324

Sorry
Posted on January 11, 2016 by David M Willis

324 thoughts on “Sorry”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    Joe’s recycling bin is full of evidence that he is somehow NOT The Shit, just full of it

    1. Sambo

      Uh… JOE’S recycling bin? That’s Joyce’s. Do you have the wrong link or…?

      1. Inkblot

        I think Ana’s saying that the very same setup exists in Joe’s head, except in his head what’s being filtered into the recycling bin is that he’s not the shit. (Will neither confirm nor deny whether or not I endorse that. Just translating.)

        1. TheNinthShader

          Or, Joe and Joyce are the same person.

        2. WeirderThanWeird

          Hmmm… their name’s are suspiciously similar…

        3. Captain Button

          Joe is the Anti-Joyce. Opposite gender, Jewish instead of Christian, opposite attitude on pre-martial hanky-panky, etc.

        4. TheNinthShader

          Wait, if Joyce tries to be the embodiment of Jesus. does that mean Joe is the Antichrist?

        5. JackPoint

          Joe is Longinus.

      2. pogowitwiz

        i thought the first comment was referring to various paper products thrown into a literal recycling bin, although in my experience paper recycling doesn’t work well with organics.

        1. LiamKav

          Er, isn’t paper organic?

    2. Raul tsi

      recycling bins? Huh? whachu talkin’ bout?

  2. Stephen R. Bierce

    *plays Elton John’s “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” on the hacked Muzak*

    1. Guairdean Beatha

      How about on MIDI? https://freemidi.org/download-2953-sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word-elton-john

  3. Leorale

    They have gravatars of themselves. Gravatars of themselves!

    1. Stephen R. Bierce

      If ever I get more than a few shillings to rub together, I’m definitely Willis-fying mine!

      1. Leorale

        It’s easy, just take the character who looks the most like you, and then ruin it in MS Paint. (mine’s just the default Joyce-smile.)

        1. fizzywafflezsuperstore

          Until you revealed your secrets, I had no clue of their existence.

        2. TrueVCU

          “Ruin them in MSPaint” sounds vaguely sexual in the context of animated characters

        3. fizzywafflezsuperstore

          Oh…

          I somehow managed to not think of it that way my first time reading the comment.

        4. TrueVCU

          It’s ok, we all make mistakes and David Bowie is gone. It is going to be a difficult day for everyone.

      2. Eric Burns-White

        I wonder what that would feel like….

        1. Thor

          Blimey! It’s the Ghost of Strip-Crits Past!

    2. Plasma Mongoose

      Is that a feature of iPhones to get their avatars next to their messages or do you have to take a picture and add it to their call ID?

      1. Leorale

        Some phones use facebook profile pics.

        1. Plasma Mongoose

          Ah, so that’s why my phone avatar doesn’t show up in other people’s phones when texting.

        2. TheNinthShader

          Try using the App KIK, it works well and has avatars

        3. Leorale

          …although I kinda think Joe’s facebook profile would be shirtless. Maybe he saved that for his cover pic.

      2. Durandal_1707

        That thing ain’t an iPhone.

        … actually, it looks kind of like a Palm Pilot.

        1. Disloyal Subject

          I miss those things.

        2. Captain Button

          Don’t jerk, squeeze.

        3. Screwball

          Line up the front & rear sights carefully…

          …Or failing that, got full auto & bring plenty of ammo…

    3. The Golux

      Quick, someone make Dravatars of Joyce and Joe’s Gravatars of themselves.

      1. darkprincerazor

        Somehow if that’s coming from Washu, I can see the results exploding. Or ending up being tiny Joyce and Joe bots, either would be acceptable.

      2. Mindlink

        What’s a dravatar ?

        1. Buhzim

          Gravatars that cause drama in the comment section. My favorite is the one that shows Ryan hugging Dina..

      3. Ana Chronistic

        I just checked, and Joe’s cast picture is basically that

  4. Mr. Random

    Whatever happened to flinging paper footballs at people’s heads when the teacher wasn’t looking? Haaa kids these days.

