254

Sneak
Posted on January 21, 2024 by David M Willis

254 thoughts on “Sneak”

  1. newlland(Henryvolt)

    Alright since we’re doing this, might as well go the full 9 yards. If it ain’t Lucy it’s Marcie who honestly was a good influence on one of her kids but she couldn’t see that do to her crap judge of character.

    1. BBCC

      Marcie’s a poor Latina though! And now she’s disabled, which is icky! Linda wanted “better” friends for Sal, like Jennifer, who shoved her son in lockers through high school.

      1. Needfuldoer

        And when she underage drunk-drove, all the hit was a tree! And that tree’s probably still just fine!

        /s

  2. NGPZ

    awe hell yeah Walky!!!!

    also

    RUN BROTHER!!!!! D:

    *plays “Run Red Run” by The Coasters on hacked muzak*

  3. C.T. Phipps

    Walky should date Sarah’s sister and see if Mom approve then!

    We need more data!

    Also, more of Sarah’s sister.

    1. Vanessa

      His mom would probably like tough, cynical Sarah haha. They could fight and respect the other’s backbone and acerbic wit. Sarah’s little sister is still desperate for everyone’s approval just like Lucy, much to vulnerable.

      1. Coatl

        Oh god, I can already imagine the chemistry of that pair that resulted in an interesting challenge for both, torment for Walky and a feeling of violent desires on Lucy’s part.

      2. Nono

        Like Dora vs Iris?

      3. Archieve

        Honestly, given what a hypocrite Linda is I don’t think she would respect even Sarah and instead would apply the double standards to her tough cynical behavior. Sal showed the same back bone when calling Linda out on why trying to get amber expelled was bad and all it got her was a condensending response.

        1. Imogen

          Yeah, remember that Linda already has someone who stands up to her and never backs down. It’s Sal. Things aren’t going great.

    2. Needfuldoer

      Yes, more Data!

      More Brent Spiner in general, come to think of it.

      1. John Campbell

        Honestly, I can’t deal with Brent Spiner out of the Data makeup. It’s like some kind of reverse Uncanny Valley.

        1. Needfuldoer

          The southern drawl he used as Bob Wheeler on the original Night Court helps break that.

    3. anon

      i wonder if liz would even be into walky but i still think he should say he’s dating asher even as a troll lol.

      1. David DeLaney

        Everybody Loves Asher

        –Dave, the new sitcom on The CW

        ps: my fingers made a new word, ‘sitvom’; a primetime show with wacky plots that really bad but you can’t stop watching it

  4. Doctor_Who

    Bravest thing Walky’s ever done. Stupidest, but bravest.

    1. Coatl

      It’s a risky start, and maybe he can show off those battle scars in the future.

    2. Needfuldoer

      I’m sure he’ll do whatever he can to keep the car between him and Linda throughout this confrontation.

      At least he’s finally having the confrontation, so credit for that.

    3. JA

      Being brave sometimes requires doing something stupid.

  5. HueSatLight

    racist grande*

    1. Rose by Any Other Name

      I prefer frappuccinos to racists. Frappuccinos taste way better.
      Although who orders a grande? Yeesh. Get the Venti and save half for the next day.

      1. Psychie

        Can I just get a hot chocolate? I don’t like the taste of coffee or racism, no matter how sugared down.

        1. Yumi

          Yes, but also note that pumps of additional flavors are free, so mix up your hot chocolate by adding some different flavors now and then!
          (My favorite used to be adding raspberry, but they don’t have that anymore.)

        2. NGPZ

          Here we only have one rule — NEVER EVER LET IT COOL! XD

          Hot hot, HOT CHOCOLATE!

        3. Plain Marie

          Ha! We love that song! And the movie. Deeply weird, but we love it.

        4. CianM1301

          YEAH, WE GOT IT

      2. khn0

        Can someone explain why “venti”? I had to check if it means something else that what I knew (winds and twenty) bc my italian is a bit rusty, but I still don’t get it.
        Also why put grande after racist? In italian it’s before as far as I know…

        1. Hof1991

          Starbucks made up names.

        2. Leorale

          All names are made up.

          Venti is Italian for twenty: it’s a 20 ounce cup.

          In the summer they also have the huge Trenta, just for iced coffee and iced tea. Trenta is 30 oz.

        3. Yumi

          They have the trenta for iced drinks year-round, at least around here.

        4. jflb96

          If only there were a pre-existing name for 20 fluid ounces that they could’ve used instead

        5. Yumi

          Pre-existing isn’t always better. They could have gone with pint instead of grande for the 16 ounce option, but that would also be weird.

        6. Proxiehunter

          Not if they served it in a pint glass like it was a beer.

        7. HueSatLight

          That’s what it’s called at Quick Trip, the superior sugared coffee store.

        8. khn0

          Thank you (and all the following posters) for the answer. We have Starbucks in my country but I never entered one, we haven’t the same coffee culture (as wrote Henry Rollins about in harsh terms in Black Coffee Songs).

        9. flumfula

          Aparently Starbucks uses not-quite random Italian words for beverage sizes.
          Demi (3 oz.)
          Short (8 oz.)
          Tall (12 oz.)
          Grande (16 oz.)
          Venti (20 oz. for hot drinks, 24 oz. for cold drinks)
          Trenta (31 oz.)
          Note the liquid ounce volume measurement for Venti and Trenta.

        10. Needfuldoer

          Romance language product names differentiated Starbucks as the “fancy” fast food coffee, in contrast to “dOnUt ShOp” Dunkin’ and fast food McCafe. People are willing to pay more if they think they’re getting something fancy.

        11. lyzyrdwyzyrd

          Based on a Google it’s because it was modelled originally on Italian coffee shops.
          Why they’re not ALL Italian? No idea.

        12. Casi

          Venti is 20 in italian, and the venti hot coffee is 20 oz.

