Fugly hell, check out her hard-boiled egg eyes in the last panel. I’ve seen the yolks turn a shade of green before, but never so over boiled to be blue…
There will be no yelling. Just pity for this poor, wounded person who has turned her back on God for some reason, and progressively more obnoxious (yet well-intentioned) attempts to show her God’s Love.
The yelling happens if Dorothy responds to those conversion attempts with rebuttals that actually make Joyce question her worldview.
mine either, Dorothy, seriously, she is trying so hard not to get mad that I cant really get mad at her for it, but at the same time, its bad that she has to try.
Dude, does Dorothy just give off some kind of brain-melting forcefield? I mean between Joyce’s shock hiccups and Walky’s still zonked out expression, you’d think she’s an evil telepath or something
And if they were immune to each other’s powers like relatives tend to be in Marvel comics then Dorothy would be the only person who could truly criticize Amazi-girl.
Joyce is as adorable as my cat is when he gets his head stuck in an empty tissue box. It’s funny, but very pathetic as well (you’d think he’d learn after the first two times…).
Why isn’t this kid at one of those unaccredited or might-as-well-be-unaccredited Bible colleges where the horror of reality outside the fundie bubble won’t always be threatening to melt her brain? Did her parents get expelled from Fundieland for disagreeing with a preacher or something?
Maybe her parents wanted her to be able to function in the world? It’s the It’s Walky!-verse, Joyce’s parents encouraged her religiousness in an effort to keep her from suffering an unwanted pregnancy (like her mom did).
Joyce fits the prejudices. She’s the most well-adjusted member of her homeschool group, and look at her. Is it any surprise people assume her parents are nuts, given how she turned out?
Maybe cause religious people have a history of being hateful and prejudiced? And basically ruining society for logical rational people?
nitpicker
I see. So logical rational people are being perfectly logical and rational in their hate and prejudice towards the religious.
begbert2
Characterizing Joyce as merely ‘the religious’ reads to me as a prejudicial slur against the average religious person. In reality, she is f’n’ out there, far less socially adjusted and competent than the average religious person, and the explicit statement is that pretty much everyone else from her hometown is far worse. Characterizing them as normal is equivalent to characterizing the rest of the religious world as socially incompetent insular buffoons too.
And, to the degree that religious people are (inadvertantly) sociopatically maladjusted and/or damaging to society, it actually is indeed irrational to dislike them. It’s not evil to hate ‘evil’ – if it were then He-man would be a bad guy for opposing Skeletor, and then then where would we be?
begbert2
*forehead smack* It actually ISN’T irrational to dislike them. Somebody’s diety is messing with my typing skills again!
nitpicker
Joyce is a rather perfectly executed critique of fundamentalist Christianity. There a lot to be critical of there.
Hatred and revulsion is not part of that, and shouldn’t be if any of you hope to take part in a civilized discussion about the topic. Pity and sympathy are to be expected, not the load of flame and hate that crops up in these comments every time Joyce mentions something related to her religious upbringing.
Why are you putting words in Jenny’s mouth? Or are you seriously denying that there are extremist religious schools that cut their students off from all outside influence? Because there are schools like that, and pointing out that *fact* isn’t prejudiced or hateful.
Perhaps your problem is that it hits a bit too close to home?
nitpicker
You can’t throw the word “fundie” around and expect people to take you seriously. I’ve heard that drivel enough to know exactly where she was coming from.
ShadeTail
What nonsense. You cling to a single word that you’re taking out of context and pretend that you’re suddenly a mind-reader? No matter how you try to spin this, you’re still just putting words in her mouth.
Jenny Islander
Actually I shouldn’t have used the word “fundie.” It was dismissive and disrespectful. I apologize.
A Christian blogger I respect calls this particular group “RTCs,” for “Real True Christians,” because that is how they view themselves: their tiny offshoot of the enormous, variegated, and long-standing Church is the only Christian group. The rest of us–not to mention everybody else on the planet–are temporarily uninformed about the superiority of their little group, or just pretending to believe something (anything) else even though we know deep down that we’re wrong.
IME, somebody as sheltered as Joyce IRL would have been steered firmly away from a secular college; being a girl, she might be told that she doesn’t need college at all. Going to someplace full of unbelievers (that is, non-RTCs) to get an MRS degree would seem more like fishing for sharks by trailing one’s hand in the water.