    1. Viktoria

      You’ve obviously never had the thrill of winging a Nokia at someone’s skull to let them know you’re a little irked at them.

      1. Doctor_Who

        A Nokia? Couldn’t find a cinderblock?

        1. Captain Button

          Viktoria has a healthy fear of Amazi-Girl.

      2. SconesAndEvil

        Phones these days are so fragile. Wait, are they a metaphor for people and their feelings??

        1. Tacos

          So should we go back to the days of the brick phone? Those sure ain’t fragile…

        2. Solenoid

          Not even a metaphor. They’re glass bricks that hold a list of people you know and care for (or care to hate), and all of the conversations you’ve held using it. Your emotions live in a glass house.

        3. Plasma Mongoose

          At least mine has Gorilla Glass.

        4. Gigafreak

          Those whose emotions live in a glass house… shouldn’t throw phones?

        5. TheNinthShader

          Nokias were tough as shit.

        6. DarkVeghetta

          Ericsson T28s. I ran that fucker over with my bike and it fell down on a cement floor from 1.5 meters – first time nothing and then it’s flip got separated from the rest of the phone… so I simply re-attached it with no lasting damage. That thing was tough as nails and it shall never be forgotten for it.

        7. inqntrol

          ”Why not make a bullet proof vest out of Nokia-s?”
          ”Great idea!”

    2. Captain Button

      At IU the tradition is throwing cartoon action figures, and Joyce forgot hers today.

      1. John

        That’s just for expressing romantic interest in Dorothy.

        If you want to express romantic interest in Joe, it’s a simpler process of:
        a) be female
        b) don’t say no.

        1. altalemur

          while i think Old Joe is “no means no” type, i think New Joe is “yes means yes” type.

        2. Captain Button

          Joe Classic!

        3. Rabid Rabbit

          Aka Joe’s Dad.

        4. Shiro

          New Joe does have a habit of pushing until his target says no in a way that leaves absolutely no opening for him to go “but what if…” so I’m not sure about that.

        5. Cerberus

          This. He may eventually become a yes means yes type dude, but right now, he’s firmly in no means no territory.

    3. Ana Chronistic

      it went the way of the dinosaur

      1. Gamaran Sepudomyn

        It became birds?

      2. TheNinthShader

        Everybody do the dinosaur! I forget the rest of this song! Bu-ut Im still in tune. Everybody do the dinosaur!

        1. Gamaran Sepudomyn

          No making Becky jealous.

        2. Screwball

          Open the door!
          Get on the floor!
          Everybody do the dinosaur…

        3. Disloyal Subject

          Always liked SimGretina’s rendition.

  5. Catriona

    SEE GUYS DO IT TOO

    1. brumagem

      IT’S GREAT ISN’T IT (HE SAID THROUGH GROUND-DOWN TOOTH-STUBS)

  6. Yotomoe

    It’s weird that they still have one another’s numbers.

    1. Doctor_Who

      Makes more sense when you realize that Joe’s number is in Joyce’s phone as “Buttface Hanky Panker” and Joyce’s number is in Joe’s phone as “Rabid Ferret”.

    2. John

      Usually I keep the number of anyone I’ve exchanged with for at least 6 months after last contact even in the worst situations. This way if I receive angry, drunk, or threatening texts I know who still remembers me enough to still dislike me.

      1. Disloyal Subject

        Of course, that doesn’t prepare one for someone they haven’t seen in three years noticing and copying their number off a mutual acquaintance’s phone before commencing their pitiful campaign of irritation.
        I do not miss high school.

    3. Ana Chronistic

      I keep all the junk numbers I get so I know who to ignore

      1. TamiDOA

        Half my phonebook is numbers set to a silent ringtone so I don’t even have to be bothered.

        On the other hand, I still have numbers for people who have been dead for years … just in case they call.

        1. Solenoid

          On one hand, :C

          On the other, if the number gets reused by the servicers, that could theoretically lead to a very awkward “wrong number” call.

        2. TamiDOA

          The probability that any reused number would ever call my number is so low as to be less than 1 event in my lifetime.

