188

Deadpan
Posted on October 26, 2024 by David M Willis

188 thoughts on “Deadpan”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    “What bizarro universe would THAT happen in?!”

    1. Clif

      Obviously not the Rutten one.

      And who cares about the rest.

      1. Michael Steamweed

        Quantum mechanics’ ‘many universes’ interpretation posits that there do exist other such universes. But since the position is unfalsifiable, we don’t need to be concerned with them.

        1. Decidedly Orthogonal

          Having an infinite number of universes does not guarantee that every conceivable universe exists. Despite there being infinitely many permutations, there can still be some that cannot or will not exist.

        2. Mark

          I am intrigued by the notion of a universe that refuses to exist.

        3. Michael Steamweed

          Some universes exist on a spectrum of willful existence. On one end, “I exist, therefore I am.” On the other end, “Nope, you can’t make me.”

    2. ValdVin

      Carla’s not to that point yet. It’s like Oklahoma! where someone asks “You can put a ballet in a musical?”

  2. shadowcell

    IT IS FORBIDDEN

    FORBIDDEN BY LAW

    1. Sirksome

      Breaking up with Carla and visiting the west wing of Beast’s castle have something in common now.

  3. Taffy

    Wait a fuckin’ minute, can people break up??????

    1. Dday

      Well, yeah, just not with Carla, obviously. You can’t break up with the most important person in the universe.

      1. Carla's #2 Fan

        That’s 100% correct, no breaking up with Carla

        1. Michael Steamweed

          Re: your name, am I correct in concluding that Carla’s #1 fan is Carla? 😀

        2. eh, whatever

          I thought that was obvious…

        3. Clif

          I mean she is best positioned to appreciate her own awesomeness.

      2. Pylgrim

        Is Carla Elon Musk if she transitioned in her teens and as result, became colossally less of an asshole (but still quite a bit) than the one in our current timeline?

        1. Daibhid C

          I don’t really see much similarity between them beyond the narcissism. And I mean, the narcissism is a very large part of both thier personalities, but that’s true of all narcissists.

        2. zee

          Given her parents are tech giants already it’d probably be closer to say she’s like the muskrats trans daughter if she were born to a halfway decent man and not the living embodiment of the word “ew”. And I don’t even like drawing that parallel

    2. anon

      I wonder who will last longer, carla/charlie or becky/dina

      1. Michael Steamweed

        Whichever one gives us the larger number of Slipshine episodes. That’s what I’m hoping.

        (now i gotta figure out if i want carla/charlie slipshines…there’s gonna have to be headgear involved…hmm)

        1. Nymph

          why would there need to be headgear involved?

        2. Michael Steamweed

          Either a Dina hat or a lizard. Maybe other items will work, but that could involve some experimentation. Such items are needed for providing the focus of attention. I feel that sex with someone who can’t give attention could be a tad rapey.

          (unless it’s been discussed and agreed upon in previous times)

        3. Nymph

          I would desperately love this comments section to stop calling everything out as rape. She has attention issues not an inability to consent, that’s creepy and ableist to assume.

        4. NGPZ

          It was just like this durin Trial and Sarah, where people were like Dina was just gonna somehow suddenly forget about consent,

          like what the FUCK?

          Like they were waitin for the time to slide her way the R-word or some shit :/

        5. Ana Chronistic

          I feel like, while there have been Slipshines that weren’t *as heavily* focused on the bumpin’ uglies (and, TECHNICALLY, one of Willis’s didn’t have sex in it so much as people remembering sexy times), a Slipshine centered specifically around asexuals would be counter to the point.

          Unless it were a “stand around and look sexy” like Iris & Angel or something.

          But it *feels* like asking for a commission of a known vegan eating a deer carcass.

      2. Hof1991

        Both will last out the semester which will be until DYW retires.

