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The legendary early-aughts webcomic that inspired a wave of webcomic creators.
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I’m getting a little scared again. Things could easily backfire, just the same as they could go smoother than we imagine. Certainly, based on their reaction to Dorothy, they can’t be too happy, but perhaps they love Joyce enough and hearing about that whole incident (their daughter and her best friend’s lives in danger!) will have them understanding why Joyce is reacting like that — effectively excusing her for acting “sinfully”.
…I really hope this goes well but I don’t see it happening. Joyce you’re becoming rash, what if they take you out of college!
Afterthought: Maybe Jocelyne got to the phone first, hears the message, maybe deletes it so their parents don’t get to hear it? Another afterthought: This person calling could very likely not be her family at all and we’ll have to wait another week or more to know what’ll happen! (Read: PLEASE DON’T DO THAT TO US WILLIS)
*Joyce answers mobile* “Hello?”
“Hi, I’m from XXXXXXXX Telco, and we’re having a special on long distance—……………..I’m sor-……………Ma’am, please stop swearing at me…………..”
*Line goes dead…*
Joyce’s and Becky’s life would not have been in danger if Becky had just obeyed like a good Christian daughter, followed her father and stopped succumbing to her unholy desires.
So there is no real reason for Joyce’s parents to blame Ross rather than Joyce and Becky. And naturally they cannot consider it a good idea if Joyce keeps the company of a sinner trying to undermine parental authority.
I wonder how many scholarship/how much financial aid Joyce has. her parents can’t really pull her out of school if she refuses to go (I’m assuming she’s 18), but they can cut off any money they’re giving her.
Sarah could probably help her apply for stuff, if Joyce gets cut off by her parents and doesn’t have any other financial safety net. It honestly wouldn’t hurt to hit up fafsa anyway just for some extra dough, tho.
unfortunately part of fafsa is calculated based of your parents income its a pain in the ass to get fiscally unhitched from them even if you are over 18.
To be fair, they are her parents, so its entirely plausible that they’re response is going to be ‘OMG he pointed a gun in your face are you okay?’ and not much care for the other things she said.
While this comic does not take place specifically in October 2010, there is a specific reference to Angry Birds being on Joyce’s phone, shortly after Becky arrived:
Are you sure it’s her mom? This might be a whole new rollercoaster about to start.
If, say, Joyce’s mom were busy yelling at Jocelyn for coming out, she might not answer her phone.
I can think of half a dozen reasons that’s an unlikely scenario, but it could happen.
Post the attempted rape, Joyce seems to have been out of contact for a while, or at least not going into much detail. I have no doubt that Hank and Carol have been waiting for her to call.
I’ve known E-holes, though that’s more specific. F-hole is pretty-self-evident. I can’t think of anything for G through I. J-hole is a reach; K-hole is a drug stupor, not a person.
And I’m stopping there, because now Big Bird is Feynmaning at me in my head.
Joyce, if Mr. MacIntyre pointed a gun at you, he will have had good reason: he is a devout Christian and father. We need you to stop interfering with his family matters.
I’ll take that as a no, this isn’t sarcasm. There is exactly one excuse for pointing a gun at anyone, and that’s self-defense. Since neither Joyce nor Becky had a gun or any other weapon, and were cowering in fear besides, Ross Babies McIntyre has no recourse.
I read it as satire, like, this is what Joyce’s crazy folks might say, not what the poster actually thinks.
I still think that Joyce’s parents are gonna be basically against threatening the lives of their kids! If I was Joyce, though, I wouldn’t go home til I verified that.
Actually, yeah, you would.
Chances the reason they aren’t answering you directly is because trolling is a bit more entertaining than explaining. Especially when explaining would be done every few minutes for those that only see part of the conversation.
Well, now that the next comics are up you’ll see that this my text turned out pretty close to Carol’s actual reaction. Does that mean DW has been trolling or writing satire when he uploaded this comic months ago?
Is Rodolfo Daluisio trolling or satirizing when he plays a Bach Fantasia on a Bandonion, an old cheap German folk instrument?
Some cheap shots cost more than one wants to imagine.
Or, like happens more often, they saw she’d called and called right back without listening to the message. So she’ll have to do it again, directly to them.
I’ve started typing Bongo deliberately. I just pretend I’m talking about Bongo the Bear from the first half of Disney’s Fun and Fancy Free. That way it’s still an insult.
Boo, hiss, you suck, Bongo! Fast forward to Mickey and the Beanstalk!
I miss the olde days of yonder when you left a message on the answering machine and could slam the phone down to hang up. Long before the days of delicate cellular phones with cameras and star trek glass. When things were built for punishment and wouldn’t break if it fell to the ground from the 2nd floor.
Flip phones can be slammed shut to hang up in a satisfying manner.
Sadly, there isn’t much else you can do with them. But at least the battery lasts forever and if I drop it, I just have to put the battery cover back on again.
I miss the old days of leaving a rambling message on my dad’s answering machine so he’d have time to hear it was me calling because they never answer the phone (bankruptcy and collectors will do that to your phone answering habits). He and my stepmother recently changed their landline to a cellphone and now I might as well be shouting into the void when I try to reach them.
And yet somehow I’M the one who’s hard to reach just because I work the night shift. At least I check my messages when I get them instead of waiting for the box to get full.
Speaking as a former night shift worker: that rep for being “hard-to-reach” never goes away, not even when you schedule has matched theirs for years. The human brain is weird; family brains doubly so.
Let’s be honest with ourselves. If she’s any kind of real mom her first response is gonna be.
“OH GOD. IS MY LITTLE BABY OK? TELL MOMMY ALL ABOUT. OH GOD NO.”
Becky’s dad’s present condition would be a mere after thought.
Ideally.
But that’s the thing, isn’t it? Some moms are bad. I’m hoping Joyce’s mom goes for the human reaction, but, well, she’s part of a group that’s essentially the antithesis of that.
Regardless of the time she’s had to cool down, even thinking about what happened is bound to stir up Joyce’s emotions enough to make that kind of calculated argument tricky.
Ha ha no. My parents are in the 99th percentile as far as parents go, and their immediate response to learning this would be to ask what I had done to him and why can’t I be more careful who I pick as associates. I find it a bit irritating, but knowing that I am always to blame for anything unpleasant that happens to me has made me a more responsible person.
Hahahahahahahahaha nope! Joyce’s mom’s first priority is going to be “you keep Becky there, Joyce, the pastor is really worried about her. All of us are really worried about her. We’re going to come get her.” And then it’s time to come take her back to the fold! Back to the loving arms of the church community!
I mean, can’t take her back to her dad, he’s going to jail (but we’re praying for him and we’ll basically enact his wishes by proxy).
If she has even a shred of mothering instinct in her body she’ll fixate on the gun and worry about the rest later. Not that I expect her to let the rest off the hook entirely.
I’m hoping her mom hones in on the gun pointed at her daughter’s face rather than anything else because HOT DAMN IS THAT NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO HEAR IN YOUR VOICEMAIL but I suspect we have a guilt-trip rollin’ into the station
That would be the point where Joyce gets to say something along the lines of, “You know how you say you love me? You can prove yourself a liar, RIGHT NOW, by making this not about a man pointing a gun at your daughter’s face.”
Oh, yeah… and, Becky’s stuff was probably boxed-up at Anderson, after she left. (or it is still in her dorm, since she’s only been gone about 20 minutes)
If Joyce is over 18 they probably can’t for this semester at least. On the other hand depending on how her student fees are being paid for they could cut off her funds, forcing her to quit at semester end.
meta/
Of –course– they’re taking her out of school. Willis is really tired of ‘a college webcomic’ and wants to branch out. This is his chance to dump the old cast and start over with a new one.
/meta
For a second in the second and third panels I thought Joyce was wearing short sleeved shirts over long sleeved shirts and had finally become Truly Cool
Whaaaaaaat? Really? Cuz the boss forces us to do that, when we want some layers for warmth, to let the logos on the uniform shirt stay visible, I guess. So MegaCorp is actually making the minions cool like that? Awesome.
And now we get to learn a bit more about just how open minded THIS version of Joyce’s parents are…Best of luck, Joyce. One way or another, you’re gonna need it.
I can’t imagine it will go well with Joyce’s mother. Her dad was the one that really backed off at that confrontation at the fountain. Her mother didn’t seem too happy at it. I imagine she’s the more fundamental one in the marriage, which is why I’m happy preview panels Willis has posted has Joyce’s father present.
Yes, Joyce, go ahead and tell your mother that Becky is staying with you. That hopefully won’t end badly. (Seriously, I’m a little worried her mom will call the Dean or something.)
Joyce, did you really think you could leave a message like that and not get an immediate response? Even if your parents aren’t pissed about the lies….YOU JUST TOLD THEM SOMEONE TRIED TO SHOOT YOU! OF COURSE THEY’RE GONNA CALL BACK!!
Is it just me, or does Joyce look a little… surprised in that last panel? Almost like she’s getting a call from someone she wasn’t expecting (i.e. not her mom).
Thing is, its not easy to say exactly how long it was between Joyce calling and her phone ringing back, since we can’t tell exactly how long has elapsed in between the panels.
I agree that she looks surprised. I frequently leave messages for people who call me back 30 seconds later, apologizing that they couldn’t answer because they were in the bathroom or something, so I don’t think it would be surprising if her mom called her back that quickly. So I also read it as, it’s a call from someone she did not expect to be hearing from right now.
