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David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
![They were a controversial fashion and faced criticism from several quarters. In 1368, Charles V of France issued an edict banning their construction and use in Paris. An English poem from 1388 complained that men were unable to kneel in prayer because their toes were too long.[37] The c. 1440 morality play Castle of Perseverance includes the footwear in the](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cyyd366g3hrxp5rynixm2mm3/bafkreidl74nt4ljn32kjdkqloikhmeutkjvpjt3ehqhfmnxr75vkey2eue@jpeg)
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 9m
Kendra, regular version @kendrawcandraw.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
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PEANUT BUTTER JELLYHOODIE-DRESS TIMEbtw http://itswalky.tumblr.com/post/106264049037/cat-cat-im-working-here
Everyday is Caturday whenever you want it to be or not. =^_^=
Kitty! =^ω^=
~(=^‥^)ノ☆
(๑ↀᆺↀ๑)
^ↀᴥↀ^
( =①ω①=)
heh. reminds me of https://imgur.com/5VPmgdy
Thanks!
thanks
Ruth WILL find you. And she WILL kill you. Liam Neeson.
Heh maybe she will be his next target in a case of MIStaken
Passive-aggressive as fuck Becky, gettin’ new clothes.
Much like the night before with Dorothy, I doubt there’s any intentional manipulation here. I honestly think Becky was just trying to make a joke (and maybe get in a subtle jab at Joyce’s own wardrobe choices, but that’s neither here nor there). Even so, Joyce is right, Becky does need her own clothes, and there’s nothing saying Becky can’t pay her back later.
Becky wont pay her back later unless she has an epiphany where she realizes she’s been using Joyce. And I don’t think that will happen. Becky seems to expect everything in life to be in her favor.
“to be in her favor”? yes, because her getting withdrawn from school and having her dad tell her he’ll “fix” her sexuality resulting in her running away from home and being homeless and broke is definitely “in her favor.”
Yeah, ‘cos Becky knows that tank-tops are FTFW! :PPP
But seriously Joyce, tank-tops all the time? Try switching it up a bit…hmm, what else is very prim and proper? A pinafore dress maybe? ;D
OMG shopping ROAD TRIP TO THE MALL!!!
Ok, bus trip to THE MALL OMG SHOPPING
Oh hey, yet another Becklash from someone who faults Becky for not being Ye Modele Lesbiane. It’s as if all the trauma only happened a few days ago and she hasn’t had time to properly process it or anything.
jesus that’s bit of an exaggeration for a recently homeless lesbian who’s been disowned by her parents
Joyce said she can’t go around wearing her clothes, Becky simply pointed out the obvious.
This.
There was no sign that Becky was angling for cool new clothes and I’m starting to be impressed with the lengths people will stretch for to justify viewing Becky in a negative light.
Exactly. I mean I like becky for the most part. One or two actions rubbed me a bit the wrong way but hey that is true for even my closest friends and that is what makes them human.
I like Becky personally and see her as someone that I could really relate to, but for different reasons since our problems and such are different but both have the potential to leave you devastated.
*Makes a good point about wearing Joyce’s clothes being counter productive to the whole hiding out thing* *She’s Manipulating Joyce to buy here Clothes* ?
Man, Becky could go pet a kitten and people would scream that she’s metaphorically trying to push her love of pussy onto Joyce again
That comment I like
*Applauds* Bravo. I think you just made the greatest comment ever.
You. You’re one of the good ones.
The irony is that just in the previous comic Billie nearly outed herself by wandering around the halls in clothes that belonged to someone else.
Generic T-shirt + generic jeans? No biggee, not gonna draw attention. Wearing a sweatervest or a Leafs jersey when only one other person on the entire campus wears that clothing item? Gonna draw aaaaaall sorts of unwelcome attention.
Jesus. The clothes don’t need to be new; pretty sure there’s a thrift store somewhere nearby.
They just need to not obviously advertize “HELLO WHY YES I AM HANGING OUT AT ALL HOURS IN JOYCE’S CLOTHES WHYEVER DO YOU ASK?”
So, from one gal wearing another’s jammies to this one…
“I mean, ordinarily I’d ask Billie to do the new-clothes-buying, but her fashion sense seems to have taken a nose dive lately.”
“Her taste in hockey teams, anyway”
Eh, I think Becky’s answer on the previous page indicated more that she didn’t know anything about sport teams at large.
Whoa, when did Ellen Degeneres become a character in this comic?
It’s amazing what a new haircut can do.
As much as it still throws me off, I got to admit its starting to grow on me.
It’s contagious?!
I got the bug and I dont need no cure
I’m afflicted, I’m addicted
You got cowbell fever?
Nah, that’s a fever with only one cure.
Like Rick Sanchez’s Cronenberg superflu!
Hair tends to grow on people, yes.
*plays David Bowie’s “Fashion” on the Muzak*
FASHION! Turn to the left
FASHION! Turn to the right…
Will these clothes include PANTS?
No! Skirts only!
So no underpants then?
I would like to retract my current statement and replace it with this one.
No! Skirts only! (Also panties)
There now Becky won’t be too embarrassed if it gets windy >.>
I would also like to redact the use of the word retract in my previous statement and replace it with redact (Not because it doesn’t work too but because I mean redact…)
If only redacting your own posts was actually allowed.
I don’t understand.
Once posted, this system does not allow editing or deleting your post. Once you submit, it’s set it stone.
I’ll clarify: I don’t get your alt text there.
You see the black squares in the alt text? It’s like something redacted in government records: covered by a strip of black ink.
I guess panties would be useful from what I’m told. Apparently some Humans don’t like sharing that level of clothing. Daniel the Human likes that I’m wearing clothes around the place now, including underwear, but throws magnets at me when he finds out they were his…
Becky seems to be a one who wouldn’t mind going commando.
Sweater Vests are the best
Sweater Vests are the Sweater Bests!
*chokes on tea trying not to laugh*
Joyce, I’m pretty sure that keeping pets in the dorm is also against the rules.