      3. tunasammich

        Both couples will end up married and live happily ever after

      4. HueSatLight

        The both last until thelastdumbingofagecomicever

    3. Rolf of Many Doors

      Given how Walky and Whatsherface’ relationship ended, that’s a valid question

  4. Sirksome

    Oh no, suddenly Carla has to care what another person thinks of her! This girlfriend situation was just a trap!

    1. NGPZ

      “Love dares you to change.”

      1. AniDanny

        “…nevermind, I choose truth.”

        1. Clif

          You can’t handle the truth.

  5. Jeremiah

    Carla found something that she likes more that bragging about herself: bragging about her awesome girlfriend.

    1. Thag Simmons

      I mean, it’s still just bragging about herself.

      1. Jeremiah

        It is different in the fact it involves giving praise to a separate not Carla person.

        1. Thag Simmons

          She’s bragged about her parents before too. If making herself look good means praising someone else, she’s historically been more than happy to do it.

        2. Jeremiah

          Okay but in this case it is very clear she cares more about the fact she has a cute girlfriend that if it makes her look good.

  6. Dara

    Ruth’s just jealous she doesn’t have a girlfriend anymore.

    1. Wraithy2773

      Gravatar checks out. 😀

      1. Dara

        I just love her lucy van pelt frown 😀

        1. Michael Steamweed

          Billie (er, Jennifer): “Okay, Walky Brown, I’ll hold the football steady and you come running up and kick it.”

        2. eh, whatever

          plot twist: it’s a handegg

  7. cmasta1992

    I don’t think Charlie is aware enough to break up with someone.

    1. John Campbell

      She’ll just stop showing up, and when Carla hunts her down (completely casually, y’know, not because she’s in any way concerned or worried), she’ll go, “Oh, well, we broke up, I think?”

    2. Cholma

      She *could* be… if Dina hadn’t rudely taken back the hat she gave her!

      1. Michael Steamweed

        The hat or the lizard. Getting her own hat probably is less troublesome than getting her own lizard.

        1. Shadowsnail

          It will not be a hat. It will be a luchador mask.

    3. anon

      Well, despite her…spaciness? (sorry if that term’s rude to say), she did say “Carla’s my gf, i think!” so she was fine with dating her and other than her behavior changing i wouldn’t think she would initiate a break up versus “I haven’t seen Carla for six months, I guess she dumped me” (Which i can’t imagine happening unless something happened to where carla had some situation to where she suddenly had to ghost everybody and somehow couldn’t get in contact with anyone else but it’s not like this is an action thriller)

  8. Jamie

    Isn’t … isn’t Carla across the hall from Ruth? Maybe not directly across, even?

    1. anon

      I’d like to think she had this convo with like 3-4 other ppl before ruth lol

      1. Jeremiah

        I mean wouldn’t you if you catch yourself a Charlie?

        1. eh, whatever

          What for? Extroversion?

        2. Jeremiah

          I don’t get what you mean

    2. Rotunda

      Ruth’s room and Carla’s room share a wall: https://www.dumbingofage.com/2015/comic/book-5/03-the-butterflies-fly-away/sure/

      1. Mark

        Maybe it was just that loud.

    3. HueSatLight

      they share a half-bath.

      1. HueSatLight

        https://www.dumbingofage.com/orbiting/
        https://www.dumbingofage.com/forbidden/

  9. Wraithy2773

    Its a little rude for Ruth to say “when” and not “if”, but I’m totally on her side here otherwise :D.

    Also, Ruth, do you mean relative to you and Billie? Because… yeah, I can definitely see that.

    1. Thag Simmons

      I feel like this is a situation where a rude reply is kind of deserved.

    2. anon

      i mean, i’d be more surprising a college story/comic series like this would have one couple stay together for the whole run without like one breakup. Even joyce’s parents got a divorce (which was for the best in their situation) and they were together for decades

      1. Nono

        Richard/Stacey seems like it’s going to last.

        1. thejeff

          It seems likely that it should. Even when Richard does start cheating again, that’s likely to take longer than the comic lasts to blow up.

          Narratively though, I’d really rather see some resolution there tie into Joe’s arc.