        13. lyzyrdwyzyrd

          Venti=20.

          Grande is the same as Medium at Starbucks.
          So technically they mean the same thing.
          I think Wally is calling his Mom basic.

        14. Pergola

          I never order venti but they always put it in my drink anyway.

        15. HueSatLight

          Doesn’t it mean “great racist” if it’s “grande racist”? I don’t know Italian, so if I’m wrong I flubbed a joke.

        16. khn0

          Yes,I think it should evolve in “gran” to be clear that’s it’s “big racist” rather than great – and you can’t take my word about it, even if I have italian family, I never took more than one semester of italian which isn’t enough to get this kind of hints. More precisely my question was about the use of grande as a noun?

      3. VicMortimer

        I wouldn’t know. I don’t go down on racists.

        1. David DeLaney

          going down with unexpected teeth: suitable

      4. Delavan

        How do you save half a frappuccino without dirtying a blender and needing more ice?

    2. anon

      lol some times ‘medium’ racist is more annoying than full blown ones

  6. Vanessa

    Ok good, his dad is looking askance at her grumpiness. Perhaps he could grow a spine? And finally stand up for one of his kids?

    1. newlland(Henryvolt)

      I wonder what was more scary for him, the sudden jumpscare or him finally having the conversation he was hoping would never come when he wasn’t ready.

    2. True Survivor

      But then the noble Hagfish would once again be left the only animal with a skull, but no vertebral column.
      How can you disappoint that cute face?
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8FVpj0p-iU&t=19s

    3. Warcodered

      I mean it might kind of be like pulling the cloth off of something you’ve been hiding, like oh that’s been there. It gets hard to avoid or ignore obvious things when they just get put out there, I don’t think Linda is going to hide it well when the thought is right there in his head.

    4. Archieve

      As much as I hope that Charles raised eyebrow is directed at his wife given that the panel is from Walkys perspective that look might actually be directed at his son.

    5. anon

      well him agreeing with walky would mean he’d have to admit it to himself as well, unless he’s constantly turned a blind eye in other instances, not counting sal

  7. True Survivor

    Jesus, Walky, you can’t say that. Your mom doesn’t want to be associated with Spanish – Mexicans speak that.

    1. Icarus

      “Grande” is Italian.

      1. NubeTrasnochada

        Spanish and Italian share a lot of words and grande happens to be one of them.

      2. adam Black

        I thought that was the joke.

  8. Coatl

    I doubt it, but maybe he’ll finally get the courage to face Linda, even if just a little bit.

    1. clif

      What do you call, this?

      1. elebenty

        Keeping a large vehicle between her hand and his face.

  9. Uly

    It’s that wacky combination of self-awareness combined with utter lack of self-awareness that gets me. Yes, honey, this is in a small part because you didn’t do flipping cartwheels over Walky’s girlfriend who, let us be clear, is a bit of a catch, especially for your son, who really isn’t. (Sorry.)

    1. Yumi

      It’s very realistic, too, that someone will be like, “Oh, so now you think I’m racist just because I .”

      Followed up with something like, “I am the least racist person I know!” (They don’t like it when you then ask who exactly they’re hanging out with.)

      1. tim gueguen

        Yep, for lots of people their attitude is what I call “No racism without Klansman.” They can only see the most blatant of racism, like a bigot screaming racist words at the top of their lungs while attacking a church full of black people.

        1. Taffy

          And even then, you’ll still see people saying it might not have been racially motivated. They’ll never give any coherent reason why it isn’t a racist thing to do, but they’ll die on the hill that it might not have been.

        2. NGPZ

          And often times they’ll sneakily try to shift the burden of proof to you or pull out the thought stopping cliche against you for “making things political”, even though politics and power is literally what racism is all about.

          What bigots and their conservative collaborators want is never “political”, because the status quo and power structures and institutions thereof they unconditionally defend is that which everyone is *used to*. Trying to get them to acknowledge systemic racism is like trying to point at darkness with a flashlight — being inclined to conserve and thereby defend the status quo, it is their very nature to cover it up and contribute to the problem in the process.

          The Systems that do racism in America include that which teach the majority of white people and their kids about it, so go fucking figure when they teach about it they strip away any notion that it has to do with politics and power.

        3. Mturtle7

          Ironically, one could argue it’s just a variation on the “no true Irishman” fallacy!
          Yes, I know people stopped caring about anti-Irish racism ages ago. It’s still ironic, damn it.

        4. Freemage

          *Cough* It’s actually the “True Scotsman” Fallacy–based on the hypothetical exchange:

          “No True Scotsman wears anything under his kilt!”
          “Well, what about Robert McScotscot, over in Killargharrrrgh? He wears boxers under his kilt.”
          “Ah, but he isn’t a TRUE Scotsman!”

        5. Mturtle7

          Ah, thank you. I misremembered!

      2. Bryy

        I have to admit that I was NOT expecting Linda’s first reaction to be “of course I didn’t like your black girlfriend!”.

      3. Yumi

        Whoops, forgot about tags. My comment was supposed to go, “Oh, so now you think I’m racist just because I -something racist they said or did-.”

        And yeah, they understand that people might think that thing is racist, but see, those people are *wrong,* or at least they’re wrong in this case, because the person is Not Racist, and therefore the thing they said or did is also Not Racist.

    2. Vukodlak

      She did do cartwheels over Dorothy.

      1. Bittersweet

        To be fair, even if she weren’t racist, Dorothy is easily the best love interest from the utilitarian parent’s perspective. Literally the poster child for “perfect significant other” that’s kind of part of Dorothy’s problem lol. She’s the poster child for a lot of things that don’t actually exist.

        1. tim gueguen

          “She’s an intelligent girl from a Good Family and she’s Going Places!”

        2. C.T. Phipps

          I dunno, I’d be suspicious of future war criminal, Dorothy.

        3. Warcodered

          But then there’s Amber, and it gets awkward again.

