Leonard Nimoy defined what a Vulcan is, but I think Tim Russ picked up that ball and ran with it. He just had this innate understanding that Vulcans work best when they’re stoic but not unfeeling.
It helps that the writers gave Tuvok plenty of opportunities to break out some dry wit. “You are an unending source of astonishment”, for example. Or that entire episode where he gets bonked on the head or zapped or something and starts acting emotional like a human, then works outside logic with Neelix’s wordplay riddle. (Say what you will about Neelix, but those two characters could play off each other like a classic comedy duo sometimes. If anything, restoring that dynamic is why Janeway was right to off Tuvix.)
And it’s in a VOY ep, of all places (“Muse”), that I find one of my favorite scenes/lines about what it is to be Vulcan:
“They’ll realize that beneath your unfeeling exterior is a heart that’s breaking, silently, and in more pain than any of us can possibly understand.”
I’ve seen interviews with Russ where he complains that he’s best known for “We ain’t found shit!” despite having been part of the Trek lore. And that’s hilarious.
“We ain’t found shit!” is the first line I thought of for the “Say a live from a movie that anyone would instantly recognise what movie you’re talking about” meme
It might be his most famous line, but is it really what he’s most famous for?
In the sense that I had no idea who the actor playing that nameless extra was, but I’m at least vaguely familiar with Russ as Tuvok. Though I probably wouldn’t have remembered his name because I’m horrible with actor’s names. No idea that it was the same actor.
Oof, when I read this I was like, did Doctor who mean best friend’s roommate’s girlfriend’s roommate’s stepbrother? Sorry Becky, looks like my subconscious gives Dotty the title.
I actually had call once to describe my relationship to someone as, “I’m her mother’s daughter’s father’s college roommate,” with that being almost the most concise way to explain how she knew me.
Apparently, Amber was in a meet-cute-a-trois with Joyce and Walky, more than once. However, at the last one, it broke up. This is suggested as why she doesn’t want to mute-cute-a-trois with herself, Joyce and Amber’s step-brother.
Seems to me, however, that she’s digital enough to see the TokTokian potential of this.
I think it was a reference to their first meet-cute, which Joyce set up, after they’d already made out on Garbage Roof. That led to Amber telling him that she was the one who stabbed his sister and they’d just been in a big fight – which led to them sort of breaking up while Walky processed all that.
Oh Amber I feel your pain. Nothing harder than trying to be sad and alone with your thoughts when people keep interrupting. I recommend closing your door, locking it and wear headphones as a clear sign of “fuck off.”
Try wearing earbuds under those industrial hearing protectors landscapers wear around power equipment. My earbuds aren’t even noise-cancelling, but they block enough outside noise that I can mow my lawn without turning the volume up above where I usually put it.
“The accumulated filth of all their fanfic and comments will foam up about their waists and all the writers and posters will look up and shout “Save us!”… ”
I think you and BenRG nailed it. Joe is so completely in “get Joyce help” mode that he completely missed her by virtue of her not being his immediate next step pursuant the above goal.
Amber’s a total amateur at being a misanthropic, antisocial, hermit. Anyone can doom scroll twitter all day. If she didn’t want to be bothered she should’ve locked her door. Sarah would laugh at this display.
Maybe she’s just checking how well her anti-social brand is recognized? I mean, if people unanimously know she’s like that, she doesn’t NEED to lock her door.
Clearly Amber’s not at that level yet. Notice how neither of these two dimwits went to Sarah on this. Joe we know already burnt that bridge…well it was never a bridge but more like one thin rope tied to flimsy posts at both ends. But Joyce really has no excuse except she knows Sarah wouldn’t humor this pointless bs.
The problem with being a recluse is that you start getting seen as a wise remote hermit that people have to undertake a quest to go and get advice from.
Joe and Joyce have a character dynamic straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie and it’s written so perfectly that every time they’re on-panel together I am begging for them to get married.