Ruth has a pet Billie, though.
Ruth blatantly braking the rules for her own gains? Inconceivable.
[LAPPING INTENSIFIES]
Goats are an exception.
*Billie lying naked on her back, hands curled up on her chest, looking up at Ruth*
Meow?
Hnnng
Yotomoe, we summon you! We need fan art, stat!
Yep, might want to not wear Joyce’s PJs outside the room especially if Ruth sees Joyce in her PJs very often.
Darn, Becky almost found a way into Joyce’s pants.
So how long until “BECKY IS EXPLOITING JOYCE FOR NEW CLOTHES!!!” gets thrown into the comments?
You started it.
SimpsonsReflex76 did it.I’m surprised it hasn’t happened yet.
Oh. I can’t read ok
See above.
Reflex76, that is.
Now.
Like ^they^ said, Reflex76 started it, 3rd comment chain…
Becky is a huge user bluh bluh
Becky: But Ruth let’s Billie walk around in the halls with her clothes.
(and with “let” I mean “threaten her with bloody murder”)
It’s okay Becky not everyone can pull off a sweater vest.
Sweater vest needs to die in this universe.
Not everyone is as cool as Sal
Becky wishes she could pull off Joyce’s sweater vest.
I see what you did there.
Damn, someone beat me to it. Well played John, well played…
I beat you to it by more than 19.5 hours. You need to step up your game, dude.
Does this mean we get a Joyce&Becky shopping montage? I demand a Joyce&Becky shopping montage!
Hell, while we’re at it, let’s have montages for everything!
But that might take a while. Should we have a montage of them to speed it along?
A montage of montages? I like the way you think!
I feel like any montage should always end with a cheesy high-five freeze-frame.
Ending it any other way is a crime.
In the case of the montage in Scarface the ending literally is a crime.
Would a shopping montage trigger more shopping shipping?
But then Billie would have to chose if she wanted to join because – SHOPPING – or stay away because she’s tired of Becky. DRAMA!!!
DRAMA!! *dun dun DUUUUUUN!*
I love that that thing is a thing
Is this shopping shipping?
Awwww. Joyce and Becky have a normal conversation addressing both their problematic situation and Becky’s scarily good ability to avoid the truth while at the same time finding time for gentle teasing.
I love these two.
Becky still needs to redeem herself in my eyes.
Taking Joyces fears seriously for a change might help
And Joyce opening up about her fears would help, too.
What do you want, her to explode herself fighting Majin Buu?
Yes. Partially because then she’ll be gone.
No, Majin Buu was a stupid arc. She needs to die saving Becky from Nappa then come back a year later to fuse with Ruth and help fight off Freeza.
I can’t tell whether Danny would be Krillin or Yamcha in this hypothetical.
Krillin. Not really that bad and he’ll end up fairly well off but boy will the story make him suffer.
I think a few people in story & out wouldn’t mind if Malaya took Yamcha’s role. Some, not until Fuckface makes at least an appearance…
When in this comic has Becky done a good job at deflecting a question? I’m having a brain fart here.
She’s sorta like one of the those singers on American Idol that has no clue they sound like a dying horse.
I think shes mistaking ignoring the question for deflecting the question
She spent a full day pretending to just be on a visit despite being on the run, afraid Joyce family were roped into her, and dying to kiss Joyce the entire time – and despite that she was chill the entire time.
She deflected some questions along the way to the effect of why she was not at Anderson’s, but more importantly she showed just how good she is at projecting an image.
Right-o… also, she’s an 18 year old who just came out of the closet. I remember being so far in I was part of the paint and I could deflect questions or comments that even came close to requiring an honest answer about my sexuality.
Paint? Pfft! I was the insulation!
In all seriousness though that really sucks
Yes indeed. Insulation is pretty scratchy. Also fiber-glassy.
An excellent secondary reason to leave the closet to the brooms! *blows a kiss at opus*
Hmph, I was so far in the broom closet my Mother swept the kitchen floor with me. Different kind of closet.
I think the canonical phrase is “so far in the closet that I could see the lamppost and Mister Tumnus”
I feel like this is a counterproductive metaphor. If the closet leads to Narnia, why WOULDN’T you want to stay in it?
“I was so far in the closet I almost got involved in a medieval-esque religious-allegory war!”
… so far in the closet the bus never showed up.
Damn, that’s deep.
Becky’s got a knack for seeing the holes in Joyce’s logic.
So does EVERYONE! Its not that hard to find them and I called her out on the sweater vest thing a long time ago.
Does that mean that the Carman shirt is actually Joyce’s?
Becky is becoming an expensive friend.
Yeah, it would be easier if she wasn’t homosexual so she wouldn’t have to be cast out by her family and shunned by established society.
I know, right? Who does Becky think she is, obviously intentionally getting herself pulled out of Anderson by her dad? And leaving any of her money and clothes back in her old dorm room? Clearly a malicious trap to sponge off of Joyce!
…I didn’t realize all homosexuals naturally were dependent people. I could have sworn they are just like everyone else and there are a variety and it’s not because of WHAT you are but how you RESPOND to things that shows your character. But your right. Clearly all homosexuals end up living off of their friend’s money, not standing on their own two feet, not thinking about tomorrow, and expecting everyone to treat them like an angel while they treat everyone like crap. Wait…thats just a character thing and has nothing to do with being homosexual. It’s almost like *gasp* Becky being a crappy friend and dependent person has nothing to do with her sexuality! Goodness knows there are other things that can derail life similarly, and people get through it. But way to try and pull that card.
Pretty sure Bagge was being facetious in order to insinuate/imply/not-directly-state that Becky’s situation is not 100% her fault, not that all gay people are naturally dependent.
I think it’s pretty obvious they didn’t mean everyone homosexual is dependent. They were referring to her specific situation. And if you weren’t so eager to go off on yet another rant of why you don’t like Becky you might have noticed that.
