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FuzzyBoots from Outlying borough of Pittsburgh (there's a lot of Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
#1: Aug 24th 2011 at 6:40:19 AM

I enjoy the webcomic, but I must say that I'm a little bit disquieted at the current storyline with Katia. She's never dated anyone, never had any serious relationships, and has expressed a desire to quickly navigate through all of these aspects right up to a one-night-stand in rapid fashion. Alex gives her the good advice to be careful about getting into things fast, including the potential risk of getting a bad reputation. Candi and friends, generally portrayed as the protagonists, immediately say that Alex is all wrong and she should just jump into things.

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but it seems like Candi and friends are setting Katia up for a lot of trouble and heartbreak, possibly disregarding Alex's good advice simply because it comes from Alex and they don't like him.

girlyboy Since: Jan, 2001
#2: Aug 24th 2011 at 7:32:48 AM

Alex' "advice" is pretty douchy. "If you enjoy sex you're a slut" is not good advice.

Katia has made it clear she's aware of the risks when it comes to casual sex, and is not going into it completely clueless. And she's not interested in a serious relationship. That simply isn't her goal. So no, she has not expressed a desire to navigate through these more serious aspects of a relationship at all, actually. I'd say this sounds a lot less like "she should get good advice to not move too quickly," and a lot more like "she should only pursue the kind of relationship that some other people think is appropriate for her to pursue, and if she deviates from this norm, she should be shamed and made to feel bad about herself." The "risk" of getting a bad reputation isn't really much of a risk if most of the people you'll get a bad reputation with are kind of jerks in the first place, anyway.

I'm surprised she didn't ask Alex why he's (as far as Katia knows) in an "open relationship," given the way he seems to feel about such things, leading to all sorts of trouble... But I guess there wasn't time before they got interrupted. I'm guessing it's being saved up for a more dramatic point.

edited 24th Aug '11 8:05:36 AM by girlyboy

FuzzyBoots from Outlying borough of Pittsburgh (there's a lot of Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
#3: Aug 26th 2011 at 3:57:50 PM

I suppose I read his response as "if you do this, people will be passing judgment on you", warning her specifically because he knew that she was so terribly innocent of matters. *shrug* I suspect this is one of those social mores things where who's in the right depends on which side you're in. I'm interested in seeing if they let Alex cogently defend himself or if he'll simply be declared wrong by the viewpoint strips and that will be that.

girlyboy Since: Jan, 2001
#4: Aug 26th 2011 at 10:57:20 PM

Except that Alex is obviously passing judgement himself. He made it clear that he himself thinks Katia's behaviour is slutty, and that he thinks if she has casual sex as she wants to, she will be a slut, undeserving of respect. He isn't just warning her that other people will pass judgement on her — he's doing it himself.

If Alex said something like "if you do this, a bunch of stupid jerks will call you a slut, and you should be prepared for this," I'd likely be more sympathetic towards him. But he's made it clear he would share their opinion. As far as I'm concerned, him being "declared" wrong would be a case of needed anvils.

edited 26th Aug '11 11:11:27 PM by girlyboy

FuzzyBoots from Outlying borough of Pittsburgh (there's a lot of Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
#5: Aug 28th 2011 at 9:53:30 PM

I think this is one of those cases of differing social mores and how one interprets the words given we don't have the vocal cues. I guess we'll just agree to disagree. To me, it seems like she's barreling down this path because she feels like it's what's expecting for her from society and her friends are smiling and saying, "Sure, go out and have sex" without stopping and asking her how exactly she's going about it. He's saying things a bit bluntly, but stating that she's getting into a lot more than just sex. It's also the social consequences.

As much as anything, that Candi herself seemed a bit uncomfortable with how rapidly Katia was rushing into things makes me wonder how much of her yelling at Alex is due to her feeling like she should have said more. *shrug* I guess we'll find out more by Monday.

girlyboy Since: Jan, 2001
#6: Aug 29th 2011 at 12:17:07 AM

I honestly don't think there's been anything to suggest that Katia's on this path because of "society" — in fact, that seems sort of the opposite of true. "Society" is the people telling her she's a slut for wanting sex. And she and her friends have talked about how she's going about it, making it clear that she isn't looking for a romantic relationship, and that she knows how to stay safe and healthy, so it's also not true that they haven't considered the surrounding issues. And Alex isn't just asking her to consider "social consequences;" he's also saying that he won't respect her, and will think that she's a slut, if she approaches sex the way she actually seems to want to. Candi did seem uncomfortable with Katia's approach as well, but that seems to me to be because Candi herself sees relationships very differently from Katia. However, she has been able to accept that Katia simply doesn't share her values or priorities when it comes to romance and sexuality. Alex, on the other hand, decided that this is a good reason to toss some insults around.

