I’m actually thinking this little exchange could turn out very well. You might be thinking of Joyce, but so long as Ethan doesn’t leave out his complicity in the earlier sham when he explains, things should be a-ok.
I’m actually hoping if/when Ethan comes out to Becky, the perspective of someone who’s also gay but not into chicks will help stabilize her.
Solenoid
That’s why I’m optimistic here. Each of them has a viewpoint that the other needs to hear. Ethan’s more likely to consider the realities of dealing with questionable/nonexistent support from the family units. Becky will show him it’s okay to go after some cock… if he doesn’t get hung up on how Becky’s made damn near all of her interactions for the entire day about her love of boobies.
I can’t imagine Ethan will go so far as to explain his own situation. If he starts pressing this issue too hard though Becky will probably take offense. Like say if he were to imply Becky’s decision is poorly thought out, that she doesn’t really understand what it can be like living as an openly gay person, or anything like that.
If anything it’ll be more abrasive since Becky will assume he’s just some straight guy mouthing off about how gay people ought to conduct themselves.
Solenoid
There goes my optimism. Nice while it lasted.
Nono
It’d still be good for Becky, since someone needs to confront her about the realities of her situation sooner rather than later.
It probably won’t be Ethan though, he’s not very good at giving harsh truths. Probably Sarah or Dorothy.
Actually, I kind of want Amber to talk to Becky. Both have jerky dads.
timemonkey
I’m kinda hoping for Sarah. Like Becky’s continuing on how she has been, wasting free money on stupid things and being loud and obnoxious and Sarah just has enough and explains the reality to her. Doesn’t need to eb rude, doesn’t need to make her less cool with herself or less happy, just need some sense.
anonymsly
And that’s been largely Sarah’s function. The tough-but-loving Big Sis. Her giving Becky the run down in that manner would indicate to me at least that she’s adopted a second Little Sis. Sarah doesn’t bother with stuff she doesn’t care about.
brumagem (phone)
You forget that neither of these guys are very antagonistic. Ethan is much more likely to subtly ask more about Becky’s reasoning than to assume he knows better. Becky is much more likely to either change subject, laugh it off, or shut it down than to get irked by Ethan of all people.
Gangler
Yeah, and Ethan’s usually pretty sensitive to delicate subjects. He knows that not all parents are worth keeping around and I think he knows not to probe too deeply into that sort of stuff just in case.
Still, he’s pretty personally invested in this particular subject. They both are. Deeply invested with opposing viewpoints. Conversation could definitely go sour.
But it might end hilariously. If Becky realises he’s gay she’s not going to assume Joyce is trying to de-gay him at his own urging, she’s going to laugh, go for a high five and loudly announce to Joyce that her boyfriends’ a ‘mo like her.
On this tangent, think if Jocelyne ever comes out to her parents as trans, it might be effective to make her dad wear fake breasts for a day. He will be super uncomfortable and Jocelyne can be all “Yeah Dad, that’s about how I feel EVERY DAMN DAY.”
Ethan’s parents are full of shit.
But despite everything they came to parents weekend, told their son they still loved him, and shelled out the money for him to go to college by himself with no safeguards against dude-loving.
I think that is way alot much better at dealing than pulling your daughter out of school to ‘fix’ her, and cutting her off when she doesn’t listen.
To be fair, his mom only says she loves him after he says he has a girlfriend.
But yeah, you have an excellent point. Ethan is going against his parents religious views too, but they didn’t cut him off and still came to visit.
Blackbird
Of course, Ethan’s mom is still in full displacement mode, focusing a bunch of anger at Amber.
winter
I interpreted that strip as Naomi being surprised that Ethan could think that they didn’t like him anymore, and rushing to reassure him that they do (and then negating it immediately by spouting more BS). Does it matter, though? Ethan might be loved, but he clearly doesn’t feel loved, and for good reason. That’s probably the part that Naomi should be paying attention to.
but tl;dr I know people who have been disowned and that’s the line for me. It really takes an incredible amount of cruelty to do something like that, whatever the reasons. As long as your talking with your kids and trying to come to an understanding of one another, you can mess up. But when you give up on your kids completely, like Ross – it’s just incomparable to the kind of mistakes Ethan’s family is making.
timemonkey
So continuing emotional abuse is better than just ending it for good?
