sexual orientation either way.
That’s what I’m inclined to think.
Doubtful. She might just not like kids, but the way that she says it, and the fact that this is fiction and we see Leslie’s reaction to it, suggests otherwise (also the fact that Malaya is known to be kind of a bitch).
I dunno, for some reason it strikes me more as her trying to be more into science fiction (“breeders” comes up in a few things) for Leslie without realising the full extent of her comment.
She is more air-headed than she is malicious.
mmm I dunno, that seems a little bit nuanced for a webcomic. Not a lot of space to be wasted on simple poor choice of word misunderstandings with no more meaning behind it, and we wouldn’t see Leslie’s face for a panel if it weren’t going somewhere. I’m not really familiar with sci-fi usages of “breeders” but it is a fairly common slur in the gay community.
Not to say that she’s going hardcore heterophobe here but that was definitely meant as an insult.
It is a bit of a stretch but not entirely beyond the realm of possibility. Better to consider all the options than just jumping on the most significant one there.
Then again I’m not as familiar with LGBT slurs for heterosexuals, or vice versa (I like my rock, is cozy and warm), as apparently a lot of people who read this comic are. My mind instantly went to “she is trying to reference a few different science fiction things be more cool infront of Leslie”.
Y’know, I doubt Amber actually chewed her birth control pills-I know I don’t chew mine-which would explain why she’d not notice.
And I think Leslie’s just realizing that there’s a difference between being ‘wilful’ and a downright bitch.
Also as far as this debate goes-it’s not right to be nasty to large groups of people; whether due to them being in a minority or majority. It doesn’t matter whether or not they’re more ‘priviliged’; you just shouldn’t be a dick to people who aren’t hurting you.
While I agree with you, there’s a reason such terms (and terms like cracker) popped up. As a group these people were hurting another, even if not as individuals, so derogatory terms were built up. The problem comes from not thinking of individuals AS individuals.
… Robin has burned the king of brutal truth… Backstabbed the perfect rogue… Crushed the crusher… Destroyed the destroyer…
Robin DeSanto has beaten Mike Warner at the game he devoted his existence to.
My god….just….my god. I don’t even know who to be angry at anymore.
The failure of Leslie’s relationship with Robin has led her to an ironic role nobody could’ve expected when she was introduced. While she’s still sometimes overwhelmed by her romantic and sexual feelings, on a day-to-day level, she may now be the most practical person in the cast when it comes to relationships, She knows what love can do, and what it can’t. That has implications for both Malaya and Amber here.
We’re moving closer and closer to the day when Malaya will have to choose between Leslie and her defensive abrasiveness. I feel like her prejudice is primarily a defense mechanism. She talks about Leslie “being nice to her” in a way that makes me think that not very many people have been. (Sure, Ken has been, but their relationship is colored by the fact that he clearly wants something Malaya can’t give him.)
As before, it doesn’t seem to have even occurred to Malaya that someone she respects might not share her prejudices. I know lots of readers can’t wait to see her get a smackdown a la the penultimate scenes in The Help, but I’m much more interested in what she’ll do as she realizes those prejudices are keeping her from things she wants. Will she cling to them out of ego? If she tries to change, will she be able to?
She’s already displaying a much softer side in general than she did at first. Her reaction to Amber’s vomit was pretty helpful and supportive by her standards (she holds Amb’s glasses without complaint, and if her first reflex is still barefaced honesty, she doesn’t seem to be hateful about it.)
On to Amber. Ethan is responding appropriately, I guess. When someone’s pregnant, her reaction normally sets the tone. If Amber views this as a joyful occasion, it’s her friends’ role to share in the joy as much as they’re able.
Les seems more reserved about it, and if I were there, I’d probably react much like she does. Shipping aside, we’re getting this announcement literally hours after Mike tried a plan to get Amber to break up with him. And in the process, he admitted to ruining somebody else’s life– maybe not quite intentionally, but still, is this a guy you’d want to trust with fatherhood?
From my vantage point as a reader, I’m aware that the strip seems to have more to say about the relationship. A breakup seems unlikely in the near future, and so does a decline into an outright abusive situation (though neither are impossible, not when the strip’s written by “Whiplash Willis”). But if I were in this circle of friends, I’d be PROFOUNDLY worried, and it’s good to see somebody more reliable than Robin expressing some doubts (“And now I have more questions than before”).
I’d think Leslie wants kids from her reaction, too.
It seems much more likely to me that Leslie just values her friends, and doesn’t like people to pick on them for petty reasons.
When Ethan and Drew started dating, Les was ecstatic. “Love! Isn’t it wonderful?” Here, she’s appeared either worried, neutral or inscrutable. Maybe she’s just worried because of Mike and Amber’s specific issues, maybe she’s reserving judgment for now, but she sure isn’t grinning like a loon as if to say “Pregnancy! Isn’t it wonderful?”