        4. Bryy

          To be fairer, Linda’s first reaction upon seeing Walky’s group of friends was to assume THE ONLY WHITE ONE was his girlfriend.

        5. HueSatLight

          enthusiastically assume.

        6. Opus the Poet

          Good lord this weekend has been going on since Spring of 2023? And it’s only Sunday still? That’s over 8 months to cover just 3 days and we’re only mid-afternoon on Sunday. Granted there are like 3 or 4 storylines going at the same time, but daaang that’s slow. That’s Grrl Power slow https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/
          Dave B. took literally from 2010-09-20 to 2015-02-16 to cover one afternoon and evening from lunch through literally crashing after lights out. OK maybe not that bad, but still unfast.

        7. Archieve

          Exactly, her attempt to bear huge a creeped out Joyce and then give a friendly Lucy a begrudged handshake is the perfect example. Two girls who look and dress alike who Linda only has her first impression to act on.

        8. Schpoonman

          “I bet it’s definitely you.” Emphasis Willis’s/Linda’s.

          Imagine a series of increasingly violent retching sounds, only there’s no catharsis or relief because Linda’s still present.

        9. Needfuldoer

          Like a cat horking up a hairball but it can’t find a carpet to leave it on.

        10. Schpoonman

          “There’s nothing but fucking tile and hardwood in this prison!”

        11. Bryy

          Man, I forgot how condescendingly performative that was.

    3. Vanessa

      Hopefully it is clear to Charles that she was actually quite rude to Lucy. No, Walky didn’t expect her love Lucy, he was just hoping she wouldn’t be so mean that she would destroy Lucy for days.
      — She might be thrilled to find out Lucy dumped him.

      1. Coatl

        However, Walky seems to think otherwise…I hope not.

        1. Psychie

          I mean, it WAS left rather ambiguous given the last bit of their exchange if they were *actually* done or if they just needed to leave the conversation so they’d both have some time to reflect and figure things out. Like they are definitely CLOSE to breaking up, but it is unclear which side of the line they are on, Walky seems to think they haven’t broken up yet and that the situation is potentially salveageable if he can get his crap together on the subject, and if Lucy decides she’s actually comfortable with how not on the same page they were on their relationship, and frankly that was my interpretation too when I read the exchange, it wasn’t until I saw commenters talking like she’d already dumped him that I realized there was another way to interpret her words.

        2. Coatl

          I admit that the way Lucy said things, it was a sign of a breakup in my opinion. But if not, I have the feeling that she will present herself as a “new Lucy” who this time will not let herself be trampled on and will give Walky “a second chance.” (Note that the quotes are a sign that if that not-so-loved ship is still afloat, this time it will be destroyed by Lucy herself)

        3. adam Black

          O my gods. That is Sooooo Lucy.

          She’s going to smugly claim to be new and improved but FORGIVE Walky for not Having love at first sight.

          Its 50% cute and 50% obnoxious and 60% kill it with fire.

          Lucy is kind of like Billie. If more naive, sweeter and not an alcoholic yet.

          I think Walkyverse Lucy would apologize. But Dumbiverse Lucy is too sweet to do anything wrong. And when pressed , that’s her self image.

        4. Jeremiah

          @adam Black God, you are so delusional it would be funny if it weren’t so annoying.

        5. bemisawa

          Dude. What the hell? Why the venom? I was under the impression we were here to read and discuss the comic, not… whatever this is.

        6. David DeLaney

          @bemisawa: I’m betting Jeremiah is still reacting to a long series of venomitous comments adam Black left under a previous strip, hence it’s part of discussing that discussion

          –Dave, alas, new comic != new commenters or new subjects, much of the time; e.g. heeere’s the Walky-Lucy breakup thread right back at the level it was

        7. Firseal

          I am pretty sure that the Lucy/Walky relationship was destroyed by Lucy last time (as well as motivated by her). Walky always seemed more like he was more an improv actor than half a couple when he was with Lucy. That said, both did damage to each other throughout.

          However, and to my incredible surprise, Walky is attempting Character Development based off Lucy’s barbs -I mean, observations- and using Call Out Parent. I do not expect it to be super effective.

        8. David DeLaney

          new Slipshine: Walky Attempts A Character Development (Yellow)

      2. Archieve

        Until Charles actually calls his wife out instead of just trying to but out the fires I’d be cautiously optimistic at best about him a knowleding Linda’s treatment towards Lucy.

    4. Xujhan

      I’d take Walky over nearly any other DoA main character, for either a friend or a romantic partner.

      1. Psychie

        Yeah, Walky’s fun and his issues are more imminently “fixable” (insofar as a persons psychological issues can be “fixed”). It would take WAY less work to make him a decent partner than most of the others (although Joe is doing a lot of that work on himself already, which is a point in his favor), and some of the ones that I expect would actually make decent partners as-is are either intolerable to be around, like Booster, or just not an interesting person to spend time with like Dorothy (she’s interesting to read, but she has absolutely no idea how to have fun, and I’d spend no more than one interaction trying to teach her, since she has also been shown as unwilling to learn, hopefully her current arc will get her to mellow out and relax a bit, but not until she interacts with healthier influences than she’s encountered so far on her trip through rock bottom).

        Walky can be kind of dense, but once you get him to realize what the problem is, he at least *tries* to fix it (assuming it’s a problem he actually wants to fix), his attempts are often misguided, but that’s fairly easy to deal with by simply communicating clearly and, importantly, in a manner he understands. Point him in a direction of wacky hijinks that’s potentially productive or at least that you enjoy and you’re mostly good as he slowly figures it out for real.

        Then again, I’m big on grand gestures and filtering reality through the lens of fiction, myself, so I speak his language, I can see how that would be trickier for some people.

        1. Coatl

          Walky is taking very small steps, but I think that once he observes them maybe it will finally be the key to finally being truly transparent.