Okay, so, I don’t remember much about Joyce’s mom. I know we have some reason to believe that she might react poorly to Joyce’s rebellion, but do we have any particular reason to think she won’t be protective of her daughter? I’ve know some VERY Christian women who have essentially said “screw y’all” when their kids when in trouble, I’m still sort of holding out hope this happens with Joyce’s mom.
Of course, it depends on how you define being “protective of her daughter”.
After all, in his own deluded way, Toedad may have thought he was being protective as well, assuming that his actions were necessary to somehow protect her from evil.
Toedad was totally protecting his daughter. Dude, he was protecting her from SATAN. There ain’t nothin’ bigger than that. Plus, he was protecting her virtue. How can she fulfill her holy destiny to stand beside a godly man and have Christian babies, if some godless lesbian steals away her virginity?
…And now that I’ve made you throw up in your mouth a little, let’s consider the absolute truth of the above, and abolish once and for all the idea that “being protective” of someone else is in any way healthy or good.
Well, okay, the example you gave is legitimate; but also protective parents look after their young kids and try to keep them safe as well. If we didn’t do that, as a species, we’d have far, far higher infant mortality rates. “Being protective” also encompasses everything from dealing with bullies to keeping little kids away from boiling pots on the stove.
But I think we can agree that the kid’s well-being should be considered in there. Mind you, that’s what Toe-dad thought he was doing as well. *sigh* Can we at least agree that, while generally, protecting one’s kids is good, some people get it horribly, horribly wrong?
Maybe the issue is when one legitimately tries to protect them from imaginary bogey-men, especially if you legitimately believe that it’s at the command of another imaginary figure, and (and this part may be key) no other harm, legal nor illegal, is being done to the person. The moreso if they’re legally an adult and don’t want you interfering in their life, fuck you, Toe-dad.
Carol (Joyce’s mom) seemed the more knee-jerk Fundamentalist of the two, when we saw them before (Hank does not get a pass for using the passive-aggressive-group-prayer thing on Joyce, but he wasn’t the one to launch off in angry ‘those people’ rhetoric).
She did at least relent over Joyce’s defence of Dorothy in the end, with Hank’s prompting – though meta-knowledge prevents me from imagining there’ll be a clean resolution to the situation.
I can kinda see her mom being totally in denial and just… “What are you doing up at this hour, young lady?! I knew them college heathens would be a bad influence on you!”.
But eeh, naw. Carol’s not that bad. I think.
Probably Neutral Good for me, but with some Chaotic tendencies. Like the time I walked into a coffee shop with a guitar and played Happy Birthday for a friend.
I like to think of myself as Chaotic Neutral, but actually I’m Chaotic Good, leaning towards Lawful Good (although not to the extent of always doing the legal thing even if it’s not the right thing; I try to always do the right thing, ideally without breaking the law, but it depends on the situation. Some people just need to accidentally fall down the stairs a few times before the police are called in).
I am definitely a flavor of neutral.
I do try to do the right thing.
Sometimes I do the random thing.
Sometimes in doing the right thing, I fuck up and do the wrong thing.
Joyce’s parents are excessively narrow-minded but not evil or insane like some of the other parents we’ve seen in the strip. I expect arguments to come of this, but not existential threats like Toedad posed to Becky.
Actually, do you think it’s not that she’s getting an immediate call back, but because her phone’s been dead all night she’s finally getting a ton of texts?
Look, I’m totally on Joyce’s side in all this, but the biblical condemnation of homosexuality is extremely clear. How can she reconcile her personal feelings with that she considers to be the revealed word of God?
I mean, there’s at least a handful of passages that maybe condemn gay people if you squint a bit and ignore what they say as well as disregarding commonly known facts and one’s own God-given ability to reason. At least.
shes already gone and looked up alternate translations and determined that the bible condemning gay people is not as explicit as she previously thought
Yeah, but the statements in Leviticus 18:22 and Lev. 20:13 are explicit and unambiguous. Joyce had to disparage the entire Old Testament and say that it doesn’t count any more to make out the homosexuality is maybe okay according to the Bible.
Jesus said outright that he had not come to change the old law:
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18″For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.…” Matthew 5
I think a Christian could reasonably debate with themselves on the subject of whether or not to honor the old laws.
Sure, unless they completely forgot to read the book of Hebrews or something. Jesus himself reduced the old laws into basically two laws.
Even the passage you quote is essentially him going “Yeah, but you don’t need the old laws, because I fulfilled them all. So don’t think of them as being abolished.”
I mean, there’s been enough study done on the laws and how which ones aren’t used and which are that unless we got a real specific branch of Christianity these characters are, we won’t know what they feel about OT laws and NT laws.
Needless to say, Becky and Joyce can be both Christian and Gay and an Ally.
5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
You really don’t, because the Old Testament – and indeed all of Scripture – requires a great deal of thought to apply to one’s life, and some parts of it are, quite frankly – and this is coming from me, a fairly devout Christian – evil. If one were to take the Hebrew Scriptures as required to be followed in their entirety, one would end up committing all kinds of evil – Becky’s father would be required not to bring her home but to stone her to death, Joyce herself would be banned from worship during her period, things like that.
No one – not even the most fundamentalist of Church of Christers – follows the entirety of the Law, nor do they believe the entirety of the Law must be followed. Discernment is a thing, and it’s absolutely required of Christians.
Even with Leviticus, there are ambiguities – the simple fact of the matter is that there are tons of laws in Leviticus that Christians don’t follow. Christians who believe Homosexuality isn’t a sin often quote the passage from Hebrews 8:13: “By Calling this covenant ‘New’, he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and raging will soon disappear.”as evidence that we are no longer bound by Levitical law.
Personally, while I believe the Bible is God’s message for humanity, it’s a message that has been written down, translated, and interpreted by flawed humans with their own biases. I think the value of that message still comes through the text, but problems and contradictions are an inevitable part of the Church, because the Church is made up of flawed humans.
Basically, I can reconcile my faith with my politics because I don’t think you need to interpret the bible literally to take it seriously. I don’t think that’ll be Joyce’s story, I suspect hers will be one of losing faith, as she is at least in part an autobiographical character for Willis, who is now an atheist. Still, I’m interested to see where the comic’s narrative takes her.
Those two passages (Leviticus 18:22 and Lev. 20:13) seem to refer only to men. A woman lying with a woman doesn’t seem to be prohibited. I wonder what Joyce’s Mom would say if that were used in any upcoming arguments?
I think there’s some verse in Romans that says being a lesbian is a bad thing. Joyce references it when Mary asks her about it I think. I don’t know the exact verse though.
Also Joyce’s mom would say only the New Testament matters and that homosexuality is forbidden there still.
It’s not like the entire book is a crappy translation of specific chapters done to appeal to the tastes of some silly king, right? While disregarding tons of other material?
Actually the translators of the King James version of the Bible didn’t make significant cuts: the Apocrypha were included in 1611 printings of the KJV.
There was heavy filtering of sacred scriptures in the 4th Century, culminating in the Council of Carthage in 397. (And there were a lot of political shenanigans at Carthage and at the preceding Synod of Hippo (393)). But from then on until the Reformation changes to the canon of the Bible were mostly additions, e.g. the gradual acceptance of the Revelation of St John. It was not until Luther that people started cutting books out, and then, as I said, the KJV originally included the deuterocanon (Apocrypha).
The translators also relied heavily on the William Tyndale translation for the King James version. There’s more on Tyndale here http://www.william-tyndale.com/
She tried to find alternative readings, but ultimately she realized that Becky was more important than what the bible told her. If the bible says homosexuality is wrong, and Becky is gay, then the bible has to be wrong and that’s that.
Joyce is a devout Christian but she’s realizing that some parts of the bible can’t be followed anymore.
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 King James Version:
18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
—
The LORD then gave these further instructions to Moses: ‘Tell the people of Israel to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you forever. It helps you to remember that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. Yes, keep the Sabbath day, for it is holy. Anyone who desecrates it must die; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. Work six days only, but the seventh day must be a day of total rest. I repeat: Because the LORD considers it a holy day, anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death.’ (Exodus 31:12-15 NLT)
—
Suppose a man or woman among you, in one of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, has done evil in the sight of the LORD your God and has violated the covenant by serving other gods or by worshiping the sun, the moon, or any of the forces of heaven, which I have strictly forbidden. When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then that man or woman must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. (Deuteronomy 17:2-5 NLT)
—
They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB)
—
A man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortuneteller shall be put to death by stoning; they have no one but themselves to blame for their death. (Leviticus 20:27 NAB)
—
You are to keep My statutes. You shall not breed together two kinds of your cattle; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together. (Leviticus 19:19 NAS)
—
Cursed be he who does the Lords work remissly, cursed he who holds back his sword from blood. (Jeremiah 48:10 NAB)
So, unless they are killing their stoner teen sons, and murdering their neighbours who mow their lawns on Sundays, or if you have any religious but non-Christian neighbours (including but not restricted to Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Wiccans, and anyone else who isn’t followers of the Abrahamic God), or is an atheist, or reads palms or Tarot cards or anything like that, or wears cotton/poly blends, then they are remiss in their duties to God, and, as the last quote says, will be cursed by God.