Perhaps her pastor doesn’t know as much about this campus as he thinks he does.
nitpicker
You are oversimplifying and generalizing. There are conservative Christian groups that maintain a weak barrier between their families and the rest of society, and there are extremist sects that build that 10 ft thick, 50 ft tall concrete wall where the women are kept chained on the inside.
There has been nothing in the comic to allow us to assume the latter over the former; those who do so are letting themselves interpret the comic in a way that confirms a prejudiced world view.
Eh her brain didn’t melt at Joe being Jewish so she gets SOME credit.I mean it kind of upset Beckey but she was willing to give it a shot- granted she wanted to convert him but that’s natural as a christian anyway to have that desire.
If it wasn’t for the fact Joe got beat up that is and she wasn’t more than a little crazy as proven then.
Joyce still has hope of developing and growing up. Thats what university and college does. A lot can happen just in your first year let alone a full degree,
I admit that Joyce is over-the-top with her religiosity. As someone who is religious (which, I’ll just spell out, means “Please don’t be hating on religious people for the hell of it, because I’m telling you RIGHT NOW that that’s irrational, petty, and unreasonable in the face of someone who IS being reasonable)–as someone who is religious, even I think she’s going a bit far. But she’ll change because, as we’ve seen, Joyce is repeatedly determined to see the good in people. That means that she’s coming to a confrontation between what she believes*, and the evidence (aka people who are good like Dorothy are also atheist like Dorothy).
Faced with that conflict between theory and evidence, Joyce will choose evidence. Which is why she doesn’t fall into the irrational fundie catagory–because she isn’t irrational, only fundie.
Put another way…
Joyce has a flax (excessive religiosity). There are other characters who have flaws–Billie with her bongoiness, Joe with his chauvinism, Walky with his, uh… Walkyness. These flaws are considered funny, normal, and/or adorable. So don’t be hating on Joyce with her flaw (which, personally, I see as less incurable than Billie’s).
Relax, will you? Jenny’s comment was very clearly not about religion in general. And considering Joyce’s sheltered-to-the-extreme religious upbringing, Jenny’s question is quite reasonable. Extremist schools like that do exist, you can’t deny that. So why *didn’t* Joyce’s parents send her to one of them?
We actually know at least part of the answer: their pastor said that Joyce was one of the more socialized members of their group so she could go. But it’s still a valid issue, considering how Joyce has been interacting with people so far.
160 thoughts on “Hic”
arjay2813
ugh, joyce just got fugly, and i’ll never get the third panel out of my nightmares.
Jen Aside
Panel 3 reminds me of the Animal Crossing people, for some reason.
Malph
Now that you mention it, yeah she does look Animal Crossing-ish.
Magnus369
Fugly hell, check out her hard-boiled egg eyes in the last panel. I’ve seen the yolks turn a shade of green before, but never so over boiled to be blue…
Qaxis
I’m so proud of Joyce for not yelling at her.
Undrave
Wait until she can process it further.
David Herbert
I can’t see her yelling or anything, just this little mental breakdown as she slowly starts to realise how many non-Christians there are in the world.
Right now, I’m having Dorothy’s thoughts.
LC
As an avowed atheist… me too.
Joyce is a good person ;_;
Bekah
A good person who happens to be a little on the stalker side… but a good person nonetheless.
Seraph
There will be no yelling. Just pity for this poor, wounded person who has turned her back on God for some reason, and progressively more obnoxious (yet well-intentioned) attempts to show her God’s Love.
The yelling happens if Dorothy responds to those conversion attempts with rebuttals that actually make Joyce question her worldview.
The Startling Frogboy
Joyce’s new abductee superpower: to shut down other’s minds with the power of her hiccups.
Digidestined of Trust (Tim)
Haha, Definitely adorable.
George
I’m with Dorothy on this one.
knowwonattawl
I must reluctantly agree
Undrave
Hiccup in the FAAAAAAACE!
Sorry, tradition.
Joebo
Cue Fiddler on the roof music:
http://youtu.be/gRdfX7ut8gw
Jack
I love you now.
Alechsa
Made more awesome by the screaming Joyce picture.
Joebo
I tried to find a video with just the guy yelling “TRADITION” but to no avail.
Crazy Dina
I love that you have yet to change that.
