Dumbing of Age Book Eleven

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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September 18, 2023

Separate

by David M Willis on February 23, 2016 at 12:01 am
  • 02 - That Perfect Girl

└ Tags: becky, jennifer, joyce, ruth

Discussion (239) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    February 23, 2016 at 12:01 am | #

    “this bed smells like Kinsey Scale 24 lesbian”

    aww =(

    • Ranthog
      Ranthog
      February 23, 2016 at 12:02 am | #

      That would be very odd since there have been no lesbians sleeping there.

      • svata
        svata
        February 23, 2016 at 12:03 am | #

        Becky.

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          February 23, 2016 at 2:44 am | #

          Who? Nobody by that name has lived in the dorms.

        • Gareth
          Gareth
          February 23, 2016 at 4:26 am | #

          Be cool nark

          (I’m not American, am I using that correctly?)

          • Wittgenstein On Speed
            Wittgenstein On Speed
            February 23, 2016 at 7:29 am | #

            While, in my experience, it’s more commonly spelt narc, you are using it mostly correctly. (A fully correct use, in my mind, would have been if you used it in relations to drugs or alcohol use; but I fully grant that’s more about the word’s origin than it’s current usage.)

            • Marisa Mockery
              Marisa Mockery
              February 23, 2016 at 1:14 pm | #

              Considering I’ve heard “don’t be a narc” when someone skipped school…..yeah it’s changed. No idea where it came from though

              • Betty Anne
                Betty Anne
                February 23, 2016 at 1:19 pm | #

                Yes, to the above two. “Don’t be a narc” comes out of street slang for a narcotics (drug) officer, particularly ones who work undercover in the community. Narcs seem like a cool, average dude, just a newbie to the neighborhood, until the day they turn all the drug dealers and users in. Thus, to “be a narc” is to blend in and hang out with everyone and then turn around and tattle on them behind their back. The phrase just got imported from street culture to the larger culture, like most slang does.

      • Leorale
        Leorale
        February 23, 2016 at 12:03 am | #

        I think Ana meant Billie’s bed.

        • Ranthog
          Ranthog
          February 23, 2016 at 12:08 am | #

          I guess visually its Ruth’s bed that struck me as being an important visual focus.

          If its Billie’s bed then yeah. Its just the photo, Billie, and the key strike me as the main focus of those panels and not the bed.

          • svata
            svata
            February 23, 2016 at 12:10 am | #

            I think specifically it was a response to Billie’s face in panel 4.

            • Clif
              Clif
              February 23, 2016 at 1:44 am | #

              The correct response to Billie’s face in panel 4 is “Do it, Billie. Destroy Mary without remorse.”

    • AngryBamboo
      AngryBamboo
      February 23, 2016 at 7:39 pm | #

      I’m not usually super into cologne or perfume or whatever but “Kinsey Scale 24 Lesbian” is a fragrance i would be interested in buying. or at least sampling.

      • Ana Chronistic
        Ana Chronistic
        February 23, 2016 at 10:44 pm | #

        Kinsey Scale 24 Lesbian smells like Teen Spirit

  2. gkheyf
    gkheyf
    February 23, 2016 at 12:01 am | #

    good night, kids! =3

    • inqntrol
      inqntrol
      February 23, 2016 at 12:03 am | #

      Have horrible dreams!

    • Tabitha Desanto
      Tabitha Desanto
      February 23, 2016 at 12:03 am | #

      Not for Billie she need to think about what to tell Becky.

      • gkheyf
        gkheyf
        February 23, 2016 at 12:35 am | #

        not for two whole days!!!

        • Znayx
          Znayx
          February 23, 2016 at 1:12 am | #

          TWO WHOLE DAYS.

          • Silly Name
            Silly Name
            February 23, 2016 at 3:04 pm | #

            That’s, like, double the time of one day!

          • marianne
            marianne
            February 23, 2016 at 7:22 pm | #

            At the pace of this comic, we’ll see her have to break the news to Becky… what, some time in 2032?

  3. Tabitha Desanto
    Tabitha Desanto
    February 23, 2016 at 12:02 am | #

    See Ruth your missing her already

    • gkheyf
      gkheyf
      February 23, 2016 at 12:03 am | #

      all she sees is those evil chibis staring at her through the wall. no amount of concrete can protect from that soul-devouring gaze!

      • Suchipi
        Suchipi
        February 23, 2016 at 2:24 am | #

        “Go to sleep you little trash heap”

    • Jay Eff
      Jay Eff
      February 23, 2016 at 12:06 am | #

      No, she isn’t!
      Ruth just lost her phone, that’s all.

      Yep, that’s what she’s poking around for.

      Her phone.

      .

      …why is water coming out of my eyes…?

      • Falling Star
        Falling Star
        February 23, 2016 at 11:11 am | #

        The sadness has popped them.
        Get to a hospital.

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      February 23, 2016 at 12:11 am | #

      She’s just sad because she’s staring at a Maple Leafs poster.

      Bet that’s the real cause of her depression. It’s like that Roadblock poster from Shortpacked, but instead of inspiring fear it causes desolation and ennui.

      • Kalosec
        Kalosec
        February 23, 2016 at 12:26 am | #

        I wonder if Ethan has that poster in this universe.

        • begbert
          begbert
          February 23, 2016 at 12:42 am | #

          Naw; he seems able to sleep.

  4. SailorCakes
    SailorCakes
    February 23, 2016 at 12:02 am | #

    Awww young Joyce and Becky are so cute! 😀

    • Inkblot
      Inkblot
      February 23, 2016 at 12:02 am | #

      Yeah but Ruth’s butt curve though

      • winter
        winter
        February 23, 2016 at 12:10 am | #

        This dichotomy speaks to me.

        Are you a panel 1 lover – pure fan of young Joyce & Becky?

        Or are you a panel 5 lover – because Ruth’s butt curve?