          On the other hand, the other thing you mention is interesting, precisely why I liked Walky x Dorothy, they are so opposite that, however, they have details that one has and the other lacks, plus I loved the interaction of both, as you mention , the blonde thinks she is fine and seems not to want to receive help, but little by little she will calm down and also come across people who will help her in this, in my opinion I think Amber (spending a morning of video games supports this probability) and certain heroin help (I think you noticed a certain character in Willis’ tweets)

        2. adam Black

          Oh no, heroin ?

          Rock bottom hit hard for ex Presidents

        3. Coatl

          I meant superheroine (amazi-girl), muy mistake, sorry.

        4. Coatl

          *Mistake

        5. Firseal

          Wait, she said no to weed but went for heroin?!

          Dorothy needs to sort out her priorities.

        6. David DeLaney

          Dorothy has npt yet went for the heroine
          but this strip has a HUGE buffer already

        7. HueSatLight

          “fun”

  10. BBCC

    Oh shit, no take backs now. He said it in legible words to her face!

    Let’s see if it pays off better for him than it did for mini-Sal!

    1. HueSatLight

      not a great follow-through so far, he went for a joke instead of “you said slumming it”.

      1. Bash

        That’s how Walky processes things.

        1. NGPZ

          He’s a stand-up comedian, and Linda’s got a front row seat :p

      2. Daibhid C

        Like someone said below, letting Linda turn it into “this is about Lucy” rather than “this is about literally everything” would also have been a mistake.

    2. David DeLaney

      This does not mean she’ll have any correctly decipherable memory of it to-morrow

      –Dave, a deep, wide river ending at the Mediterranean

  11. UrsulaDavina

    Linda is a big racist. Grande means big. Starbucks is lying to you about great many things.

    1. adam Black

      No medium. … racist. We got little bits. We got Grande.
      And Two Brothers.

    2. Daibhid C

      I think I read somewhere that “Grande” was originally Starbucks’ largest coffee size, but nobody ever ordered the smaller ones, so they adjusted everything round it.

      1. Leorale

        Yes, the original Starbucks had Small and Tall. But Americans hardly ever ordered the Small, and so Starbucks kept adding larger sizes, one at a time… and so the opaque naming conventions began.

        You can still order a Small if you want: it’s mostly used for children’s drinks and pupcups.

  12. JessWitt

    I mean, there’s also her preference for Walky over Sal, even before the robbery. And her change in demeanor when Danny’s with her versus on her own (though that would be for Charles to point out instead of their son).

  13. RassilonTDavros

    Has Linda really found a way to surpass an Ascended Racist? Is that possible?

    1. StClair

      What would that make her, Double Ascended?

      1. David DeLaney

        she went to Secret Double Racist School?

    2. Schpoonman

      Super-de-duper Racist.

      1. David DeLaney

        well, golly gee whillikers!

        –Dave, and gosharoonie

  14. AGV

    That’s a pretty bold strategy, let’s see how it goes for him.

    1. anon

      not as bold as outright slapping her but prolly wouldn’t be effective as much as ppl wanna see it

  15. Taffy

    Oh boy, we really are sticking with the most annoying character.

    1. Schpoonman

      Man, Charles doesn’t deserve this kind of shade.

      1. Taffy

        No, he provides the shade. That’s why he’s always to the east of Linda in the morning and west of her at night.

        1. David DeLaney

          like Mike’s hair, but for the sun and conversation

          –Dave, … … too soon?

  16. Armadillo

    He’s visibly scared shitless and making sure to keep a car in between him and his mother but that doesn’t detract from the fact that he’s standing up to her! This is a big moment for Walky, I’m very impressed with him for making the effort to do this.

    1. Coatl

      He is obviously terrified, but he has already taken a step and even if he loses the battle, he will have the experience for a future revenge.

    2. Warcodered

      I mean he’s literally coasted his whole life on his parents approval while watching his sister have to deal with the exact opposite. He’s basically flipping the board of his life upside down.

    3. Lan

      I agree. We’ve seen the kind of verbal abuse he’s subjected to when he steps out of line, so this is a really big moment

  17. LeafletErin

    Holy cheese! Walky doubled down! AND THEN HE TRIPLED DOWN!! My Siblings in Christ this man is going to try and go the distance on this! Let’s see if he chokes in the homestretch or makes it across that finish line!

    1. NGPZ

      As much as I can hope so, changing the mind of a racist can be really tricky (and sometimes even dangerous), all things considered the outcome of this gambit will probably be neutral at best. 0_0

      1. clif

        Yeah, no longer being supported in college and having to take a dead end job to avoid sleeping on the street is pretty neutral.

        1. NGPZ

          Linda is possessive, there is no way she is gonna give up her favorite ornament ?

        2. clif

          Fair point.

    2. Mturtle7

      I’m sure he could make it across the finish line, if it weren’t for a certain SOMEONE (it’s Linda) weren’t so damn good at moving the goalposts.

    3. David DeLaney

      tripled down WITH SPRINKLES

  18. Warcodered

    The fact that you immediately knew what it could be from Linda does the exact opposite of helping you.

    1. Archieve

      Linda’s the kind of racist whose aware enough to know the way she feels isn’t appropriate but when but in a situation where she has to confronted those feeling even indirectly (refusing to have lunch with her daugther alone) puts all her energy into convincing herself she’s the victim.

      1. DashWallkick

        There’s, shall we say, a *theme* of self righteous moms who have deluded themselves into thinking they’re the victims.

      2. Lan

        Idk, from what we’ve seen of her behavior thus far, I’m not sure Linda DOES have the capacity to recognize when her feelings are inappropriate

    2. Amelie Wikström

      She’s a narcissistic abuser who thinks doing racist and sexist things to improve the quality of her children (so they reflect better on her, in the metrics of the racist, sexist, capitalist society she values) is right and good. Of course she understands ethics well enough to know she’s not supposed to get caught doing these things, and now she’s going to Narcissist Prayer her way out of it.

