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Anna Merlan @annamerlan.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 11d
Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net ⋅ 3d
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 11d
David M Willis! @damnyouwillis.bsky.social ⋅ 11d
Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social ⋅ 4d
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“Have you tried turning her off and turning her on again?”
“I don’t have the right plumbing for that”
“The last time I turned on one of my dorm residents, it ended really badly for everyone involved”
“You’re just reading off a script of what to say when I call, aren’t you? You don’t actually know how to help at ALL!”
Oh it’s a euphemism, I see. I thought you were suggesting that she should knock her out with a metal pipe, and was confused because in my experience massive head trauma tends to exacerbate existing stresses
Aw, and we have all those kick-ass pipes to pick from down in Pipe Storage…
Self reflection spins me right round – right round – like a record baby, round, round, round.
I’m starting to think maybe Ruth ain’t great at her job.
Still better than 90% of the RAs I’ve dealt with.
My RAs were like… fine? I barely interacted with them; I remember needing the first two like once each, and they were decently available for that, and the third one lost the position like a month in when she was found passed out drunk in the communal bathroom. I’m not sure if I ever met her replacement.
My RA made us homemade mushroom soup.
I mean considering she doesn’t want the job in the first place
Ruth isn’t Jennifer’s RA anymore, right?
Correct. Billie lives in a different dorm now.
Nah, it some person named Spencer. Not sure how good she is at her job. She seems okay I guess. Ruth doesn’t seem too fond of her.
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2020/comic/book-10/02-to-remind-you-of-my-love/fresh-start/
Right. But she *is* Dorothy’s RA, which is who’s relevant here.
She’s just an RA, not a therapist
^ This. Don’t expect a 20-year-old with lots of their own issues and no formal training to somehow be a therapist for their 18-year-old hallway. RAs are there to answer basic questions and provide a little advice about campus, and to call 911 if someone is dead-drunk. They aren’t there to “fix” their halls emotional issues.
Exactly. RAs often end up partying with their floor, going full authoritarian psycho, or have a rather hand’s off attitude where they pray they’ll never have to do anything. Ruth is the last option there when she started as the second one.
Expecting other, well, children to behave like trained therapists is just too much.
I’m not expecting Ruth to be Dorothy’s therapist. Especially considering her history it’s understandable that she would be more hands off now. It does seem negligent though, to be aware of a student she’s in charge of is in crisis and not offer any recommendations toward school resources. Ruth should know at least that much as part of her job, not just for mental health but accessibility as well. What does she do for students with mobility needs like being wheelchair bound or visually impaired? She should at least have the info.
Remember that Dorothy is already in the system seeing a therapist. That’s the main thing we were supposed to do as RAs when I was one— get people in the system.
Dorothy you can come up with a better prank call than that
Shh, you’re going to give her anxiety about her prank call not being perfect.
it might be good in its simplicity XD; no one at yale expects a prank call. if anything i’d expect borderline harassment calls to ‘ivy league schools’ being like “are you racist/why do you only accept rich white people” or so , i’m sure some ppl can earn a a scholarship like dorothy but i imagine a majority are from “prevailed” people whose parents also went to yale
Roughly 14-15% of current Yale students are ‘legacy.’
They say “legacy”.
What they mean is “affirmative action for rich white people”.
Did Dorothy get a scholarship? It doesn’t seem likely that she’d qualify for a needs-based scholarship, which is what I’d expect to be possible for someone in her general position. (Also what I think the Ivies are biggest on in terms of scholarships; some actually have strong financial support for those from low income families, but there are still a ton of barriers to getting to that point, and then the wealth disparity between students can be a fuckton– from things I’ve read, anyway.)
Realizing this is kind of a stupid comment as far as the comic goes– “I wouldn’t expect Dorothy to get a scholarship if this were real life”… yeah, but it’s not. That’s kind of a key element in some stuff. Including Yale, because I’m still confused on the timeline.
Okay, I’m going to bed now.
A majority of students there get need based assistance because it’s sooooooo expensive otherwise. If you get in they will make sure you don’t drop out over money. Dropouts make them look bad. Doesn’t mean there’s not a wealth based caste system, just that the bottom rungs are pretty comfortable.
She should be better.