        • Doctor_Who
          Doctor_Who
          February 23, 2016 at 12:13 am | #

          http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/aoz8kgx8pzknypz7z38n.jpg

          • Cerberus
            Cerberus
            February 23, 2016 at 12:16 am | #

            I feel like the strip could very well be subtitled: “Sadness and Butts”

            • Yet_One_More_Idiot
              Yet_One_More_Idiot
              February 23, 2016 at 3:32 am | #

              Sad Butts?

        • Arianod
          Arianod
          February 23, 2016 at 12:26 am | #

          Both, obviously.

        • LimeSheep
          LimeSheep
          February 23, 2016 at 12:33 am | #

          i like panel 2 billie better than both of those things

          • begbert
            begbert
            February 23, 2016 at 12:44 am | #

            I like Billie’s butt curve better.

            And I cannot lie.

            • Yet_One_More_Idiot
              Yet_One_More_Idiot
              February 23, 2016 at 3:33 am | #

              Word.

              Billie seems to have a much cuter and curvier butt here.

              Although I’m all about the Dorothy butt usually. 😀

              • TheNinthShader
                TheNinthShader
                February 23, 2016 at 7:13 am | #

                I is all about that Dina butt.

                • altalemur
                  altalemur
                  February 23, 2016 at 10:56 am | #

                  truly, i find both butts appealing.

    • vonniesaur
      vonniesaur
      February 23, 2016 at 12:23 am | #

      Awww, look at little Becky’s weird squinty eyeee

  5. inqntrol
    inqntrol
    February 23, 2016 at 12:02 am | #

    “Insert sad violin song here”

    • Smiling Cat
      Smiling Cat
      February 23, 2016 at 12:16 am | #

      alternately…

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vns3ruSbUrY

      • StClair
        StClair
        February 23, 2016 at 10:53 pm | #

        Nice, but I’ll see that and raise you Sarah McLachlan

        When somebody loved me
        Everything was beautiful
        Every hour we spent together
        Lives within my heart…

  6. Leorale
    Leorale
    February 23, 2016 at 12:02 am | #

    It took me a minute to realize that Becky put that up on Billie’s wall. She has almost no possessions but still managed to save a picture of baby-Joyce and baby-herself. True Love.

    • Cerberus
      Cerberus
      February 23, 2016 at 12:05 am | #

      Joyce has a matching picture on her wall:
      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2010/comic/book-1/01-move-in-day/socialized/

      And I also love that she’s got a picture of Dina and 2 different types of dinos as well up on that little bedside. She really does love her dinosaur girl.

      • Doctor_Who
        Doctor_Who
        February 23, 2016 at 12:21 am | #

        Best part is, it looks like she just printed it out from a regular black & white printer. She couldn’t even wait for access to a photo printer, she just snapped a pic of Dina smiling on her phone, and printed it out ASAP.

      • Leorale
        Leorale
        February 23, 2016 at 12:21 am | #

        Awww.
        Man, those two are great.

      • Historyman68
        Historyman68
        February 23, 2016 at 11:03 am | #

        That’s really cool that they’ve got matching pictures.

    • Peduncle
      Peduncle
      February 23, 2016 at 12:12 am | #

      The picture is a reference to the final panel of this strip.

      (I believe I’m remembering somebody else posting that and not making the connection for myself.)

      • Historyman68
        Historyman68
        February 23, 2016 at 11:01 am | #

        Oh I was thinking that!

  7. Makkabee
    Makkabee
    February 23, 2016 at 12:02 am | #

    Such sadness. I hope they utterly destroy Mary soon so they can be together again.

    Also, utterly destroying Mary is just fun.

    • Opus the Poet
      Opus the Poet
      February 23, 2016 at 12:07 am | #

      She will be years (comic time) recovering from the crushing defeat, mending the broken bones.

      • Doctor_Who
        Doctor_Who
        February 23, 2016 at 12:15 am | #

        See, I picture it as more of a “She’s going to come back even worse” scenario, because drama. It’s like when Batman accidentally knocked Red Hood into that vat of chemicals.

        Guess what I’m saying is, we should knock Mary into a vat of chemicals.

        • Rukduk
          Rukduk
          February 23, 2016 at 12:54 am | #

          I’ll be perfectly honest here, I find the concept of Joker Mary very intriguing.

      • John
        John
        February 23, 2016 at 12:42 am | #

        There will be no mending. She needs her femurs to live.

  8. Mandy
    Mandy
    February 23, 2016 at 12:02 am | #

    I can’t remember the last time this comic was happy. 🙁

    • Betty Anne
      Betty Anne
      February 23, 2016 at 12:04 am | #

      I can’t remember a lot of happy in college, so…that’s how it is, I guess?

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      February 23, 2016 at 12:04 am | #

      But Carla got a burn on Mary and had a big ol’ smile on, just a few days ago! That was happy.

      • Leorale
        Leorale
        February 23, 2016 at 12:06 am | #

        oh, and Hank being a good dad after all.
        I mean, most of us were too busy dreading Carol to fully enjoy it, but still.

    • dailybrad
      dailybrad
      February 23, 2016 at 12:07 am | #

      Hank agreeing with Joyce that Ross was an asshole was nice.

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      February 23, 2016 at 12:09 am | #

      Well Danny and Ethan were having fun reading Amber’s slash fic until Danny went into bisexual panic mode and started talking about how he thinks Amber is breaking.

      Walky and Dorothy are still good, though Walky is keeping his grades hidden from her too and that’s inevitably going to blow up in his face.

      Oh hey and we got the first inkling that Becky/Dina wasn’t perfect where we learned that Dina feels like she’s just Becky’s rebound.

      But Joyce is gone back home with her dad trying to be a better Christian, well then there’s her mom who immediately got on Becky’s case for daring to be gay in her home.

      Gender Studies was pretty fun until Joe started angsting about how marriage is a sham and bottled up his feelings like a TruMan.

      ok fine everything is angst

      • Emily
        Emily
        February 23, 2016 at 7:09 am | #

        The only person in this series who is actually like completely content with their life seems to be goddamn Mike which just goes to show there is no justice in the world of DoA

        • Tenchan
          Tenchan
          February 23, 2016 at 9:05 am | #

          “I dream I grew like Mike. If I could be like Mike!”