See – neeks and mare got it.
The fact that Becky is a young person on the run without money, support or shelter apart from Joyce and her friends is 100% because of how society and her family acts on her sexuality. If Becky was heterosexual she wouldn’t be on the run. If Becky’s father was supportive she wouldn’t be on the run. If Becky didn’t grow up in a homophobic society she wouldn’t be on the run. NONE of those things has anything to do with her personality. She is not on the run because she is [whatever personality trait you don’t like with her] – she is on the run because she is homosexual.
It’s those “sweet lesbian facts” Leslie told us about some time back.
“neeks and mare got it” sounds like an old timey expression using words i dont quite understand
“By scallop, dinkel may fly and dongle may swim, but neeks and mare got it”
Let’s be completely honest here. She’s not on the run because she’s a homosexual. She’s on the run because her dad’s a complete waste of space.
He is, but he is because he follows the homophobic structure that is part of our society abd his religion and culture.
Yep!
ignoring for a second that we’re talking about one person in particular whose individual circumstances (because of homophobia, because she is gay) have made her dependant on her best friend since she has no where else to turn
lgbt teenagers make up a disproportionate amount of homeless youth because they’re thrown out of their homes/disowned. acknowledging that homophobia exists and that gay youth need help is not saying that all gay people are dependant. it’s saying that homophobia is shitty and it would nice if certain people would have empathy instead of insisting that a homeless teenager boostrap herself to a better life
but i mean sure, what you said totally makes sense too. us gays, we just have it so easy. we just throw the “cast out by our families and shunned by established society” card around willynilly, good on you for pointing that out
All of the haranguing of Becky’s dependence is really hitting a sore spot with me, so- I’m finally going to throw this out there.
Have you ever been in a situation where you found yourself broke, homeless and alone overnight?
I have. My initial instinct was to try to make it completely on my own, living out of my car until I could save up for an apartment. I didn’t want to be a burden, a mooch, or a charity case. I didn’t want anyone to know. I didn’t want to be DEPENDENT on ANYONE. However, when you’re starting from the ground up, it is very, VERY difficult to get back on your feet without any kind of support (financial or emotional). Eventually, I reached out to a friend that I could trust, and let them know about my circumstances (as Becky has done). They gave me a place to stay while I worked to get my own apartment. Ever heard the saying, “That’s what friends are for”? Yeah, see- helping you not be homeless is kind of one of those things.
It was a few months before I was able to move into my own place- and though I was homeless, I was never unemployed. Job hunts alone can take months. How long has it been since Becky arrived at IU? Less than two days? This is not a situation that’s going to resolve itself overnight. Give the narrative a chance to unfold before jumping to the conclusion that Becky is doing nothing to improve her circumstances.
We make friends for a reason – to lean on them, when we need to. Should you abuse friendships? No. Should you overuse them? No. But if you REALLY need them, don’t be ashamed to use them. No person can stand alone, all the time. Life is just too hard. So, use your friends – and if that thought makes you feel guilty, then let other people use you! If you have the strength, share it. If you don’t, use someone else’s. A network is stronger than a lone pillar.
Okay, I can’t take this anymore.
She’s homeless. Home-less. Lacking in a home. For what is now, what? Two nights and a day? She has no money, just the clothes she came in with which probably should be burned as biohazard.
Without the generosity of friends she’d have literally nothing as she has zero in the way of any other form of support. She doesn’t have family. She doesn’t have other friends. She definitely doesn’t have her church.
Maybe most of you have been lucky enough to not be in that position, but sadly for us queerfolk, this is pretty common and I’ve been that friend making sure my buddy can eat through the week or can get access to their paycheck or not die on the streets of Minnesota and I’ve been that person who’s spent my last 5 bucks on barely enough food to last me the week and who’s stared at the gaping maw of homelessness myself.
And so I get a little miffed at the number of people here who think that Becky is a user when she’s actually been very careful not to ask for much despite having every right to ask for help (because she has nothing, least of all much in the way of long-term hope) and who has been tearing herself up inside for her perceived worthlessness.
Because it’s rather clear that none of them have ever even been close to homelessness or known what that is like. Especially when combined with joblessness. Not only is it a drain on your self-esteem, a massive torque job on whatever self-respect you thought you had left, but survival becomes a thing that constantly makes you feel terrible. It hurts to ask friends for help. It hurts to know that you have to take advantage of a friend’s generosity and accept a gift because it’s the only way you’ll get by. And it’s the worst having every dollar and penny you ever own scrutinized in the way that people who are well off never do. Desperately need self-care, a disguise from those who might look for you, a separation from a recent trauma that haunts you? Fuck you, you’re poor, how dare you spend that $20 on a haircut instead of buying a magical job-making fairy that dispenses infinite hamburgers.
This is far and removed from a user who could very well sustain themselves, but attaches themselves like a limpet to someone and sponges off of them because they’re lazy.
And the fact that so few can tell the difference between those is sadly accurate to life and to the horrible way homeless people are treated in society.
You could replace all the comments with “Get a job, Becky” and they’d be no less off-point, callous, or less coming from a position of good luck (because no one deserves to know what it feels like to be that devoid of a safety net).
I’m sure people would take a softer stance if, when handed 20 dollars, Becky’s use for it wasn’t “ooooh, haircut.”
It’s pretty easy to second-guess someone else’s choices from a place of comfort and stability. See also: almost every conservative’s comments about people on welfare/food stamps ever.
I cut my hair when I was homeless.
I had Sal-length hair. It was beautiful, and people complimented it all the time. It was a part of my identity. But suddenly, I didn’t have money for shampoo. I didn’t have a SHOWER. I was bathing in bathroom sinks. The hair had to go.