    3. Da Boy

      Carla needs that tradition Roman generals had when coming back to Rome and being celebrated. They had a guy riding in the chariot with them whispering into their ear “You are not god.”. Carla could use something like that.

      1. Daibhid C

        Carla: Of course not. I’m better than that. I’m better than John Lennon and Jesus combined!

    4. zee

      I mean yeah that’s the point. Ruth is being a dick. It’s like, her thing

  10. Slartibeast Button, BIA

    I’m on the bottom level of DYW’s Patreon, which means I don’t get the comic a day early, just bonus and unused strips, etc.

    Occasionally I get the a strip early, but a few hours later it is gone. I assume this means he clicked the wrong button and corrected it when he noticed.

    But for the last three days I’ve gotten an Early Update email with the strip blurred out. Is this just a run of errors as above, or is this some new deal where Patreon is trying to nag me to upgrade?

    Asking here because I can’t ask on the Patreon posts.

    1. Cassie

      I’ve seen similar stuff on creators I follow, and even once it gave me a notification I was able to open and see the post. So either someone’s clicking something wrong or Patreon is just having random weird issues.

      1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

        OK, thanks. Not just me then.

    2. Michael Steamweed

      Not just you. I’ve been getting the same for 5 creators I’ve subbed to.

    3. zee

      Patreon just emails me whenever a creator i follow posts something, regardless if i have access to it or not. I just assumed that was normal

      1. AK

        That has definitely not been normal for me, but this week I’ve been getting that same problem. I don’t know if it’s something that I can deal with on my end settings wise or if he deals with it on his end settings wise if it’s just patreon fucking up.

  11. True Survivor

    I recommend Antarctica. The cold won’t deter Carla, but without a sufficiently large human population to feed her ego, she will eventually have to move elsewhere in search of sustenance.

    1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      Wait, so is Carla an emotion-feeding entity like in that old Star Trek episode, only she feeds on admiration rather than terror?

      1. Jamie

        Aren’t we all.

    2. Reltzik

      Yeah, but during the period in which she’s starving she will focus on you all the harder. With a large population pool she’ll at least seek attention from more people than just you.

  12. Suet

    Can ain’t will

    That won’t stop Carla from following Ruth, though.

  13. VolticEXE

    Torn between wanting Carla to be able to enjoy something genuine in her life & having more emotions over another person VS relishing the thought of having very bad things happen to her because GOD, that rich smarmy girl attitude gets REAL OLD after awhile & I still haven’t reset my tolerance for her yet from the other panels she’s been in recently.

    1. anon

      Charlie might be a good influence on her tho i imagine some ppl might want her to affect her behavior more directly/suggest stuff but Charlie does seem to be indifferent about carla’s ‘ego’ compared to others that’d be annoyed/roll their eyes at it

    2. Laura

      It’s a defense mechanism. Reaction formation, I think it might be called.

    3. Some1

      It’s a toss up over how much of Carla’s egotism is from dealing with trans issues and how much is simply from being the daughter of billionaires.

      1. Jamie

        I mean, there’s no rule saying it only has to be one.

      2. Taffy

        Now I’m a little curious about something. Carla’s parents are billionaires, but how much capital/money does Carla herself possess? If something French were to suddenly happen to Mr. And Mrs. Rutten and none of their unique assets were transferred to her, what would she still have?

        1. Daibhid C

          Why would Carla’s parents have caramelised onion and brie added to them?

        2. Daibhid C

          …Okay that’s probably a bit obscure, even for the comments of the comic itself. It’s a reference to this: https://www.dumbingofage.com/2023/comic/book-13/03-joementum/farm-2/

        3. thejeff

          Probably not much by her standards, but short of being deliberately cut off and disowned, it’s hard to see how none of their assets would transfer to her

        4. Taffy

          I may have been less clear than I thought in my sleep deprived state. “Something French” in this case means guillotine or other form of execution, followed by seizure of their assets in some manner. Basically, I’m assuming Carla gets neither jack nor squat from them after they’re taken out.