          And I, of course, will never call those numbers for fear the dead person might actually answer. 🙂

        3. Belle

          </3 It's been 3 and a half years and I haven't removed my Dad's number.

        4. TamiDOA

          All kidding aside, I actually keep those numbers as another way of remembering the people. I hope I live on in someones phone when I go.

    4. Anima

      Eh, I don’t delete an acquaintance’s number unless I haven’t seen them for like a year, one of us has moved far away, and/or we never talked in the first place. Joe is in Joyce’s class, dorm, and she sees him every so often around campus. At the very least, you keep the number in case of an unexpected project or something.

    5. DinaWho

      It’s also possible that this could be a Facebook (or other social media) chat. They’d be more likely to be FB friends than have each others’ numbers.

      Not sure how approving Joyce’s parents would be of a FB account, but she has a Twitter, so…

      1. Solenoid

        I think you’ve missed the mark regarding the behavior of the Browns. They’re not Toedad, for one. Second, it’s easy to set up an echochamber on Facebook if all the people you’re likely to friend on it think like you.

        1. DinaWho

          My only question vis à vis the Browns’ attitudes to Facebook was really whether or not they would approve of her having Facebook friends outside their religious circles (which was evidently unclear in my original comment). If Joyce’s parents are on Facebook, for instance, it could be awkward if they encountered some of Joyce’s less-religious classmates (especially Joe or Roz if she is FB friends with them) in comments on something Joyce posted.

      2. Nono

        Becky mentions in one of the very first strips to ‘Facebook her or whatever’.

    6. Bicycle Bill

      I still have the number of a woman I haven’t seen and who hasn’t called me in something like seven years.  Because I keep hoping that she will.

    7. Deanatay

      If someone you despise calls, you want to know it.

      1. Ana Chronistic

        That’s actually recommended, according to someone whose ex called after she had deleted the number, and she was like, “Who the fuck is this??” so she started keeping the number again in case.

        I haven’t quite had that occasion–ex doesn’t know my new #, though I get a lot of texts/college loan collection calls/doctor’s appointment confirmations for Malick and/or Adele despite having had this number for FIVE YEARS

        1. Disloyal Subject

          A few weeks after I got my first cell phone, way back when, I started getting calls in Spanish to come pick up dry cleaning.

  7. Kernanator

    Is there any greater indicator of things not being fine than someone saying “I’m fine”?

    1. Noclevername

      “I’m fine”.

      “Your head is on fire!”

      “I’m a little warm, but it’s fine.”

      1. Jay Eff

        “This is fine.

        I’m okay with the events that are unfolding currently.”

      2. fizzywafflezsuperstore

        “Hi, I forgot your name
        Whatever
        My point is
        Hi, your head’s on fire

        1. Princess Consuela Bananahammock

          At which point, you would need a prosthetic forehead. Many carpenters in this day and age can afford prosthetic foreheads, by hammering on their piglet, and then of course proceeding to collect the seven dollars.

        2. thejeff

          Everybody wants prosthetic foreheads on their real heads

        3. Captain Button

          HeadOn. Apply directly to the forehead!

          HeadOn. Apply directly to the forehead!

          HeadOn. Apply directly to the forehead!

        4. Betty Anne

          OH NO YOU DIDN’T D:

        5. Disloyal Subject

          ElfOn. Apply directly to an elf!

        6. fizzywafflezsuperstore

          If I were a carpenter
          I’d Hammer on my piglet, I’d
          Collect the seven dollars and I’d
          Buy a big prosthetic forehead
          And wear it on my real head

          Everybody wants prosthetic
          Foreheads on their real heads
          Everybody wants prosthetic
          Foreheads on their real heads

      3. John

        Hi, I forgot your name
        Whatever
        My point is
        Hi, your head’s on fire

        1. John

          Okay, I wasn’t expecting to get ninja’d on that…

        2. fizzywafflezsuperstore

          I feel the need to apologize, brag, and mention “great minds think alike” all at once…

          I choose the first and third options.

        3. fizzywafflezsuperstore

          Oh damn, you must’ve got one of them
          Combustible heads
          I read an article all about them

        4. Deanatay

          Oh, dear… that’s not supposed to happen…
          I’ll just put your head…. over here…
          With…
          With… the other fire.