Second to being a necessity, in my case? It was liberating. I got a cut that was extremely short, affordable, and SASSY as all hell. It made me feel like a bad-ass. Indestructible. I didn’t care how many people liked my old hair better (there were plenty. Men, mostly. My hair was shorter than Becky’s; men who were strangers to me felt the need to let me know that it didn’t look feminine, whereas women I didn’t know stepped shyly forward to tell me I looked cute, and that they wished that they could be so brave). It became a reflection of my new identity- someone who was strong and willful and couldn’t be stopped by the judgement of others.
For the record? My haircut didn’t cost $20 – did Becky ever SAY that hers cost the full 20? I’m thinking no.
you never know what someone might need more. A mental state can be cured or helped with something that seems trivial to many others such as a new outfit or hair style. Especially when you feel those you felt were part of your trust network breaks apart on you you feel the need to change in an obvious way so it is obvious you aren’t nessicarily who they thought you were while showing you can be yourself and are not just someone there to be an expansion of themself.
When I feel like my life is spinning out of control and I’m having severe depression and anxiety problems, I need to do something. That’s part of why some people cut, eat, starve themselves, etc. I’ve done all of those. I’ve also cut my hair. It’s a control thing. When things feel like they’re out of control, being able to do something that’s within your power is a HUGE step to recovering or getting back on a normal thought process.
I think we can agree here, cutting your hair compared to other outlets like what I listed is probably the best, least harmful options.
Did you even read the comment you responded to?
I think that people would take a softer stance now if they hadn’t been leading her cheers so enthusiastically earlier, and on such flimsy evidence of her awesomeness. It’s a backlash, an over-correction. She was never all that great to begin with, and she’s not all that bad now.
Becky is a bit childish, and rather careless, and somewhat inconsiderate, and a bit jealous and possessive in her unrequited crush on Joyce. But she’s no worse than Walky — just in a much worse situation and experiencing undeserved calamity rather than the unearned wave of good fortune Walky has been cruising on.
Also- THANK YOU, Cerberus. A lot of people in this comments section have come across as extremely entitled, as though homeless queer people exist only in webcomicland. Reading your extremely well-phrased and passionate comment above has made me feel less alone, knowing that I am not the only person here who has some experience with this situation in the real world.
Seriously, good post and one that adds some needed perspective.
Starting to sound like a broken record, Cerberus, but thanks for explaining the issue perfectly. I completely agree.
My favorite (not favorite) part is that THIS HAS BEEN EXPLICITLY STATED AS A COMMON ISSUE FOR LGBT+ TEENS. Willis specifically had the gender studies class cover this RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of the storyline. He went out of his way to say “Yes, this is a thing, for reals, I’m not making it up, it’s not as imaginary as a giant robot ape that gets called a monkey and kids getting kidnapped and turned into alien hybrids.”
Holy carp, I hope everyone that keeps giving Becky crap never has to deal with the chaos that ensues WITHIN DAYS after what happened to her.
Very well put. Thanks, Cerberus, for this needed dose of reality.
If you think a teenager who’s been disowned taking a few bucks, some clothes, and a place to crash for a few days makes someone a “crappy friend,” Emily, I am really glad I don’t know you.
Becoming? Joyce is already skipping breakfast for her
Worth noting that Becky doesn’t know about that yet.
Who knew humans were expensive?
Anyone with kids.
Or human trafficking moguls, I guess.
Probably also any living human. I am totally expensive, I know. I’ve seen all my bills.
Yes, that was the point of the sarcasm.
Becky finally found a way to get into Joyce’s pants.
Yep. Just, not in the way she’d prefer…
Is anyone poor in this comic? (not rabble rousing just can’t remember)
Besides Becky, you mean?
Sarah is dependent on her scholarships to stay in school.
I think some are, almost certainly. Lower-middle class before college, poor as churchmice in college.
I’ve actually asked this question before as well. Don’t any of these kids, you know, WORK as well as go to school? I know most of my college students do…
It’s not really a rule. Some people would rather focus on school first over work(such as me) or have enough classes that it’d be a pain to find or keep a job that works around their class schedules.
Then there are those who don’t have that luxury, and need to work in order to stay in college.
Freshman year and in an out-of-state school probably not. Heck, I went to college *in* the city I already lived in, and I still didn’t have a job freshman year. It can be tough to find a job where you’re only there for 9 months and have a limited availability schedule. Plus if you don’t have your own transportation…
If they had jobs as well as school that would limit the time they had to make bad choices that we could read about.
Define poor.
First off, they’re in college, a situation which requires the expenditure of money to even be in. While that money probably isn’t in their own control – either their parents, or some sort of scholarship fund – it represents a significant asset.
However, few of them have any income. Billie seems to receive a ‘gift salary’ from her emotionally-distant father (which she spends pretty extravagantly), but that’s about it.
I’ve rarely seen freshmen organized enough to get a job – the first year of college is so overwhelming already for most people, they usually get their bearing that year while leaning on the financial crutches that got them there. I waited until sophomore year before getting a job – by then, I knew the routine well enough to allocate some spare time to a job schedule.
To be fair Dorothy wears the same thing sometimes.
…. on the other hand
Please, please, please – let us see Dorothy, Joyce and Becky in matching sweater vests. It would be awesome.
I had a brain fart and was wondering how Dorothy was wearing a sweater vest on her other hand.
Becky’s fond of the word “pooper,” ain’t she? I mean, there are so many colloquial terms for the toilet, she could at least throw a new one at us.
Like “dook hut” in Borderlands 2? Oh wait, that’s only for portable toilets.
Boggy crapper?
Porcelain Throne is a good one.
Today I learned: Thomas Crapper, the man who improved and popularized the flush toilet, was not the origin of the word “crap.” He just happened to have an extraordinarily apt name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Crapper
Good old nominative determinism. My father’s urologist was Dr. Wee.
Still, I guess he knows his Store High In Transit…
The word “shit” (Old English scitte) has been in English for at least half a millennium longer than the Latinate “transit”.
“Fuck” is not an acronym for “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge”, “Fornication Under Consent of King”, or anything else, either, while we’re at it.
Jeeze Willis, put a link in the hovertext.
Make me work so hard.