I think the bottom line is that if an adult wants to have sex with other consenting adults, it's none of anyone else's darn business, end of story. Politely giving advice to someone who lacks experience, or sharing one's personal views, as Candi and her friends have done, is one thing; calling this person a slut, telling them that what they're doing is somehow objectively wrong, and generally making them feel bad about themselves is quite another. I can certainly agree that this is a case of "differing social mores," but in the end, being a jerk is being a jerk, regardless of what "social mores" are providing the excuse for it.

girlyboy Since: Jan, 2001
#7: Aug 31st 2011 at 9:59:31 AM

My main problem is with how anvilicious this strip gets sometimes (... a lot of the time). I don't at all disagree with anything Candi was just saying, for example, but... Did it really require applause? :P

Daremo Misanthrope Supreme from Parts Unknown Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: If it's you, it's okay
#8: Aug 31st 2011 at 6:47:54 PM

For the normally, um, shall we say 'spine-free' Candi, yes.

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.
FuzzyBoots from Outlying borough of Pittsburgh (there's a lot of Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
#9: Sep 6th 2011 at 8:03:58 AM

Some of the applause may also be simply for Candi allowing herself to express her anger at Alex. She's been irritated with him in the past that I remember, but in general, she's so even-tempered. grin May also have something to do with most of the people applauding not liking Alex and therefore being happy that someone's yelling at him. Interpersonal conflicts often take precedence over actual moral positions.

Heh, it will be interesting to see how things go when Alex tries to explain that he has a girlfriend already and Katia says that she was told it was an open relationship...

girlyboy Since: Jan, 2001
#10: Sep 6th 2011 at 1:50:48 PM

Yes indeed!

Also, the last few strips = the most adorable soap opera ever. tongue

girlyboy Since: Jan, 2001
#11: Jan 3rd 2012 at 7:04:34 AM

"I think you would be a safe and pressure-free option!" Katia is such a charmer. [lol]

Given that this was set up with Linda calling Alex' room-mate as soon as Alex was out the door, I'm guessing this is the point when the whole "What open relationship? Wait, you mean Linda is cheating on me?" thing will finally come out. Most likely Alex will not believe Katia, run out in a panic (angst for everyone!), hurry home, and catch Linda in the act! surprised

Argh, this webcomic is a total guilty pleasure for me. evil grin

edited 3rd Jan '12 7:08:52 AM by girlyboy

girlyboy Since: Jan, 2001
#13: Jan 3rd 2012 at 11:46:48 AM

Ohh yeah, no-one's actually put any links to the thing in discussion in this thread.

First page: http://candicomics.com/d/20040625.html

Current page: http://candicomics.com/d/20120103.html

Works page: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Candi

Summary: More or less your standard silly teenage/young adult comedy-drama about a bunch of university kids and their relationships and sex lives. There are also fantastic bits involving a talking ferret and the squirrel mafia, though those haven't appeared in a long time.

It's kind of a guilty pleasure for me — I'm not sure I'd recommend it per se, but it has this fun, light tone to it that I seem to keep coming back to.

edited 3rd Jan '12 11:51:56 AM by girlyboy

Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#14: Jan 3rd 2012 at 12:40:47 PM

It's on the internet, and I'm bored, so yeah, I read it pretty much every time it updates. I don't have very high standards when it comes to stuff that keeps me from being bored for thirty seconds.

FuzzyBoots from Outlying borough of Pittsburgh (there's a lot of Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
#15: Oct 12th 2012 at 6:07:23 AM

Huh... is that a plume of water coming out of the canoe in the distance shot of Katia and whassissname?

Daremo Misanthrope Supreme from Parts Unknown Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: If it's you, it's okay
#16: Oct 12th 2012 at 1:37:47 PM

I forgot there was a topic here...

As to your question, I don't think so. If Chris could see they were making out, I think he would have noticed cartoon water jets sinking the boat.

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.
FuzzyBoots from Outlying borough of Pittsburgh (there's a lot of Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
#17: Oct 15th 2012 at 5:51:20 AM

:-P And... cartoon plume of water. Odds are that they just get a bit wet and this becomes one of those charming stories people tell of how they met. Of course, the author might also be looking at a Cerebus Episode involving one or the other drowning due to never having learned to swim, thereby forever putting a pall on their dating life.

On a side note, I'm still trying to grasp how commenting on feet being wet is some sort of euphemism or innuendo about really enjoying a kiss... do people really get that sweaty of feet when aroused?

Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#18: Oct 15th 2012 at 1:05:05 PM

[up]Well, there is a way to interpreted it in such a way, but I feel uncomfortable spelling it out on a public forum.

Daremo Misanthrope Supreme from Parts Unknown Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: If it's you, it's okay
#19: Oct 16th 2012 at 1:14:39 PM

I had no trouble leaping to the er... most interesting interpretation, but I have this forum title for a reason.

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.
FuzzyBoots from Outlying borough of Pittsburgh (there's a lot of Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
FuzzyBoots from Outlying borough of Pittsburgh (there's a lot of Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
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