Seriously, there’s like a bajillion things in Leviticus and Deuteronomy especially that demand people to be punished for, most of the time by killing them, that are just as clear as the condemnation against homosexuality. Either enforce them all (or, actually, don’t, because FUCKING MURDER), or keep all of them that apply to you (this is all the generic ‘you’ ) and don’t do anything at all on Sunday and don’t wear blended fabrics and don’t be gay or whatever, and just eff off about anything that applies to how other people are to lead their lives. By all means point out to fellow Christians when they are breaking a commandment; but maybe leave the rest of us to live our lives according to the rules of our religions or country.
One thing, though. i don’t think there’s been enough time for her parents to have heard the message, unless they have an old fashioned answering machine (where you can listen to someone leave a message). If it’s actually Voice Mail, they just saw the caller ID that their daughter called, and they’re calling her back. Or they saw that an armed gunman was on campus, and they’re ringing to make sure she’s ok.
I’m assuming her folks are going to be more ROSS DID WHAT oh no my poor baby are you okay than any kind of lecture, they seem to trust her to be a good person and they were proud of her for standing up for a friend before.
The problem is, if you figure they were worried that Toedad was dangerous, why wouldn’t they have warned Joyce? (Either through a voice mail, or the one time they did talk. Something like “Have you seen Becky? No? Well, if she does go there then warn her that her dad has a gun”.)
Namely, “Oh no, the last thing I need to do is dive into a heated argument with my parents. Might say some stuff I can’t ever take back.”
Joyce is going in guns blazing before the phone call even happens and as such is more likely to say something she “can’t ever take back” without straining the relationship she currently has with her family.
And it can be wildly unpredictable the result with regards to that. Sometimes it gets family to back off for a month or two until they find a new angle, sometimes it leads to disownment, sometimes it resolves after a cooling down period and a conversation, sometimes it helps explain what you’re going through.
Whether or not Joyce’s family decides to go full passive-aggressive here, I have a feeling that whatever results will put some manner of strain on their relationship.
I’ve said this before but a lot depends on just how tall the pedestal is that their community placed Ross.
If he is very well respected, then Joyce could end up ostracised as a ‘liar’ who is supporting an ‘unrepentant sinner’. Even if the TV news shows CCTV stills of Ross waving a gun around, some might claim that the images were taken ‘out of context’ and that they ‘have faith that this good man wouldn’t do such a thing’.
Of course, I may be doing Carol an injustice; she might just be nearly-hysterical in worry at her daughter leaving a message that one of their neighbours has threatened her with a gun.
I have no doubt that the Browns will be more concerned about Joyce than anything else, but between Ross being a desperate Christian father trying to save his daughter’s eternal soul and the passing of his wife, there’s going to be more than one person who tries to justify his actions.
of course, if Ross wasn’t someone thought super well of (not necessarily badly, but ‘just a guy,’ they’ll probably claim that he wasn’t really part of their community.
An aggressive message ending with “Love you, bye.” Honestly, I’d probably do that too. Just because you’re upset, it doesn’t mean you can’t still choose to be respectful.
And on a separate note, just look how badass Joyce is in her (possibly ill-thought out) message rant to her parents, especially in Panels 2 and 3. She is still simmering with rage and grief and loss and righteous anger for all she and Becky have suffered in stress and traumas over the last week and she is pouring her very heart out into that short rant. She wants to make sure her will is a castle wall so as to dissuade even the idea of argument. She even fully commits, going all in on queer rights for her friend.
And it might even work. At least in temporarily delaying the conversation about Becky for another few days or a week or so. After all, Joyce has had previous success following the model of “Jordan” in standing her ground for what she believes is right.
But it’s also dangerous. Religious groups like that often see support for queer rights as being near synonymous with being queer oneself and while Joyce’s parents may actively avoid that interpretation, the rest of her congregation may whisper as more facts come to light and are highlighted by the pastor.
And Joyce may have only a limited amount of Jordans before being abandoned as godless and unsaved or at least treated in the same sort of “yeah, technically he’s part of the family” way as Jordan.
And this might also be the sowing of painful seeds if Jocelyne does manage to find a safe place to feel free coming out as kids who are queer or queer adjacent tend to be blamed for “bringing that evil into this house” if one of the other siblings reveals themselves to be queer or if they show “signs of potential queerness”.
Both of Joyce’s rebellions have been standing up for friends. I would expect her parents to see “big honkin’ deal” as an ill advised but perhaps even admirable stand for a lifelong friend before I would expect them to see a deep stand on queer rights or morality. If, as is likely, they see becky as a daughter figure at all, they are distant enough from her to take her “problem” more calmly than an actual child coming out to them.
In the other universe they took the idea that Joyce was a lesbian pretty well. Of course that was several years and several children down the road and they were wrong so they never had to put their acceptance to the test.
I’ve been there. Sending your parents a big dramatic text message with the utmost of confidance, and then all of a sudden they call back and your like oh shit
Oh dear. It’s Schrödinger’s Phone! The coming conversation exists in states of both positive and uplifting, and terrifying and hurtful. Only way to find out is to answer the phone and collapse the wave function. Good luck, Joyce.
When Joyce’s parents show up, Mike will be appear for another hail satan, but Joyce will beat him to the punch with a “Goddamnit Mike, we don’t have time for your godless cruelty!” and he will pause, nod, then walk away without saying a word.
Doomed? How is it doomed?
She’s one of maybe two people who’ve resorted to physical violence in dealing with him, which he very much enjoys, and she’s becoming more open-minded by the day. She was happy enough to date Ethan, so non-Christians are okay, though it may be a while before she’s ready to date a godless heathen, let alone a prick like Mike. For all we know, though, Mike goes to church every week for reasons known only to him.
He specficially searches out churches that’ll preach fire and brimstone, then absorbs the fear and guilt of the other churchgoers and draws nourishment from it.
She finally grows some balls and then the phone rings… they fall on the floor… roll under the desk and never seen again.
Seriously though: Hope she keeps this attitude. It is about time. She just kept building all of it up when she found out her world was completely wrong.
I’m afraid Joyce is running on fumes at this point. Her rage will probably carry her through this phone call, but she’s about to hit the wall hard when the adrenaline finally peters out. I agree, she’s going to need lots of hugs soon.
If it’s mom, I’m betting on, “Thank the Good God you are safe.” And, since her phone has been off as it ran out of juice, “Why haven’t you called before now? I’ve been calling and worrying….”
Actually, this is a bad moment for Joyce’s parents to call back. Joyce is upset about whatjust and isntisn’t thinkthinking straight. Confirm that she’s unharmed and then talk to her in more detail in the morning when emotions are not running so high.
It’s the end of Joyce’s call that really makes me smile. She does really still love them. Let’s hope that they don’t ruin that by trying to defend the indefensible.
This’ll probably end up being someone else ringing, with Joyce’s mum calling back a bit later on, probably in an awkward moment. I hope not, but this is the feeling I get!
“Joyce! Your brother has suddenly announced that he is a woman and is having something… ‘Sexual Reassignment’ something or another…! Did you know anything about this? And what’s this about Becky and her father? What kind of pit of Babylonish debauchery are you living in there?!?”
I’m getting a horrible premonition that Joyce is going to end up having to walk away from her family, simply because she can’t maintain the integrity of her own ethics and spirituality around them anymore and her parents are unwilling to let matters lie.
I like how much this shows her character. In the last strip, she was dropping d-bombs in front of Sarah rather casually. Now that she has to face her parents – whose judgement she fears – she’s saying “honkin'” and “b-hole”. She’s still willing to stand up for Becky, but her fear is showing.
Oh shit.
ALT:
That is not how I expected the money exchange to go. I expected something n
more like:
Joyce: gimme twenty bucks
Joe: uh, why
Joyce: FUCKING GIVE ME TWENTY DOLLARS DAMMIT
Joe:O.O (hands over wallet)
Joyce: THANK YOU (starts flipping through credit cards)
Poor Joyce. To be so heartbroken at just how awful the world and the people you loved can be, to see how awful so much of what you were taught is, and to know that the fight is not over.
Soooo… Since The Willis has assured us that all of the just-like-in-real-life qualities of Joyce derive from Joyce actually being The Willis Himself, what does this tell us about his youth? He had a friend who turned out gay and then was hunted down by his mother with a gun?
My mother used to chase me with a knife, and I wasn’t even gay.
I never let her catch up to me, so it never made the news or anything. So when someone comes along and disbelieves that my childhood was that bad, “oh come on, that sort of thing only happens in stories!” I have no proof to show them how wrong they are. Only my unending contempt, that they literally cannot believe in the truth of something that doesn’t fit into their view of what the world should be.
that sucks, both your experiences with your mom and how no one respects your feelings about your mom today. that’s legitimate way to feel, so i hope you don’t get pressured by “make amends” or something.
On one hand, the fact that something so unbelievable happens to people like anna all-the-damn-time means the non-believers are NOT CRAZY for thinking that kind of shit SHOULD NOT HAPPEN.
On the other hand, calling people liars is rude, especially friends who have literally nothing to gain from lying (if they were, which they aren’t).
I believe you. My great grandmother used to chase down her kids and spank them with the flat of a dull butcher knife when they misbehaved. its not as uncommon a practice as one would think apparently.