Of the group, Leslie seems best EQUIPPED for parenthood, in that she knows the most about being a fount of love and support. But since she’s never once mentioned adoption (or insemination) on-panel, nor reacted to the abstract concept outside of this specific situation, I don’t think we know how she feels about it.
You make a point I don’t think anyone touched on. The role of those attending a birth announcement is to be supportive and happy for the couple. While I don’t consider Malaya’s coments racist, it is very inappropriate.
On the other hand, Malaya doesn’t know Mike.
Sure she might know he’s an asshole every now and then, but beyond that, she knows zilch about him.
Now compare that to Tim from Faans!
If Shanna when she first joined the group, expressed a similar view that Tim would be an unfit father, considering his nature.
Would that’ve been appropriate?
Plus with her Breeders comment she’s also painting Amber..
Who just happens to be her boss…
Bad mouthing the boss, when they’ve just received news that they’re happy about.. Not even Baxter is that socially clueless.
wanna hear a funny story. Too bad I’m going to tell you anyway.
I kid you not, I was waiting for a preggers test as I read this this.
It’s like my womb is comic strip psychic.
that came out wrong.
Oh-kay…ignoring some comment threads about bigotry and slurs and obvious things being obscured.
It seems Leslie’s eyes are opening a bit towards Malaya in panel 3. I would have pumped my fist in the air except that it’s not a very good situation.
I am absolutely loving that last panel though. Amber confused, Robin happy, and Mike angry that it wasn’t all his fault.
My personal take on Malaya’s comment: whether or not you consider ‘breeder’ to be a slur aside, she basically is pissing all over what could easily be one of the happiest/most momentous times in their lives.
Even if someone straight had said something like that, *at that moment in time* it is incredibly rude because you’re deliberately trying to ruin a happy occasion for no reason.
Eh… Not really. Giving Malaya due credit, she’s not like she’s walked up to Amber and told her “Fuck your baby and your heteronormative family!”
She’s making a snarky aside to what she assumes to be a sympathetic audience. It’s rude, but she’s not trying to rain on anyone’s parade.
Even if it was meant as an aside, she’s still in the same room – there’s a chance that Amber or Mike could overhear, since it wasn’t like she whispered it. So even if it wasn’t *meant* for anyone but Leslie, that doesn’t erase the fact that it was said in earshot.
If I were Leslie in that situation, I’d be annoyed that Malaya’s negativity couldn’t wait until a point where they weren’t in the same room as people who were actually happy at the news. Especially since Leslie herself seemed pretty happy for them as well.
I think the problem right there is that she does assume Leslie is a sympathetic audience. Leslie is nice. Just a really nice person, and she has no probably being happy for someone else’s happiness. In fact, she looked pretty happy for Amber last comic. So Malaya’s not paying attention or thinks Leslie is faking it, but either way, she’s just got a seriously negative attitude about everything, and this is probably Leslie’s first look at that.
It’s pretty obvious Malaya isn’t just a bitch. There’s something wrong with her. She seems to go out of her way to get people to dislike her.
Leslie discovers that Malaya’s unpleasant and gets a reminder that Robin is completly fucking insane
At least Robin is a Pleasant insane. She’s putting a positive spin on things.
Though that’s possibly because she knows that they probably want to kick her out because of this.
exactly, it becomes sort of a reminder what Robin did wasn’t done to hurt her.
So is their kid going to have some of Mike’s awesome super human abilities?
This fails to make sense to me.
As a rule, I find all medication to be tastless crap, that is best avoided & not possible to take without water. (No idea on the meds in question.)
So why did Robin keep taking them as Breath Mints?
Also, Amber didn’t live with Robin forever, so wouldn’t she notice a change in taste afterwards?
After you brush your teeth, everything tastes of mint.
Robin lives with Mike and Amber now.
I guess there’s no denying it now. Robin’s gone from “LOL SO ZANY” to “LOL SO FUCKIN’ RETARDED”
Man, I hate Malaya (aka, Sorta-Robin) five ways from Sunday. I hope she gets eaten by a Hippo in the next panel.
Why a hippo? They’re vegetarian.
Exactly ……. or I’m way over-thinking innuendo and double entendre here.
It has been known to happen.
Hippos are funny. I didn’t mean that dirty though..*sigh*..now I can’t NOT think of it dirty.
Hippos are also one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. They cause more human deaths than lions, they’re vicious bitey bastards who will hapilly chew on you for fun. The fact that they’re vegetarians just makes it obvious that they enjoy killing people for absolutely no reason whatsoever.
