Jennifer has a long history of impressively clueless judgements, but being unable to pick up on signals from a girl despite having previously been in a sexual relationship with her is a new feat of cluelessness
I think it may be as simple as Jennifer having mostly platonic feelings for Alice, while Alice has mostly romantic feelings for Billie. Jennifer is very consistent in her belief that you can bang your friends, and it doesn’t count as a romantic thing, and is just platonic. Maybe she does have deeper, latent romantic feelings towards Alice, and she isn’t very aware of them, due to her perspective. But, it could just be that she banged her friend a few times, and it meant something different to her, than it meant to Alice.
Bill Erak
Yeah, to her it meant “guys i promise I’m not gay i promise everyone is attracted to the same gender right I’m not gay I’m normal please believe me”
Clueless or playing hard to get. I’d give it even odds. Jennifer can be pretty clueless, but she understands power dynamics. It’s why she and Ruth are so toxically suited.
Alternately, maybe she really likes the attention from Alice and won’t admit to wanting to keep her hanging. Jennifer is also good at lying to herself.
Alice is pretty hot, but she could use a little more characterization beyond “desperately craves Billie’s cock”. I’ve been gradually cooling on her, but a makeout session with Billie might be a good idea.
Alice is about to learn the hard way that trying to overcome Billie’s self-loathing with positive flirting is like throwing a beach ball at a concrete wall
Beginning to think that the dynamic of this relationship has always been Billie feeling good about being needed by somebody, and getting her ego and self-image fueled by that, whereas Alice is specifically attracted to people whose attention is not easy to obtain.
It still amazes me how oblivious Billifer is to things at times. Alice is telling her all sorts of stuff about how she likes her in this strip, and she seems to not have noticed at all.
Billie is a lot like Joyce, in that her current perception/belief/framework of reality is immutable to her at face value. If she has something sorted into a particular category, whether it’s a person, or a behavior, or a judgement of something, it just doesn’t occur to her to examine those things from any other angle, besides the one she’s already internalized as true. That leads to her constantly missing the obvious, any time that her first impression of how things are would be contradicted.
Given the way she reacted to Billie’s presence when they first encountered each other in college, her going from wanting nothing to do with her to desperately throwing herself at her just because Joyce (bless her heart) said she doesn’t suck as much as she used to feels way too fast and stupid to me.
–
But, sadly, there are in fact people stupid enough to take really shitty people back into their lives no matter how terrible an idea it is. So I’m mostly just shaking my head feeling sorry for Alice.
She slammed her head into Billie’s windshield pretty hard in that car accident. Maybe the concussion had an eight-month lag time before its effects set in.
Well, at least it means Asma may have a chance.
It does look like Jennifer really did want her back as a friend, and is not interested in getting back together, sexually.
Loving the narrative double entendre of Jennifer saying she needs to ask Joyce for help, where Jennifer thinks she needs advice about calculus, but actually she’s gonna need help with “what do I do if my childhood friend is madly in love with me?”
Not that Joyce necessarily has good advice to offer…but at least she’s been there.
Alt-text: Willis once noted that the handhelds have moved up to Nintendo Switches in the last decade and a half; this Andrew Garfield nod reminds me that nobody’s posters have changed in the meantime.
Am I supposed to be getting Futurama vibes? Because I am.
Whenever Joyce isn’t on screen, all the other characters should be asking, “Where’s Joyce?”
…I know she’s the main character but I’m getting a little tired of every conversation bending back to her within 5 minutes; I’ve always liked DoA best as an ensemble piece.
Whenever Joyce isn’t on screen, all the other characters should be asking, “Where’s Joyce?”
…I know she’s the main character but I’m getting a little tired of every conversation bending back to her within 5 minutes; I’ve always liked DoA best as an ensemble piece.
No, no, Jennifer is the main character, which means that Joyce hasn’t been getting enough screen time because she’s not been speaking to Jennifer. Just ask Jennifer.
(Seriously, I think this joke about Jennifer’s Main Character Energy wouldn’t land nearly as well if she’d said Lucy or something.)
76 thoughts on “Important memories”
Doctor_Who
Anyone wanna tell me how someone with Jennifer’s incredible perception and situational awareness hasn’t figured out who Amazi-Girl is yet?
Steamweed
Whatinhell you sayin’? Clearly she knows it’s Sal.