      1. Amelie Wikström

        “So of course she keeps careful track of at least her most recent wrongs” should have been a part of the last sentence there. How did I manage to delete the exact part that’s in answer to the post I responded to. . .

      2. Bryy

        Yup.

        Not to sound like a broken record, but getting drunk rather than actually talk to her son.

  19. Animedingo

    Father Walky if there was ever a time for you to chime in its now

    1. Bryy

      inb4 “Of course you’d be on his side btw i’m not racist”.

    2. adam Black

      Father Walky sounds like the sequel where Walky founds the Church of the monkeymaster

  20. Steve

    She’s trenta racist.

    1. Taffy

      Pentamelded with the Racism Materia X/IX, BiS gear

      1. Queen Anthai

        …how do you do fellow critically acclaimed MMORPG enjoyer

        1. Taffy

          Ironically not as well as Linda. My iLvl is only about 651, and you can forget pentamelding. Then again, BiS gear right now doesn’t allow advanced melding in the first place. Got my 665 SMN relic though, so that’s at least one step I don’t need to worry about.

        2. Queen Anthai

          “only”

          I haven’t even unlocked Thaelia; I’m slacking

    2. ValdVin

      Mega-racist, MAGA-racist (we’ve all seen her in the hat). Basically paJAMas, paJAHmas.

      1. David DeLaney

        waiting to find moogoo-racist and muggle-racist in her

        –Dave, gotta watch’em all!

        1. ValdVin

          Actually I’m confusing Linda with Carol here! My mistake about the MAGA hat. But Linda’s no prize, of course.

  21. DashWallkick

    I really wish Walky had the insight to point out that no one mentioned Lucy except you, Linda.

    1. Bash

      What else could it be about, after a visit where Walky introduced a black woman and a white woman as his girlfriend?

      1. DashWallkick

        The fact that it’s clearly about that doesn’t change that she didn’t even bother asking him any questions before taking the words out of his mouth.

      2. adam Black

        His mother rejecting his sister when Danny couldn’t show. His mother rejecting his sister but hugging Joyce.

        His mother treating Sal like a human when she has a white boy
        A lot of things.

        1. Bash

          It’s possible that Walky could get mad on Sal’s behalf, but it’s not a huge stretch to assume Walky is upset about something that affects him directly. He wasn’t even present for some of what went on with Sal.

    2. Archieve

      As tempting as pointing that out nobody mentioned Lucy to Linda right away is that would also be a trap I think. Part of Linda’s defensive mind games are to hyper focus on specific scenarios just so she can play words and pick it apart. She flat out tried to goad Sal into doing this when she showed up alone and tried to have a peaceful conversation. Sal almost did this before recognizing the pattern and just walking away which infuriated Linda because it robbed her of the ability to keep her moral highground. Walky ignoring her attempt to pick apart one scenario and just matter of factually addressing the elephant in the room might be the best approach. ( Linda: what specific detail makes you think of an elephant? Walky: it’s an elephant)

      1. DashWallkick

        It’s very well observed mom behavior to have fully automated the pedantic argumentative tactics you’ve spent 18 years honing so utterly that something like “you’re racist” is met with “my behavior was actually justified and sensible and you’re over reacting”

  22. NinjaNick

    Uber racist.

  23. Daniel M Ball

    [sarcasm]are we sure Walky is actually the male twin? there is a plentiful lack of balls there.[/sarcasm]

    “Actually Dan, it takes a hell of a lot of balls to outright tell the woman who gave birth to you that she’s being a bigot and a bongo, especially where someone might actually hear you.”

    Oh, right. I forgot. carry on…

    1. june gloom

      Are we really using testicles as a sign of integrity and inner strength?

      1. Da Boy

        Well if you get kicked in them and keep standing that’s some impressive inner strength.

    2. Lan

      What

    3. milu

      Yes please shut up dan

    4. Cassie

      As a woman who has balls, please. Explain what precisely you meant here. I’d rather like to be clear on how angry I need to be.

      1. David DeLaney

        excuse me for a moment while I get the popcorn

        –Dave, and my asbestos onesie to huddle in

      2. Proxiehunter

        I’m disappointed in the comments section that enough people flagged THIS comment that Willis had to check it but not the comment it’s a reply to.

        1. Cassie

          First, apologies for fat fingering the flag on yours. Second, I think my stuff just gets moderated automatically due to me changing usernames at one point. Overall I find the commenters here to be decent and accepting people.

  24. Kim

    All racists are to-go

  25. Christron5000

    Why do any of you think this is gonna end well, at least in any part by Linda’s response? Have any of you ever told your parents they’re flawed?

  26. Doopyboop

    It’ll be interesting to see how Linda reacts if Walky tells her “Lucy broke up with me because of how hurtful you were to her”. Though knowing Linda, her reaction will either be “that’s a good thing David, she’s not the right girl for you” or “oh, OH, so it’s MY fault she broke up with you.”

    1. Daibhid C

      Why not both?

    2. anon

      well it didn’t worked out but not because of race , but at least he won’t have to deal with the parents being in laws to a future partner because i imagine they’d prolly not introduce any more partners assumng they still see ach other in tue future

  27. GUIGUI

    I have to constantly remind myself that “Grande” doesn’t mean “big”, in Starbucks speak.

    1. DarkoNeko

      …what does it mean, then ? <_<

      1. clif

        Not the cheapest.