Yaknow, he brought this on himself…
http://www.shortpacked.com/2011/comic/book-12/08-this-is-so-babies/hospitality/
Poor, poor Robin. She seems to get handed the Idiot Ball the most out of all the characters. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IdiotBall
Birth control sabotage is nothing to sneeze at. I actually consider it a form of sexual abuse. I mean, good thing Amber is HAPPY to be pregnant, but just imagine if she was not for a second…
Malaya is a little bitch.
I hope Leslie gives her the switch.
Why does she have to ruin someone’s good time.
Such a thing really should be a crime.
God
SO MANY +1S
Maybs the 3rd panel expression is because Leslie used to be straight. (“breeder”) I don’t think Malaya know as much about Leslie’s past as much as Robin does… Also what’s with all the hate this morning? Lay off the coffee peeps! GAWD!
Mike looks absolutely delighted, especially in that last panel. I really want to know what he has to say about all this…
“I knew I should have given her a nickle first”?
…fuckit. Just when I was starting to maybe get apathetic about Malaya, aspersions she’s one of those scum of the earth, the Childfree Hardcore, arise. Well, back to hoping to see her dead. And sent to hell. And kicked out for being too big of a bitch for Satan to be able to deal with. And then kicked out of existence because, well, you know, sometimes God just says “Let’s wipe the slate.”
306 Comments. Can we get to 600? Only time will tell!
If I were Amber, I’d probably slap Roz right about now. Because yeah, a baby can be a blessing, but seeing as Amber was actively avoiding pregnancy, it’s fucked up that a) Roz interfered because she is a MORON, b) Roz thinks this is a wonderful thing she’s done for Amber and Mike instead of something she might need to apologize for.
Also: I am hideously frightened of what kind of parents Amber and Mike will make. If Amber wants to be in a marriage with a guy who is routinely an asshole to her and everyone around him, that’s her prerogative, but it seems like she’s setting her kid up to have the same kind of shitty childhood SHE had.
Robin. I meant to say Robin, not Roz. Sorry.
Happens.
I like to view Robin’s odd reactions as the result of her being (more or less) a character from a Gag-A-Day strip plunked into a semi-drama/Gag-A-Day strip.
There world she knew before the Drama-Tag might not have had birth control, as a plot twist like that would kill most Gag-A-Day strips. Her reality is litteraly different, and she is the least effected by it, so she has a hard time with “the new rules,” as it were.
Willis strips tend to start out gag-a-day, then transition to semi-drama. In Robin’s first appearance, It’s Walky had already more or less completed that shift. But she’s more comfortable in gag-a-day life, so you’re right about that difficulty adjusting. So is Mike.
Indeed. And thank you for mentioning Mike, because I agree that he is finding the adjustment into the Drama Tag-altered setting…. tricky.
Personally, I like all this weird “Breaking the Fourth Wall” elements. I thought I’d hate it, but they have been handled in interesting, creative ways buy the writer.
I have a question about the future spawn. While Joyce and Walky maybe have a time-travel baby spawn thing, it’s a child with an abductee mother. IF it inherits the powers of, say, Mike, then is Amber going to survive? Won’t the kid kick once then rip out of her like Alien?
Also this puts either Mike’s control during sex or Amber’s pain tolerance into serious question:
http://www.joyceandwalky.com/d/20040418.html
So… Man of steel, Baby of steel, woman of Kleenex? Problems?
If sex with an abductee were really that dangerous, Joe would have left a trail of corpses.
Hey, hey now! There’s no need to cut future storylines off early!
So… sorta like Ben Affleck’s role of himself (and not any of his other characters) in Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, when they were at the movie studio.
Sex is one thing. I think the inquiry was more to do with the baby, and whether the kicking in later months would break Amber’s gut open.
Well, we haven’t seen that Rachel girl in a while…
Holy yikes, the discussions here got nasty really fast.
My fault.
I fail to see what you did to cause the flames.
http://www.collegehumor.com/video/3980096/we-didnt-start-the-flame-war
I stated that Malaya said a nasty slur (not calling privileged classes oppressed, but a slur is a slur), and the first big flame war ignited from that.
Then I accept your apology… for speaking the truth? Wait. Something’s off here. Oh yeah.
YOU’RE NOT WRONG.
God, I hope it’s twins!
I want to see Glasso rise up from under the delivery-room table, make a grand rant, and try to steel the child away.
Mu-wha, ha, ha, ha!
Wouldn’t work, they’re both her first born in that situation.
Twins aren’t born at exactly the same time unless maybe they’re Caesarean and the doctor is REALLY GOOD)… The first one out would be the first born.
I was wondering if a Caesarean happened to be the case, twins or no, that Amber could make a Macbeth-esque claim that neither of her children were “born”, rather “untimely ripped from their mother’s womb” thus having to forfeit neither….