        5. Captain Button

          I just met you
          Your head is blazing
          So here’s my sprinkler
          So call Doctor Maybe

    2. Captain Button

      What do people say when things really are fine?

      1. Doctor_Who

        If things are ever fine, I’ll let you know.

      2. Silvester Crow

        “I’m not doing terrible.” Obviously.

      3. Carms

        Not bad

        But for reals, at least in Australia. ‘Not bad’ is never a cover for ‘bad’. It just doesn’t work

      4. Solenoid

        “Alright”, “Pretty good”, and “Peachy” are my go-to’s for “I’m actually fine.” If you’re wondering about my use of “Peachy”, I only mean it sarcastically when it’s “Just peachy”, with more vociferous expounding on how downright ‘amazing’ things are after that if online or over text. I make up for the lack of ability to do sarcasm with fidelity in text simply by overdoing it.

      5. Historyman68

        Fo’ real.

      6. Cephalo the Pod

        “Splendid” or “well”. But I’m weird.

        1. Disloyal Subject

          Weird is good.

      7. Trolldrool

        “Well enough.” Where I’m from. That or complain about some trivial matter to emphasize that they have no serious problem at the time.

      8. CJ

        “You can never compilation enough” used to be a synonym to everything’s ok.
        Fine with no qualifications reads as “don’t want to talk about it” or ” not your business”.

      9. Screwball

        “Still breathing. recon it’s a good place to start…” is 1 of Daniel the Human’s favorites…

    3. Plasma Mongoose

      This sandpaper? It’s so fine.

      1. Historyman68

        Rough like sandpaper.

    4. TamiDOA

      “I’m fine” is better than “I’m …. okay …. mostly okay”.

  8. Steampunkette

    Poor guy… poor Joyce.

    Lucky Joyce shippers!

    1. Jay Eff

      Yeah!

      Go team….. Joe — oyce…!

      1. Deanatay

        It’s ‘Joece’ (pronounced Jo-see), and yes, we’re very happy, thank you!

        1. Spencer

          I prefer JoJo.

        2. Betty Anne

          Obviously. Because their relationship will be one Bizarre Adventure.

        3. Spencer

          Then Mike leaps out a carriage and kicks Joyce’s dog.

        4. EvilMidnightLurker

          The thought of Mike as a time-stopping clairvoyant vampire fills me with existential dread.

        5. Disloyal Subject

          SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY

        6. Spencer

          I wonder who’d make a good Kars.

        7. Carriethedragon

          I’m also in favor of JoJo! Both in terms of the particular ship name and in the general sense.

        8. Ana Chronistic

          it could also be Joe-Jocelyne, I note

          (the reuse aspect was a thing with the original JoJo’s, too)

  9. Cacturne

    Props to Joyce for recogniing Joes’s uncomfortability about this whole marriage topic, even if she doesnt know it

  10. Mr. Mendo

    Uh-oh. Joe’s gonna become one of Joyce’s projects!

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      Project Busybody.

    2. Captain Button

      She isn’t going to stop trying to “save” people just because she has changed her mind about what “saved” does and doesn’t mean.

      1. Mr. Mendo

        This is the first step in Joe becoming her revenge boyfriend, and possibly regrettable choice for her first time…

        1. Captain Button

          What is a “revenge boyfriend”? Where you date someone because you know it will upset your parents or the person you stole him from? Or someone you date to get revenge on him somehow?

        2. Spencer

          I’d say the former. Joe is so anti-thetical to the kind of guy she would bring home, unlike Ethan being a golden boy, that it’d be a pretty glaring way of rejecting her previous thought processes as she has been.

        3. Jhon

          Hi Mom! Hi Dad! Meet my new boyfriend!

      2. butting

        This looks more like kindness than a project.

        One of the things evangelical Christianity struggles with is empathy for those outside, and Joyce is no exception. It’s not necessarily direct evidence, but her flagged-early horror at those inside the tribe not following the cultural rules feels relevant; thinking here of her being appalled at Sierra’s bare feet. Jocelyn is closeted for a reason.