        • Leorale
          Leorale
          February 23, 2016 at 10:09 am | #

          The background characters are probably doing alright. Like Sierra and Agatha, who got to pray together and deeply annoy Mary. They gave each other such a high five.

    • Luzahn
      Luzahn
      February 23, 2016 at 12:10 am | #

      Walky and his McNuggets, probably.

      • TheGrammarLegionary
        TheGrammarLegionary
        February 23, 2016 at 1:08 am | #

        Can’t imagine that would be happy for very long…

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      February 23, 2016 at 12:29 am | #

      Dina and Becky in smoochy-land!

      • Emperor Norton
        Emperor Norton
        February 23, 2016 at 11:23 am | #

        Related: The realisation that god answers lesbian prayers.

    • trlkly
      trlkly
      February 23, 2016 at 1:17 am | #

      I hear this a lot, but, to me, this comic is more often happy than sad. Sure, we had 3 sad comics in a row, but we’ve also had multiple happy comics in a row with the driving stuff.

  9. Stephen R. Bierce
    Stephen R. Bierce
    February 23, 2016 at 12:03 am | #

    *reprises Phil Collins on the hacked Muzak*

    • Stephen R. Bierce
      Stephen R. Bierce
      February 23, 2016 at 12:05 am | #

      Ooh, so typical
      Love leads to isolation…
      And you built that wall (built that wall)
      Yes you built that wall
      And you MADE IT STRONGER!

    • Psychotic Mantis
      Psychotic Mantis
      February 23, 2016 at 12:11 am | #

      I was basing mine off the first verse of the song. A song from recent memory.

      You based yours off a far-in verse of a song from 1985.

      How do you do this?

      • Stephen R. Bierce
        Stephen R. Bierce
        February 23, 2016 at 8:41 pm | #

        I’m a product of the Second Generation of Rock-N-Roll. Or the Blank Generation, if you prefer. Anything 1974 though 1994, I’m all over that.

    • Sunny
      Sunny
      February 23, 2016 at 9:15 am | #

      I was thinking “Give back the key to my heart”

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JsKbaYpLdE

  10. Too Old To Be Cool
    Too Old To Be Cool
    February 23, 2016 at 12:03 am | #

    …but equal – equally miserable.

  11. Mr. Mendo
    Mr. Mendo
    February 23, 2016 at 12:03 am | #

    This scene probably has the sad walking-away music from The Incredible Hulk playing…

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      February 23, 2016 at 12:16 am | #

      I’m hearing the sad music from Scrubs. The one they started lampshading in later seasons.

      “Bada ba ba ba BA ba Bum”

  12. Psychotic Mantis
    Psychotic Mantis
    February 23, 2016 at 12:03 am | #

    Oh, jeez.

    I gotta do this one.

    *Plays David Bowie’s ‘Tis a Pity She Was a Whore’ on the hacked muzak.*

    • Psychotic Mantis
      Psychotic Mantis
      February 23, 2016 at 12:04 am | #

      Curses, foiled again!

  13. Ctrl+C D@
    Ctrl+C D@
    February 23, 2016 at 12:03 am | #

    Ruth has like the flattest butt ever.

    • Someone
      Someone
      February 23, 2016 at 12:07 am | #

      great, now I want someone to make a chart o butt sizes

      Should males have a separate chart?

      • Ctrl+C D@
        Ctrl+C D@
        February 23, 2016 at 12:12 am | #

        No, no need to discriminate. Butts are something that transcend all forms of discrimination and exclusion.

        Right now I think Billie holds first place with her massive butt.

        • Someone
          Someone
          February 23, 2016 at 12:15 am | #

          I would put Amber in 1st place. Billie in second

          • Ctrl+C D@
            Ctrl+C D@
            February 23, 2016 at 12:17 am | #

            I think we need to put Amazi-Girl and Amber as a tie for right now.

            • Someone
              Someone
              February 23, 2016 at 12:18 am | #

              Wait! What about Carol!?

              • Ctrl+C D@
                Ctrl+C D@
                February 23, 2016 at 12:20 am | #

                Fuck Carol!
                😀

                • Disloyal Subject
                  Disloyal Subject
                  February 23, 2016 at 12:27 am | #

                  No, that’s Hank’s job.

                • Dellaran
                  Dellaran
                  February 23, 2016 at 1:23 am | #

                  Not for all the nickels in Indiana.

                • Emperor Norton
                  Emperor Norton
                  February 23, 2016 at 10:53 am | #

                  Delleran: OK, so I tried to figure out just how much money you’re potentially losing out on, by finding out how many nickels are generally in circulation, and then take the population percentage that Indiana represents.

                  Now, unfortunately, what I found out is that nobody actually keeps track of how many nickels are lost/destroyed, so it’s all pure guesswork. So all I know is that in 2011*, there’s been a total of about 465 billion nickels produced. Said guesswork estimates that about 25 billion of those (or roughly six percent, which seems like a reasonable guess to me) are still around and in circulation.

                  Now, Indiana’s got about 2.1 percent of the US population. We’ll just round down to 2 to make the math easier here. Two percent of 25 billion is 500 million nickels.

                  In other words, you just lost out on two and a half million dollars.

                  *Since DoA is a “timeless” comic that started at around that point, I feel like it’s as good a number as any.

                • Emperor Norton
                  Emperor Norton
                  February 23, 2016 at 11:17 am | #

                  BZZZT! Wrong, you stupid Emperor Norton.

                  He lost out on twentyfive million dollars.

                  Stop being so stupid!

        • Captain Button
          Captain Button
          February 23, 2016 at 12:22 am | #

          People were speaking well of Carol’s the other day.

      • Leorale
        Leorale
        February 23, 2016 at 12:14 am | #

        Beware, down this road is becoming Faz.

        • Reltzik
          Reltzik
          February 23, 2016 at 12:16 am | #

          … so wait, you think Faz’s butt-chart entry is becoming?