      2. David DeLaney

        ‘medium’, basically. as I understand things

        –Dave, tried their coffee once, and it was SO BURNT. if I still drank coffee – it took a while to reveal that it was suppressing one of my nerve pain drugs somewhat – i’d drink gas station coffee over it any day, or the free work coffee

  28. DarkoNeko

    Go Walky ! You can do it ! probably

    1. anon

      be good if he had talked to jen or dorothy to back him up earlier if not give him notes or so , so he isn’t stumbling over stuff in the moment lol

  29. Yeet

    I say it nearly everytime she’s on screen but fuck you, Linda

    1. Schpoonman

      I stopped my “Obligatory ‘Fuck you’,” bit because Tall Rachel kept showing up and people kept defending her when I rightfully put her on blast, but maybe I can start back up with Linda.

      1. clif

        Sure, go for it.

      2. Yeet

        linda doesn’t have any lack of life experience or forced exposure to someone who was a real problem to make her more relatable or excusable

  30. Zamperla

    Regrettably this conversation would probably go better if Walky had a white person audibly on his side near him at the moment. That may sound sarcastic but it’s. Just. Really, sadly, how these things work.

    Anyways count down till Linda uses casually racist language indicating that the worlds Nicest Lil Nerd Girl (if with some unrealistic ideas about dating) is somehow Dangerous And or Trashy.

    1. anon

      maybe some ppl would pass by and side with him but that would be convenient, might depend tho since they’re on a parking lot and not in the middle of the dorm

  31. milu

    My cue to remind all yall americans (and other citizens of colonizer nations, i include me) that racism is a pervasive feature of our world and not limited to the actions of certain individuals and groups.

    Denounce your genocidal government, stand with Palestine.

    1. milu

      quick couple educational resources:

      About Netanyahu’s political influences, part 2 addresses his personal history of sabotaging the peace process
      Israeli Historian Ilan Pappe on the history of palestinian resistance
      on the philosophy of anti-whiteness, including a tangent on zionism

    2. clif

      Out of curiosity, could you list some of america’s colonies? (I’m kind of assuming by america we’re referring to the U.S.) ((I have hopes for Lunar and Martian colonies eventually, but I doubt that’s what we’re talking about.))

      I’m also kind of fond of my genocidal government, even if I prefer it without a narcissistic idiot at the helm, which is where we seem headed.

      1. milu

        Hawai’i and Puerto Rico come to mind.

        But more foundationally, America IS a colony, founded on genocide, and that history still persists in so many ways.

        but im kinda fond of my time for my part, and not especially interested in going into any detail to satisfy your curiosity, especially when it is immediately tempered by individualist celebration of american lifestyle. We only have one life, and i will only spend so much of mine arguing with people who refuse to consider their political responsabilities.

        1. clif

          Ah, that would be the Puerto Rico which has voted to become a state but is blocked by the Republicans?

          Hawaii sounds like a fair example.

        2. David DeLaney

          there’s also Guam and the Virgin Islands

          –Dave, not to mention Hollywood’s media empire, which has colonized the entire planet piecemeal

        3. sdrainbow

          Weird flex for someone who started it.

        4. milu

          Not a flex. I never promised a conversation much less a debate

        5. Adept

          I’m all for supporting the Palestinians. Bernie Sanders was right on the money when he spoke of the current situation.

          That said, you’re not behaving well here. You dropped your slogan, peppered it with some rather high-horse-riding comments, and then decided you won’t stay to have a civil debatel.

          This kind of declarations do more harm than good. Be better.

        6. milu

          Oh i’ll debate all night but you need a minimum of common ground for that to be interesting at all.

          Sorry for grandstanding though. I get it. It annoys me when ppl do that. Then again maybe it’s true that nobody listens when you sound angry but nobody listens when you’re gentle either.

        7. HueSatLight

          “be better, do your protesting in the locker room.”

        8. Yumi

          I’d also say clif’s comment was clearly not entering into any discussion in good faith.

        9. Adept

          milu isn’t covering themselves in glory here either. That approach will not work.

        10. Yumi

          I think it is reasonable that when someone opens a response with something that reeks of sealioning, it is fair to assume that a “civil debate” (which itself is not always the best thing for a situation) is not on the table.

          On that, I get that we don’t enter every conversation in best form. Sometimes people come in with snark and whataboutisms and time wasting strategies to be trolls, and sometimes we’re just tired. But whatever the reason, I think “This is not worth my time” is a fair enough response, and sometimes it’s one you make because it IS tempting to get into it even when you recognize it’s not the best for you.

          Basically, just echoing that it’s not a “flex,” and there are purposes of statements besides being ready to get into a debate. (In the comment section of something that’s not about that.)

        11. milu

          +1
          <3

        12. David DeLaney

          founded on genocide _and_ treason _and_ religious fundamentalism _and_ strong reactions to a lopt of things they didn’t like about what was normalized in UK / European governments of the time

          –Dave, a good bit of the Constitution is basically “let’s NOT do it _that_ way”

      2. clif

        Not a particular fan of Netanyahu and I’m reasonably sure he’ll wind up in prison someday.

        Standing with people who elected a government dedicated to wiping out their neighbor is a pretty big ask, because I’m pretty sure that’s a predictable recipe for trouble. Europe has a centuries old tradition of screwing the jews at every opportunity and most of the criticism of Israel’s attempt to defend their people sounds like a continuation of racism by any means convenient, from where I sit. But mostly not my problem.

        I take some comfort from the fact that my genocidal government discourages people flying planes into important buildings, much less firing missiles into the country on a daily basis. I would feel somewhat hypocritical for criticizing other governments for attempting to do the same.

        1. Mturtle7

          I mean…I guess I’m not too current on the news these days, but isn’t firing missiles into the country (“the country” being Gaza) on a daily basis PRECISELY what everyone’s mad at Israel for right now? I think that seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to criticize that particular government for!

        2. Mturtle7

          Wait, why the hell am I getting into this argument on a webcomic forum. What the hell was I thinking. …Man, I wish I could delete comments here.

        3. milu

          (Thanks anyway, and to deflect any further discussion away from you if you wish to stay out of it: i fully endorse your comment.)