Well yeah how many times have we seen the exact relationship of a big burly guy with an eye for pretty ladies and no tact or sensitivity eventually meeting with an uptight stickler who’s nice to most everyone except for him because he’s a chauvinist pig as a first impression, but then the uptight stickler not immediately falling for him sparks something in the big burly guy that motivates him to change for the better as the both of them deal with wacky misunderstandings.
Only Joe could be so worried about Joyce that he could walk into a room to ask someone for advice about how to help her and be so preoccupied about her that he doesn’t notice that she’s also there! I honestly don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing!
Meanwhile, Amber just wishes that they could work it out somewhere else!
Amber’s cave has too many people around, she’s finally showing some emotions! Nice to see Joe cal her Step-sis and be so worried for Joyce♡. Now he could ask directly to Joyce, or run away after an awkward excuse…
What’s the likelihood that Amber will lose her temper and tell Joe and Joyce to “get out of my room and find somewhere to make out or something!”? Naturally, the outcome of that will be Joe and Joyce standing in the corridor, unable to meet each other’s eyes and trying to work out how to react.
This is 110% shipping clouding my thought process, but is Joe seeking more help because he knows that Becky is dealing with her own baggage right now? Is he just covering his bases, getting as much help as possible, or is he also taking heat off Joyce’s friends?
I honestly don’t think that Joe thinks on those broad terms. He is concerned about Joyce so he is taking action. I doubt that it would even occur to him that Joyce has a wider support structure. Maybe it’s more than a little boyish curiosity but I genuinely think that he has got into the mindset that Joyce’s problems are his concern after they got into the habit of texting each other after Ross’s first attack.
Judging by yesterday’s comments, it appears I have a Booster pronoun problem.
I usually avoid this by not talking about Booster.
Some seem to think it was my intention to misgender or dehumanize. That was not the case.
But is a sensitive topic. I should have known better. If I annoyed or upset you, I’m sorry.
Being rude to webcomic characters is good practice for doing the same to real people.
You should probably think about what you meant by “pronouns are a privilege, not a right.”
I know you’re trying to apologize but it’s not enough to go “sorry I hurt you” or “it’s a sensitive topic”, it was wrong of you to say and it’s wrong for pretty specific reasons.
It was a shitty thing to say. From that comment, as well as your follow ups, it seems more like you have a pronoun problem than a “Booster pronoun problem,” and Booster might be a good opportunity for you to practice using correct pronouns for others.
Evidently, it’s likely that he cringes at least a little bit when writing in a way that’s technically considered “grammatically incorrect”.
But if we really wanted to, we could just change those grammatical rules. After all, English speakers throughout the centuries changed many other rules about the language to suit themselves.
Grammatical rules don’t even need to change, singular they is not grammatically incorrect, and it even predates singular you in the English language. But Jhon’s original comment of “Pronouns are a privilege, not a right.” speaks to an issue with trans and nonbinary people that goes far deeper than grammatical issues, it’s an issue with respecting them at a fundamental level.
The implication of “pronouns are a privilege not a right” is that their identity is only valid when Jhon is not frustrated at them. When they are frustrated at them, then Jhon is using incorrect pronouns because: a) Jhon no longer respects their identity and feels like it is no longer legitimate. b) Jhon is purposefully doing this in order to hurt them. c) Both of the above.
None of these are appropriate reactions to disliking someone. The validity of someone’s identity is not subject to anyone’s anger or frustration. This is the “issue with respecting them at a fundamental level.”
Regardless of whether he really believes that pronouns are a privilege or that it was a very poor attempt at sporting humor, it was still a mistake and he needs to make ammends.
More likely she’s tired since, regardless of not being an active hero, AG was still out at roller derby, and then Amber has always been a night owl, so what the hell is she doing awake at this hour?!
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“I don’t do quests, particularly ones that involve being a person”
AÄAND SHEEEE’SS BAAAACK!!!
Huh, for some reason the reminder that Joe and Amber are now related is making me think of Spaceballs.
Joe: I am your best friend’s girlfriend’s roommate’s stepbrother!
Joyce: What does that make us?
Joe: Absolutely nothing!