Well, The Willis purportedly hails from the same town as Belle Gunness who had been more successful catching up with her children and scores of suitors than your mother had been. It was the talk of the town when my grandma grew up there, and she was pissed at the town history museum sporting an aisle with the details. Because it didn’t fit into her view of what at least her little town should be.
don’t pick up that phone! the call is coming from…. inside your dorm!!
seriously, don’t answer the phone. Joyce feels all confident now, but 5 seconds on the phone with family and she will forget all the really good defenses of Becky she thought up. it’ll be easier to talk to family after Joyce has had sleep and the parents have calmed down…. of course she’s going to answer the phone. this is a comic. unless there’s a dramatically better timing for the call, it’ll happen now.
“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were: any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the BBBZZZZZTT tolls; it tolls for thee.”
—John Donne, Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII (paraphrased)
Been reading this comic for a long time, and Shortpacked! before it, and I think this may be the first time I’ve ever felt compelled to comment. Joyce’s statement in panel 3 actually made tears well up in my eyes.
No one will hurt Becky. No one. I will fight them. I will.
Ouch. I have very little in common with Joyce, but this, I can really empathize with. That feeling when you’re about to send someone a message, and you know it’s probably gonna get unpleasant, but you have to send it or you won’t be true to yourself, and after much deliberation and with a knot in your stomach, you finally muster the willpower to send the message, and then you breathe a sigh of relief as you think to yourself “OH FUCK WHAT THE HELL HAVE I DONE?!”
There’s a word for it in German, but it seems to trip the spam filter.
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Only good things can come of this!
I bet her hometown will throw her a parade! give her a key to the city! etc!
Let her choose which chapter of the science textbook they remove this year…
Kimmy Schmidt FTW
Your comment just made me wish there was a thumbs-up system here XD
We’ve got a preview panel with Joyce’s dad. Maybe they’re takin’ Joyce back home.
Your idea of good things might not match anyone else’s.
“Did my sarcasm not come through??”
– dude who doesn’t understand sarcasm
“Is sarcasm yummy?”
I believe it tastes very salty.
Win.
Oh yeah, sacrasm tastes grrrreaat.
The Doctor does tend to get excited when others get terrified, yes.
I’m getting a little scared again. Things could easily backfire, just the same as they could go smoother than we imagine. Certainly, based on their reaction to Dorothy, they can’t be too happy, but perhaps they love Joyce enough and hearing about that whole incident (their daughter and her best friend’s lives in danger!) will have them understanding why Joyce is reacting like that — effectively excusing her for acting “sinfully”.
…I really hope this goes well but I don’t see it happening. Joyce you’re becoming rash, what if they take you out of college!
Afterthought: Maybe Jocelyne got to the phone first, hears the message, maybe deletes it so their parents don’t get to hear it? Another afterthought: This person calling could very likely not be her family at all and we’ll have to wait another week or more to know what’ll happen! (Read: PLEASE DON’T DO THAT TO US WILLIS)
*Joyce answers mobile* “Hello?”
“Hi, I’m from XXXXXXXX Telco, and we’re having a special on long distance—……………..I’m sor-……………Ma’am, please stop swearing at me…………..”
*Line goes dead…*
Jocelyn doesn’t live at the family home anymore.
Oh right… He’s in college too? Graduated? I don’t recall.
Graduated from this very same college, and still closeted except in her writing.
Joyce’s and Becky’s life would not have been in danger if Becky had just obeyed like a good Christian daughter, followed her father and stopped succumbing to her unholy desires.
So there is no real reason for Joyce’s parents to blame Ross rather than Joyce and Becky. And naturally they cannot consider it a good idea if Joyce keeps the company of a sinner trying to undermine parental authority.
Please tell me that’s sarcasm. Because if it isn’t, you have the wrong Grav.
Seconded.
Please please please sarcasm. Also yes, wrong grav for sure.
Apparently the sarcasm tag doesn’t work with this commenting system.
I doubt it’s sarcasm, more likely it’s insight into what the Browns might think.
Congratulations! You’ve just won an all-expenses paid cruise vacation!
Press 2 for more information.
“Wow! Free boat ride for three! Now, who should I take?
Dorothy! Aaaaaand… T-Pain.”
Never have I wanted a “like” function more than at this moment.
I’M ON A BOAT YALL DAMN MOTHERHUGGERS
I wonder how many scholarship/how much financial aid Joyce has. her parents can’t really pull her out of school if she refuses to go (I’m assuming she’s 18), but they can cut off any money they’re giving her.
Sarah could probably help her apply for stuff, if Joyce gets cut off by her parents and doesn’t have any other financial safety net. It honestly wouldn’t hurt to hit up fafsa anyway just for some extra dough, tho.
unfortunately part of fafsa is calculated based of your parents income its a pain in the ass to get fiscally unhitched from them even if you are over 18.
To be fair, they are her parents, so its entirely plausible that they’re response is going to be ‘OMG he pointed a gun in your face are you okay?’ and not much care for the other things she said.
TOMORROW:
“oh, I seem to have like fifty Angry Birds notifications”
October 2010, when this strip takes place, is also when Angry Birds was at the height of its popularity.
Ten points for Willis for continuity.
This doesn’t take place in any specific year, because it’s comic book time. Also I’m not seeing where the comic references Angry Birds.
While this comic does not take place specifically in October 2010, there is a specific reference to Angry Birds being on Joyce’s phone, shortly after Becky arrived:
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-5/01-when-somebody-loved-me/sarcasm/
I meant with this particular strip.
This strip does not take place in October 2010.
See #7 in the “Read before Posting FAQ” linked up above in the site menu for a longer answer.
Willis, you’ve got me feelin’ some type of way.
That’s not an arm brace. Joyce decided to get bio augmented.
Such acts against nature are common in the grim Indiana University of 20XX.
In the grim drama of the future there is only drama.
WarHoosier 40xxx.
Is that a porn shot at Indiana State U?
(Because I’m assuming if it were science fiction, it would be WarHoosier 40K)
Joyce with that B.O.N.E.R technology.
Such are the things one has to do to play melee in the year 20XX
I approve that message! hehe
It certainly defined the parameters of future conversation precisely.
Wow her mom responds fast
Are you sure it’s her mom? This might be a whole new rollercoaster about to start.
If, say, Joyce’s mom were busy yelling at Jocelyn for coming out, she might not answer her phone.
I can think of half a dozen reasons that’s an unlikely scenario, but it could happen.
Oh jeez, now I’m picturing it. You know I was just thinkin’ how Joyce could really use some more personal turmoil in her life right now.
Post the attempted rape, Joyce seems to have been out of contact for a while, or at least not going into much detail. I have no doubt that Hank and Carol have been waiting for her to call.
Well, I’m certain her mom will respect her resolve.
SHOTS FIRED
…and…returned
Across the bow.
its about damn time.
oooh this is gonna be awkwaaaard
“A B-hole? Joyce honey, he pointed a gun at you. He’s at the very least an A-hole”
C-Hold and D-Hold work as well. I’m sure other letters would too.
Maybe she can have her cake and eat it too by just calling him an S-Hole.
Or may he’s… And F-hole? https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Doublebass_fhole.jpg/220px-Doublebass_fhole.jpg
So would we end up going through the whole alphabet? Y-Hole? Z-Hole?
Only one alphabet? Whip out the ancient Greek! He is the Alpha-Hole and the Omega-Hole!
Man, what even is a sigma-hole
Or a Kappa-Hole.
§-hole
(we refer to that as “squiggle”, so… squiggle-hole?)
Thought those were members of a certain frat.
Obviously a kappa-hole is a hole in the water source where kappa live
ñ-hole.
I thought kappa-hole was a greek-polynesian dancer.
He’s a pi-hole who should shut his pie-hole.
Non need for that many. 2 holes is enough to escape virtually any threat.
http://www.nuklearpower.com/2009/06/16/episode-1141-how-deep-does-the-a-hole-go/
I’ve known E-holes, though that’s more specific. F-hole is pretty-self-evident. I can’t think of anything for G through I. J-hole is a reach; K-hole is a drug stupor, not a person.
And I’m stopping there, because now Big Bird is Feynmaning at me in my head.
A G-hole would probably be either the D-hole or the V-hole, depending on the individual’s anatomical details.
He’s an B-face A-hole and the next time air see him I’ll kick him right in the Dong ! excuse my language I mean D.
Joyce, if Mr. MacIntyre pointed a gun at you, he will have had good reason: he is a devout Christian and father. We need you to stop interfering with his family matters.
I’ll take that as a no, this isn’t sarcasm. There is exactly one excuse for pointing a gun at anyone, and that’s self-defense. Since neither Joyce nor Becky had a gun or any other weapon, and were cowering in fear besides, Ross Babies McIntyre has no recourse.
I read it as satire, like, this is what Joyce’s crazy folks might say, not what the poster actually thinks.
I still think that Joyce’s parents are gonna be basically against threatening the lives of their kids! If I was Joyce, though, I wouldn’t go home til I verified that.
You wouldn’t if you read his other comment, higher up the ladder.
Actually, yeah, you would.
Chances the reason they aren’t answering you directly is because trolling is a bit more entertaining than explaining. Especially when explaining would be done every few minutes for those that only see part of the conversation.
Well, now that the next comics are up you’ll see that this my text turned out pretty close to Carol’s actual reaction. Does that mean DW has been trolling or writing satire when he uploaded this comic months ago?
Is Rodolfo Daluisio trolling or satirizing when he plays a Bach Fantasia on a Bandonion, an old cheap German folk instrument?
Some cheap shots cost more than one wants to imagine.
Oh well that was direct.
My thoughts exactly.
“Oh, hey ma! Just ignore that message.”