        5. thejeff

          Well, in a proper revolution, you get the heirs as well. 🙂

          But yeah, I’m not really familiar with the common approach to finance among the really rich, especially the nouveau riche. Still wouldn’t surprise me if there was some kind of trust fund. A college fund to cover the rest of that. And she could quite easily have accumulated a modest personal account along with expensive stuff that could be sold.

        6. Clif

          Taffy, if she lost all her parents assets somehow, she would still have her engineering ability.

        7. Taffy

          Goblin Jr. type behavior is imminent.

        8. zee

          I mean she’s next of kin. If something were to happen to them she’d probably inherit some stuff of insane value even without a will. And it’s never been mentioned so it’s just speculation for now, but she probably has a trust fund set up for when she gets a little older

        9. Taffy

          See, I’m a little shaky in the “next of kin” department. I mentioned all of their unique assets but didn’t elaborate, so let’s assume that means anything either parent has built up and could pass on from their own endeavors, but not anything Carla may have invested using what they may or may not have already given her, if that makes sense. I’m no lawyer or economist, so I apologize if my lingo isn’t very accurate.

        10. TerribleTransit

          Probably a lot, mostly in the form of investments that list her as the beneficiary. If we’re entering some hypothetical where all assets relating to her parents vanish somehow and she’s only left with her own bank account, I can’t imagine it’s very light. The financial situation for what belongs to a minor and what to their parents is always complicated, and can take many, many years to sort out… and I’m sure the sheer amount of money involved only makes that more complicated.

          Hypothetically, if we’re looking at some highly extra-legal situation where everything vanished except a small personal bank account her parents were using to teach her fiscal responsibility by living like regular folks… well, I guess she’d have about the same amount of assets as if you did that to anyone else. But she’d also be an engineering genius in her own right with no small amount of celebrity attached to her name, so even stripped of any financial tools that even had a whiff of her parents she’d be relatively well positioned in life.

          In short even stripped of her parents’ wealth she’d probably be better off than most of her peers’ entire families.

      3. Strain of Thought

        You know this is a really interesting point in the context of the Walkyverse because while Ultra Car was never more than a shallow gag character for Willis- no matter my repeated foolish attempts to project depth onto her which I always got punished for- it never before occurred to me to interpret Ultra Car’s extreme egotism as stemming from a kind of genuine privilege. I guess being born and being immediately told by your parents “You are far larger and stronger and tougher and faster than any human and you can do amazing things impossible for humans like fly and phase through matter.” and then getting to go on secret Martian fighting adventures with your parents as a toddler and receiving regular expensive super science technology upgrades or even just cosmetic features you ask for might be a genuine reason to adopt an inflated sense of self, even if Ultra Car still did develop an inferiority complex over the basic human things she could not do.

        1. Michael Steamweed

          Hm. The loss of Charlie could be devastating to Carla. She might indeed develop an inferiority complex even temporarily. :O

        2. Mark

          So that would bring her down to a normal level of smug self-satisfaction?

        3. Michael Steamweed

          Indeed, she would briefly dip down into mere mortality.

          Such an abysmal state should be mercifully brief. However, it’s best that we don’t chance it.

  14. anon

    oof more anxieties to worry about, although unless carla does something extreme, i don’t think charlie would intiate a breakup. versus just getting some job that requires them to be long distance and her being in another country for like 3 months straight and forgetting to text/vid call her or so

  15. mindbleach

    Carla is somehow the worst-adjusted person in this comic, and it is fantastic.

    1. Colin McKenzie

      But Mary is the most generally evil.

  16. Yumi

    And seeing how Carla wasn’t sure when they got together, Charlie could potentially break up with her without her realizing it as well.

    1. Mark

      Maybe it’s already happened.

  17. Laura

    …With Charlie you always have to specify “on purpose”. Both Carla and Charlie have a tendency to sometimes be in people’s rooms on accident.