338 thoughts on “Respond”
Jen Aside
“Of course, my dad IS a boob, but that doesn’t count, ’cause only the one”
Solenoid
Well, I thought he was a toe.
Kris
He’s shaped like a toe “butt” he’s actually an ass.
MeghanTheWorldEater
He can be both! Don’t limit boobie toe dad to your little boxes! );
Nono
Most dads in the comic are some sort of body part.
Some, like Blaine, are either a dick or an ass.
Plasma Mongoose
I believe the term fuckhead fits him better…
Solenoid
I refrain from calling any of them dicks. Somebody might get clever and say one should treat them with deferens.
grantimusmaximus
Either that, or something in the same vein.
Rowan Mikaio
Those are vas-tly different things.
Jen Aside
Urine for a world of hurt!!
ThisOneOne
Is this a relation growing? I think so!
Doctor_Who
Or the best support group ever.
Robin
The “I kissed a Joyce and my parents can’t accept the extent to which I liked it” support group.
Spidergirl
That sounds like yet another unpopular Katy Perry cover
otusasio451
This…this will not end well.
Mr k
Maybe Becky can help Ethan get the self confidence to embrace his love for dicks.
Solenoid
I’m actually thinking this little exchange could turn out very well. You might be thinking of Joyce, but so long as Ethan doesn’t leave out his complicity in the earlier sham when he explains, things should be a-ok.
Nono
I’m actually hoping if/when Ethan comes out to Becky, the perspective of someone who’s also gay but not into chicks will help stabilize her.
Solenoid
That’s why I’m optimistic here. Each of them has a viewpoint that the other needs to hear. Ethan’s more likely to consider the realities of dealing with questionable/nonexistent support from the family units. Becky will show him it’s okay to go after some cock… if he doesn’t get hung up on how Becky’s made damn near all of her interactions for the entire day about her love of boobies.
Gangler
I can’t imagine Ethan will go so far as to explain his own situation. If he starts pressing this issue too hard though Becky will probably take offense. Like say if he were to imply Becky’s decision is poorly thought out, that she doesn’t really understand what it can be like living as an openly gay person, or anything like that.
If anything it’ll be more abrasive since Becky will assume he’s just some straight guy mouthing off about how gay people ought to conduct themselves.
Solenoid
There goes my optimism. Nice while it lasted.
Nono
It’d still be good for Becky, since someone needs to confront her about the realities of her situation sooner rather than later.
It probably won’t be Ethan though, he’s not very good at giving harsh truths. Probably Sarah or Dorothy.
Actually, I kind of want Amber to talk to Becky. Both have jerky dads.
timemonkey
I’m kinda hoping for Sarah. Like Becky’s continuing on how she has been, wasting free money on stupid things and being loud and obnoxious and Sarah just has enough and explains the reality to her. Doesn’t need to eb rude, doesn’t need to make her less cool with herself or less happy, just need some sense.
anonymsly
And that’s been largely Sarah’s function. The tough-but-loving Big Sis. Her giving Becky the run down in that manner would indicate to me at least that she’s adopted a second Little Sis. Sarah doesn’t bother with stuff she doesn’t care about.
brumagem (phone)
You forget that neither of these guys are very antagonistic. Ethan is much more likely to subtly ask more about Becky’s reasoning than to assume he knows better. Becky is much more likely to either change subject, laugh it off, or shut it down than to get irked by Ethan of all people.
Gangler
Yeah, and Ethan’s usually pretty sensitive to delicate subjects. He knows that not all parents are worth keeping around and I think he knows not to probe too deeply into that sort of stuff just in case.
Still, he’s pretty personally invested in this particular subject. They both are. Deeply invested with opposing viewpoints. Conversation could definitely go sour.
timemonkey
But it might end hilariously. If Becky realises he’s gay she’s not going to assume Joyce is trying to de-gay him at his own urging, she’s going to laugh, go for a high five and loudly announce to Joyce that her boyfriends’ a ‘mo like her.
Disloyal Subject
…a ” ‘mo “? Abbreviation of what?
Kamino Neko
‘Homo’. And not ‘sapiens’.
Fish
I’m a little worried she’ll out him. That is how I see it ending poorly.
timemonkey
Out him to who? They’re in Joyce’s room and both Joyce and Sarah, and now Walky and Dorothy, already know.