        4. thejeff

          And that’s the basic problem with this conflict. Neither of the groups in power want it to end. Both have incompatible aims even in the short term. My sympathies lie more with the Palestinian people, since they’re suffering the most, but that doesn’t translate into supporting Hamas or other militant groups attacking Israeli civilians.
          My take on Biden’s approach is that he’s been focused, especially at first, on keeping the conflict from widening, on securing humanitarian aid and on restraining Israel as much as possible, which isn’t nearly as much as many seem to think. That and preparing for a post-Netanyahu, post-conflict situation, which is ambitious, but likely to blow up anyway, since no one’s been able to resolve this disaster over the last 75 odd years.

        5. HueSatLight

          Blue-anon is thinking Biden is somehow restraining Israel by unconditionally arming it to the teeth.

        6. thejeff

          The flip side is that idea that Israel would just back down, abandon the hostages (not that Bibi cares about hostages other than for rhetoric) and accept Hamas continuing to fire rockers, if Biden only threatened them a little bit.

        7. HueSatLight

          no

        8. milu

          To me, that sounds like sitting outside a raging fire, thinking you can have a really satisfying opinion on this fire if you just observe closely and read enough about fires. Trying something, anything, to put it out will be dangerous and dirty. There is a colonizer here, and there is a colonized people doing whatever it can to resist. This is not a new story, although of course every situation is different.

          Hamas is dangerous, but it was by no means the Gazans first choice. It’s all they have left.

        9. milu

          Also, the best way to fight Hamas or whatever next monster will rise from the ashes of Gaza is actually not incompatible with what a lot of israelis want: an end to colonization ans a secular, binational state.

        10. thejeff

          Sounds good to me, but outside of a miracle, I don’t see anyway to get from where we are to there. I’m not at all sure that “lot of Israelis” is anywhere near a majority. There are a lot who are invested in Israel as a Jewish state, even among those who oppose Netanyahu and the right wing settler faction. And of course there would remain militant faction of Palestinians, at least for a time.

          Even a two-state solution faces a ton of opposition from both sides.

          What’s absolutely clear is that a solution like that can’t be imposed on Israel right now to end this conflict. Certainly not by the US.

          And “trying something, anything” in an already horrific crisis is often the way to escalate the situation to something even worse.

        11. milu

          look, i’m obviously not saying there’s a flip-a-switch solution, like. obviously this is all super super complicated and tense.

          and i’m being a bit dramatic with my “trying anything” phrasing, but let me put it this way: the only thing preventing the IDF from just fully finishing the job is the international pressure and scrutiny. Well, not the only thing, there is a faction of anti-war israelis thank god. and seeing how determined western governments are to be looking the other way, as inhabitants of such states, it’s our responsibility to hold them accountable. idk, i think 50,000 deaths is worse than 30,000 yknow???

        12. milu

          But when israeli officials talk about erasing their neighbour (a people they have been colonizing, discriminating, arbitrarily imprisonning, repressing their civil liberties etc for decades) that’s okay.

          Re: vague accusations of antisemitism: fuck off.

          Re: not yr problem: thats obviously your decision. But yiu do have agency as a US citizen, and thus reaponsability. The US is the nb 1 ally of Israel militarily and diplomatically. How about demanding our governments abide by international law, how is that a tall order.

        13. Regina phalange

          I appreciate your point about US citizens. A lot of people (well, I guess mostly Zionists) keep telling people in the US sympathetic to Palestine to STFU, but…what percentage of my tax dollars, personally, are going straight to Israel’s pocket? I’m allowed, even obligated, to have an opinion, even if people don’t like it. And that Israeli official who whined about Israel not being a US “colony” or whatever? Cool, stop taking our money and guns and we’ll stop telling you what to do with them.

        14. HueSatLight

          Judaism doesn’t require an ethnostate. how fucked up is it that you’re saying Jewish people are inherently genocidal and to oppose that is antisemitic.
          Bombing hospitals and assassinating journalists isn’t “defending its people”. It’s collective punishment of a captive population, who are denied human rights at every turn.
          When Jewish Americans protest the US government’s unconditional support of Israel to massacre Palestinians, Christian Evangelicals cry “antisemitism”.

          Don’t think your anti-arab racism was unnoticed. The Palestinian militias are not Al Qaeda. Palestinians’ grievance is they want human rights, to not be used as test subjects for weapons systems, to be able to farm their own orchards, live in their own land, drink their own water.
          And your justification for massacring civilians based on who was elected is really messed up. And cruelly ironic, seeing as Israel prevents the Palestinians from holding elections, but keeps electing ethnonationalists.

        15. Amelie Wikström

          Thanks for saying all that. I’d add that even if you could call Hamas a democratically elected government and even if they hold any kind of executive power over Palestine that overrules the executive power over Palestine held by Israel’s government, both of which is debatable facts, there’s a lot of difference between one group threatening to wipe out a nation with nuclear weapons and one group threatening to wipe out a nation with bombs assembled from parts of missiles dropped on them by that nation’s military.

        16. milu

          Re: anti-arab prejudice: for real. There is something so unnerving about people being like, “i cannot possibly support Palestinians b/c they are happy about civilians getting massacred” and i want to say… doesnt that say something about how incredibly hard their lives have been for generations that so many of them would cheer on October 7?? It’s like, why does this seem like a moral stain on Palestinians, rather than a symptom of just how normalized Palestinian deaths were? And how for years and years the international community and so-called civilized nations stood by, if not openly abetted their oppressor?

          Oh no, because if they want to be seen as The Victim they have to be absolutely blameless. They can only resist peacefully. Otherwise, their deserve no sympathy. such a strange, dare i say racist, mindspace.

        17. HueSatLight

          And if you take comfort that you live in a country that does not fire missiles into other countries on a routine basis, then you take comfort in a lie. If you’re an American, and you want our country not to do that, and not to support that, then you have to raise your voice to demand a ceasefire and to stop escalating and arming massacres (not just this one).