  18. Endplanets

    Yea, they banned ‘no fault dumping your GF’

  19. BBCC

    Canada is on the same continent, Ruth.

    1. Jamie

      Why would she go to Canada? Her grandpa’s there.

      1. John Campbell

        So are the Leafs. And Gramps has to die sooner or later.

        1. Jeremiah

          It would be a win-win, she get away from her grampa and the disappoinment of being a maple leaf fan.

      2. Reltzik

        She can go to a part of Canada where Sir Grampus isn’t. BC, maybe.

      3. Yumi

        Her grandpa isn’t there, I thought? That’s why she and her brother had to move from Canada to Indiana when their parents died.

        1. Rotunda

          Her grandfather is in Carmel, Indiana.

        2. Taffy

          What kind of name is Carmel? That’s a confection. Ridiculous.

        3. Mark

          Northeast side of Indianapolis. Or in California, where it is -by-the-sea.

          See also Mount Carmel. It’s a namesake for a number of places and, I think, a religious order.

          In places where people know how to pronounce English (but not around here), car·a·mel is a confection.

        4. Clif

          Carmel was on the Medina River near the site of present Losoya in southern Bexar County (county wherein the capital of Texas lies). It was settled around the time of the Civil War. Mount Carmel is near Waco and is otherwise known as the Branch Davidian compound.

    2. Taffy

      Who said she’s not going to Peru?

      1. Clif

        I hear the Amazon is lovely this time of year.

      2. Jeremiah

        Your mom say that to me. I don’t know how she got my number or why called specifically to tell me that, I am freaking out a little about it honestly.

        1. Taffy

          The funniest part of this is, my mom would absolutely do that. I get at least 50% of my mischievous shithead vibe from her.

        2. clif

          So the kumquat didn’t fall far from the tree?

    3. Da Boy

      If her and Jason want to get off the continent and not go to Britain where Jason’s family is and somewhere that’s Commonwealth… I suppose Australia it is!

      1. HueSatLight

        I’m pretty sure Brexit means it physically left the continent and sank into the sea.

        1. Da Boy

          Naah it still barely holds on by the virtue of all the inflated egos.

    4. Dday

      She’ll just build her OWN continent! With blackjack! And hookers!

  20. Reltzik

    Welcome to the second edge of the “intentionally in your room” sword, Carla.

    … though we should award her extra points for Charlie being intentionally in her room, because I don’t think there are many places that Charlie intentionally goes.

  21. Barf Ninjason

    Carla is bloody unbearable, innit? She and Malaya should go sex-wrestle on the rim of the nearest volcano.

    1. eh, whatever

      Carla would find that gross.

      1. Clif

        Malya is a toss-up.

    2. Jeremiah

      Then you and Carla have something in common.

    3. Nymph

      Nah she’s awesome.

  22. Taffy

    Carla’s a delight and I’d love to be around her frequently.

    1. Jeremiah

      I think she is very funny and cool and everyone should listen to her all the time.

      1. Michael Steamweed

        Carla told you to say that, didn’t she.

    2. Bogeywoman

      I would genuinely vibe with Carla. Give me an over confident extrovert transbian any day. I’d never have to talk or forget that I’m dating them.

      1. Amelie Wikström

        And think of all the engineering projects and charity projects you could spend time together on.

    3. Nymph

      Literally one of the best characters in the comic and I wish she was around more.

      1. Jeremiah

        Maybe it’s better she apparences are sparce because then we don’t have to listen to people complaining about her as often.

        1. Nymph

          False. More Carla!!!

  23. IntangibleMatter

    A disturbing reality has presented itself to Carla

  24. Zamperla

    Ah, redhead to redhead communication. I like when my favorites talk.

    1. Nymph

      …now kiss.

  25. not someone else

    ………….I officially know which part of the psyche Carla represents: the part that probably follows a bunch of trans girl shitposting accounts on Twitter (like all people of good taste).

