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Yay! Its back again! I stagger my reading of it to Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday cause there aren't enough good webcomics on those days, so I am not the best person to lead a real time discussion, but it really needs a thread. So in Monday's we see the mysterious return of the dark figure. (linky)

Who is starting to sound really, really desperate.

Also, is it just the art upgrade, or does Ellen's green ray seem more... jeeze, what is a same word to use? Powerful? More powerful then usual?

Edited by wingedcatgirl on Oct 10th 2025 at 12:46:21 PM

SKJAM Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Baby don't hurt me!
#16376: Aug 5th 2014 at 3:24:49 AM

I know it took me a very long time to realize there might be instances where I would not want to be hit on by women. I finally figured it out without it ever actually happening—fortunately, I had figured out that women usually don't appreciate random "hitting on" somewhere in junior high.

KylerThatch literary masochist Since: Jan, 2001
literary masochist
#16377: Aug 5th 2014 at 4:00:22 AM

[up][up] Come to think of it, this illustrates a flaw in the Golden Rule. I mean, it's a good introduction to the concept of empathy, but eventually you're going to have to graduate from that and start considering the feelings of people that think differently from you.

This "faculty lot" you speak of sounds like a place of great power...
FuzzyBoots from Outlying borough of Pittsburgh (there's a lot of Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
#16378: Aug 5th 2014 at 4:44:57 AM

Relevant Freefall strip. I also enjoyed the Vorkosigan saga book where a particular count was mentioned as always giving people liver treats because he enjoyed receiving them, and could never understand why no one returned the favor...

MousaThe14 Writer, Artist, Ignored from Northern Virginia Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Writer, Artist, Ignored
#16379: Aug 5th 2014 at 5:46:11 AM

If the example involved guys hitting on him, Larry would be singing a different tune.

Don't know about the rest of you but last I checked guys getting hit on by women is enough of an uncommon phenomenon that it makes sense that one's primary reaction would fall under appreciation.

Except for me. I might in some minor manner but primarily I would be suspicious and paranoid that something was up due to the massive unlikelihood of such an event.

But then it has never happened so I don't know how I would react but I can definitely assume dismissive paranoia considering that's how I take compliments on my obviously hideous appearance.

The Blog The Art
tricksterson Never Trust from Behind you with an icepick Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Never Trust
#16380: Aug 5th 2014 at 5:58:39 AM

[up]She might have been better going with him having a guy hit on him yes but it's not quite the same because as a het girl she isn't inherently averse to guys.

On the subject of the Double Standard, I'll concede that there are unattached het adolescent and post adolescent males who would be disturbed by having a girl aggressively hit on them but I can't recall ever having met any.

Trump delenda est
MousaThe14 Writer, Artist, Ignored from Northern Virginia Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Writer, Artist, Ignored
#16381: Aug 5th 2014 at 6:24:11 AM

I think that ones that tend to be have certain ideas on how things are "supposed" to work like "girls shouldn't be so forward/aggressive/whoring themselves out," or some other ridiculous standard.

The Blog The Art
SalFishFin Since: Jan, 2001
#16382: Aug 5th 2014 at 6:26:45 AM

Of course, many guys respond to a girl hitting on them with "She might be hitting on me, but I'm terrible at reading girls so I'm just going to assume she's being nice."

stevebat Since: Nov, 2009
#16383: Aug 5th 2014 at 7:01:24 AM

Hrumm, You know, this strip reminds me of the Hammers. Or, what their original purpose is, think we can expect Jerry in the near future to weigh in?

Apocalypse: Dirge Of Swans.
yd12k Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#16384: Aug 5th 2014 at 7:10:15 AM

[up][up] I got hit on once randomly by a group of women on the street. Frankly the situation was so uncomfortable and surreal I couldn't react in any way but laughter, but it's definitely not something I'd want to happen often.

MousaThe14 Writer, Artist, Ignored from Northern Virginia Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Writer, Artist, Ignored
#16385: Aug 5th 2014 at 7:14:52 AM

[up]Now see, before my actual higher reasoning kicked in, my initial instinctual response to that anecdote was "Lucky SOB."

edited 5th Aug '14 7:15:09 AM by MousaThe14

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32_Footsteps Think of the mooks! from Just north of Arkham Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Think of the mooks!
#16386: Aug 5th 2014 at 7:49:38 AM

Well, speaking as someone who's been on both sides of the situation, any flirtation attempt that comes of as exceptionally desperate is going to be undesirable regardless of what other factors are there (even if you're in a situation where you hope to be hit on).

Another theory on why Larry might not be grasping the problem is that he lacks sufficient information and/or imagination to come up with a situation where he wouldn't want to be hit on. I know the stereotype is "hurr hurr, he's a desperate nerdy teenage guy; of course he always would want to be hit on," but I suspect, with enough rational thought, Larry could come up with several scenarios in which it would be awkward at best (and I don't mean due to Incompatible Orientation; besides, discussing unwanted flirtation in regards to that reeks of Unfortunate Implications).