Or, like happens more often, they saw she’d called and called right back without listening to the message. So she’ll have to do it again, directly to them.
That was my thought.
No rest for the unwicked.
“Name the time and the place, bongo…Oh and I Love you too sweetie”
Yep the sensor is still there…..or did you both that on purpose.
I’ve started typing Bongo deliberately. I just pretend I’m talking about Bongo the Bear from the first half of Disney’s Fun and Fancy Free. That way it’s still an insult.
Boo, hiss, you suck, Bongo! Fast forward to Mickey and the Beanstalk!
Me too. You can’t censor me!
You might need to see this: https://twitter.com/tailsy/status/667924407818416129
Careful, this is how “weaboo” started.
My thumb really itches. I just have this terrible plipping thumbongo!
Just spell it “biatch”.
spell it with a y so it sounds the same.
I’m not a Lobo fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I find “bastich” to be remarkably useful.
What about ‘biz-atch’?
You mean like Bob Bastiche, Lobo’s first employer?
“Johnny Dangerously” had the bad guy saying things like: Fargin’ ice-hole, and bastiches.
I’m not sure purposely avoiding the filter that way would end well.
Yeah, we’d probably end up with a lot of “boangoes” and “bynoges”.
Love to see the combative spirit in Joyce. I hope it lasts, because right now, I feel like it’s the only thing keeping her from breaking apart.
I love to see it *on* her! Angry Joyce = Sexy Joyce
Not sure why, but I find none of the DoA cast attractive beyond aesthetics.
I do like Angry Joyce, just not lustfully.
Not even Marcie??
You are a horrible person =(
(j/k idgaf what other people’s fetishes are)
Well, they are cartoons.
That’s, uh, kinda creepy. “You’re hot when you’re in emotional distress!”
Not Distressed Joyce. Angry Joyce.
…you do understand that anger IS emotional distress, riiiiight?
Three words: Ruth and Billie.
I want to see it last even longer. Righteous anger battling the injustices in the world.
oof, that’s a quick response. Stay honkin’ strong!
Yay! …right? like this is pretty good, right? And Joyce doesn’t seem traumatized, just mad, which she should be? Yaaaaayyy
Her repressed rage is starting to leak out. Possibly at misdirected targets.
Ready, shoot, aim
Scream, aim, fire.
Heh, I love how she didn’t know how to end the angry voice mail.
I miss the olde days of yonder when you left a message on the answering machine and could slam the phone down to hang up. Long before the days of delicate cellular phones with cameras and star trek glass. When things were built for punishment and wouldn’t break if it fell to the ground from the 2nd floor.
Flip phones can be slammed shut to hang up in a satisfying manner.
Sadly, there isn’t much else you can do with them. But at least the battery lasts forever and if I drop it, I just have to put the battery cover back on again.
I miss the old days of leaving a rambling message on my dad’s answering machine so he’d have time to hear it was me calling because they never answer the phone (bankruptcy and collectors will do that to your phone answering habits). He and my stepmother recently changed their landline to a cellphone and now I might as well be shouting into the void when I try to reach them.
And yet somehow I’M the one who’s hard to reach just because I work the night shift. At least I check my messages when I get them instead of waiting for the box to get full.
Speaking as a former night shift worker: that rep for being “hard-to-reach” never goes away, not even when you schedule has matched theirs for years. The human brain is weird; family brains doubly so.
Are you sure she didn’t know how? I thought she nailed it, and meant it just as much as the angry parts.
Well she did stutter the “Love you” part like she wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to say that after what she just said.
Okay, remember people. Sometimes things go pleasantly in this comic! Joyce’s mom could just be calling to be supportive and condemn Becky’s dad!
…Are you sure you commented on the correct website/webcomic?
Let’s be honest with ourselves. If she’s any kind of real mom her first response is gonna be.
“OH GOD. IS MY LITTLE BABY OK? TELL MOMMY ALL ABOUT. OH GOD NO.”
Becky’s dad’s present condition would be a mere after thought.
Ideally.
But that’s the thing, isn’t it? Some moms are bad. I’m hoping Joyce’s mom goes for the human reaction, but, well, she’s part of a group that’s essentially the antithesis of that.
Joyce left the message knowing who her mother is as only a daughter can, and knowing in what order to give the news, so I’m not hopeful.
Regardless of the time she’s had to cool down, even thinking about what happened is bound to stir up Joyce’s emotions enough to make that kind of calculated argument tricky.
Yeah, but even if she IS that kind of bad mom, “He pointed a gun at my little girl” is hard for any decent parent to overlook.
Ha ha no. My parents are in the 99th percentile as far as parents go, and their immediate response to learning this would be to ask what I had done to him and why can’t I be more careful who I pick as associates. I find it a bit irritating, but knowing that I am always to blame for anything unpleasant that happens to me has made me a more responsible person.
I mean. Even if Joyce’s mom isn’t, Joyce has six older siblings. she has places to go if her parents are crap, you know?
Hahahahahahahahaha nope! Joyce’s mom’s first priority is going to be “you keep Becky there, Joyce, the pastor is really worried about her. All of us are really worried about her. We’re going to come get her.” And then it’s time to come take her back to the fold! Back to the loving arms of the church community!
I mean, can’t take her back to her dad, he’s going to jail (but we’re praying for him and we’ll basically enact his wishes by proxy).
Yeah, I wouldn’t discount the rollercoaster starting again.
If she has even a shred of mothering instinct in her body she’ll fixate on the gun and worry about the rest later. Not that I expect her to let the rest off the hook entirely.
I’m hoping her mom hones in on the gun pointed at her daughter’s face rather than anything else because HOT DAMN IS THAT NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO HEAR IN YOUR VOICEMAIL but I suspect we have a guilt-trip rollin’ into the station
That would be the point where Joyce gets to say something along the lines of, “You know how you say you love me? You can prove yourself a liar, RIGHT NOW, by making this not about a man pointing a gun at your daughter’s face.”
I’d try that one (well, not that exactly, but the same idea) on my mother if it was possible to actually get out that many consecutive words.
Getting the words out is easy. Making them audible over the other words isn’t, though theater helps with PROJECTING.
“we knew it was a mistake to let you enroll here, it’s too dangerous.
Hank, Carol, Jocelyne, and probably John and Jordan ALL went to IU. Face it, there was no way Joyce was going anywhere else.
Unleash Joyce’s inner rottweiler! I like it a lot.
“That’s fine, sweetie. Now be sure to wear your jacket; it’s getting colder.”
Quick, someone go get Mike to yell “Hail Satan” again!
So her dad is in that future panel because they’re pulling Joyce outta school yeah?
I need to believe it’s because she’s going with Becky or in her stead to get her stuff so she can move into IU.
Oh, yeah… and, Becky’s stuff was probably boxed-up at Anderson, after she left. (or it is still in her dorm, since she’s only been gone about 20 minutes)
If Joyce is over 18 they probably can’t for this semester at least. On the other hand depending on how her student fees are being paid for they could cut off her funds, forcing her to quit at semester end.
She could take out a student loan possibly.
Or to talk to Joyce about how to convince her mother to let her stay next semester.
meta/
Of –course– they’re taking her out of school. Willis is really tired of ‘a college webcomic’ and wants to branch out. This is his chance to dump the old cast and start over with a new one.
/meta
What if the mom is dead. That’s why the dad is in the future panel.
You never get to have the last word in a fight with your mother… Never. And even if you win the argument, she’ll bring your father into it too.
I believe we’ve seen how Joyce deals with fathers.
Never?
Ahem.
row row fight your mother!
instant punishment in the form of more angry insane parents? oh no.
I give you my affection and I give you my time/Just to get a connection on the Telephone line…
Whoa, Nellie….This may not end well. I wonder if it’s her dad because her mom has fainted dead away.
“My baby girl, she said, ‘b-word’! And ‘honkin’! To her own mother!!”
*swoons*
If that’s her mom, why didn’t she pick up the phone? And if it’s not, that’s gonna be torture waiting, for her and for us…
DARN YOU WILLIS!
Generally, phones only ring four or five times before they go to voicemail.
This could get ugly.
bright side is Sara doesn’t haft to worry about forcing herself to tell on a nother roommate.
I bet Sarah is hiding under her blanket right now, desperately not wanting to be part of the situation but not wanting to leave Joyce alone
I think Sarah may have just sent that text. I could be wrong. But I don’t think Joyce’s mom could have heard the message and texted back so fast.
Texted? No. Called? Yes.
That’s not a silver lining you see. Some clouds just have aluminum foil.
Ooh, are they baking cookies? O_O
For a second in the second and third panels I thought Joyce was wearing short sleeved shirts over long sleeved shirts and had finally become Truly Cool
Whaaaaaaat? Really? Cuz the boss forces us to do that, when we want some layers for warmth, to let the logos on the uniform shirt stay visible, I guess. So MegaCorp is actually making the minions cool like that? Awesome.
Wasn’t that the 90’s?
Only Mike still does that.
And Joyce is now in the building.
Too long I’ve been afraid of losing love I guess I’ve lost! Well if that’s love, it comes at much too high a cost!
And now we get to learn a bit more about just how open minded THIS version of Joyce’s parents are…Best of luck, Joyce. One way or another, you’re gonna need it.
Well they tried to make her stop talking to Dorothy. But they eventually backed off of that so who knows? Could go either way at this point
I can’t imagine it will go well with Joyce’s mother. Her dad was the one that really backed off at that confrontation at the fountain. Her mother didn’t seem too happy at it. I imagine she’s the more fundamental one in the marriage, which is why I’m happy preview panels Willis has posted has Joyce’s father present.