    1. Bogeywoman

      Wrong. Carla IS the trans girl shit posting accounts. All of them. Every single one. Yes, even that one.

      Actually that makes her behaviour make a lot of sense. I know many trans girls whose greatest defence against transphobes is being unshakeably confident and over the top.

  26. Throwatron

    its me, im carla

  27. staszu13

    YES SHE CAN CARLA BWAH HA HA HA

  28. AbacusWizard

    Dumbing of Age, Book 17: what, you maniac

    1. Michael Steamweed

      I’m favoring “Dumbing of Age, Book 17: Please do not engage in any of your usual disruptive noises.”

  29. shrub

    Just due to current events I have to say I’m a bit over wealthy, bragging a-holes

    1. Jeremiah

      The difference is that Carla is actually cool and her brain isn’t being eaten by racist maggots.

      1. Taffy

        Yeah, Carla’s maggots are bronies.

    2. Taffy

      “Over wealthy” sounds like a way to cook eggs. Something basically like over easy but it’s got like, gold flakes or whatever.

      1. Mark

        You think that’s funny, but people really do cook with gold. I imagine that it’s every bit as silly as it sounds.

        OK: I, too, think it’s funny.

        1. Taffy

          Of course I know people cook with gold. That’s why I brought it up.

        2. Nymph

          I cook with edible glitter and it’s great. Everyone should do it unless you’re a coward.

        3. Mark

          is a coward. Or just hates glitter.

        4. Nymph

          Hating glitter makes you a coward AND a grinch. Don’t be like this.

      2. HueSatLight

        gold leaf covered eggs would be the most lucrative way to ruin eggs.

    3. Da Boy

      Wait, you weren’t before?

  30. Needfuldoer

    Yes, Carla. That’s how mutual relationships work.

  31. Abel Undercity

    AH-OOGA! AH-OOGA!

  32. Tan

    I have decided to go through the Cast page and consider the relationship histories of each character shown there. Executive summary at the bottom.

    Joyce: took Joe on one date, dated and broke up with Ethan, basically had a date with Jacob, now back with Joe

    Walky: dated and broke up with Dorothy, then Amber, then Lucy, now back with Dorothy

    Dorothy: started out with Danny but immediately broke up with him, dated and broke up with Walky, back with Walky

    Amber: Sorta poly relationship with Danny alongside Amazigirl, relationship-ish with Walky, now single

    Jennifer: dated and got dumped by Ruth, then Asher, now in denial both that she was in a relationship and that she no longer is

    Becky: unclear dating/friends-with-benefits with her Anderson roommate, now dating (and technically kinda engaged to) Dina

    Sal: inappropriate relationship with Jason, now dating Danny

    Sarah: no known relationship except Other Jacob

    Joe: took Joyce on one date, slept with Roz at least once, screwed around with Penny until she got fired, slept with Malaya, uncertain amounts of other activities, now back with Joyce

    Dina: has only dated Becky, still dating Becky

    Ruth: dated and dumped Jennifer, now with Jason

    Danny: started out with Dorothy until immediately got dumped, officially dated Amazigirl though kinda also dated Amber, now with Sal

    Ethan: dated Joyce, slept with Mike and a bunch of other hook-ups, dated the concept of emo, now with Asher

    Carla: now dating Charlie

    Jacob: dated Raidah, had weird kinda date with Joyce, now with Lucy

    Leslie: I have no explanation for her and Robin. Went on a date with Mindy. Slept with Mindy’s awful roommate. I have no explanation for her and Robin.

    Roz: the ethical slut Joe wished he was

    Jason: inappropriate relationship with Sal, now with Ruth

    Malaya: besides sleeping with Joe, I don’t know if it’s ever been made clear if she actually got together with Marcie? Maybe there’s a patreon bonus strip about it somewhere

    Booster: no known relationships

    Asher: dated and broke up with Jennifer, now with Ethan

    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Of the people on the Cast page who have been shown dating in the comic, only Dina and Carla have an unbroken relationship with their respective first partners, the latter of which is of course extremely new. Interestingly both Joyce and Walky, our main-est characters of sorts, have wound up back with their first partners. So far, anyway.

