Dumbing of Age

We're off to see the wizard

The people have spoken.

Also, I can't wait to see what comes of this...

The people also known as Walky.

Roz as teacher this can't go wrong

.....this is gonna cost Leslie her job.

Like, Roz will say or do something that will start a fistfight, and that's Les' ass.

So was Walky doing different voices every time? Because I can't decide if it would be funnier doing that or not even trying to hide his normal voice.

Well played indeed

I sort of expected Roz to spontaneously self-cumbust after getting burned that hard twice in a row.

Cumbust right there in front of the whole class?

(You're looking for "combust")

Blue shells are the devil

Stocking them? Or not wanting to use them?

Guess they're getting along okay now, so long as she's distracted anyway.

That's cheating Amber

Temperance for Amber, maybe

... Wow. Further evidence of just how mentally unwell Amber is.

I also initially was thinking the measurements can't quite be right since Danny's taller... but then I realized he's not in any way with Sal either.

You know, maybe I don't quite appreciate Amber's traumas and issues and stuff as much as I'm supposed to, but every time I read her say stuff like this I can't help but go "For crying out loud, you do not have a split personality! You are a girl that enjoys violence and is uncomfortable with that fact. Go take MMA classes and chill!"

I mean by all accounts she seems to, have DID. Like she definitely seems to regard Amber and Amazigirl as two different people. Also she hasn't said she has a split personality or DID she merely acts like she is two different people, that's all out of universe with us talking.

edited 24th Apr '17 1:27:42 PM by phantom1

I'm not going to say I'm an expert on DID, but it still seems like she's claiming it more than exhibiting it.

There's a regular commenter called Cerebus whose thoughts on the topic are worth a read.

I would like to read them.

I mean Amber really clearly does dissociate. I'd argue Willis has even drawn an artistic representation of what her dissociating feels like to her in some of the ptsd scenes.

It's also clear to me at this point that it's a disorder at this point. Her dissociating over her identity has caused her to sabotage relationships she is dependent on and put her life in danger.

edited 24th Apr '17 4:24:57 PM by Whowho

I don't think she has full on DID (which isn't an actual thing in real life, but this is a web comic, so whatever) because she doesn't black out or anything. She's actively dissasociating between modes, while the standard view of DID (back when it was believed to be a thing) is that it isn't intentional.

But yes, it's clearly a disorder in that it severely impairs her ability to function normally.

edited 24th Apr '17 6:17:47 PM by Zendervai

Willis' take on "does she or doesn't she".

This seems to be how a lot of authors handle to subject of neurodivergent characters these days. I know the author of Detective Comics said something similar when asked about if one of Batman's sidekicks was autistic. Personally, I'd prefer they just come out and say it, since it's clear they're trying to write them that way. Better to just be honest about it.

The problem with those sort of characters is that it is impossible to write them "right", because those disorders tend to manifest in such radically different ways. A character that could be considered spot-on for some people with said disorders may annoy others, because they believe the portrayal diverges vastly from their own experience and reinforces a "hollywood" image.

Like, personal experience, take the anime The Pet Girl of Sakurasou. The female lead has an Ambiguous Disorder that causes her to function basically like an artistic Rainman; completely unable to take care of herself (hence her being referred to as a "pet") and disconnected from her fellow humans to the point of No Nudity Taboo, yet profoundly talented as an artist.

So when someone in the series' discussion thread asked if they should just call it "a textbook case of autism" on the trope page, I got annoyed. I am autistic and personally know many others on the spectrum, and our struggles are completely different from this character. Not to mention that many of those struggles would be resolved real quick if we happened to be uniquely gifted at something other than Star Wars trivia. When I tell people I have an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, I do not want characters like that to be the first thing that comes to their mind.

Which is why, when taking inspiration for a character from such disorders, it is probably best to leave things vague. If people recognise themselves into them, great. If not, also great. claiming a label can only cause trouble.

And, going back to Amber for a second, I am not an expert on DID, and will gladly see myself corrected here, but if you have complete control over switching between your personalities, then I don't think you have a physiological disorder. More like you have a problem accepting responsibility for your actions, and point at some other saying "they did it".

edited 25th Apr '17 6:06:44 AM by Kayeka

I don't think Amber has control over switching her personas. I think Amber and Amazi-Girl have just agreed who is in charge and when. Mostly, Amber is in charge, except when the mask is on. The problem is that things are getting muddled, like when Amber was about to get violent with Danny, Amazi-Girl took over and put a stop to it.

That scene might be the best indicator of how messed up Amber's head is. She created an alternate self to put all her violent impulses, and then that alternate personality had to stop her from being violent.

Another ask on the subject. This time linking Amber to Borderline Personality Disorder, which Willis thinks resonates to him.

I think that is the other reason he prefer being vague. He is not an specialist. He doesn't really knows what he is writing, only that it feels genuine to him. With Dina it was similar.