        • Ctrl+C D@
          Ctrl+C D@
          February 23, 2016 at 12:16 am | #

          Oooh right, I forgot about Faz.

          I think he ranks just slightly higher than Dina, but is below Mary in terms of rump curvature.

          Now to decide who holds the better booty between Joe and Jacob.

          • Disloyal Subject
            Disloyal Subject
            February 23, 2016 at 12:29 am | #

            Jacob, hands down. He doesn’t seem like the sort to skip leg day, and his upper body puts even Joe’s to shame. Sculpted muscle makes for a mighty fine butt.

            • Ctrl+C D@
              Ctrl+C D@
              February 23, 2016 at 12:34 am | #

              The only way to settle this is to have Willis draw both of them bare ass naked and side-by-side.

              • Disloyal Subject
                Disloyal Subject
                February 23, 2016 at 12:39 am | #

                Neither of them has much body fat, but I think Joe is a little leaner. Just a little squish or jiggle to go with muscle makes for an optimum butt, and I’m assuming they both rank pretty damn well on the tush-o-meter.
                Never have I dedicated this much thought to the male butt. Or any butt.

                • Clif
                  Clif
                  February 23, 2016 at 4:46 pm | #

                  Wait. Are we objectifying Faz and Joe now?

            • Historyman68
              Historyman68
              February 23, 2016 at 11:14 am | #

              Methinks it speaks to a philosophical difference between our friends Joe and Jacob. Joe’s world seems to revolve around sex, so he must put his effort into looking good. Therefore, he probably puts a lot of effort into having a fine butt.

              Jacob, on the other hand, works out but seems either oblivious or even a little embarrassed of the amount of attention he seems to get. (Not sure exactly how much of his character I’m pulling from Shortpacked!, sorry.)

              So, which butt is better? The butt that tries, or the butt that is effortless?

        • Someone
          Someone
          February 23, 2016 at 12:16 am | #

          I’m more of a chivalrous pervert

        • Doctor_Who
          Doctor_Who
          February 23, 2016 at 12:17 am | #

          I bet Robin had a butt flatness chart. Much to his dismay, she found she also had a prominent place on it. Luckily her lesbian didn’t mind.

        • Bagge
          Bagge
          February 23, 2016 at 12:18 am | #

          Faz is great in inverse proportions to his butt, as seen in this chart.

        • Moon dude
          Moon dude
          February 23, 2016 at 12:25 am | #

          I always believed that Joe have the best ass but he isn’t around here anymore to have a good look at him

    • trlkly
      trlkly
      February 23, 2016 at 1:18 am | #

      Actually, I thought her butt was uncharacteristically round in this scene. I picture her as being a bean pole, but this gave her a little bit of a butt.

    • StClair
      StClair
      February 23, 2016 at 2:39 am | #

      Canada has no butts to give.

  14. Cattleprod
    Cattleprod
    February 23, 2016 at 12:04 am | #

    That first panel was previewed ages ago and I always assumed it would be Joyce looking at the photo.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      February 23, 2016 at 12:07 am | #

      I assumed it would be Becky. Oh well.

    • Cephalo the Pod
      Cephalo the Pod
      February 23, 2016 at 12:30 am | #

      Yeah, I was expecting Jangst.
      Instead we got Bangst.

  15. EdHead
    EdHead
    February 23, 2016 at 12:05 am | #

    Hello from the other side..

  16. Bagge
    Bagge
    February 23, 2016 at 12:06 am | #

    Becky had the room for two days. On the wall is the photo of her best friend, her girlfriend and some printouts of seriously rad dinosaurs that symbolize her love to her girlfirend, the new life she is building and the fudge-you to the life she escaped from.

    All Billie has is a key to a room where she is not welcome. If she’s feeling sentimental she could also bring out the cheer leader uniform for the team she was kicked out from.

    She is… she is not doing that great in college.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      February 23, 2016 at 12:07 am | #

      I DID expect to be sad from the photo of Joyce and Becky when I saw it in the preview panel. Not for this reason, though.

      The perfect girl is gone, says Ruth, says Billie.

      • Cerberus
        Cerberus
        February 23, 2016 at 12:09 am | #

        Yeah, on literally all of that. Though if I remember right she doesn’t even have the cheerleader outfit anymore. She at least has already tossed her penant:
        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/03-the-butterflies-fly-away/optimistic/

        • winter
          winter
          February 23, 2016 at 12:29 am | #

          I think this is really important – Billie is feeling so much more lost and sad than she did in high school, and I think that’s really what made the difference. From an objective perspective, Billie was never that perfect girl. Even in HS she was drinking and crashing cars and breaking Alice’s heart. But she felt like she was on top of the world, and that’s what counts.
          And I know she wants to go back to that, and is realising it’s just not possible, but the way out is through. She’s actually becoming more aware. Becoming better. And I hope she gets to a point where she realises that she doesn’t want to go back to when she was oblivious to her problems.

          • winter
            winter
            February 23, 2016 at 12:34 am | #

            Or I guess she’s already there “>there and I just forgot. Tee hee!

            • Historyman68
              Historyman68
              February 23, 2016 at 11:17 am | #

              I love how many layers there are. Even when she’s *trying* to not be oblivious with Alice, she’s still super oblivious.

    • Ctrl+C D@
      Ctrl+C D@
      February 23, 2016 at 12:07 am | #

      To be fair, I assume she wasn’t decorating that much considering she was rooming with Ruth most of the time.

      But yeah, that’s like seriously depressing.

      • Cerberus
        Cerberus
        February 23, 2016 at 12:12 am | #

        Not to mention she tried to burn her life behind her for moving in to Ruth’s… which lasted about a week. So, not only is it ascetic, but it’s also a hollow tomb of where she didn’t want to ever return. Filled with the harsh warmth of someone else’s life and the cold metal of a key that she can’t use.

        • Ctrl+C D@
          Ctrl+C D@
          February 23, 2016 at 12:14 am | #

          You should seriously write fanfiction, or see if Willis wants someone to do a novel version of his stuff.