Yeah she could ask if they have Prince Albert in a can
so Dotty going full gangsta now huh
*plays “Apocalypshit” by Molotov on hacked muzak*
I like your new icon. It makes me laugh.
*plays “Deep Jungle Walk” by Asterix* on hacked muzak*
Say what you will, those two bring out the best in each other. I mean the worst too, but that’s all relationships, right? Right?
I agree.
Dorothy’s so out of it she’s not even in this strip (according to the tags).
And yay for Jennifer.
other than ruth being the ra, past relationships aside, i wonder if jen will approach joyce about this, not that joyce might be equipped to deal with a ‘dorothy spiral’ but she’d at least want to help after all dorothy’s done for her
It is evident that Joyce really wants to help, but I am intrigued to know that these may not be the expected results, since it seems that Joyce still shows a tendency….obsessive
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2023/comic/book-14/02-its-the-love-i-havent-got/figuredout/
I mean, in these dialogues it’s 50/50, because he also cares about Sarah, but for him to say that he “allows” her to talk to Jacob, well…
Um, you may want to double check that. In that strip it’s Joyce saying that Dorothy is allowed to talk to Jacob. Unless I misunderstand your comment.
I know, I see the details but later, sorry.
But yes, that Joyce Allow to Dorothy talked with Jacob….seriously, for her to say that is a detail that should not be minimized.
My biggest issue with Jennifer is that while she clearly is a wonderful person deep inside her core, she tries so hard to do the wrong thing most of the time. Thanks for being the most-present adult female role model, Linda.
Huh, Billie/Jennifer is showing some true compassion for someone, and wants to help without reward. Why can’t she be like this 100% of the time?
There’s a reason they don’t call it “Emotional Intelligence of Age.”
I know, but most people are a little more restrained between swapping back and forth. Granted this is a comic so the reactions are intentionally strong, and I keep forgetting that.
Actually, “Helping people without expecting a reward’ is part of Billifer’s schtick, honestly. The issues usually start when she fails to properly assess another person’s situation.
She can’t read people very well nor is she good at examining herself. She wants to be a good person but is too self conscious.
i’ll note that rather few people are actually like that 100% of the time
–Dave, treasure any you find, and defend them from the self-centered
I’d settle for doubling to 2%.
Check the “fuck it”. For her to following her better instincts is only something that she allows herself extremely reluctanctly. Any other time, the mask must stay on.
Exactly.
That’s probably for talking to Ruth specifically. I’m sure if Joyce for example was around she would have been less reluctant going to her. It’s not like she was reluctant helping Joyce out with her cramps/birth control issue or talking her through her autism referral (even if she wasn’t great at that part. Most teens wouldn’t be). But this seems like a kind of urgent situation and she needed the closest person who could be responsible for it
+1
I mean, she is sorta. It’s a core part of her character. It just gets triggered in times of crisis
Naw. She’s just doing her typical pattern. She DOES care about others and will do the bare minimum to step in and say something but it’s also part of her “See, I am so smart and know better than you” chip on her shoulder that she wears. She does one little good thing, then brags about it and goes RIGHT back to being a selfish jerk as soon as possible.
That’s just… Her modus operandi.
We’ve got to fool the fools
We got to plan the plans
We got to rule the rules
We got to stand the stands
We got to fight the fight
We must fall the falls
We got to light the light
We got to call the calls–Pete Townsend, “Face The Face”
I’m not entirely sure, but I think Dorothy’s referring back to this: https://www.dumbingofage.com/2023/comic/book-13/03-joementum/numb/
and is considering going and getting wasted alone.
Anyone thinking of a different thing she could be talking about?
More recent reference than that, I think. First panel: https://www.dumbingofage.com/2024/comic/book-14/02-its-the-love-i-havent-got/letloose/
Oh yeah, duh. I guess I was thinking of the other one because– while neither was great– the other one was more concerning in the plan.
yes, this is Dorothy attempting to overcorrect even while spiraling.
overcorrection while spiraling gets you some whacked-out spiderwebs
–Dave, speaking about experiments on drugging things
over correcting while spiraling got me in a snowbank up against a tree once.
hoooooooooooooo I forgot about that
Also, as a supporter of herbal therapy: weed might help and if she does, she should have someone there with her. Then they should do something like watch a movie, or play a co-op game, or if you are boring like me then you can watch YouTube for 6 hours.
altering your mental state with drugs aside, she prolly could do/benefit from something like scented candle ‘aromatherapy’ while being massaged and then going to some sauna or massage/basically a spa day lol
I think this would actually help Dorothy way more. Why has nobody ever introduced her to the concept of a spa day?