Overall, it feels like watching a baby bird get kicked out of the nest, and you hope a wing flap starts happening soon.

edited 5th Aug '14 7:49:57 AM by 32_Footsteps

Reminder: Offscreen Villainy does not count towards Complete Monster.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#16387: Aug 5th 2014 at 8:43:23 AM

Larry's issue here is a matter of incompatible experiences.

It's not exactly sexism, but it's a factor that plays into the difficulties in gender-relations. As I observed yesterday, Larry appears to have very little experience with the female gender. He almost certainly has never experienced unwanted female attention, and is instead on the other end of the spectrum: desperate for any kind of female attention. Someone dying of thirst cannot comprehend drowning.

edited 5th Aug '14 8:45:04 AM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
MrAHR Ahr river from ಠ_ಠ Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: A cockroach, nothing can kill it.
Ahr river
#16388: Aug 5th 2014 at 9:45:12 AM

I know it's not just guys who feel this way, some girls do too. I know a few will hear stories about girls who will have guys flocking to them, stalking them, and their gut reaction will be "why can't I have that? Am I not pretty enough to have a few people crushing on me?"

Not making a point or anything, just bringing up an interesting fact in terms of how the hit-on thing can really blind you until it happens to you.

Unfortunately in fiction it's usually executed so the guy is being hit on by a supremely ugly girl to "get the point across"

Read my stories!
Heatth (X-Troper) Relationship Status: In Spades with myself
#16389: Aug 5th 2014 at 10:08:25 AM

Unfortunately in fiction it's usually executed so the guy is being hit on by a supremely ugly girl to "get the point across"

If it makes you feel better, I don't think Shive can even draw a "supremely ugly girl".tongue How many of his characters are actually unattractive, after all?

FuzzyBoots from Outlying borough of Pittsburgh (there's a lot of Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
#16390: Aug 5th 2014 at 10:26:57 AM

And, of course, while it's generally considered less than germane to point it out to people arguing the social aspects of sex in humanity, there's a degree of biology involved too. In many mammalian species, the male is always ready for sex while the female is only interested in the case of estrous. In humanity, where we have a hidden system of fertility, this has historically translated out as males always being ready for sex while the female tries to control their circumstances for optimal reproduction. Sure, things have a changed a bit in these days of easy (if not infallible) contraception, but there's a degree of the animal still in us.

Personally, I'd argue that part of what makes us human is our ability to overcome such animal instincts, but nonetheless, it is present, and results in sexual behavior being more than just a social construct.

tricksterson Never Trust from Behind you with an icepick Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Never Trust
#16391: Aug 5th 2014 at 10:28:44 AM

@Sal Fish: Yeah I often made that assumption. That or that they were mocking me.

Trump delenda est
MrAHR Ahr river from ಠ_ಠ Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: A cockroach, nothing can kill it.
Ahr river
#16392: Aug 5th 2014 at 10:28:59 AM

Except that that stereotype was inverted from previous times, where women were the constantly horny.

Read my stories!
FuzzyBoots from Outlying borough of Pittsburgh (there's a lot of Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
#16393: Aug 5th 2014 at 12:00:48 PM

@Mr AHR: Touché. I keep forgetting that earlier stereotype. Always seemed so odd to me, although the usual portrayal for that I've seen is also Greek culture which sourced that famous quote of "A woman for duty, a boy for pleasure and a goat for ecstasy" [Citation needed].

MousaThe14 Writer, Artist, Ignored from Northern Virginia Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Writer, Artist, Ignored
#16394: Aug 5th 2014 at 12:07:03 PM

[up][up]I'm so used to how things are today that that old fashioned perspective makes absolutely no sense to me.

[up]That quote seems to make sense, from what I understood from history classes and Latin classes, back in that old culture guys porked each other for fun and they only had sex with women if they were planning on having kids.

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KylerThatch literary masochist Since: Jan, 2001
literary masochist
#16395: Aug 5th 2014 at 4:05:50 PM

But what the heck is that about a goat?

This "faculty lot" you speak of sounds like a place of great power...
Elfive (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#16396: Aug 5th 2014 at 4:08:05 PM

Well, what other reason would there be to fuck a goat? Certainly not for the smell or the personality.

Ninety Absolutely no relation to NLK from Land of Quakes and Hills Since: Nov, 2012 Relationship Status: In Spades with myself
Absolutely no relation to NLK
#16397: Aug 5th 2014 at 4:15:57 PM

And they never call again.

Dopants: He meant what he said and he said what he meant, a Ninety is faithful 100%.
tricksterson Never Trust from Behind you with an icepick Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Never Trust
#16398: Aug 5th 2014 at 5:27:53 PM

And leave you with the check.

Trump delenda est
FuzzyBoots from Outlying borough of Pittsburgh (there's a lot of Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Daremo Misanthrope Supreme from Parts Unknown Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: If it's you, it's okay
#16400: Aug 5th 2014 at 10:18:27 PM

NP

Well, I saw where that was going.

Creed of the Happy Pessimist:Always expect the worst. Then, when it happens, it was only what you expected. All else is a happy surprise.

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