        That she’s doing this in the middle of redefining herself (or maybe, in the middle of struggling with redefining herself) is making me like her a whole lot.

  11. ninja_jesus

    The one thing they share is the phrase “stop trying to change me”.

    1. Dana

      Good call.

    2. Shiro

      They also share badly being in need of a change.

  12. Captain Button

    Familiar as in “You were like this back when you …”, “You like just like [#name] did when…”, or “You look like I felt when…”?

    1. Cephalo the Pod

      I’m going with “You look like how I felt”.

  13. fizzywafflezsuperstore

    Don’t text in class!

    ‘Tis mean (to the teacher).

    1. ninja_jesus

      Actually, I think it would’ve been cool if Joyce had said it out loud instead of texting it. It’s good discussion.

      1. fizzywafflezsuperstore

        And that’s why it’s mean.

        I’m fairly certain Leslie enjoys a good discussion.

      2. Greenygal

        That wouldn’t have been very kind to Joe; I can’t imagine he wants his feelings discussed in class (or, indeed, anywhere).

    2. gkheyf

      that is like the least disruptive thing that has happened in one of leslie’s classes

      1. fizzywafflezsuperstore

        ‘Tis still mean.

        1. Tacos

          It’s sorta expected by this point that people are gonna text during class. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been in class doing my work and I randomly look around and see somebody trying to text all sneakily.

        2. fizzywafflezsuperstore

          Emphasis on trying?

        3. Tacos

          Probably. I didn’t find it sneaky. It’s pretty obvious to me when someone is hunched over staring at their lap or has some jacket, purse, or backpack in front of them trying to cover their hands as they text.

  14. Larkle

    I’m going to guess anger towards parents that you feel like you shouldn’t have. Joyce’s anger at her parents’ Christianity and Joe’s anger at his parents’ divorce. I’m guessing that’s also where Joe’s problems with relationships stem from.

    1. ninja_jesus

      Absolutely that’s where Joe’s issues lie, but I feel like the common denominator between the two could be a shared sense of betrayal. It’s likely that Joyce feels betrayed by her parents and her upbringing for condoning toedad’s actions, while Joe feels betrayed by his parents for breaking up.

    2. Captain Button

      A good question. Is Joe upset because his ploys in class were frustrated? Or is he now contemplating the inherent sucknessitude of marriage? As proved by the downer talking about marriage has been today.

      And the whole growing up in a loveless marriage so it is the only kind you can imagine thing.

      1. Tacos

        I think in the first panel, he’s upset that Leslie still managed to turn him into a teachable moment but then Joyce’s text reminded him about what he was originally angry about in the first place.

    3. Dott

      Joe’s not angry at their divorce. He’s angry for their behaviour while together, especially stuck together, and possibly the concept of marriage itself.
      He made it clear once that divorce was the preferable course. I’ve dealt with the same issue and may just agree.
      Some people just don’t belong together, even if they’ve reproduced.

      1. Larkle

        I’d agree, I didn’t get too specific, but more specifically, I think that Joe is a bit angry that his parents don’t love each other. He’s mature enough to know a divorce was really what was best for them, but that doesn’t change that his blueprint for relationships is that they don’t work and that they make people miserable. He’s probably also unconsciously imitating his father in some ways, while still wanting to be different and not his dad.

  15. Plasma Mongoose

    In my day we have to train pigeons to send our tweets.

    1. Jay Eff

      Did you have to train the pigeons to pass paper notes in class, too?

      1. Dana

        Probably not. They do that fine without any training.

      2. Plasma Mongoose

        No we just learnt how to make small paper planes, sure beats throwing stone tablets around and less hazardous too.

        1. TamiDOA

          Hard to carve the stone tablets quietly without the teacher noticing. We switched to pictographs on clay tablets, although they did have a tendency to stick to peoples foreheads when tossed.

    2. Doctor_Who

      First you have to train them to tweet. “I’m sending a Coo” doesn’t sound as good.

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        The Japanese ones are called Hi-Coo.

        1. Solenoid

          And only allow 17 characters.