> movie, games, watch youtube for 6 hours
… This is exceptional? This is how I keep the ideation at bay.
usually
Someone link her to OSP.
What is OSP?
Seriously, this is Meredith’s department.
But does Dorothy even know who Meredith is, and know her well enough to get high with?
If they at least have spoken, then maybe it would work.
I’m sure she at least talked to her when she was trying to become RA.
Regardless though, you don’t have to get high with someone to see if they’ll let you have a tiny bit.
I think Jennifer gets criticized a lot for being terrible, but moments like this show the other side of her character that doesn’t get much credit. She’ll go talk to her bitter ex because a friend she cares about isn’t doing well. Even when she’s awful, and shallow, and hanging with jerks, Jen still cares about her friends.
To every character, there’s responses that they’re a monster who has no empathy and they do sociopathy all the time. And it gets so tedious. Only Jason deserves that kind of hate.
You mean Mary.
Mary is his deadname.
*raises finger, opens mouth, lowers finger*
–Dave, *imagines Sal’s reaction*
I really don’t think Jason deserves all the hate he gets.
He kind of does. Not because he’s a bad guy. I just haven’t seen him do anything impressive ever. He got a reprieve but he doesn’t really have the charisma or accolades to warrant it. Mike had to die to redeem his bad behavior. What’s Jason done? Who’d he ever beat in the ring?
Tbh I’m fairly neutral on billifer but this is what’s always made me like her. I’m a fan of contrast. bongo bully type whos an absolute wreck, who is also reliable and helpful in times of crisis is a fun one
This is beginning to have all the energy of two divorced parents having to deal with their most responsible kid finally reaching a breaking point.
For reals tho I very much hope Dorothy tries weed, and micro-dosing if that. She could really use it. 🥺
*plays “Somewhere Over The Rainbow on Ukelele” on hacked muzak*
… Jen… Are you really that gay and petty you got your ex-girlfriend’s exact haircut?
I think it is a coincidence. If she had thought about it, she probably would have gone for something else.
here again hoping you’re doing better 🥺
i mean it just look like a general asian bob haircut butn ot as much ‘blunt’ bangs or like that ‘bisexual character haircut’ lol
I had to look this up & I’m a bit disappointed that it’s actually a quite boring look. I guess it makes sense that even advertised bisexuality quite easily blends into the mainstream.
so are you saying they’re the Bobbed-sy Twins?
–Dave, or is that too long a callback for most here?
Oh, oohh, that’s the same!!! They had to be next each other to me figure out.
I mean getting a haircut after a heartbreak and/or to establish a change in your life is pretty common
Calling it now, Ruth is gonna blackmail Carla into giving Dorothy free weed by threatening to tell Carla’s parents.
…my take on Jennifer right now is that she’s a whole lot healthier than she was pre-timeskip, but she is SUPREMELY not ready for an intimate relationship.
She’s honestly pretty good when she has some level of distance with people. Like with Dorothy, she’s friendly but doesn’t have to get super-involved. She can recognize problems and give advice but isn’t responsible for it.
Or with Walky and Sal. When she’s just a sort of slightly-distanced-sister, she’s giving good advice and being helpful, but when she’s actually forced to deal with Walky being Walky as his sorta-sibling, she loses control.
And then there’s Asher. And that’s just a fucking trainwreck because she wants him at a very specific length, where they’re casual partners but not exactly super-intimate beyond bow-chicka-bow-wow stuff, that isn’t working for what he wants
She’s in a better place, but not a great place. And she needs to keep getting better, but she needs to recognize that this is not a good end state for her, or anyone close to her for that matter.
Amazing analysis of Jennifer! Doesn’t unnecessarily demonize her but also doesn’t sweep all her actual flaws and wrongs under the rug. Love to see it.
Each character has nuances, but it is inevitable to feel empathy for some and disdain for others.
The only thing I can say about Jennifer is that many already have a general thought about her, and it is something that she must self-analyze.