        • Bagge
          Bagge
          February 23, 2016 at 12:24 am | #

          You should! You really should.

        • Rukduk
          Rukduk
          February 23, 2016 at 1:00 am | #

          That metaphor is both poetically beautiful and slightly poetically depressing. Still very poetic.

          • StClair
            StClair
            February 23, 2016 at 2:36 am | #

            Agreed.
            (Some would say that’s the best poetry.)

            • Rukduk
              Rukduk
              February 23, 2016 at 2:43 am | #

              I think Robert Frost was one of those people.

      • Rutee
        Rutee
        February 23, 2016 at 2:34 am | #

        There’s a lot depressing here, but the serial killer deco isn’t it. She did indeed try to move them to Ruth’s room – it’s why the serial killer side was Sal’s, when Ruth first entered the room.

        I say this as someone who doesn’t decorate her walls without external prompting. Sal is My People in this regard.

        • Amazi-Stool
          Amazi-Stool
          February 23, 2016 at 3:54 pm | #

          I seriallyseriously do not understand you comment, what are you referring to?

          When Ruth entered the room?

          Is that a reference to this poster, which Willis has stated being “an actor Billie has previously mentioned finding attractive”?

          • Spencer
            Spencer
            February 23, 2016 at 4:21 pm | #

            Ruth asked if Sal was a serial killer because of the lack of any kind of posters or decor on her wall.

            • Amazi-Stool
              Amazi-Stool
              February 23, 2016 at 5:55 pm | #

              Thanks, didn’t remember that! It was this one!

    • caesaria82
      caesaria82
      February 23, 2016 at 12:24 am | #

      This comment is beautiful in its sadness. If you juxtapose these two storylines, it makes it even sadder. *sigh*

  17. Just Me
    Just Me
    February 23, 2016 at 12:07 am | #

    Becky also put up pictures of dinosaurs. She probably doesn’t have one of Dina yet, so this was the next best thing.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      February 23, 2016 at 12:08 am | #

      Why chose when you can have both? (check the image again)

      • Cerberus
        Cerberus
        February 23, 2016 at 12:10 am | #

        Top right of the images on the wall.

  18. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    February 23, 2016 at 12:09 am | #

    And scene. Guess Joyce’s homecoming spans the next storyline.

    • Lou
      Lou
      February 23, 2016 at 1:16 am | #

      I think almost all the storylines have been one day.

      So Joyce’s homecoming will be the next two storylines.

      • JessWitt
        JessWitt
        February 23, 2016 at 5:44 am | #

        For Joyce’s sake, let’s hope things improve at home or else cut the visit short.

      • Amazi-Stool
        Amazi-Stool
        February 23, 2016 at 4:00 pm | #

        I think almost all the storylines have been one day.
        No, all the storylines have been one day. There were some fast-forwards between storylines, but i wouldn’t expect that for this weekend.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          February 23, 2016 at 6:00 pm | #

          Judging by the previews, they’re going to be back home for a long time, at least in real time.

          There’s a May 21 shot of Joyce, Becky & Jocelyne in suburbia, for example.

  19. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    February 23, 2016 at 12:10 am | #

    How long ago is that pictuure meant to be taken?

    • Cerberus
      Cerberus
      February 23, 2016 at 12:14 am | #

      Not sure, but I’m going to guess elementary school. It’s the eponymous six flags trip that Joyce talked about here:
      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-6/01-to-those-whod-ground-me/disagreement/

    • Gordon
      Gordon
      February 23, 2016 at 12:14 am | #

      Judging by the backgroun of the roller-coaster, I would say it’s one of the trips they took with Toedad.

      • Roborat
        Roborat
        February 23, 2016 at 2:40 pm | #

        Oh, that is a roller coaster, at first glace, I thought it was the Sydney Opera House.

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      February 23, 2016 at 12:15 am | #

      Hmmm. Same haircuts as when the comic started, bestest of friends, not too old for DisneyLand or whatever place they are with cool rides…. Could be anything from age five to last month.

      • DinaWho
        DinaWho
        February 23, 2016 at 12:28 am | #

        Joyce actually has the same picture up in her dorm room as well – when that panel was previewed I was assuming it was a shot of Joyce’s wall.

      • Someone
        Someone
        February 23, 2016 at 12:43 am | #

        Its six flags, no one is really to old for six flags.

        • Roborat
          Roborat
          February 23, 2016 at 2:28 pm | #

          Well, except for that creepy skinny dancing guy.

          • ChrisHerself
            ChrisHerself
            February 23, 2016 at 7:02 pm | #

            Bless that guy I love him so

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      February 23, 2016 at 12:15 am | #

      I bet it was the day Becky’s dad took them to Six Flags.

      • Leorale
        Leorale
        February 23, 2016 at 12:17 am | #

        aw, ninja’d. But still! Anyway it’s hard to tell because all the characters are stylized, but they look the same age as the flashbacks to Walky and Sal at the Hymnel audition. So, like eight or nine, I guess?

    • Ctrl+C D@
      Ctrl+C D@
      February 23, 2016 at 12:19 am | #

      It’s from the future. It’s meant to throw you off because later down the line Joyce and Becky discover the fountain of youth.

      Turns out it’s at Six Flags.

      • Yotomoe
        Yotomoe
        February 23, 2016 at 12:21 am | #

        I understand that they found the secret of youth. I’ve made peace with that. When did they find the time machine?

        • Ctrl+C D@
          Ctrl+C D@
          February 23, 2016 at 12:25 am | #

          That happens after they find out that Dina is actually a Dino-Princess and Becky has to fighter her uncle, the evil Tyrana-Gore for the right to marry her since Becky’s a filthy human.

          • Bagge
            Bagge
            February 23, 2016 at 1:30 am | #

            By that logic Dina has already won Becky’s hand fair and square.

            This is not lost on Becky.
            http://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-6/01-to-those-whod-ground-me/fought/

            • Ctrl+C D@
              Ctrl+C D@
              February 23, 2016 at 3:00 am | #

              Toedad was a puny, strangely shaped human.