        2. extremist343

          17 syllables not characters.

    3. fizzywafflezsuperstore

      You youngins and your “training” pigeons.

      Back in my day, we had to invent our own birds.

      1. Deanatay

        Oh, they still do that.

      2. Silly Name

        Back in my day, we didn’t even have a language to communicate with each other!

        I tell you, classes were a LOT harder!

    4. Portland

      Amateurs. We had to train pigeons to send our stone tablets. That was never pretty. The ‘thunk’ usually tipped the professors off.

  16. AnvilPro

    Hooray for apathy!

    1. gkheyf

      “hooray for apathy…”

      you’re new to this whole apathy thing, aren’t you? -__-

      1. gkheyf

        i’ve just spoken to the national apathy society, and we’ve unanimously decided that we don’t really care, but we’re not particularly interested in letting you join

        …or in anything else for that matter

        1. TheGrammarLegionary

          Whoop-de-doo…

        2. Captain Button

          Ralph, Demon Prince of Apathy

        3. Idris

          They cared enough to come to a decision?

          Granted… not that I cared enough to see if there was a vote coming up.

        4. Lone Wolf

          You bothered to make the effort to inform others?

          I’d finish this train of thought but meh.

    2. Captain Button

      Do you know that ignorance and apathy are the two biggest problems in the world today?

      1. TamiDOA

        Nope. Don’t know and don’t care. 🙂

        1. Deanatay

          What? So What?

      2. Tacos

        Are you sure it’s not Butts Disease that the biggest world problem?

  17. Shiro

    Confronted with evidence that he is not, in fact, the center of the universe, the blossoming young adult male is bemused and unsettled.

  18. chris73

    and once again my admiration for Joyce has increased, I swear its like two steps forward and one step back with Joyce

  19. Stara

    Things like this are why Joyce is one of my favourites. That, and she strongly reminds me of a friend of mine who’s spent a decade being de-programmed from the twisted rearing she got from her parents. Ironically,her mum is considered the one who broke away from a fundamentalist family.

    1. Lou

      Every worldview being repeatedly shattered.

      Notices someone feeling sad.

      Tries.

  20. Foxhack

    Joe, you’re not fine.

    But people do care, even if you don’t think that’s the case.

    1. John

      I’m really excited about potential strips where Joe is not fine and people care. He’s already grown on me as a character immensely over the past week.

      1. chris73

        Your avatar makes that brilliant

  21. DoggySpew

    Let the shipping COMMENCE!

    1. Deanatay

      My package is already being delivered…

  22. Zagreus

    joyce showed mild sympathy towards joe’s public humiliation

    congratulations, joyce is now 65% of an actual human being

    1. Plasma Mongoose

      What’s the other 35% then?

      1. TheGrammarLegionary

        A bizarre blend of Bible verses and adorable rage.

        1. fizzywafflezsuperstore

          So, then…
          Do the verses corrupt the rage to be somewhat less adorable?
          Or are they the cause?

        2. Tacos

          What about some Adamantium? Probably has some to be able to catch Amber while riding a motorcycle and also only suffer a sprain(?) from knocking Toedad the fuck out.

    2. Captain Button

      Top to bottom or side to side?

      Makes a difference how many naughty bits are involved.

    3. Cephalo the Pod

      What public humiliation?

  23. Victor Riley

    My assumption is that he doesn’t like being the “teachable moment” that he talked about, because that is basically pointing out that he did something wrong, and he’s forced to face his own faults. So when he’s pointed out like that, it’s embarrassing. So, it’s not the idea of being married to a dude… but the idea of not being perfect alpha-male is the real threat to his masculinity. And there’s no recourse except to quietly fume.

  24. Cattleprod

    This will seem quaint in 20 years when kids are passing telepathic messages on their eye implants.

    1. Shiro

      At my previous job, it said in the employee handbook that 1.) we were not to keep phones, laptops, or other personal electronics on us on the job, and 2.) that we were not to blog on the clock. This was not a desk job where we’d have an employer-provided computer to use. My only conclusion, therefore, was that they were preparing for the advent of skull-implanted wifi connections.