Agreed! I couldn’t put it into words as well as this LOL. I do think she’s in a better place… Just not a great place.
Depends on what you mean by “pre-timeskip”. I think she was in a good place right before the timeskip and has regressed since then. She’s obviously far better now than at the start of the first semester, but she really did make a lot of progress.
*standing ovation*
No but really, well put! This helped clarify a lot of my feelings about Jennifer’s story arc for myself. Especially because I keep seeing so, so, many people comment about how much worse and healthy Jennifer has been since the timeskip, so my thoughts weren’t able to go much further than “hold on, that just seems wrong.”
If Dorothy’s truly spiraling, she’d be curly fries by now! But until that truly happens, someone check if Ruth’s door lock will be picked again – maybe she’s been picking a Yale lock all along.
I wish Yale had Yale refrigerators.
sounds like a missed marketing opportunity lol
could Dorothy pick a Yale lock, though
Jennifer: I don’t know what to do about it, sometimes she gets all agro about it and I find it…Strangely kind of hot. Ruth: Holy shit you too?
Dorothy Lashes Out In Her Depressive Spiral and Both Ruth and Billie Find That Strangely Hot: A Dumbing of Age Pornographique
Ruth wouldn’t know good weed if it was currently fucking her up.
Love your stoner Joyce pic XD
Does a string bean count as a weed?
i’d imagine she cant on the medication she’s on
What, her anticanadioids? That good new shit that makes her blood normal blood instead of maple syrup?
Oh, look! It’s the most likable Billie has been in a long time.
I’m sure she’ll drop the ball soon (As Jennifer is not likeable. Hopefully some Billie continues to climb out of her throat)
“Well, she’s being a dope. Does that count?”
I want to see Dorothy do weed with Danny.
Dumbing of Age Book XX: Well, THAT Doesn’t Seem Great
Jennifer’s biting her lip in panel 2. Is that a “Yikes!” or is she turned on by familiar destructive behavior?
Definitely a “Yikes” lip bite.
I’m willing to bet the latter
Dorothy X Jennifer? YES PLEASE
seems more of a nervous worry to me, wouldn’t be against a ship but i feel like a ‘turned on’ lip bite at that moment would tempt her int oreleapsing to getting drunk together
2por que no los dos?
I’m about to ruin the streak of sixty nine comments just so I can say “nice” and thereby make it seventy comments. I’m sorry.
Nice.
Every single day there’s someone who just has to ruin it. Every single day, I swear! >_<
so we try again to-morrow
–Dave, okay, hold it, ho-o-o-old it … dammit Moon Moon
Fridges : because washing machines are sooo last week
Ah, weed. Is there anything it can’t cure?*
* Yes. Yes there is
I was expecting that Joyce is the one who were going to try weed.
They could try it together (with Joe’s “weed gummies”)
goddammit guys
Weeding Of Age
Good on Jennifer for seeing the problem and trying to help
Head cheerleader, problem solver.
Holy crap, a redemption momet for Billie
…IS IT though? She regularly is a selfish jerk to people and she will do her best to make sure some folks don’t suffer… Before going right back to “well I’m awesome that I helped in the most mild of ways – back to being a jerkbutt to everybody!”
Is it? she hasn’t changed. this is who she is. She has sort of a double radius, if you’re within the radius of being involved enough with her life it’s a Jennifer situation, she’s terrible. She has a drive to fuck up her own life. If you’re outside that radius, but within “people she knows enough to care about a medium amount” radius, she’s more or less decent. She’s not getting angry and saying “fuckit” because she’s trying to get Dorothy some help. She’s getting angry and saying “fuckit” because she’s having to go inside her inner radius to do it, to go to her ex.
And crossing that radius is something she does fairly often too. She’s there in Read to talk to Walky (belligerent inner radius) about something she learned at lunch with his parents (courteous outer radius).
Okay, and next strip she’ll say something impolite and it’ll be back to “god she’s such a scumbag”
…I hope we get some of that “scumbag” behavior…
It would be terrible if she also twerked on a random character, just to solidify how awful she is
uh-oh, sounds like Butts Disease is on the rise
Gotta admit it is lovely when you see Jennifer show she has a heart.
… or is it just that she has courage
A year ago it was an illegal drug. That gets you kicked out of school