I love Spaceballs, I should watch it again. I haven’t seen it in a few years, though I did look up the “We’re in now” scene on Youtube.
The line “We ain’t found shit!” is guaranteed to set my brother off even after 30 years.
It got even better after that actor got cast in a major role on a Star Trek.
AS A VULCAN
Leonard Nimoy defined what a Vulcan is, but I think Tim Russ picked up that ball and ran with it. He just had this innate understanding that Vulcans work best when they’re stoic but not unfeeling.
It helps that the writers gave Tuvok plenty of opportunities to break out some dry wit. “You are an unending source of astonishment”, for example. Or that entire episode where he gets bonked on the head or zapped or something and starts acting emotional like a human, then works outside logic with Neelix’s wordplay riddle. (Say what you will about Neelix, but those two characters could play off each other like a classic comedy duo sometimes. If anything, restoring that dynamic is why Janeway was right to off Tuvix.)
Just so. He did some fantastic work as Tuvok.
And it’s in a VOY ep, of all places (“Muse”), that I find one of my favorite scenes/lines about what it is to be Vulcan:
“They’ll realize that beneath your unfeeling exterior is a heart that’s breaking, silently, and in more pain than any of us can possibly understand.”
I’ve seen interviews with Russ where he complains that he’s best known for “We ain’t found shit!” despite having been part of the Trek lore. And that’s hilarious.
“We ain’t found shit!” is the first line I thought of for the “Say a live from a movie that anyone would instantly recognise what movie you’re talking about” meme
LINE from, DANG IT PHONE
It might be his most famous line, but is it really what he’s most famous for?
In the sense that I had no idea who the actor playing that nameless extra was, but I’m at least vaguely familiar with Russ as Tuvok. Though I probably wouldn’t have remembered his name because I’m horrible with actor’s names. No idea that it was the same actor.
Well then you’ll like this video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ7TnQBSV00
Oof, when I read this I was like, did Doctor who mean best friend’s roommate’s girlfriend’s roommate’s stepbrother? Sorry Becky, looks like my subconscious gives Dotty the title.
I was trying to figure out how Dorothy had a girlfriend.
I mean maybe if Joyce asked reeeally nicely
“Your girlfriend’s roommate’s girlfriend’s roommate’s stepbrother” would also work.
“I knew it. I’m surrounded by assholes.”
-Amber, right now
Also apparently, He Who Abides.
“Keep firing, assholes!”
I actually had call once to describe my relationship to someone as, “I’m her mother’s daughter’s father’s college roommate,” with that being almost the most concise way to explain how she knew me.
…her half-sister’s father’s college roommate?
They both went to Amber for advice on how to be an antisocial train wreck. Is that insulting or something to be proud of?
I guess it’s nice to know you’re the best at something.
Depends on if we are on Garbage Roof or not.
Insulting but Amber’s self-loathing is at a point where I doubt she cares.
Depends. Is antisocialness doing well in the stock market or has it crashed today?
I mean, that’s the brand she intentionally cultivates, so I guess she knows to expect it.
Maybe a little of both?
Nice Spot Check Joe.
She’s not even standing outside the panel.
Rolled a nat 1
Perception is Joe’s Dump Stat.
Joe was never there. Joyce does not see him.
On account of him not being there.
Well this is awkward.
This is a cute strip. Well, not for Amber. But for the Joe-Joyce dynamic.
What a meet-cute. Now strip!
Poor Amber doesn’t realize a fanfic is happening right behind her!
Last time she was involved in one of these with Joyce she and Walky broke up, so I understand her not wanting another.
What? When did this happen?
She was involved with Joyce in one of these over Halloween? I cannot parse your sentence. What is one of these?
Apparently, Amber was in a meet-cute-a-trois with Joyce and Walky, more than once. However, at the last one, it broke up. This is suggested as why she doesn’t want to mute-cute-a-trois with herself, Joyce and Amber’s step-brother.
Seems to me, however, that she’s digital enough to see the TokTokian potential of this.