    1. Tan

      Whoops, skipped a few.

      Mike: something with that one football player in the flashback, hooked up with Eric, slept with Ethan, implied to have had other hook-ups, now doing the Grim Reaper’s mom for a nickel to pay Charon’s fee

      Lucy: dated and dumped Walky, now with Jacob

      Robin: I have no explanation for her and Leslie. Married to the concept of zaniness.

      Executive summary unchanged.

      1. Yeet

        ruth also dated a kieran Back Home iirc, but he’s not relevant to the social circle here just to her psyche (and relationship to her dick of a grandparent)

        1. thejeff

          If we’re expanding to back-story, Jennifer slept with Alice (and apparently a bunch of unnamed dudes) back in high school.

          Alice dated Jennifer.

    2. Colin McKenzie

      It has not been proven that Charlie KNOWS she’s dating Carla. Carla is ace (I think?) and hasn’t made a move on Charlie, and Charlie is. . . . well, Charlie.

      1. thejeff

        Charlie figured it out before Carla did.

      2. Nymph

        Carla is indeed ace, this doesn’t preclude girlfriendhood.

    3. Jeremiah

      Malaya and Marcie are dating,, there been a bonus strip recently where Marci sit on their face.

    4. Drain

      Thank you Tan

    5. NGPZ

      Yes, thanks Tan, you performed a public service ^^

  33. DJTsurugi

    rubbish, no one can break up with Carla. ~<3

    1. Da Boy

      Probably because she will go 50 Shades of Grey with all the tech and surveillance at her disposal

      1. Lysbeth

        I do hope she does it better than that glorified twilight fanfic, though

        1. DJTsurugi

          I will forever stan my trans sister. ~<3

  34. Justnobodyfqwl

    I don’t think I’ll ever really wrap my head around how Carla is written. I just feel like there has to be better ways to establish that a characters role is “comically self important and craves attention” than having her repeatedly, over and over again, just say her personality traits out loud.

    1. Woof McGee

      I’ve accepted that Carla is written kind of like Chevy Chase’s character from Community.

    2. Jeremiah

      There might be but they are less funny

    3. thejeff

      My take is that is emphasized so much because it’s not actually her. It’s her defense mechanism. Her cover. It seems performative because it is.

      We see this with other characters like Becky, but Carla gets less focus, so it’s easier to miss.

  35. Lysbeth

    As someone who got girlfriends in-between Carla getting a girlfriend and Carla bragging about getting a girlfriend, snerk

    (am I bragging? I may be bragging. if it works for Carla it shall work for me)

    1. Taffy

      Don’t think your plural has gone unnoticed. Is this consecutive or simultaneous girlfriendology?

  36. John

    Oh god, the meltdown Carla would have if/when Charlie breaks up with her will be glorious to see.

  37. bcb

    “Oh, another continent? Like where the Amazon is? So you do admit to the superiority of Ultra Car!”

  38. HueSatLight

    Probably because of that time she came over to spend time with Carla, and Carla left to talk to Ruth.

  39. bcb

    It continues to amuse me how many DoA characters are unknowingly watching media about alternate-universe versions of themselves.

    1. thejeff

      Hadn’t really thought about it in these terms before, but is Carla’s love of Ultra-Car really just another facet of her fascination with herself?

      1. Jeremiah

        More like the other way around, Carla seem to have based a lot of her personal presentation and style off the ultra car character.

        1. thejeff

          Sure. Makes no sense within the fiction, since Ultra Car isn’t Carla, but on the meta level?
          Her favorite cartoon is about her alternate universe self.

  40. StClair

    “I dunno, I can imagine quite a lot.”

  41. Poyo

    oh, I read Carlas “closer” as in like, she was commanding the panning of the camera closer. and then i realized she probably meant Ruth was closer. and now i cant actually decide

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