*clap clap clap* Perfect! And all it took was someone ton literally point a gun at her head.
Yes, Joyce, go ahead and tell your mother that Becky is staying with you. That hopefully won’t end badly. (Seriously, I’m a little worried her mom will call the Dean or something.)
Ah regret, my old frenemy.
Joyce, did you really think you could leave a message like that and not get an immediate response? Even if your parents aren’t pissed about the lies….YOU JUST TOLD THEM SOMEONE TRIED TO SHOOT YOU! OF COURSE THEY’RE GONNA CALL BACK!!
They could have been away from the phone. That does happen.
With so many of her beliefs challenged, with so much that she grew up surrounded by proved rotten, Joyce’s core is solid.
Is it just me, or does Joyce look a little… surprised in that last panel? Almost like she’s getting a call from someone she wasn’t expecting (i.e. not her mom).
getting a call from her mom the second she ended the message wouldnt be something she expected either
Thing is, its not easy to say exactly how long it was between Joyce calling and her phone ringing back, since we can’t tell exactly how long has elapsed in between the panels.
I agree that she looks surprised. I frequently leave messages for people who call me back 30 seconds later, apologizing that they couldn’t answer because they were in the bathroom or something, so I don’t think it would be surprising if her mom called her back that quickly. So I also read it as, it’s a call from someone she did not expect to be hearing from right now.
Okay, so, I don’t remember much about Joyce’s mom. I know we have some reason to believe that she might react poorly to Joyce’s rebellion, but do we have any particular reason to think she won’t be protective of her daughter? I’ve know some VERY Christian women who have essentially said “screw y’all” when their kids when in trouble, I’m still sort of holding out hope this happens with Joyce’s mom.
Here are all the strips with Joyce’s mom: http://www.dumbingofage.com/tag/carol/
Of course, it depends on how you define being “protective of her daughter”.
After all, in his own deluded way, Toedad may have thought he was being protective as well, assuming that his actions were necessary to somehow protect her from evil.
Toedad was totally protecting his daughter. Dude, he was protecting her from SATAN. There ain’t nothin’ bigger than that. Plus, he was protecting her virtue. How can she fulfill her holy destiny to stand beside a godly man and have Christian babies, if some godless lesbian steals away her virginity?
…And now that I’ve made you throw up in your mouth a little, let’s consider the absolute truth of the above, and abolish once and for all the idea that “being protective” of someone else is in any way healthy or good.
“is in any way healthy or good”
Well, okay, the example you gave is legitimate; but also protective parents look after their young kids and try to keep them safe as well. If we didn’t do that, as a species, we’d have far, far higher infant mortality rates. “Being protective” also encompasses everything from dealing with bullies to keeping little kids away from boiling pots on the stove.
But I think we can agree that the kid’s well-being should be considered in there. Mind you, that’s what Toe-dad thought he was doing as well. *sigh* Can we at least agree that, while generally, protecting one’s kids is good, some people get it horribly, horribly wrong?
Maybe the issue is when one legitimately tries to protect them from imaginary bogey-men, especially if you legitimately believe that it’s at the command of another imaginary figure, and (and this part may be key) no other harm, legal nor illegal, is being done to the person. The moreso if they’re legally an adult and don’t want you interfering in their life, fuck you, Toe-dad.
Carol (Joyce’s mom) seemed the more knee-jerk Fundamentalist of the two, when we saw them before (Hank does not get a pass for using the passive-aggressive-group-prayer thing on Joyce, but he wasn’t the one to launch off in angry ‘those people’ rhetoric).
She did at least relent over Joyce’s defence of Dorothy in the end, with Hank’s prompting – though meta-knowledge prevents me from imagining there’ll be a clean resolution to the situation.
I can kinda see her mom being totally in denial and just… “What are you doing up at this hour, young lady?! I knew them college heathens would be a bad influence on you!”.
But eeh, naw. Carol’s not that bad. I think.
Wow she really needed to take it out.
I would have already thrown the phone and ran before it could even ring. You go, Joyce.
So should we move to classify Joyce and neutral good now?
I think she’s been on the neutral good path for quite a while now.
I do wonder what the commenters would label themselves as. I’m chaotic good.
Either True Neutral or Overdramatic Evil for me.
Probably Neutral Good for me, but with some Chaotic tendencies. Like the time I walked into a coffee shop with a guitar and played Happy Birthday for a friend.
Neutral Evil.
I like to think of myself as Chaotic Neutral, but actually I’m Chaotic Good, leaning towards Lawful Good (although not to the extent of always doing the legal thing even if it’s not the right thing; I try to always do the right thing, ideally without breaking the law, but it depends on the situation. Some people just need to accidentally fall down the stairs a few times before the police are called in).
Neutral Good, with a splash of Chaotic Neutral whimsy.
Asshole good.
I am definitely a flavor of neutral.
I do try to do the right thing.
Sometimes I do the random thing.
Sometimes in doing the right thing, I fuck up and do the wrong thing.
Lawful Good only requires you to respect legitimate authority.
Joyce has been given a lot of cause to question authority’s legitimacy lately.
ANNNND a heavy dose of victim-blaming coming from her mom in 3… 2…
Joyce’s parents are excessively narrow-minded but not evil or insane like some of the other parents we’ve seen in the strip. I expect arguments to come of this, but not existential threats like Toedad posed to Becky.
Actually, do you think it’s not that she’s getting an immediate call back, but because her phone’s been dead all night she’s finally getting a ton of texts?
No, I think she’s borrowing Sarah’s (see last strip).
I think she’s using Sarah’s charger, not her phone.
Look, I’m totally on Joyce’s side in all this, but the biblical condemnation of homosexuality is extremely clear. How can she reconcile her personal feelings with that she considers to be the revealed word of God?
I mean, there’s at least a handful of passages that maybe condemn gay people if you squint a bit and ignore what they say as well as disregarding commonly known facts and one’s own God-given ability to reason.
At least.
shes already gone and looked up alternate translations and determined that the bible condemning gay people is not as explicit as she previously thought
Yeah, but the statements in Leviticus 18:22 and Lev. 20:13 are explicit and unambiguous. Joyce had to disparage the entire Old Testament and say that it doesn’t count any more to make out the homosexuality is maybe okay according to the Bible.
Paul told Christians straight-out to ignore the Old Testament.
Jesus said outright that he had not come to change the old law:
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18″For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.…” Matthew 5
I think a Christian could reasonably debate with themselves on the subject of whether or not to honor the old laws.
Sure, unless they completely forgot to read the book of Hebrews or something. Jesus himself reduced the old laws into basically two laws.
Even the passage you quote is essentially him going “Yeah, but you don’t need the old laws, because I fulfilled them all. So don’t think of them as being abolished.”
I mean, there’s been enough study done on the laws and how which ones aren’t used and which are that unless we got a real specific branch of Christianity these characters are, we won’t know what they feel about OT laws and NT laws.
Needless to say, Becky and Joyce can be both Christian and Gay and an Ally.
From Matthew, chapter 5:
5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
In Rom. 7:6, yes. But Jesus said the opposite in Matthew 5:17–20.
You really don’t, because the Old Testament – and indeed all of Scripture – requires a great deal of thought to apply to one’s life, and some parts of it are, quite frankly – and this is coming from me, a fairly devout Christian – evil. If one were to take the Hebrew Scriptures as required to be followed in their entirety, one would end up committing all kinds of evil – Becky’s father would be required not to bring her home but to stone her to death, Joyce herself would be banned from worship during her period, things like that.
No one – not even the most fundamentalist of Church of Christers – follows the entirety of the Law, nor do they believe the entirety of the Law must be followed. Discernment is a thing, and it’s absolutely required of Christians.
Even with Leviticus, there are ambiguities – the simple fact of the matter is that there are tons of laws in Leviticus that Christians don’t follow. Christians who believe Homosexuality isn’t a sin often quote the passage from Hebrews 8:13: “By Calling this covenant ‘New’, he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and raging will soon disappear.”as evidence that we are no longer bound by Levitical law.
Personally, while I believe the Bible is God’s message for humanity, it’s a message that has been written down, translated, and interpreted by flawed humans with their own biases. I think the value of that message still comes through the text, but problems and contradictions are an inevitable part of the Church, because the Church is made up of flawed humans.
Basically, I can reconcile my faith with my politics because I don’t think you need to interpret the bible literally to take it seriously. I don’t think that’ll be Joyce’s story, I suspect hers will be one of losing faith, as she is at least in part an autobiographical character for Willis, who is now an atheist. Still, I’m interested to see where the comic’s narrative takes her.
Those two passages (Leviticus 18:22 and Lev. 20:13) seem to refer only to men. A woman lying with a woman doesn’t seem to be prohibited. I wonder what Joyce’s Mom would say if that were used in any upcoming arguments?
I think there’s some verse in Romans that says being a lesbian is a bad thing. Joyce references it when Mary asks her about it I think. I don’t know the exact verse though.
Also Joyce’s mom would say only the New Testament matters and that homosexuality is forbidden there still.
Romans 1:26-27. There is a discussion here.
Thanks for the link!
It’s not like the entire book is a crappy translation of specific chapters done to appeal to the tastes of some silly king, right? While disregarding tons of other material?
Let’s be honest, they’re more like guidelines.