Sharizard
I mean, she even rescued the costume out the cupboard for her. She’s practically Amazi-Girl’s Jimmy Olsen.
NGPZ
hint hint hint hint hint hint
clif
She should ask Walky for a hint. He managed to pass calculus somehow.
Sirksome
She’s not the starving one tonight.
Tan
No, no. Alice thirsts
kotarisu
For Sprite, right?
Dot
Alice, honey, you cannot want that cookie that badly
Sirksome
Hey, maybe it’s been awhile for the poor girl.
Thag Simmons
This campus apparently has an epidemic of pretty gay girls who cannot flirt to save their goddamn lives.
NGPZ
but i want that cookie 🥺🍪
Ray Radlein
EVERYONE IS IMPERVIOUS
Elf grrl
Aww, Alice is laying it on thick, too bad Billifer only responds to toxic flirtation. Maybe Alice should suplex her into the bed
Doctor_Who
Her safe-word is “femurs”
BYM!
Wait we actually are gonna get Billie being asked to go bowling and bringing Alice along with her, lol
clif
Probably not. They were only bowling because they were trying to hang out with Asma to make up for kissing at her protest.
IntangibleMatter
Girl weren’t you just trying to get into her pants a few days ago? And now you’re ignoring her?
I feel like if I knew Jennifer in real life she’s the kind of person I’d yell at a lot. Just because of her being stupid like this.
Sirksome
Jennifer was never trying to get in Alice’s pants. The friendship was always her motivation. Platonic friendship.
https://www.dumbingofage.com/comic/skills/
ReFlex76
She said, as she rolled her eyes, and followed it with, “you’re allowed to bang, like, once.”
Thag Simmons
Jennifer has a long history of impressively clueless judgements, but being unable to pick up on signals from a girl despite having previously been in a sexual relationship with her is a new feat of cluelessness
Throwatron
I think it may be as simple as Jennifer having mostly platonic feelings for Alice, while Alice has mostly romantic feelings for Billie. Jennifer is very consistent in her belief that you can bang your friends, and it doesn’t count as a romantic thing, and is just platonic. Maybe she does have deeper, latent romantic feelings towards Alice, and she isn’t very aware of them, due to her perspective. But, it could just be that she banged her friend a few times, and it meant something different to her, than it meant to Alice.
Bill Erak
Yeah, to her it meant “guys i promise I’m not gay i promise everyone is attracted to the same gender right I’m not gay I’m normal please believe me”
Steamweed
Cluelessness, thy name is Billie.
Or Jennifer.
Or Billifer.
clif
Clueless or playing hard to get. I’d give it even odds. Jennifer can be pretty clueless, but she understands power dynamics. It’s why she and Ruth are so toxically suited.
clif
Alternately, maybe she really likes the attention from Alice and won’t admit to wanting to keep her hanging. Jennifer is also good at lying to herself.
Cholma
Wow. Jennifer. Way to go, having a completely separate conversation than the one Alice is having! Yikes.
(I mean, I’m historically inept reading women’s thoughts/body language, but yowza.)
John Campbell
We know what you meant, Alice.
darkoneko
Oh yeah, I’m sure Joyce think often about you
Yotomoe
I don’t necessarily think they should date. Or even hook up. Narratively it just doesn’t work well for their characters at this junkcture.
But god it would be so DAMN hot if they made out.
Taffy
Alice is pretty hot, but she could use a little more characterization beyond “desperately craves Billie’s cock”. I’ve been gradually cooling on her, but a makeout session with Billie might be a good idea.
Thing 2
Cock. Junk cture. Tee Hee.
clif
You have to remember that Jennifer is secretly Mike.
Fireprincesslily
As one of the few Billie Non-Haters, girl you are totally freaking blowing it.
ReFlex76
Alice could strip naked, open her legs, shove here crotch in Billie’s face and say, “put your tongue inside me!!”
Billie: “So, you want me to help you with your poli-sci homework?”
Throwatron
She’s just really committed to the bit of “being straight.” It’s a method thing.
DiDi
Oh… Oh, we’re playing the oblivious game again. All right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No, No… that’s fine. Just great.
Lux
They are just talking past each other :(
Lee
Spoiler alert: in panel 2, that is not, in fact, what she means
Fail Earnhardt
Alice is about to learn the hard way that trying to overcome Billie’s self-loathing with positive flirting is like throwing a beach ball at a concrete wall
Throwatron
Beginning to think that the dynamic of this relationship has always been Billie feeling good about being needed by somebody, and getting her ego and self-image fueled by that, whereas Alice is specifically attracted to people whose attention is not easy to obtain.