I could be happy if Becky suddenly vanished from the comic and we never were given a reason.
I know you’re being needlessly confrontational and unforgiving of Becky and I should criticize you for it, but it still makes me laugh seeing your comments coming out of Mike’s mouth.
They got banninated anyway
Delicious irony.
Except we were given a reason.
No, that would be used if they were wishing for bodily harm.
You want her to get Chuck Cunningham syndrome? That is pretty mean of you.
And so Joyce slowly morphs into Becky’s sugar daddy…
Becky WISHES.
Maybe not the daddy part.
“Would it be better if I were wearing a strap-on?”
Becky needs a job. I wonder if Galasso is hiring.
Hopefully, since Galasso is definitely the type to not inquire much as to where she lives.
“Galasso cares not for your petty problems! All Galasso cares for is your instant and utter obedience!”
That’s what I’m really hoping’ll happen myself. I imagine Becky and Galasso interacting would be amazing.
I dislike Becky’s action. Have since the day she planted a hot one on her best friend, with no provocation.
It worked out well in one respect, it woke Joyce up to the fact that her best friend in one of ‘those people’ that her own church shuns. It made Joyce take a good hard look at herself and her values. Said it before, say it again, I’m not a huge Joyce fan, but I admire the way she tries to pull up self up to thinking on her own.
But somehow, Joyce has ended up apologizing to Becky for just about everything since.
Becky gets $20, she goes gets a hair style, while Joyce goes without breakfast to be sure Becky eats.
Becky is rude as all Hell to Joyce’s friend’s and it’s all well, hey, she gone thru a rough time and just came out so…it’s okay. We understand.
Becky is not apparently worried about getting her best friend possibly kicked out of school as she wanders the halls and engages the RA.
Becky is now noting that she wouldn’t have to wear Joyce’s clothes if she had some of her own…..hint hint.
Becky has not mentioned looking for work yet has she? Or checked at the main office for registration papers, grants, employment?
Yeah, personally I think Becky is a user. And her best friend is carrying her.
Oh hey, it’s what I was talking about above.
Right down to the blaming her for not turning 20 dollars in today’s money (which is about a fast food meal for two, maybe three) into magical life-fixing superpowers instead of using it to make a critical self-care break from an old extremely painful life.
Also worth mentioning?
Becky doesn’t know about the meal skipping. She was in the shower at the time: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/endgame/
And when she found out that Joyce was forcing herself or doing without something for her benefit, it tore her up: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/sushi/
If that’s what you think a user is, then I’m extremely grateful that so many of you have both lacked the singularly terrifying experience of being homeless/nearly homeless without family support as well as lacking the experience of knowing a real toxic user.
I am glad that you have been that lucky, cause I sure as hell haven’t.
THIS
I *have* known a real toxic user. I lived with one. And she was *just* like Becky.
Having a bad situation is no excuse for being a shitty human.
She’s been there for two days. Two. Days. Two. Days. Two. Days.
Holy fuck. How much calamity can one person wreak in two bleeding days? How much bootstrap pulling can one person do in two shitting days? How much can you expect her to have accomplished in two motherfucking days?
Know what? I’m hoping for a timeskip so that, by the bare dint of it, the ceaseless griping will be less unfounded.
Next Strip:
Becky: Actually, Joyce, there’s no need- I’ll buy my own clothes!
Joyce: Gasp! But how?!
Becky: I found a job this morning, on my way back from the toilet!
Joyce: It’s about time!
-Sexually assaulting Joyce (Yes, kissing someone without their permission is sexual assault, given that you’re forcing yourself on them)
-Sexually harassing her (constantly hitting on her, making sexual comments despite knowing Joyce is uncomfortable, watching her undress in the mirror without saying anything *to* her)
-Lying in the first place about why she was there
-Trying to isolate Joyce by being horribly rude to all of her friends (because we mustn’t forget for a moment that Joyce is *hers* and isn’t allowed to have any other friends)
Becky’s situation sucks. A lot. But she could show a little more gratitude and be a lot less terrible. Not that I expect her to- Willis seems to think sexual assault and harassment is funny if it’s being done by anyone other than a straight, white male.
Becky’s actions are irresponsible but very human, very understandable. She realised she was gay, shortly after which she got found out, told that her father wanted to “fix” her (if you know anything about gay “rehabilitation” camps that’s not just sad, it’s terrifying), ran away, came out to her best friend, got rejected by said best friend whom she’s in love with, and been forced to deal with the fact that she has NOTHING. All in the space of about twelve hours.
Any of that can be stressful and difficult. All at once? Overwhelming. Factor in that Becky has probably been taught NOTHING about how to survive in the real world and she’s a scared, vulnerable, hurting and overwhelmed teenager with little idea of what she’s doing.
Going through a major change can also mean you act quite differently than you would have before. I know I had some major shifts in how I acted when I was caught about to attempt to get a game over. I mean no more need to worry about the eyes of society when it has already seen you at the worst possible so why not be how you want to be?
Plus lots of adjustment to taking off a mask you might have worn your entire life without even realizing it.
You know what? I am so fucking sick of hearing that Becky “is a user” because you know what? In these sort of circumstances it is infinitely more likely for the person seeking shelter to be abused and taken advantage of by the person they’re seeking help from. Do you realize how easy it would be for Joyce to fuck Becky over? All she has to do is make one phone call, or say she isn’t going to share her room/clothes/food with Becky and Becky would be completely screwed. Just because Joyce actually cares for Becky doesn’t mean that Becky is holding the power in this situation.
Another thing is that Joyce does actually get something from Becky being around, and that’s a friend to accompany her outside of the dorms when all of her college friends are busy with homework. Joyce isn’t capable of being alone outside of the dorms anymore. If Sarah needs private time again, or if Joyce is just stir-crazy and needs some fresh air, she can rely on Becky to be available.
It would take a mere breath from Joyce to completely wreck Becky. Thank fuck Joyce is a good person underneath all the fundie upbringing.