              Tyrana-Gore is twenty feet tall and has a Ferrari.

              • Leorale
                Leorale
                February 23, 2016 at 5:33 am | #

                Tyrana-Gore has trouble fitting in his ferrari, and even when he rips off the roof so he can kinda fit, his li’l arms are too short to reach the wheel. This is the source of his rage.

                • Emperor Norton
                  Emperor Norton
                  February 23, 2016 at 11:01 am | #

                  OK, that made me laugh. Well done!

                • Historyman68
                  Historyman68
                  February 23, 2016 at 11:20 am | #

                  His source of rage is not the fact that nobody listens to him about the global warming/a giant comet coming to destroy his world?

                • Leorale
                  Leorale
                  February 23, 2016 at 4:11 pm | #

                  Historyman68, you’re thinking of his older brother, Turing-Gore, who invented the internet. However, nobody believed him about that, either. It’s tough out there for a dinosaur.

        • Bagge
          Bagge
          February 23, 2016 at 12:26 am | #

          And what on earth did the fountain of youth do to Becky’s haircut? It’s not rad anymore!!!

          • Ctrl+C D@
            Ctrl+C D@
            February 23, 2016 at 12:28 am | #

            Because the fountain of youth turns your body back to what it was at that certain age point. So like if she stayed in there long enough to de-age back to thirteen, she’d have the haircut she did at thirteen.

            • Clif
              Clif
              February 23, 2016 at 1:35 am | #

              That is completely logical and makes total sense. You have convinced me.

  20. Wolf
    Wolf
    February 23, 2016 at 12:12 am | #

    Billies’ having second thoughts.

    oh god…. WHAT HAVE I DONE!!?

    • Wolf
      Wolf
      February 24, 2016 at 1:22 pm | #

      After I look at this strip another time, I have a question:

      Did Billie stay up all night? Was she thinking about Ruth or just staring at that photo? Both?

  21. Someone
    Someone
    February 23, 2016 at 12:12 am | #

    I got a few e-mails from I.U today, I was greatly disappointed that they weren’t signed Dean McHenry

    And people say I have trouble telling fiction from reality, completely idiotic…right?

    • Inspector Hound
      Inspector Hound
      February 23, 2016 at 11:46 am | #

      I imagine the hours of no response to your desperate plea for reassurance must be stressing you out, so please let me be of some help.

      It’s not completely idiotic.

    • Roborat
      Roborat
      February 23, 2016 at 2:31 pm | #

      Were they telling you that they couldn’t accept donations to pay for the housing of a fictional lesbian?

      • Someone
        Someone
        February 23, 2016 at 3:51 pm | #

        No, they excepted my donations, funny enough I’ve heard that I.U might be making some pretty big improvements to their football field.
        Wonder where they got the money?

  22. caesaria82
    caesaria82
    February 23, 2016 at 12:19 am | #

    Becky put up pictures of herself & Joyce, Dina and dinosaurs. That made me smile :3

    Then the rest of the strip crushed my soul.

  23. Catty
    Catty
    February 23, 2016 at 12:20 am | #

    Ah, dammit, Willis. You really love yanking that drama tag.

    Can we just have a week or two of light-hearted stuff to give us a break? You know, Ethan being kind, Mike being sarcastic, Joyce being optimistic, Becky being unstoppable, Walky being … Walky, Sal being awesome and Dorothy being Lisa Simpson? Please.

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      February 23, 2016 at 3:04 am | #

      There’s some Walky-Sal bickering coming up soon, if that helps.

  24. Shiro
    Shiro
    February 23, 2016 at 12:25 am | #

    I still think she was bluffing about the dozens, but one or two is plausible.

    We’ve had a lot of sad sapphic ladies laying in bed and cuddling things that remind them of their girlfriends lately…

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      February 23, 2016 at 12:28 am | #

      Strangely, none of them have been Daisy

      • Shiro
        Shiro
        February 23, 2016 at 12:35 am | #

        That would require her to have a girlfriend first.

        Was…was that too far?

        • Emily
          Emily
          February 23, 2016 at 7:13 am | #

          Yes it was, how dare you.

      • Disloyal Subject
        Disloyal Subject
        February 23, 2016 at 12:35 am | #

        She’d have to have a girlfriend for that. Or have had one.

  25. DinaWho
    DinaWho
    February 23, 2016 at 12:25 am | #

    Becky’s wall decorations give me a small fleeting moment of happiness in this story.

    • Clif
      Clif
      February 23, 2016 at 1:36 am | #

      The better to crush your feels.

  26. Russ
    Russ
    February 23, 2016 at 12:26 am | #

    No discourse today. Only sadness 🙁

  27. FuryOfFirestorm
    FuryOfFirestorm
    February 23, 2016 at 12:30 am | #

    That feel when you realize that straight girl is having a better lesbian relationship than you are.

    • Shiro
      Shiro
      February 23, 2016 at 12:52 am | #

      Who?

      • Clif
        Clif
        February 23, 2016 at 1:39 am | #

        Fury is talking to Billie about Joyce.

  28. saltchocolate
    saltchocolate
    February 23, 2016 at 12:33 am | #

    Heart officially broken. I mean, there are enough reasons why relationships end already: “cheating,” “prior marriage,” “fundamental incompatibility” . . . But to have to add “Mary” to the list . . . that just sucks.

  29. les-be-friends dinosaurs
    les-be-friends dinosaurs
    February 23, 2016 at 12:40 am | #

    Man…Becky is a weird looking kid

    • Someone
      Someone
      February 23, 2016 at 12:41 am | #

      She does look extremely uncomfortable

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      February 23, 2016 at 12:51 am | #

      She has an un-rad haircut. I find that weird.

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      February 23, 2016 at 10:19 am | #

      It’s the wide-spaced eyes.

  30. Badgermole
    Badgermole
    February 23, 2016 at 12:55 am | #

    Today was not a good day to put me through this, Willis.