Fish
Everybody.
The whole cafeteria. Total strangers. Joyce’s whole hall. Ethan’s whole hall. Ethan’s room mate. Anyone within earshot of the window. Everybody.
timemonkey
Hey, everyone, this guy you don’t know is gay!
We don’t care *immediately forgets*
Arianod
Dunno. *Maybe* it will, but it’ll certainly get worse before it gets better.
Vivvav
If you are reading this comment, try really hard not to think about your dad with boobs.
Mr k
Leslie’s kids in shortpacked don’t need to imagine that.
Gangler
Did Robin or Leslie identify as a father?
John
I think technically Leslie was the father.
Captain Batson
You are correct, sir.
Gigafreak
Robin is the mother, Leslie is the father, and Ethan is the surrogate penis.
Plasma Mongoose
We call those moobs.
Yotomoe
That’s easy for me. I’m having trouble what the guy looks like WITHOUT boobs.
brumagem (phone)
On this tangent, think if Jocelyne ever comes out to her parents as trans, it might be effective to make her dad wear fake breasts for a day. He will be super uncomfortable and Jocelyne can be all “Yeah Dad, that’s about how I feel EVERY DAMN DAY.”
StClair
My dad was built like a rail. Even if he’d had some, he wouldn’t have.
Solenoid
Huh. Maybe Ethan’s going to be the one to help with the long-term planning stuff.
Nono
Ethan doesn’t know how to talk to Becky.
“But… bo-“
Juliecat
“I like boobies” should be the title of book…whatever this strip will be in
Solenoid
Book 5. It’s in the URL.
Yotomoe
It’s the title of my autobiography.
Screwball
There probably is a few people who would also like yo use that title…
Kris
One can’t really argue with the logic.
LeslieBean4Shizzle
I know, right? Boobs are pretty damn good.
NerdHerder
Ethan: “I really don’t get you, Becky.”
Maveric1984
heh, poop
Deanatay
everybody does it
Daisy
Well…she has a point!
LeslieBean4Shizzle
I count at least five points that she has. We are talking about her new hair-style, right?
John
She looks like she’s wearing a giant leaf on her head.
maxyai
Actually, Ethan has the point. She has an opening specifically designed to fit the point though.
Dorje Sylas
Just because the screw is phillips, doesn’t mean you can’t use a slot. Or even use the ‘driver has a pry-bar.
Screwball
There are tools that use a opening to hold an adapter to work with the screw… 😉
Plasma Mongoose
I wonder if Ethan feels kinda cowardly compared to Becky after hearing this from her.
newllend(henryvolt)
Really I wonder why…oh right.
timemonkey
I’m pretty sure at this point he’s feeling cowardly next to Joyce. Pretty much everyone is handling his homosexuality better than he is.
Robin
Except his parents.
tim gueguen
From what’s been revealed in previous strips it sounds like Ethan’s family wasn’t much better at dealing with him coming out.
winter
Ethan’s parents are full of shit.
But despite everything they came to parents weekend, told their son they still loved him, and shelled out the money for him to go to college by himself with no safeguards against dude-loving.
I think that is way alot much better at dealing than pulling your daughter out of school to ‘fix’ her, and cutting her off when she doesn’t listen.
airyu
To be fair, his mom only says she loves him after he says he has a girlfriend.
But yeah, you have an excellent point. Ethan is going against his parents religious views too, but they didn’t cut him off and still came to visit.
Blackbird
Of course, Ethan’s mom is still in full displacement mode, focusing a bunch of anger at Amber.
winter
I interpreted that strip as Naomi being surprised that Ethan could think that they didn’t like him anymore, and rushing to reassure him that they do (and then negating it immediately by spouting more BS). Does it matter, though? Ethan might be loved, but he clearly doesn’t feel loved, and for good reason. That’s probably the part that Naomi should be paying attention to.
but tl;dr I know people who have been disowned and that’s the line for me. It really takes an incredible amount of cruelty to do something like that, whatever the reasons. As long as your talking with your kids and trying to come to an understanding of one another, you can mess up. But when you give up on your kids completely, like Ross – it’s just incomparable to the kind of mistakes Ethan’s family is making.
timemonkey
So continuing emotional abuse is better than just ending it for good?