Mkvenner
Catchy. 🙂
Madock345
mine either, Dorothy, seriously, she is trying so hard not to get mad that I cant really get mad at her for it, but at the same time, its bad that she has to try.
calendarman27
Dude, does Dorothy just give off some kind of brain-melting forcefield? I mean between Joyce’s shock hiccups and Walky’s still zonked out expression, you’d think she’s an evil telepath or something
Madock345
ohhhh, that gives me an idea for fan-fiction, Dorothy, normal collage girl by day, world conquring telepath by night.
Confuzor
She would totally be the Anti-AmaziGirl!!
Madock345
isn’t it obvious? she is the evil twin.
knowwonattawl
And if they were immune to each other’s powers like relatives tend to be in Marvel comics then Dorothy would be the only person who could truly criticize Amazi-girl.
Skye
I’d like to interrupt this to say your avatar is awesome.
1Samildanach
Of course, the only option they’d be left with for fighting each other would be naked jelly wrestling.
Because that’s what the internet does to characters, the poor things.
Xartarin
It all makes sense now.
Valkeer1
I just wonder how long it will be until Galasso tries to get Dorothy to join him…
agentksilver
He’s already working on it. Did you see how she broke that tall boy?
John Biles
By the end of this strip, EVERYONE is broken.
T Campbell
If Dorothy thinks outrageous shell-shock is possibly adorable, maybe Walky has a chance with her after all.
knowwonattawl
You may be on to something there.
R
Joyce is as adorable as my cat is when he gets his head stuck in an empty tissue box. It’s funny, but very pathetic as well (you’d think he’d learn after the first two times…).
gangler
My favorite take on Joyce so far.
Jackson
The hiccups in themselves aren’t that adorable. But Joyce trying to cover for them is.
Lokitsu
Your cat is awesome.
gangler
It’s adorable Dorothy. It’s just too adorable for your mind to handle.
Joebo
It is pretty damn adorable.
keyye
+1! Your avatar adds instant comedy of the wide range of “adorable” Joyce FAAAAACEs.
Plasma Mongoose
Will this hiccup thing end up like an episode of Azumanga?
R
I really hope not.
drpepperfan
I really hope so.
Greatest. Show. Ever.
Rainbow Brisk
Silly DrPepperFan, Azumaga Daioh isn’t how you spell Pinkie Pie!
Plasma Mongoose
I can almost imagine Mike playing the role of Tomo as he tries to cure the hiccups… POOR JOYCE.
Rognik
I fear she’s caught in a recursive loop. We need a comp-sci major to force-break it.
Blightning
That is pretty hilarity, given your avatar.
ScytheAkse
omg i know how dorothy feels!!
dchorror
Yeah, I can imagine Dorothy thinking “I’m surrounded by weirdos.”
Welcome to college.
hannza314
that’s exactly what college is
wnderjif
lol, whut, right…
Jenny Islander
Why isn’t this kid at one of those unaccredited or might-as-well-be-unaccredited Bible colleges where the horror of reality outside the fundie bubble won’t always be threatening to melt her brain? Did her parents get expelled from Fundieland for disagreeing with a preacher or something?
R
Maybe her parents wanted her to be able to function in the world? It’s the It’s Walky!-verse, Joyce’s parents encouraged her religiousness in an effort to keep her from suffering an unwanted pregnancy (like her mom did).
nitpicker
Why are you so prejudiced and hateful of religious people?
Viktoria
Joyce fits the prejudices. She’s the most well-adjusted member of her homeschool group, and look at her. Is it any surprise people assume her parents are nuts, given how she turned out?
Booger.
Maybe cause religious people have a history of being hateful and prejudiced? And basically ruining society for logical rational people?
nitpicker
I see. So logical rational people are being perfectly logical and rational in their hate and prejudice towards the religious.
begbert2
Characterizing Joyce as merely ‘the religious’ reads to me as a prejudicial slur against the average religious person. In reality, she is f’n’ out there, far less socially adjusted and competent than the average religious person, and the explicit statement is that pretty much everyone else from her hometown is far worse. Characterizing them as normal is equivalent to characterizing the rest of the religious world as socially incompetent insular buffoons too.
And, to the degree that religious people are (inadvertantly) sociopatically maladjusted and/or damaging to society, it actually is indeed irrational to dislike them. It’s not evil to hate ‘evil’ – if it were then He-man would be a bad guy for opposing Skeletor, and then then where would we be?
begbert2
*forehead smack* It actually ISN’T irrational to dislike them. Somebody’s diety is messing with my typing skills again!
nitpicker
Joyce is a rather perfectly executed critique of fundamentalist Christianity. There a lot to be critical of there.