I think it was a reference to their first meet-cute, which Joyce set up, after they’d already made out on Garbage Roof. That led to Amber telling him that she was the one who stabbed his sister and they’d just been in a big fight – which led to them sort of breaking up while Walky processed all that.
Great timing, Joe!
…This is not going to resolve calmly, is it?
*plays Molly Hatchet’s version of “Dreams I’ll Never See” on the hacked Muzak*
I guess Duane’s guitar isn’t essential for this…?
Oh Amber I feel your pain. Nothing harder than trying to be sad and alone with your thoughts when people keep interrupting. I recommend closing your door, locking it and wear headphones as a clear sign of “fuck off.”
Headphones don’t always work. In my experience, they make people more likely to bother you.
Turn the sound on high enough, and clamp them to your ears, and it won’t matter because you can’t hear them.
Of course, the eventual hearing damage isn’t great, but.
Hearing damage just means eventually you won’t need headphones to not hear them. Win-win
Try wearing earbuds under those industrial hearing protectors landscapers wear around power equipment. My earbuds aren’t even noise-cancelling, but they block enough outside noise that I can mow my lawn without turning the volume up above where I usually put it.
*Amber puts up giant “EVERYBODY FUCK OFF” sign over her desk*
Joyce: Hey Amber, can you give me advice on how to tell someone to fuck off?
Joe: Hey Amber, can you tell me what to do when someone tells you to fuck off?
*Amber lights everything on fire*
“Hey, Amber, can you give me advice on how to pretend this is all fine while I’m on fire?”
“Hey, Amber, can you tell me what to do when someone lights everything on fire?”
Joe and Joyce then proceeded to have a deeply personal conversation, right there, all while Amber continuously asked them to leave.
Please remember you said this tomorrow. I can say no more
Seconded.
I would not be surprised if this happens.
“The accumulated filth of all their fanfic and comments will foam up about their waists and all the writers and posters will look up and shout “Save us!”… ”
and Damn you Willis will whisper “No.”
Only Rule of Funny could possibly cause Joe to not see Joyce there
Nah, the Invisible Gorilla Effect is also a possibility.
Between Joe and Joyce, who would have thought Joyce would be the gorilla?
Maybe Joe also needs glasses?
Alternative solution.
Joe can be dumb when his mind is set on something. Not quite himbo levels because he, as a person, can not qualify, but in a similar nature.
It’s situational tunnel vision.
I think you and BenRG nailed it. Joe is so completely in “get Joyce help” mode that he completely missed her by virtue of her not being his immediate next step pursuant the above goal.
Maybe Joyce was also Dina’ed by being far enough back, that she was behind the door when Joe ploughed in.
Nah, her teleportation superpower can only target Dorothy (and Malaya that one time).
That’s not teleportation, just positioning.
ADD
Well, that’s your own fault for not reading the main character contract they gave you. Dunno what to tell you, Amber, get a better agent.
Amber’s a total amateur at being a misanthropic, antisocial, hermit. Anyone can doom scroll twitter all day. If she didn’t want to be bothered she should’ve locked her door. Sarah would laugh at this display.
Maybe she’s just checking how well her anti-social brand is recognized? I mean, if people unanimously know she’s like that, she doesn’t NEED to lock her door.
Clearly Amber’s not at that level yet. Notice how neither of these two dimwits went to Sarah on this. Joe we know already burnt that bridge…well it was never a bridge but more like one thin rope tied to flimsy posts at both ends. But Joyce really has no excuse except she knows Sarah wouldn’t humor this pointless bs.
I feel a Joe-Joyce argument brewing and coming
While Amber tells them several times to leave. But is ignored.
This brown (haired) recluse is particularly venomous.
Does she make one’s flesh begin to rot on their own body should she bite someone, too?
She really needs to start brushing her teeth if she does.
Amber actually had good advise there. “Do the opposite of me.”
Wasn’t that the plan to begin with?
Wait. When Booster gave the advice, it was bad advice, but when Amber gave the advice, it was good advice?
best advice: flip a coin
Flip a coin so you know what you hope for the most and do that.
Joe and Joyce (what a cute couple name!) are reaaally cutting in on Amber’s Fort time.