    Song for Ruth: http://www.lizaannemusic.com/the-colder-months2/

  31. Iceholder
    Iceholder
    February 23, 2016 at 12:57 am | #

    Dumbing of Age -or- Making a Catgirl Cry: The Adventure

  32. AgentKeen
    AgentKeen
    February 23, 2016 at 12:59 am | #

    Come on, Ruth, after all the times you’ve pointed it out, I think you’d know you’d have to reach a bit further out to cop a feel of Billie’s butt.

  33. Pedantic Peanut
    Pedantic Peanut
    February 23, 2016 at 1:23 am | #

    Okay, a better question because I’m trying to dissect the drama here.

    Near as I know the school shouldn’t care if Ruth is in a relationship so long as it isn’t someone she has authority over. Couldn’t Billy just, y’know, canvas the whole dorm place a transfer request and try to get a room on a different floor?

    Of course that would take time. And make sense . . .

    • Clif
      Clif
      February 23, 2016 at 1:41 am | #

      Please see the title of the Comic.

      • Knightsky
        Knightsky
        February 23, 2016 at 2:20 pm | #

        Also, even if she did put in a transfer request to another dorm, it probably wouldn’t go through until the following quarter/semester.

        • Roborat
          Roborat
          February 23, 2016 at 2:36 pm | #

          Or they could get married. Wouldn’t that circumvent the issue, and they would be allowed to live together?

  34. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    February 23, 2016 at 1:57 am | #

    Now that’d have been the perfect page for Valentine’s day

  35. GVickers
    GVickers
    February 23, 2016 at 2:16 am | #

    This is truly touching. Thank you, Mr. Willis.

  36. Rutee
    Rutee
    February 23, 2016 at 2:35 am | #

    Poor things.

  37. Bagge
    Bagge
    February 23, 2016 at 3:34 am | #

    This is sad and all, but let’s look on the bright side. Mary won! She stood up for what is right and made sure there will no further cheer-leader-defiling.

    Oh, wait, that’s not the bright side.

    • engineer
      engineer
      February 23, 2016 at 6:22 am | #

      But if Ruth had paid just a bit more attention to her RA job there wouldnt have been all that trouble.
      Why is noone allowed to run in the hallway, but Carla is allowed to skate and stomp and annoy? Marys request for silence was just legit, why couldnt Ruth step in for her?
      Lets face it: Ruth is a horrible RA after all.

      • Bagge
        Bagge
        February 23, 2016 at 6:34 am | #

        Oh, I’m sure Mary will fix that to in due time.

      • Emily
        Emily
        February 23, 2016 at 7:16 am | #

        Ruth is a truly awful RA. Even on the rare occasions she actually deigns to do her job she is almost always hampered by her poor decision making like when she failed to stop Blane because she was morning drunk or this entire fiasco with Mary.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          February 23, 2016 at 7:50 am | #

          The entire fiasco with Mary I’ll give you, but failing to stop Blaine? Physically trying to stop him was already far above and beyond her job description. Tell him he’s not allowed and call for security is what she’s supposed to do. RA’s are trained or paid enough to actually handle people intent on violence.

          And she wasn’t drunk at the time, she was in withdrawal. Not that it changes the argument.

          • Spencer
            Spencer
            February 23, 2016 at 8:29 am | #

            In hindsight, that thing with Blaine was kind of weird. Why is this smooth talking manipulator who grinds his victims down just outright trying to assault this woman right in front of him, and why did nobody report him for that? If he tried to beat the shit out of Ruth, in front of witnesses, why did she send Billie to chase after her alone?

            • engineer
              engineer
              February 23, 2016 at 8:35 am | #

              I feel that the confrontation of Blaine and Ruth was quite too unrealastic. Does anybody seriously buy that a 100lbs girl with alcohol issues can stop a mad man like Blaine?
              Whatever amazing martial arts Ruth is supposed to know, it wouldnt work IRL.

              • Gigafreak
                Gigafreak
                February 23, 2016 at 10:13 am | #

                http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/approved/
                Right before Ruth suplexed him, Blaine lunged at her full-force. She doesn’t need a whole lot of muscle to throw him down: he provided 90% of the necessary force himself.

                Besides, if Daisy Ridley can lift 176 pounds as a routine workout, Ruth can sure as hell lift that much just once for a split second while hopped up on adrenaline.

              • Emily
                Emily
                February 23, 2016 at 10:54 am | #

                I mean a major component of a number of martial arts is fighting people bigger than yourself by redirecting their own force. It’s not actually super hard to keep someone moving in a direction they were already going you just have to exploit their inertia.

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        February 23, 2016 at 8:39 am | #

        Carla wasn’t allowed, Mary says as much. Given that Ruth appeared immediately after Mary misgendered Carla, chances are she was hounding them both down to get Carla to knock the noise out and then decided to deal with the important matter.

        but yes ruth is awful

  38. engineer
    engineer
    February 23, 2016 at 4:14 am | #

    I wonder why they dont fallback to their best coping strategy: booze!

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      February 23, 2016 at 4:40 am | #

      Turning to the booze would be yet another failure, and one more than either of them can bring themselves to right now.

      Or because Ruth threw it away.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        February 23, 2016 at 7:52 am | #

        Ruth not doing so fits precedent. Billie not drinking, especially when upset, is a change. Possibly, along with her mention of addiction yesterday, a good sign?

        • engineer
          engineer
          February 23, 2016 at 8:28 am | #

          Billie seems to have been learning a few things. Her behaviour towards Walki has improved a lot. I guess she is developing in a positive way.

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      February 23, 2016 at 10:01 am | #

      The night is young.

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        February 23, 2016 at 10:18 am | #

        But the storyline is over. If they were drinking tonight, it would have to be shown now.

        • Leorale
          Leorale
          February 23, 2016 at 10:21 am | #

          Oh, you’re right. The night isn’t young after all.

  39. BenRG
    BenRG
    February 23, 2016 at 4:51 am | #

    Ah! I was wondering where that old picture of Joyce and Becky (which was in a preview panel a way back) was going to fit in! I thought that it might be in Joyce’s room back home but, no, it turns out to be on the wall beside the bed that Becky made her own.