Hatred and revulsion is not part of that, and shouldn’t be if any of you hope to take part in a civilized discussion about the topic. Pity and sympathy are to be expected, not the load of flame and hate that crops up in these comments every time Joyce mentions something related to her religious upbringing.
ShadeTail
Why are you putting words in Jenny’s mouth? Or are you seriously denying that there are extremist religious schools that cut their students off from all outside influence? Because there are schools like that, and pointing out that *fact* isn’t prejudiced or hateful.
Perhaps your problem is that it hits a bit too close to home?
nitpicker
You can’t throw the word “fundie” around and expect people to take you seriously. I’ve heard that drivel enough to know exactly where she was coming from.
ShadeTail
What nonsense. You cling to a single word that you’re taking out of context and pretend that you’re suddenly a mind-reader? No matter how you try to spin this, you’re still just putting words in her mouth.
Jenny Islander
Actually I shouldn’t have used the word “fundie.” It was dismissive and disrespectful. I apologize.
A Christian blogger I respect calls this particular group “RTCs,” for “Real True Christians,” because that is how they view themselves: their tiny offshoot of the enormous, variegated, and long-standing Church is the only Christian group. The rest of us–not to mention everybody else on the planet–are temporarily uninformed about the superiority of their little group, or just pretending to believe something (anything) else even though we know deep down that we’re wrong.
IME, somebody as sheltered as Joyce IRL would have been steered firmly away from a secular college; being a girl, she might be told that she doesn’t need college at all. Going to someplace full of unbelievers (that is, non-RTCs) to get an MRS degree would seem more like fishing for sharks by trailing one’s hand in the water.
Perhaps her pastor doesn’t know as much about this campus as he thinks he does.
nitpicker
You are oversimplifying and generalizing. There are conservative Christian groups that maintain a weak barrier between their families and the rest of society, and there are extremist sects that build that 10 ft thick, 50 ft tall concrete wall where the women are kept chained on the inside.
There has been nothing in the comic to allow us to assume the latter over the former; those who do so are letting themselves interpret the comic in a way that confirms a prejudiced world view.
TemplarKnight
I’m pretty sure that was covered in the early pages.
Heather
Eh her brain didn’t melt at Joe being Jewish so she gets SOME credit.I mean it kind of upset Beckey but she was willing to give it a shot- granted she wanted to convert him but that’s natural as a christian anyway to have that desire.
If it wasn’t for the fact Joe got beat up that is and she wasn’t more than a little crazy as proven then.
Joyce still has hope of developing and growing up. Thats what university and college does. A lot can happen just in your first year let alone a full degree,
Chibi Squirt
Easy now.
I admit that Joyce is over-the-top with her religiosity. As someone who is religious (which, I’ll just spell out, means “Please don’t be hating on religious people for the hell of it, because I’m telling you RIGHT NOW that that’s irrational, petty, and unreasonable in the face of someone who IS being reasonable)–as someone who is religious, even I think she’s going a bit far. But she’ll change because, as we’ve seen, Joyce is repeatedly determined to see the good in people. That means that she’s coming to a confrontation between what she believes*, and the evidence (aka people who are good like Dorothy are also atheist like Dorothy).
Faced with that conflict between theory and evidence, Joyce will choose evidence. Which is why she doesn’t fall into the irrational fundie catagory–because she isn’t irrational, only fundie.
Put another way…
Joyce has a flax (excessive religiosity). There are other characters who have flaws–Billie with her bongoiness, Joe with his chauvinism, Walky with his, uh… Walkyness. These flaws are considered funny, normal, and/or adorable. So don’t be hating on Joyce with her flaw (which, personally, I see as less incurable than Billie’s).
ShadeTail
Relax, will you? Jenny’s comment was very clearly not about religion in general. And considering Joyce’s sheltered-to-the-extreme religious upbringing, Jenny’s question is quite reasonable. Extremist schools like that do exist, you can’t deny that. So why *didn’t* Joyce’s parents send her to one of them?
We actually know at least part of the answer: their pastor said that Joyce was one of the more socialized members of their group so she could go. But it’s still a valid issue, considering how Joyce has been interacting with people so far.
R