I always wondered how people can apply such seriousness and authority to a book that has versions.
Actually the translators of the King James version of the Bible didn’t make significant cuts: the Apocrypha were included in 1611 printings of the KJV.
There was heavy filtering of sacred scriptures in the 4th Century, culminating in the Council of Carthage in 397. (And there were a lot of political shenanigans at Carthage and at the preceding Synod of Hippo (393)). But from then on until the Reformation changes to the canon of the Bible were mostly additions, e.g. the gradual acceptance of the Revelation of St John. It was not until Luther that people started cutting books out, and then, as I said, the KJV originally included the deuterocanon (Apocrypha).
The translators also relied heavily on the William Tyndale translation for the King James version. There’s more on Tyndale here http://www.william-tyndale.com/
Was that where Santa punched a guy in the face?
I remember a history book saying that Saint Nick punched a guy in the face.
She was doing so in this comic. http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/02-threes-a-crowd/applicable/
She tried to find alternative readings, but ultimately she realized that Becky was more important than what the bible told her. If the bible says homosexuality is wrong, and Becky is gay, then the bible has to be wrong and that’s that.
Joyce is a devout Christian but she’s realizing that some parts of the bible can’t be followed anymore.
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 King James Version:
18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
—
The LORD then gave these further instructions to Moses: ‘Tell the people of Israel to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you forever. It helps you to remember that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. Yes, keep the Sabbath day, for it is holy. Anyone who desecrates it must die; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. Work six days only, but the seventh day must be a day of total rest. I repeat: Because the LORD considers it a holy day, anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death.’ (Exodus 31:12-15 NLT)
—
Suppose a man or woman among you, in one of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, has done evil in the sight of the LORD your God and has violated the covenant by serving other gods or by worshiping the sun, the moon, or any of the forces of heaven, which I have strictly forbidden. When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then that man or woman must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. (Deuteronomy 17:2-5 NLT)
—
They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB)
—
A man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortuneteller shall be put to death by stoning; they have no one but themselves to blame for their death. (Leviticus 20:27 NAB)
—
You are to keep My statutes. You shall not
breed together two kinds of your cattle; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, norwear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together. (Leviticus 19:19 NAS)—
Cursed be he who does the Lords work remissly, cursed he who holds back his sword from blood. (Jeremiah 48:10 NAB)
So, unless they are killing their stoner teen sons, and murdering their neighbours who mow their lawns on Sundays, or if you have any religious but non-Christian neighbours (including but not restricted to Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Wiccans, and anyone else who isn’t followers of the Abrahamic God), or is an atheist, or reads palms or Tarot cards or anything like that, or wears cotton/poly blends, then they are remiss in their duties to God, and, as the last quote says, will be cursed by God.
Seriously, there’s like a bajillion things in Leviticus and Deuteronomy especially that demand people to be punished for, most of the time by killing them, that are just as clear as the condemnation against homosexuality. Either enforce them all (or, actually, don’t, because FUCKING MURDER), or keep all of them that apply to you (this is all the generic ‘you’
) and don’t do anything at all on Sunday and don’t wear blended fabrics and don’t be gay or whatever, and just eff off about anything that applies to how other people are to lead their lives. By all means point out to fellow Christians when they are breaking a commandment; but maybe leave the rest of us to live our lives according to the rules of our religions or country.
Also, Proposition 8: The Musical (don’t worry, it’s only like three minutes long).
Sorry, but I’m gonna keep my bacon wrapped shellfish. (And my cotton-poly blends)
Oo! Angels on horseback!
*Joyce soon realizes that she’d rather have Toe-dad’s gun in her face again instead of answering her mom’s call*
Sadly, punching a phone solves little.
One thing, though. i don’t think there’s been enough time for her parents to have heard the message, unless they have an old fashioned answering machine (where you can listen to someone leave a message). If it’s actually Voice Mail, they just saw the caller ID that their daughter called, and they’re calling her back. Or they saw that an armed gunman was on campus, and they’re ringing to make sure she’s ok.
how do you figure? We don’t know how much time passes between panels.
And she is about to be alienated in 5… 4… 3… 2…
I’m assuming her folks are going to be more ROSS DID WHAT oh no my poor baby are you okay than any kind of lecture, they seem to trust her to be a good person and they were proud of her for standing up for a friend before.
Honestly I’ve been wondering if they’ve been blowing up her phone because they knew Toedad was en route and were worried about his temper.
The problem is, if you figure they were worried that Toedad was dangerous, why wouldn’t they have warned Joyce? (Either through a voice mail, or the one time they did talk. Something like “Have you seen Becky? No? Well, if she does go there then warn her that her dad has a gun”.)
And for a blessed moment, however brief, Joyce completely ran out of fucks to give.
And it was good.
And suddenly we get a bit of foreshadowing with Jocelyne’s words back in the parent’s weekend arc:
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/heated/
Namely, “Oh no, the last thing I need to do is dive into a heated argument with my parents. Might say some stuff I can’t ever take back.”
Joyce is going in guns blazing before the phone call even happens and as such is more likely to say something she “can’t ever take back” without straining the relationship she currently has with her family.
And it can be wildly unpredictable the result with regards to that. Sometimes it gets family to back off for a month or two until they find a new angle, sometimes it leads to disownment, sometimes it resolves after a cooling down period and a conversation, sometimes it helps explain what you’re going through.
Whether or not Joyce’s family decides to go full passive-aggressive here, I have a feeling that whatever results will put some manner of strain on their relationship.
I’ve said this before but a lot depends on just how tall the pedestal is that their community placed Ross.
If he is very well respected, then Joyce could end up ostracised as a ‘liar’ who is supporting an ‘unrepentant sinner’. Even if the TV news shows CCTV stills of Ross waving a gun around, some might claim that the images were taken ‘out of context’ and that they ‘have faith that this good man wouldn’t do such a thing’.
Of course, I may be doing Carol an injustice; she might just be nearly-hysterical in worry at her daughter leaving a message that one of their neighbours has threatened her with a gun.
I have no doubt that the Browns will be more concerned about Joyce than anything else, but between Ross being a desperate Christian father trying to save his daughter’s eternal soul and the passing of his wife, there’s going to be more than one person who tries to justify his actions.
of course, if Ross wasn’t someone thought super well of (not necessarily badly, but ‘just a guy,’ they’ll probably claim that he wasn’t really part of their community.
from uncertainty to mad to “Ahhh… crapbaskets”
I love Joyce’s face here. She is so fed up.
I was thinking the same thing. Seven panels, six different expressions. Great drawing!
Damn. Go Joyce.
An aggressive message ending with “Love you, bye.” Honestly, I’d probably do that too. Just because you’re upset, it doesn’t mean you can’t still choose to be respectful.
Joyce just had her best friend’s dad point a gun at her face.
She is allowed to be bit cranky.
Wait, that was what you were saying.
My bad.
That’s one of the most badass things Joyce has done.
If her mom isn’t terrified about the gun thing, first and foremost, then my heart will break.
I have the same view.
My guess is that your heart may be a bit breaky.
And on a separate note, just look how badass Joyce is in her (possibly ill-thought out) message rant to her parents, especially in Panels 2 and 3. She is still simmering with rage and grief and loss and righteous anger for all she and Becky have suffered in stress and traumas over the last week and she is pouring her very heart out into that short rant. She wants to make sure her will is a castle wall so as to dissuade even the idea of argument. She even fully commits, going all in on queer rights for her friend.
And it might even work. At least in temporarily delaying the conversation about Becky for another few days or a week or so. After all, Joyce has had previous success following the model of “Jordan” in standing her ground for what she believes is right.
But it’s also dangerous. Religious groups like that often see support for queer rights as being near synonymous with being queer oneself and while Joyce’s parents may actively avoid that interpretation, the rest of her congregation may whisper as more facts come to light and are highlighted by the pastor.
And Joyce may have only a limited amount of Jordans before being abandoned as godless and unsaved or at least treated in the same sort of “yeah, technically he’s part of the family” way as Jordan.
And this might also be the sowing of painful seeds if Jocelyne does manage to find a safe place to feel free coming out as kids who are queer or queer adjacent tend to be blamed for “bringing that evil into this house” if one of the other siblings reveals themselves to be queer or if they show “signs of potential queerness”.
“…signs of potential queerness.”
I can’t even muster indignant rage right now. That xenophobia is just saddening.
Both of Joyce’s rebellions have been standing up for friends. I would expect her parents to see “big honkin’ deal” as an ill advised but perhaps even admirable stand for a lifelong friend before I would expect them to see a deep stand on queer rights or morality. If, as is likely, they see becky as a daughter figure at all, they are distant enough from her to take her “problem” more calmly than an actual child coming out to them.
I think her father might see it that way. Key word, MIGHT. I think her mother will not.
maybe they will focus more on Joyce breaking two commandments (Lying and Not Honoring her dad/mom) rather than the gay friend’s bad influence?
In the other universe they took the idea that Joyce was a lesbian pretty well. Of course that was several years and several children down the road and they were wrong so they never had to put their acceptance to the test.
IIRC, I think Willis stated a while back that all of the Brown kids came out at some point.
I’ve been there. Sending your parents a big dramatic text message with the utmost of confidance, and then all of a sudden they call back and your like oh shit
I legitimately don’t know how this phone conversation is going to go down.
I’m thinking the communication will go something like this:
“Thank goodness you’re okay, Joyce!