That’s a good point. Becky is probably highly aware of this, too.
I’m really glad that they’re friends.
Mostly, I think that becky (like a lot of sheltered kids) needs to realize that money doesn’t grow on trees.
I think she knows that, she didn’t run up to Joyce and demand she buy her a new wardrobe, Joyce made a point, she made a point and Joyce made a decision.
I knew this was going to be about the vests
Gotta make the vest of it ^^
Oy, a Carman shirt.
I think part of what makes the story compelling is how the author “gets” some of the fundamentalist cultural references.
Well, Mr. Willis has said before that Joyce and Becky come from basically the same Fundamentalist subculture he himself did. Or it might have been an Evangelical subculture–I don’t remember off the top of my head (but they aren’t the same thing). My guess is that Evangelicals would be more likely than Fundamentalists to listen to Carman, but I might be mistaken.
I’d have thought he was a little before Becky’s and Joyce’s time, though. I guess he’s still active, but I’ve always thought of him as more of a late ’80s/early ’90s guy.
Mostly, I’m just glad someone besides me understood the t-shirt reference.
The shirt is a hand-me down from Joyce’s older siblings, which is why it’s used as a sleep shirt.
Is that a Mae Vest?
She’s certainly doing her vest.
And go talk to someone to who cares before it all collapses in a heap … ah, wait. That’s why it’s called “Dumbing of Age” :-j
She’s all about them vests, ’bout them vests, ’bout them vests, no buttons!
Now, Joyce, you knew when you got this pet, you’d have to take care of it.
Isn’t it about time for Becky to realize she needs a plan for her life and that she can’t stay with Joyce long term? Maybe something like getting a job, finding a place to live on her own, etc?
Seriously, it’s been two days. Why hasn’t she found a job and an apartment yet?
Tell me about it. And where’s her life plan? Just so irresponsible.
(We’re having a sarcasm party, right? It can be hard to tell…)
Those bootstraps won’t pull themselves. =/ (Can I join the sarcasm party?)
Sarcasm in this one strong it is.
And this is where saving that 20$ would have bought her a couple shirts if she wasn’t so impulsive.
Assuming her haircut didn’t cost the full $20, she can still afford a couple shirts at the local Bloomington Goodwill.
Sometimes when you have had a major shift in life something like a haircut which is a blatent change to the before you to become the new you moreso than cloths because cloths can easily be taken off and put on is more important because it has a longer lasting impact upon you.
The haircut just represents (for me) Becky’s continued irresponsibility. Food, clothing and shelter have been provided by Joyce (who is presumably financially supported by her parents) so Becky’s immediate needs aren’t in question. However, she has dumped all responsibility for her future and well being on Joyce. Becky isn’t looking for a job, or any support groups, or a shelter or anything. A blatant change to being a new you seems less important by comparison.
We have not seen evidence that Becky does not intend to look for a job or support groups (shelter, as you, yourself have pointed out, she has already found, albeit temporary). She hasn’t taken care of the long-term future (yet)- she’s taken care of the hear-and-now. And she’s made tremendous progress in the last two days.
I do agree that, now that her immediate needs have been met, it is time for her to plan the next step. At this point, if the days start to roll by and she remains complacent, without making any effort to figure out the next step, I might understand where people are coming from– that hasn’t happened yet.
Scroll up and look at some of the other comments for why a haircut can, indeed, be essential.
“Oh, look! #person got $20! They need to turn it into a job and an apartment toute suite!”
“Wow, #person, I totally dig your apartment, complete with all of life’s living essentials and new wardrobe! ”
“Thanks- best $20 I ever spent! Can you believe I almost used it on a haircut, instead?”
Also on a practical level a fresh haircut makes you look nicely groomed, which you probably should be if you want a job or apartment
Man, I thought I was feeling the Becklash, but some of these comments are just… jeez. I don’t think there’s any character in the series who’s gotten this demonized.
Look, unless Becky is really good at playing banks for great interest rates, I don’t think that $20 was going to go into anything except maybe two hamburgers.
Yeah, people seem to have a masively skewed view of the worth of small amounts of money. Sure a dollar is not worth much to most, but in the hand of a poor person, it can clearly buy a frickin mansion.
Thank you, Spencer, Cerberus. My thoughts exactly.
(Mike. Mike gets this demonized. I’m amused at how the same people who do that, turn around and suddenly show the ability to give Becky far more benefit of the doubt. Granted, she has had less time to do much of anything and it’s correspondingly difficult to get a complete understanding of her character…)
Besides that, will $20 get you a pre-paid phone nowadays, or is that going too far? Google seems to say that it’ll get you a phone or a plan, but not both… She has food and a place to stay, but they’re both temporary and she needs to start planning soon – this is Bloomington and not San Francisco…
…was Willis psychic enough to see the Religious Freedom Restoration Act coming? That may severely hamper her ability to get a job.
I haven’t really seen Mike demonized much at all. And they whole point of the character is to be an asshole, so it doesn’t make sense to compare them anyway.
And while Mike has been in more strips than Becky, it isn’t by a lot. 75 for Becky and 115 Mike, and I am thinking more of Mike’s appearances have been “in the frame but not doing anything” than Becky’s.
Scroll about 3/4 of the way down: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/03-the-butterflies-fly-away/snice/
That’s just one of the most recent – it tends to happen in any comic with Mike in it. (And I’d rather it didn’t happen to Becky, as she isn’t as blunt or callous thus far.)
Mike’s also the asshole singularity, so of course he gets demonized. Shit, I think more people give Mike the benefit of the doubt (oh he was slutshaming Dorothy for totally super good reasons and it helped her grow that means its now awful at all) than they do Becky, a good kid who’s been getting fucked over by her homophobic family and religion.
“…so of course he gets demonized.” Character does something, gets something in return. That the demonization’s not in-universe is what makes me question how deserved it is.