        18. NGPZ

          I’m ethnically Mizrahi and got relatives who actually live in the region you’re talking about, just wanna let you know that the way “elections” work in Israel is by no means one to one to the democratic values we have over here.

          Albeit Israel is technically the “most democratic” in the middle east, just about no country in that region has seen anything even CLOSE to what Westerners would consider a real democracy, and even when they DID, the US Government bombed them back to their old dictatorships because of socialism phobia ?

    3. Raen

      Your “Western allies” are firebombing synagogues that I have personally been inside of. You can say all you want “these Jews stand with me against you evangelicals,” well, I’ve never been either, but my gentile eyes can see a synagogue on fire.

  32. Vulcanodon

    I only once ever told my mom something she said was racist. It didn’t go well.

    1. Vulcanodon

      I recently nuked my browser and all kinds of stuff isn’t working, sorry

  33. Rabisch

    Looking at his expression, seems like Charles is considering that possibility for the first time in his life.

    1. anon

      wouldnt’ be surprised if he’s had some internalized racism too. Considering walky called himself ‘generically beige’ i assume charles is also either mixed or just ‘light skinned’ for a black person and there is a colorism aspect too

      1. Yumi

        Charles is mixed race, as per the discussion here: https://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/whitelady/

  34. Steamweed

    She prefers blonde roast over dark roast.

    1. David DeLaney

      technically she prefers caramel over dark roast

      –Dave, but yeah, probably blonde roast over either, weith lots of cream

  35. Mr. Random

    … she’s heard this criticism before.

    1. David DeLaney

      criti-ra-cism

  36. Adept

    It’s sad that Walky is at the mercy of his racist mum and subordinate-to-said-mum dad. They fund his college studies, so he can’t afford to burn those bridges.

    1. a/snow/mous/e

      yeah… I’m a little scared of the potential repercussions here…

      1. NGPZ

        I mean maybe not? There ain’t no way someone as possessive as Linda gonna easily give up her favorite ornament just to prove a point ?

        1. a/snow/mous/e

          That’s what I’m hoping…

        2. NGPZ

          I mean even IF she threatens that out loud, she’s given us literally every reason to NOT take her at her word

      2. Archieve

        I’m cautiously optimistic that at the very least Lindas pride won’t allow her to cancel his tuition because that would mean having to tell people her genius son is a drop out. She might use her influence with the Dean to be more of a helicopter mom though.

    2. Bash

      Does Walky even want to be in college? I understand that removing him from his social circle would have negative consequences, but beyond that? Isn’t he mostly attending because his mom expects it of him? Wouldn’t she be sabotaging her own efforts by pulling his funding? It’s not like he is desperate to pursue some career goal and his mom is grudgingly funding it.

      1. Yumi

        That would be kind of funny…
        “If you continue with this, Walky, we will no longer be paying for your college.”
        “Okay, I’ll just drop out.”
        “NO, WAIT–“

      2. thejeff

        Drop out and then what? I doubt Walky’s got the job experience to pick up a job that’d pay rent right away. In that situation, I doubt moving back home would be a better option.

        1. Yumi

          He’d probably struggle, but I think there’s a decent chance he has a bank account with some money in it– not a bank account that he set up or really contributed to, but one that’s in his name as part of “teaching him financial responsibility”– that could help cover a room for a bit, and he could probably get a job to help keep covering it decently easily.

          (Note that I am not talking in terms of living comfortably or even with most basic things; I’m just talking about ability to rent a room in a shared apartment or house. His diet would be instant ramen and, if he ends up at a food place, what he could get from there, maybe some other sources if his friends help him out. He wouldn’t have a car or insurance for that, and I imagine that even if they cut off his college payments, his parents would still pay his health insurance.)

          It’d be a struggle; it just also wouldn’t be what his mom wanted, so as a control move, it’d backfire for her.

        2. David DeLaney

          also, we’ve already HAD one whole best friend being smuggled into the dorms for quite a while – possibly one or more of the guys, or Booster, would mke the offer?

        3. shoopdawhoop

          He can draw comic strips of people getting kicked in the nuts. From what I’ve seen in the media it can not be that hard to make a living off pandering to the lowest common denominator.

  37. Amós Batista

    Bleach, anyone?

    1. Da Boy

      Vasto Mom

  38. The Jighole Man

    this is probably going to be very hard for walky.
    she’s either going to give him some bs “im not racist, i just think (insert racist ideas that would get me banned from chat), that’s all”
    or
    she’s going to blow up on him, driving him away
    or (in the least likely case)
    she’s going to give a somewhat reasonable answer

    1. Archieve

      Almost definitely a angry blow up based on her past behavior, if Walkys lucky she simply gives him the cold shoulder afterwards, worst case she begins micromanaging her son after this until he acts like the onediabr son she’s always known.

      1. Archieve

        * obedient

      2. The Jighole Man

        that does seem like the most likely case.
        either way, i don’t see walky liking/loving his mother quite so much after this.
        it’s a terrible feeling that i know too well, but sometimes you have to cut those cruel and harmful people out of your life. it will never feel “good”, but it can at least prevent things from getting worse.

  39. shoopdawhoop

    Sounds like textbook defensiveness from a racist to me. “I’m not going above and beyond the most basic level of decency actually expected of me (which I can’t even manage) therefore I’m being made the bad guy”

    1. Regina phalange

      Yup. While being totally blind to the fact that she did, in fact, go above and beyond the basic level of [enthusiasm] she should have when she thought for a minute JOYCE was Walky’s new girlfriend. That is genuinely the most damning evidence against her, but I doubt it’ll be Walky’s first new point (although he surprised me by sticking with the thread here), and if it is, she’ll come up with some BS.

  40. Proxiehunter

    Linda can’t be racist, some of her best husbands are black.

Leave a Reply to Yeet Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.