What voice mail?”
Oh dear. It’s Schrödinger’s Phone! The coming conversation exists in states of both positive and uplifting, and terrifying and hurtful. Only way to find out is to answer the phone and collapse the wave function. Good luck, Joyce.
NO ONE WILL HURT BECKY.
Clear as clear can be.
When Joyce’s parents show up, Mike will be appear for another hail satan, but Joyce will beat him to the punch with a “Goddamnit Mike, we don’t have time for your godless cruelty!” and he will pause, nod, then walk away without saying a word.
Perhaps a milder swear – using ‘goddamnit’ and ‘godless’ in the same sentence is irritatingly repetetive.
Be quiet, you. My doomed shipping of Joyce and Mike doesn’t need encouragement.
premarital hanky panky !!!
Doomed? How is it doomed?
She’s one of maybe two people who’ve resorted to physical violence in dealing with him, which he very much enjoys, and she’s becoming more open-minded by the day. She was happy enough to date Ethan, so non-Christians are okay, though it may be a while before she’s ready to date a godless heathen, let alone a prick like Mike. For all we know, though, Mike goes to church every week for reasons known only to him.
He specficially searches out churches that’ll preach fire and brimstone, then absorbs the fear and guilt of the other churchgoers and draws nourishment from it.
Can I just have the third panel on my gravestone?
Elinoria 19xx – 20xxHe pointed a gun at my face.he’s going to jail and i’m glad.
She finally grows some balls and then the phone rings… they fall on the floor… roll under the desk and never seen again.
Seriously though: Hope she keeps this attitude. It is about time. She just kept building all of it up when she found out her world was completely wrong.
You know, she is growing up a lot XP.
And kinda becoming what Current Joyce was in the original Walkyverse. You know, kind but has a tough side to her.
She’s probably too mad right now, but isn’t there a danger her parents will pull her out of IU?
The way I see it, they won’t force her to. But one of them will definitly try to talk her into doing that.
Joyce is truly pissed.
Oh. Oh Joyce, sweetie. Sweetie. I hope someone hugs you soon.
Also, my gravatar being smiley-sweater Joyce makes everything more hurty.
I’m afraid Joyce is running on fumes at this point. Her rage will probably carry her through this phone call, but she’s about to hit the wall hard when the adrenaline finally peters out. I agree, she’s going to need lots of hugs soon.
If it’s mom, I’m betting on, “Thank the Good God you are safe.” And, since her phone has been off as it ran out of juice, “Why haven’t you called before now? I’ve been calling and worrying….”
Actually, this is a bad moment for Joyce’s parents to call back. Joyce is upset about whatjust and isntisn’t thinkthinking straight. Confirm that she’s unharmed and then talk to her in more detail in the morning when emotions are not running so high.
It’s the end of Joyce’s call that really makes me smile. She does really still love them. Let’s hope that they don’t ruin that by trying to defend the indefensible.
Becky told her father that she still loved him on her way out of the hospital. That runs deep.
well. this is certainly going to unleash a whole new storm. brace yourselves folks!
This’ll probably end up being someone else ringing, with Joyce’s mum calling back a bit later on, probably in an awkward moment. I hope not, but this is the feeling I get!
In before it turns out Joyce’s parents called to warn her that if Becky’s around that her father flat out lost his mind and could be a danger to her.
I’m sure her mom will find a way to spin it so that everything is all Becky’s fault…
What could possibly go wrong?
Nah, I’m expecting …
“Honey, your father and I are getting a divorce”
“Joyce! Your brother has suddenly announced that he is a woman and is having something… ‘Sexual Reassignment’ something or another…! Did you know anything about this? And what’s this about Becky and her father? What kind of pit of Babylonish debauchery are you living in there?!?”
“‘Babylonish debauchery’? Mom, it’s a ‘Cragged Shame Pit of the Lustwolves’. Get it right, okay?”
that’s the equivalent of a social suicide in those communities.
Ah, man, Joyce is SO OVER this sh*t.
Oh, poor Joyce. You are not remotely prepared for this.
I’m getting a horrible premonition that Joyce is going to end up having to walk away from her family, simply because she can’t maintain the integrity of her own ethics and spirituality around them anymore and her parents are unwilling to let matters lie.
I like how much this shows her character. In the last strip, she was dropping d-bombs in front of Sarah rather casually. Now that she has to face her parents – whose judgement she fears – she’s saying “honkin'” and “b-hole”. She’s still willing to stand up for Becky, but her fear is showing.
Those weren’t casual d-bombs. She’s in a place where even “I’m getting soft serve” isn’t enough to express her anger.
Oh shit.
ALT:
That is not how I expected the money exchange to go. I expected something n
more like:
Joyce: gimme twenty bucks
Joe: uh, why
Joyce: FUCKING GIVE ME TWENTY DOLLARS DAMMIT
Joe:O.O (hands over wallet)
Joyce: THANK YOU (starts flipping through credit cards)
DAMMIT POSTING ON MOBILE IS NOT GOOD FOR ME
“Hey, I just missed your call!”
/I left a voice mail.
“Well what did it say?”
/ffffffff
Poor Joyce. To be so heartbroken at just how awful the world and the people you loved can be, to see how awful so much of what you were taught is, and to know that the fight is not over.
Soooo… Since The Willis has assured us that all of the just-like-in-real-life qualities of Joyce derive from Joyce actually being The Willis Himself, what does this tell us about his youth? He had a friend who turned out gay and then was hunted down by his mother with a gun?
My mother used to chase me with a knife, and I wasn’t even gay.
I never let her catch up to me, so it never made the news or anything. So when someone comes along and disbelieves that my childhood was that bad, “oh come on, that sort of thing only happens in stories!” I have no proof to show them how wrong they are. Only my unending contempt, that they literally cannot believe in the truth of something that doesn’t fit into their view of what the world should be.
that sucks, both your experiences with your mom and how no one respects your feelings about your mom today. that’s legitimate way to feel, so i hope you don’t get pressured by “make amends” or something.
On one hand, the fact that something so unbelievable happens to people like anna all-the-damn-time means the non-believers are NOT CRAZY for thinking that kind of shit SHOULD NOT HAPPEN.
On the other hand, calling people liars is rude, especially friends who have literally nothing to gain from lying (if they were, which they aren’t).
I believe you. My great grandmother used to chase down her kids and spank them with the flat of a dull butcher knife when they misbehaved. its not as uncommon a practice as one would think apparently.
Well, The Willis purportedly hails from the same town as Belle Gunness who had been more successful catching up with her children and scores of suitors than your mother had been. It was the talk of the town when my grandma grew up there, and she was pissed at the town history museum sporting an aisle with the details. Because it didn’t fit into her view of what at least her little town should be.
Uh-oh. It’s the mum call…
don’t pick up that phone! the call is coming from…. inside your dorm!!
seriously, don’t answer the phone. Joyce feels all confident now, but 5 seconds on the phone with family and she will forget all the really good defenses of Becky she thought up. it’ll be easier to talk to family after Joyce has had sleep and the parents have calmed down…. of course she’s going to answer the phone. this is a comic. unless there’s a dramatically better timing for the call, it’ll happen now.
She managed to ad lib some defenses of Dorothy a while back. I think she’ll be fine.
Semi-twist: parents didn’t bother to listen to the message before calling back out of concern. They then proceed to put their collective foot in it.
Now I’m hearing “B-hole” to the tune of the Long Winters “Teaspoon.”
“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were: any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the BBBZZZZZTT tolls; it tolls for thee.”
—John Donne, Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII (paraphrased)
Here’s hoping that’s Jocelyne on the other end of that phone.
Oh jeez.
This is the comic that fills one with hopes and fears about what happens next.
The way Joyce worded her message, her mother could well believe that she is saying that Becky is staying with her as a girlfriend.
Yes… yeeees. Embrace your hatred, complete your training and fulfill your destiny!
Honk honk!
+1 Willis
Go Joyce!
People who would hurt Becky will scream out, “help us.” And I will whisper “no.”
She’s honkin for bongos bongo!
This is a Crowning Moment of Awesome for Joyce.
Of course, based on all the evidence we’ve seen that Joyce will be spending some time at home in the near future, said awesome may have consequences.
Been reading this comic for a long time, and Shortpacked! before it, and I think this may be the first time I’ve ever felt compelled to comment. Joyce’s statement in panel 3 actually made tears well up in my eyes.
No one will hurt Becky. No one. I will fight them. I will.
Well done, Willis. Well done.
Every panel in this strip is fan-effing-tastic.
I’m guessing that Joyce’s Mom and Dad heard about it on the news are Just grateful that Joyce is alright.
Not every parental figure in this series has to be A-holes.
The Keeners, the Snows and the Saruyamas are pretty nice.
This may have been a mistake, but if I were in her shoes I probably would have done the same thing.
Ouch. I have very little in common with Joyce, but this, I can really empathize with. That feeling when you’re about to send someone a message, and you know it’s probably gonna get unpleasant, but you have to send it or you won’t be true to yourself, and after much deliberation and with a knot in your stomach, you finally muster the willpower to send the message, and then you breathe a sigh of relief as you think to yourself “OH FUCK WHAT THE HELL HAVE I DONE?!”
There’s a word for it in German, but it seems to trip the spam filter.
I love that girl.
Not much time before the next page goes up. My hope is that Jocelyn was at their parents’ house. Not likely but hoping!
YOU GO, GIRL