The problem with being a recluse is that you start getting seen as a wise remote hermit that people have to undertake a quest to go and get advice from.
Two people with such raw tension trying to avoid the other end up seeking out the same third party and end up meeting each other.
I’m not generally a fan of clichés like this, but there are always exceptions.
Joe and Joyce have a character dynamic straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie and it’s written so perfectly that every time they’re on-panel together I am begging for them to get married.
It’s great.
Oh my god. You put it into words? Jesus christ, you’re right.
Well yeah how many times have we seen the exact relationship of a big burly guy with an eye for pretty ladies and no tact or sensitivity eventually meeting with an uptight stickler who’s nice to most everyone except for him because he’s a chauvinist pig as a first impression, but then the uptight stickler not immediately falling for him sparks something in the big burly guy that motivates him to change for the better as the both of them deal with wacky misunderstandings.
Well that’s be awk. An atheist and a Jewish man making Christmas shit.
Either Hallmark or Jane Austen.
The Trilogy is complete.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,
Sense and Sensibility and Sea-Monsters
Joe and Joyce and Jehova’s Witnesses
Clichés are clichés because they work so well.
Willis being Willis, will start you off and then pull the rug from under you.
Anakin being Anakin will start you off and then pull the rug out from under you.
Fixed that for you.
“i’m a person and my name is anakin”
I sure hope this doesn’t foreshadow Amber turning corrupt or something.
Well, not quite. Cliches are cliches because they usually work. They only work well in the hands of a competent writer.
When the cliches were in the hands of competent writers, they were not yet cliches.
My sympathy vibes are being transmitted….now.
It’s gonna happen.
AGH I HAD COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN THAT THEY ARE STEP-SIBLINGS NOW AND THIS RE-REVELATION HAS TAKEN ME COMPLETELY BY SURPRISE
I love the art of Amber in the foreground here. She looks really good.
Only Joe could be so worried about Joyce that he could walk into a room to ask someone for advice about how to help her and be so preoccupied about her that he doesn’t notice that she’s also there! I honestly don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing!
Meanwhile, Amber just wishes that they could work it out somewhere else!
I’m coming to believe that it’s an adorable thing, at any rate.
“At any rate, it’s an adorable thing I believe I’ll be coming to.”
ftfy
Joe ‘gaslighted’ himself into not realising other people are there when they are trying to be sneaky.
Joe was never there.
I’m waiting for someone to mention Willis so that I can point out that he changed his name to Anakin now.
I don’t believe you. I checked the tags and everything. ; An ;
Oh the alt
Sarah is the character I identify with the most, but Amber is the one I’d most want to date.
HA JOE YOU HAVE TO BE A FRIEND NOW
Your profile picture works too well with this comment.
It’s just so cheerful.
Amber’s cave has too many people around, she’s finally showing some emotions! Nice to see Joe cal her Step-sis and be so worried for Joyce♡. Now he could ask directly to Joyce, or run away after an awkward excuse…
Amber got upgraded to one of those top-of-the-mountain hermits to whom people go for Wisdom.
Well, people are going to do the opposite of her wisdom.. So, like a bottom of a well hermit.
“Nihilist of the Well, what is your anti-wisdom?”
so that we can do the opposite.
“There are three doors around a circular room. Take the middle door.”
I love the design of this strip, how we see amber’s world being constantly intruded on.
Amber’s got that ‘strongly considering distance learning’ look.
It’s doubtful that all her classrooms have a line-of-sight to the screens/blackboards for a thousand-yard stare.
This is just the gift that keeps on giving. I really hope Joe and Joyce become good friends or form some sort of closer bond, this is just too cute.
Is it just me, or did the occurence of excellent faces go up after the timeskip/break?
Well, Amber is an expert at being sad and looking at phones. On that much, Joe is absolutely correct.
I dislike Booster, but it looks like they may have given some good advice this time.
Booster – gives you bad advice for your own good.