Kyulen
It still amazes me how oblivious Billifer is to things at times. Alice is telling her all sorts of stuff about how she likes her in this strip, and she seems to not have noticed at all.
Throwatron
Billie is a lot like Joyce, in that her current perception/belief/framework of reality is immutable to her at face value. If she has something sorted into a particular category, whether it’s a person, or a behavior, or a judgement of something, it just doesn’t occur to her to examine those things from any other angle, besides the one she’s already internalized as true. That leads to her constantly missing the obvious, any time that her first impression of how things are would be contradicted.
Shogo
Given the way she reacted to Billie’s presence when they first encountered each other in college, her going from wanting nothing to do with her to desperately throwing herself at her just because Joyce (bless her heart) said she doesn’t suck as much as she used to feels way too fast and stupid to me.
–
But, sadly, there are in fact people stupid enough to take really shitty people back into their lives no matter how terrible an idea it is. So I’m mostly just shaking my head feeling sorry for Alice.
Thing 2
Alice also had a long conversation with Ruth.
Techhead
It was definitely Ruth doing the work more than Joyce, Joyce just got the ball rolling.
Needfuldoer
She slammed her head into Billie’s windshield pretty hard in that car accident. Maybe the concussion had an eight-month lag time before its effects set in.
Shakes
Jennifer’s never getting that Lesbian Love Sleuth diploma.
Adam Black
has jen figured out she was roofied yet?
Thing 2
Evidence
thumb
Jennifer, ace reporter. Forever picking up all the clues.
John Campbell
Hey, she figured out who Amazi-Girl was and kept her costume from being discovered by the cops!
Illjwamh
Oof. TWO big swings, only to whiff both times.
Adept
Well, at least it means Asma may have a chance.
It does look like Jennifer really did want her back as a friend, and is not interested in getting back together, sexually.
Speedball
Starting to see why these two broke up. Oh jeez.
Throwatron
I don’t think they dated, or if they did, Jennifer has eternal sunshined that part of her life.
John Campbell
I think it may depend on which of them you ask.
Throwatron
Loving the narrative double entendre of Jennifer saying she needs to ask Joyce for help, where Jennifer thinks she needs advice about calculus, but actually she’s gonna need help with “what do I do if my childhood friend is madly in love with me?”
Not that Joyce necessarily has good advice to offer…but at least she’s been there.
SillyGoose
In which Jennilie continues to nail it.
Arianod
Guys, you’re not gonna believe what the scouter says about her Cluelessness level
Bill Erak
BILLIE YOU CANNOT BE THIS DENSE
ValdVin
Alt-text: Willis once noted that the handhelds have moved up to Nintendo Switches in the last decade and a half; this Andrew Garfield nod reminds me that nobody’s posters have changed in the meantime.
Am I supposed to be getting Futurama vibes? Because I am.
Anna
Whenever Joyce isn’t on screen, all the other characters should be asking, “Where’s Joyce?”
…I know she’s the main character but I’m getting a little tired of every conversation bending back to her within 5 minutes; I’ve always liked DoA best as an ensemble piece.
Anna
Whenever Joyce isn’t on screen, all the other characters should be asking, “Where’s Joyce?”
…I know she’s the main character but I’m getting a little tired of every conversation bending back to her within 5 minutes; I’ve always liked DoA best as an ensemble piece.
Daibhid C
No, no, Jennifer is the main character, which means that Joyce hasn’t been getting enough screen time because she’s not been speaking to Jennifer. Just ask Jennifer.
(Seriously, I think this joke about Jennifer’s Main Character Energy wouldn’t land nearly as well if she’d said Lucy or something.)
YourCousinJay
Good save Alice, she’ll never suspect a thing.
Steamweed
Billifer is very good at that.
Needfuldoer
Billiefer wanted Alice’s friendship back so bad, and now that she’s here she practically ignores her. Yeah, that tracks.
Astariel
Jennifer, pay attention to your girl!
Suet
Memories of being a Head Cheerleader… and nothing else
ㅤ
of course I can’t understand that page, it’s just boxes and scribbles
“Head Cheerleader, Calc Can’t Solver”
Amós Batista