Maybe I’m not remembering things correctly, but I don’t recall ever seeing any third-person confirmation that Becky’s telling the truth – everything we know about her is in how she’s presenting herself, and what she’s told Joyce. The difference between her and Mike (one of hundreds, anyway), is that we’re taking it for granted that she is what she says she is.
…I can’t stress how much I hope I’m wrong about that. Her lying about any of it makes it a more interesting story (it’s one more knife-twist life deals to Joyce — emotional rather than physical — and how does she deal with it this time?), and that would be reason enough to do it.
I’m more amused — no, make that “creeped out” — by the people who try to defend Mike as a person (as opposed to as a character), while interpreting Becky’s every action in the worst possible way.
And this is coming from someone who loved Mike as a character in Shortpacked!, and still thinks he’s kind of funny here in DoA. But it only works as long as I don’t see him as a believable person, accountable for his actions. And it’s perfectly understandable that a lot of people do see him like that, because the setting is very different.
After reading all the comments, there’s one thing that I really want to say. At a certain point – not yet, of course, definitely not yet – the ‘it’s only been x days’ argument for any situation may cease to have merit.
From what I’ve heard, the idea is that the cast will exist in kind of a moving now, they’ll never get to sophomore year. If that’s true, it that the characters are either going to grow and change in a timeframe closer to our perceptions, or they will exist in stasis and never change at all because sufficient time is never allowed to pass by the rules of the setting. At a certain point (again, not now, quite a long time from now) any ‘it’s only been two days!’ or ‘it’s only been a week!’ defense of any character or situation isn’t going to hold water. ‘It’s’ never going to be more than six to eight months in-comic. ‘It’s’ never going to be any definable amount of time.
It’s entirely understandable, therefore, to get frustrated with situations according to our perceptions of time. In-comic Ethan and Joyce were together for anywhere from one week to one month, probably: a very short relationship even for a sham. In realtime it was much longer and many commenters bayed for Joyce’s blood for letting it go on so long. (As if the situation were 100% her fault in the first place, which it wasn’t, but I digress.)
I personally think Becky realized at the end of the last storyline that even this is a really untenable situation for her if only because she can’t not love Joyce, and can’t get the distance she needs to get over Joyce while living with her. I personally would expect to see her taking some kinds of steps soon.
It is true that it’s only been two days. But we exist in realtime, and character behavior exists that way too. Eventually (and for the third time, not now! just eventually!) whatever amount of time has passed or not passed needs to stop being a thing, because in-comic time is only going to get more and more meaningless.
And to round it out with repetition #4 (because I’d really like to avoid people jumping on me all IT’S ONLY BEEN TWO DAYS HOW DARE YOU SAY WE SHOULD IGNORE THAT if possible): I do not mean now. I mean eventually. Time is not 100% meaningless yet.
So basically… Wait and see what Willis has planned for the next few in-comic days/weeks?
Pretty much, and also ‘stop using time as a meaningful point.’
With the way time works in this comic, for example, Becky may NEVER move out of Joyce’s dorm. She may NEVER get a job or a place of her own. As has been previously pointed out in these comments, those things can take months or years in the real world. And yet ‘months’ is never actually going to pass in-comic, because a year is never going to pass. Maybe it’ll take a realtime year (or even two, or three) for one more week to pass.
In that future-hypothetical, Becky will only have been living with Joyce an in-comic week in that case: a very short and understandable amount of time to still be coping with the trauma life has heaped on her. But it wouldn’t be completely unreasonable for us real people to be irritated by Becky still being in exactly the same situation, having done nothing for herself, in a year or more.
If Becky’s still in Joyce’s dorm, letting Joyce skip meals to feed her and spend money she may or may not have to clothe her, without making a single step towards addressing her own situation in a real-time year or two or three, I will be irritated with her. Even if ‘it’s only been a week!’ in comics. Because ‘a week’ is a largely meaningless distinction when there’s no such thing as ‘a year’.
“not yet, of course, definitely not yet”
I’m just going to point to that.
Naturally, If a week or more has gone by and Becky has obviously done NOTHING, I would understand a few of these comments; but why harangue the character over not doing something that she hasn’t not done yet? You can’t exactly criticize someone for inaction before they’ve exhibited it. It’s kind of ridiculous. That’s where the “It’s been less than two days!” people are coming from- they’re not giving the Beckster an indefinite pass. They’re waiting to see what she does next.
Personally, I think we’re going to see her attempts to get things worked out fairly soon. A lot of people seem to be ignoring the fact that she’s ALREADY taken strides to improve her situation; two days ago, she was homeless and alone. Since then, she’s found a friend that she can confide in, and has arranged an (albeit temporary) place to stay. For anyone who’s ever been homeless, I think we’d all agree that that is a MASSIVE step. I’m curious to see what her next move will be- whether it’s putting out job applications, appealing to the campus LGBT services, or simply sitting down and trying to COME UP with a plan.
She got very lucky, being able to take that massive step and it succeeding at all (going to Joyce’s unannounced was an enormous gamble for a number of reasons). I think her well-being will hinge on how quickly she realizes and acts on this, as at this point it isn’t clear if it’s Becky or Joyce who better understands the local appreciation for LGBTQ (not just the campus, but Bloomington).
Two things:
1. To say that time has no meaning is also to say that character development has no meaning. The experience of new situations and viewpoints is dependent on the passing of time, and without these characters simply don’t change. Every character holds their initial opinions and nothing new ever happens to the characters.
2. Using real-world time as a benchmark for either how we should feel or how the characters should act would mean cutting pretty much all content of the comic to it’s skeleton, about one day in the comic to 3 – 5 IRL if we’re generous, and at this point already 1 – 2 thirds of the way through college, defeating Willis’s whole intention of having a self-sustaining long-term project and full-time job.
I’m going to go and disagree in a big way. Timeline events like “months” and “semesters” likely won’t exist and will be meaningless to talk about, but timelines as short as one week (so characters can say “last week” meaningfully, as they already have) and shorter will likely always have meaning.