And Galasso, knowing nearly nothing about human anatomy, would totally by it.
So you think a woman can push two infants from her naughty bits at the same time?
No one comes after the other, and the one who comes out first is generally the firstborn and eldest (by a few minutes most of the time.)
So my question is… is Mike’s angry face in the last panel a result of what Robin has done, or the realization that Robin had managed to pull off a move of Mike-level asshattery without even trying?
Or just because somebody is touching him.
if robin has real mints to replace the “mints” in the bathroom, why wouldn’t she just eat those?
Amber’s taste better?
I mean, as a dude I can’t vouch, but I suppose it’s plausible.
Besides, since when has Robin needed a reason to do anything?
“Breeders” huh? Now Maylaya sounds more like a hateful lesbian than before. (I’ve only really heard the term used by GLBT folks that would like kids but can’t for obvious reasons, and some child-free people.) Though I’ve heard much much more vulgar terms from the child-free people (some of which someone much earlier in the thread listed.)
On the other hand, I’ve only seen Birth Control as blister packs, so IMO, that’s the joke. The “replaced with mints” was done on King of the Hill, and I imagine that it’s been done before even that.
Its an age old gag to mistake birth control for breath mints in sitcoms. I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve seen it. Its not always causing birth though. Sometimes it makes a character act all crazy for an episode.
So, does this mean Robin has to pay child support now?
Too much risk of custody.
Man. Fuckin’ internet debaters, am I right?
Yes. Yes you are: http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2373#comic
(…I hope David Willis does not mind my linking to someone else’s comic to express my sentiment…)
SMBC is welcomed everywhere on the Internets. Or at least should be.
love mikes look its saying i want to really hurt you for this robin. as robin is now trying to claim credit for this lovely joy by eating ambers pills. as amber is going i do not believe what just happen.
So Malaya hates 90′s alt rock band fronted by the Deal sisters? Huh.
No bye. No aloha.
-airfox
Mike’s face in panel one…PRICELESS!
(I don’t know how I should feel…angry? happy? WTF?)
When I joked that the drama tag had contraceptive properties as long as it remained unpulled, I didn’t realize Robin was actually directly responsible.
i hope mike destorys robins mind
*sigh* Malaya…shut the f*** up. -__- I’m serious. Malaya has gotten on my last nerve. Amber and Mike get pregnant, and she called them ‘breeders’ O_o …why?
I hope that helps Leslie realize what a sm*** Malaya is. She’s a good character, but she’s really pissing me off.Am I the only one who thinks that!*thunder crash*
Wow I haven’t cursed that much online since I found out that Beast Boy and Raven break up in the middle of the teen titans comic series. :/
Wow. This is a great development. Completely in character for Robin, both her “faultiness” (sp?) and her reaction. “We made a baby” should become a meme.
I haven’t read the comments, and I suppose those will be filled with Robin-hate … but how can you hate someone so innocent?
Also very subtle look there from Leslie to Malaya. Finally seeing what most commenters have been seeing since day one?
-airfox
So much of today’s discussion reminds me of how it’s a very sad thing if the Oppressed become the Oppressors.
And to add: Again, I am so, so, so, so sorry that I started the flamewar AGAIN.
I have no idea why Shortpacked! comment section has turned so volatile, and usually the fights that go on are so brain breakingly dumb. And today it’s twice the fun! Where do all these people come from?
But seriously, don’t beat yourself up. If Breeders wasn’t considered an offensive word, Dan Savage wouldn’t have to explain why he chose to use it back when he published a compilation of “Savage Love”. Maybe it’s thought of less offensive then it once was, but at a time, it was fairly offensive. Considering that it does have a negative history, I don’t think you said anything wrong.
No Malaya. No you are not right. Shut up. You’re dumb.
In the case of Maya, I think it’s fascinating that her smug asshattery may actually turn out to hide a person who is a smug asshat.
Dangermouse is a deeply flawed human being.
Seriously, it’s ok to insult people because it’s not an insult because you’ve been hurt? You disgust me.
It just occurred to me that if Malaya’s dated guys before, she probably doesn’t ACTUALLY entirely believe that sentiment- or at least she seems to be trying it out, maybe to impress Leslie? She seems to still be relatively new at the gay thing (e.g. asking Les about her coming out to her parents), and is maybe expecting a fellow lesbian to mock silly straight people.
It’s well choreographed, because it gives both Les & Malaya a chance to see the other’s reaction. No one can say Les just hasn’t seen Malaya’s jerky side, and no one can say Malaya’s holding back in front of Leslie.
Malaya, you can express contempt for “breeders” with Ultra Car, not Leslie.