    I guess Sarah was almost right. The torch never really fades and Joyce will always have a special place in Becky’s heart. However, it’s nice to see that she’s also found a picture of Dina somewhere (possibly from the school paper) to put there.

  40. Fernando Martinez
    Fernando Martinez
    February 23, 2016 at 5:37 am | #

    Boo, Leafs!

  41. TheNinthShader
    TheNinthShader
    February 23, 2016 at 7:10 am | #

    I can’t think of anything witty to say bout the strip because there are no words.

    • Wublub
      Wublub
      February 23, 2016 at 7:19 am | #

      Sure there are. “Toronto Maple Leafs Nation”.

      • Bagge
        Bagge
        February 23, 2016 at 7:33 am | #

        “Go Leafs”

      • TheNinthShader
        TheNinthShader
        February 23, 2016 at 8:25 am | #

        I didn’t actually expect to get a reply to this xD

    • Pat Myers
      Pat Myers
      February 23, 2016 at 10:11 am | #

      (^_^)-b

  42. Pat Myers
    Pat Myers
    February 23, 2016 at 10:10 am | #

    Too many angsty bisexuals/pansexuals. We need Mike.

    • Spencer
      Spencer
      February 23, 2016 at 10:24 am | #

      Hey it’s not just the bi and pan characters who are miserable.

      The gay ones are sad too.

    • Emperor Norton
      Emperor Norton
      February 23, 2016 at 10:26 am | #

      Who’s to say Mike’s not angsty? He might very well be, and his assholery just happens to be the way he chooses to hide it.

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        February 23, 2016 at 10:37 am | #

        I honestly have a difficult time registering Mike as a queer character. The farthest we’ve ever seen was him fucking a dude in the name of comedy.

        Not that he needed to ever bang a dude to prove his queerness, I’m not some stupid asshole who thinks that baseless shit, but it’s kinda like, it only ever happened as a joke? So it’s hard to actually view it as legit.

        Of course, that also requires registering Mike as an actual character and not a walking punchline of horribleness.

        • Emperor Norton
          Emperor Norton
          February 23, 2016 at 11:09 am | #

          I was going to speculate about how he may be sexually attracted to acts of douchebaggery rather than people… But then realised that yeah, you’re right, he’s not enough of an actual character to warrant that type of speculation.

  43. Liminality
    Liminality
    February 23, 2016 at 10:19 am | #

    Have either of them even looked at the RA handbook or whatever it would be called? There could be a simple “if in relation, do this” type thing of notification. I don’t know what to call it properly, the thingy that would be used to notify and to try to either curtail nepotism, or make it so it is known and watched or something. Or is that me thinking too much into this?

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      February 23, 2016 at 10:57 am | #

      “If attracted to one of your charges, bully her, steal her shit, force-kiss her, get repeatedly drunk with her and have epic hate-sex. Try to keep it a secret.”

      “Huh, well that’s straight forward.”

      • TheNinthShader
        TheNinthShader
        February 23, 2016 at 11:30 am | #

        ¨I seem to have missed a step¨ ‘Only do this if an asshole’ ¨Nevermind then.¨

  44. engineer
    engineer
    February 23, 2016 at 11:23 am | #

    I just wish I knew why that Ruth Billie break up leaves me so incredible sad. Makes me emotional af.
    It’s probably that I like Ruth’ soft side so much, you know, after their first night she was just so lovely… whatever… I’m just sad.

  45. Drew
    Drew
    February 23, 2016 at 11:57 am | #

    The bit of pocket sticking out from under Billie’s shorts is a nice little detail that many artists would have overlooked.

    • Captain Button
      Captain Button
      February 23, 2016 at 12:06 pm | #

      Does this mean that Billie is not wearing Girlpants?

      • ChrisHerself
        ChrisHerself
        February 23, 2016 at 7:10 pm | #

        Girlshorts pockets are even worse, you THINK you’ll actually get to use them as intended until you realize that everything in the pockets is hanging below the hem making you look like a sad hotpants squirrel.

  46. Guairdean Beatha
    Guairdean Beatha
    February 23, 2016 at 5:07 pm | #

    “…just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year…”

  47. Tenn
    Tenn
    February 23, 2016 at 5:57 pm | #

    Everything ends with people in be(n)ds.

    That was a rhyme. Shut up.

  48. Joey245
    Joey245
    February 23, 2016 at 6:14 pm | #

    “End of storyline”

    Wait…what?

    But…what about Carla? And what about Mary getting her true comeuppance? And what about Joyce and Becky back at the Brown’s house? And who exactly is “that perfect girl” the title referred to?

    Well, I guess it’s gonna get resolved in the next storyline. Guess I’ll just go re-read a previous chapter…

    *goes to story drop-down menu*
    *sees title of next storyline*

    …oh no. This is gonna hurt.

    • Captain Button
      Captain Button
      February 23, 2016 at 6:20 pm | #

      Tune it tomorrow, same DoA time, same DoA website for our next exciting episode!

    • winter
      winter
      February 23, 2016 at 7:55 pm | #

      “That perfect girl” is Carla. Or, rather, what Carla shouldn’t have to be. But it’s pretty easy to extrapolate and extend the connection to other members of the cast.

      Also it might be a Frozen reference.

      • Spencer
        Spencer
        February 24, 2016 at 12:16 am | #

        I think it fits for most of the cast in this storyline, and not just Carla.

        Joyce is practically self explanatory, but now we’ve got Danny realizing that Amber isn’t the perfect magical superhero he thought she was, we’ve got Ruth and Billie’s first major fight since they got together.

        Plus, Dina’s perfect girl is gone now too.

  49. Zaidyer
    Zaidyer
    February 23, 2016 at 8:26 pm | #

    Ow! My feelings!!

  50. Just Here
    Just Here
    February 24, 2016 at 12:05 am | #

    Gods-Danny-it Ruth!

Who's that guy over there?

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