Ruin your life but save Joyce’s life, Becky, by getting STUDENT LOANS.
She’s not a student here tho
Yet. My prediction is Ruth finds out but sympathizes with Becky (being a displaced youth and also off limits, not being a resident of her wing) and agrees not to out her to the staff, under the premise that she apply to IU and student aid, or a job. Possibly both.
We’re, what, 3? 4 weeks into the semester at this point? There’s no way she’s getting in before January at this point. That’s if she even -can- become a student at IU without her dad’s involvement. I don’t know what kind of hoops one has to jump through to get into a university when they’re homeschooled, but I would imagine the process usually involves the parents that did the homeschooling. Otherwise…Maybe she has to apply for a GED? Not sure.
In either event, she’s not becoming an IU student until the spring semester, so at this rate, 2025ish?
My point is, she’s more likely to get a job at Galasso’s and move into a shitty apartment with a roommate or two.
IU offers a lot of accelerated courses that do not begin until the second 6 or 8 weeks each semester.
Finding a job might be easier, on the one hand- but becoming a student, and seeking financial aid is also an option.
She likely already has her GED. You’re not going to have any sort of meaningful job, or even attend a Christian college like Anderson without it. As for student loans and scholarships, if she talks to the right people and writes the right sort of essay about her struggles (which she’s experiencing in spades right now), I can see her getting a scholarship through one or more LGBT organizations.
Which leaves the January thing, which I hold as a valid point to mention.
Home schooling regulations differ widely between states, and similarly how much recognition home schooling will get by itself differs widely between colleges. I don’t know off hand how Indiana and Anderson/Indiana U stack up in this regard, but it’s entirely possible Becky doesn’t have a GED.
I just want to point out that “home schooling” doesn’t always mean you’re being taught in your house by your parents. In fact, in a fairly insular community like the one Joyce and Becky appear to have grown up in, I would find it far more likely that the schooling for Joyce and Becky and all the other kids was handled by at most a few individuals, who might not necessarily even have their own kids.
Not that this significantly increases Becky’s chances of getting anyone to sign off on anything, but Knowing a Thing is almost always better then Not Knowing a Thing.
Joyce mentions her school was her kitchen table.
i’m not sure you can get student loans without a home address and a bank account and somebody knowledgeable to help you with the process. It’s kind of an on-the-grid thing to get, isn’t it? Becky would probably have a better shot at getting a minimum-wage job, like at Galasso’s Pizza (and subs). Plus then she could work with Connie.
I have a feeling I know where this is going: Someone who knows about Becky is gonna find out about Billie Ruth, and then…you know, mutual blackmail.
This is the second time Becky has called someone “gangly” or bony who was significantly less skinny than herself. First Dorothy and now Ruth.
I wonder if she uses “gangly/bony/stick” as an insult because it’s something she doesn’t like about her own body?
Urrrrrgh, the comments.
I’d like to believe that the Becky-bashing has reached some kind of Danny-esque state, where you can no longer tell if people are serious, sarcastic or trolling. Because all these comments being serious would require too much facepalm.
I never got the Danny-bashing myself, to me he was a guy that tried to do the best he could with the limited amount of information he had
I personally think that the main reason for Danny-bashing was that he held up a mirror to most on here and reminded people of what they used to be like
Personally, my reason for disliking Danny was that petty little “choice” he offered Dorothy. It seemed like a grotesquely passive-aggressive attempt to control his ex and, quite frankly, a red flag in a way that telling her off for even asking him to help her new boyfriend would not have been.
Time passed, we saw more of him, and the red flag was not accompanied by any others, so now I’ve just put it down to “sometimes we do things that are unworthy of us” and don’t really have strong feelings about him either way.
As for Becky, I found her annoying when she was nothing but juvenile Walkyesque humor and everyone was talking about how great she was. Now she’s much more interesting and I love her.
Yeah, the Shoes arc was just… bad. Real bad. Nobody came out looking good in that one. As a fan of Danny I try to ignore it because he goes from “bitter towards his ex for immature, but understandable reasons” to “manipulative shitlord.”
I think you hit the nail on the head, though. Danny never really did anything to make him likeable until far after that moment, and even started out with the infamous “maybe you’ll change your mind about staying” that I think has been vastly overblown, but still at the time was shitty of him. He’s become a much better character since 2013.
The Shoes arc was very interesting when you look at it from the Danny angle. His ex shows up wanting a favor to help her new guy so, in the most unDanny behaviour he’s ever displayed in the comic, he attempts to hurt their relationship for the sake of petty revenge and sets up a choice. Choose, he says, the favor for your new boytoy or something to help your career, and if I know you I know exactly how you’ll choose! You’ll toss aside you new caramel boytoy just as you did me! But then Dorothy chooses the shoes over the Amazi-Girl information thuis shattering his primary illusion about why he got dumped. Then to make things even worse for him Walky then bursts in and tells her his desires are less important than her goals. It’s like a dash of cold water all over his assumptions about his break up and his role in it.
I know Danny wasn’t supposed to be acting like a good guy in that arc, but I thought Willis took his passive aggressiveness too far and made him too unlikeable while Dorothy, who is also acting like a total dickbag in that arc, came off smelling like roses.
I wonder if their later confrontation, where Danny just shuts her out instead of acting like a tool, was meant to be sort of a follow up to the Shoes arc.
*scrolls down to comments*
wowzers.
I’m about 24 hours late but wow, some of you sound like lone sharks. It was $20 not a million, and she has literally nothing. I spend more than that on my friends if I get drunk enough for no reason.
Mike has a lot more compassion, than most of the narcissistic, selfish priveledged twits bemoaning Becky. This whole thread has convinced me that the comments aren’t worth reading. Willis, I hope you are banishing and blocking these John Galt cry babies wih the swiftness of Thor’s Hammer in the hands of Amazigirl.
Willis, I hope you realize it’s somewhat tedious to retype an entire URL from mouse-over alt text.