What’s the likelihood that Amber will lose her temper and tell Joe and Joyce to “get out of my room and find somewhere to make out or something!”? Naturally, the outcome of that will be Joe and Joyce standing in the corridor, unable to meet each other’s eyes and trying to work out how to react.
Maybe Joe and Joyce should just talk to each other…
That’s crazy talk.
Is it crazy talk because they are crazy about each other?
For ‘talk’, read “Stutter, pause awkwardly, have multiple false starts and uses of the phrase ‘You know…’.”
“Maybe you should just go talk to her…”
Cut to Stephen Bierce *plays “Foxey Lady” on the hacked Muzak*
Way!
This is 110% shipping clouding my thought process, but is Joe seeking more help because he knows that Becky is dealing with her own baggage right now? Is he just covering his bases, getting as much help as possible, or is he also taking heat off Joyce’s friends?
I honestly don’t think that Joe thinks on those broad terms. He is concerned about Joyce so he is taking action. I doubt that it would even occur to him that Joyce has a wider support structure. Maybe it’s more than a little boyish curiosity but I genuinely think that he has got into the mindset that Joyce’s problems are his concern after they got into the habit of texting each other after Ross’s first attack.
Amber echoing Booster almost word-for-word has me in stitches thanks to Joyce’s face.
Normally ‘Hey Step-sis’ from a guy of Joe’s interests takes on a different theme, but I actually think he’s trying to help.
Judging by yesterday’s comments, it appears I have a Booster pronoun problem.
I usually avoid this by not talking about Booster.
Some seem to think it was my intention to misgender or dehumanize. That was not the case.
But is a sensitive topic. I should have known better. If I annoyed or upset you, I’m sorry.
Being rude to webcomic characters is good practice for doing the same to real people.
You should probably think about what you meant by “pronouns are a privilege, not a right.”
I know you’re trying to apologize but it’s not enough to go “sorry I hurt you” or “it’s a sensitive topic”, it was wrong of you to say and it’s wrong for pretty specific reasons.
It was a shitty thing to say. From that comment, as well as your follow ups, it seems more like you have a pronoun problem than a “Booster pronoun problem,” and Booster might be a good opportunity for you to practice using correct pronouns for others.
Evidently, it’s likely that he cringes at least a little bit when writing in a way that’s technically considered “grammatically incorrect”.
But if we really wanted to, we could just change those grammatical rules. After all, English speakers throughout the centuries changed many other rules about the language to suit themselves.
Grammatical rules don’t even need to change, singular they is not grammatically incorrect, and it even predates singular you in the English language. But Jhon’s original comment of “Pronouns are a privilege, not a right.” speaks to an issue with trans and nonbinary people that goes far deeper than grammatical issues, it’s an issue with respecting them at a fundamental level.
He stated last strip that he “writes the way he feels comfortable writing, and then adds the proper pronouns later”.
Just what suggests that he has “an issue respecting them at a fundamental level”? Am I missing something he said earlier?
The implication of “pronouns are a privilege not a right” is that their identity is only valid when Jhon is not frustrated at them. When they are frustrated at them, then Jhon is using incorrect pronouns because:
a) Jhon no longer respects their identity and feels like it is no longer legitimate.
b) Jhon is purposefully doing this in order to hurt them.
c) Both of the above.
None of these are appropriate reactions to disliking someone. The validity of someone’s identity is not subject to anyone’s anger or frustration. This is the “issue with respecting them at a fundamental level.”
Regardless of whether he really believes that pronouns are a privilege or that it was a very poor attempt at sporting humor, it was still a mistake and he needs to make ammends.
panel 3 amber is perfect.
that is all
gosh darn it that’s NOT all. it’s like kermit the frog and mona lisa had a kid. THAT is all.
Amber’s eyes… is she medicated?
More likely she’s tired since, regardless of not being an active hero, AG was still out at roller derby, and then Amber has always been a night owl, so what the hell is she doing awake at this hour?!
People arguing next my room while I’m trying to focus.
Uuuugh!!
*skyrim skill-up music*
*sneak decreased to 8*
i love that they are all so awkwardly framed by the top of Amber’s bed