    2. Plasma Mongoose

      Almost, they will be sending messes via their iEyes using Blueeyeteeth.

  25. J-Debs

    I love it when characters who seem at odds suddenly have a moment of empathy.

  26. Kraken

    Happy Say “I’m Fine” And Probably Not Mean It Day

    1. fizzywafflezsuperstore

      My day’s been “fine”

      How ’bout yours?

      1. Kraken

        My day is much like me, and I’m fine.

  27. A5PECT

    Gotta admit, I’m seeing some Joe development on the way and I’m excited for it.

  28. miados

    i relate to her in this way. I often feel the need to say sorry for stuff that isn’t my fault.

  29. Edupoet81

    Hmmm, maybe Joe will get some character development here. Joyce might recall that Joe’s parents are divorced and they “yell a lot.” It seems that she’s made the connection between that and Joe’s feelings about marriage. It’s good to see Joyce reaching out like this, and to see Joe and Joyce being civil to one another.

  30. Arianod

    Precious Cinnamon Roll strikes again ^^

  31. Coral

    Do I ship it?…Should it be shipped??
    ????

    1. fizzywafflezsuperstore

      Step 3: profit

    2. Deanatay

      YES SHIP IT JOECE 5-EVAH

  32. segnosaur

    Anybody else here a bit surprised that Joyce would have Joe’s contact information on her phone?

    Yes, they had a date together a month or so ago, but given the animosity between them, you wouldn’t think that she would keep that information on her phone (Even if she had it to begin with).

    1. ninja_jesus

      I’m not. I feel like keeping everyone’s phone number would be important for social networking purposes.

      1. miados

        in school i had many classmates contact info just in case of needing this or that for class.

      2. segnosaur

        Yes, but apart from maybe Jacob I can’t think of any common friends that they would have. And it goes even further than just not having friends in common… they actually DISLIKE each other.

        1. Arianod

          Maybe they’re in the same whatsapp group for their… dorm or whatever?

        2. Deanatay

          Yes, and if Joe should ever get desperate enough to call Joyce for a hook-up – Joyce will want to know it’s him, so she can ignore the call.

    2. Buhzim

      Deleting info is more trouble than leaving it there and scrolling past it, I still have the numbers of my ex gfs even though I don’t expect to call them anymore. Phones have a huge memory capacity nowadays so you don’t ever need to delete anything out of necessity.

      1. segnosaur

        It is? I always find a long contact list (with seldom or never used entries) to be rather annoying when trying to find one name in among dozens. Taking 2 seconds to delete it means less I have to scroll through on a regular basis. (Not to mention the risk of accidentally texting/calling the wrong person when your finger hits the wrong name in your list.)

        1. Buhzim

          Actually, don’t all phones come with a search function now? That makes scrolling through your contacts unnecessary, making it even easier to procrastinate a cleanup of your list. I scroll because I’m a dinosaur who doesn’t remember to use half of the device’s features.

        2. Betty Anne

          Search function, and mine also has a “frequent contacts” page where it shows only numbers I use on a regular basis. Both are handy.

    3. Sam

      I find it weird but I also find it weird that people keep the contacts of ex-partners (ones they don’t get along with any more) and people they don’t talk to in their phones any more as well for months at a time.

      If it’s not something you will actually need it seems kinda pointless to me.

      1. DSL

        It’s useful to know if someone you don’t want to talk to, is calling.

        1. Historyman68

          Yes definitely. But I’ve never been a “drunk-dial” type person.

  33. Rukduk

    Joe’s staring off into space in that last panel is definitely…harrowing is the best adjective I can think of. I’m guessing it’s time for either a deep conversation, or character development via flashback.

  34. Adam Black

    Joyce is thinking ‘There but for the grace of Dorothy goes I”

    Its funny becuase Joyce sees that could have been her, and maybe she sees that Walkys smart-assery was what caused Joes irritation.

    1. TheHorseCouncil

      I think it might actually be more a case of both of them having their world views destroyed in a way that if any reminder of the events that did yhis they get defensive or irritable.

  35. Just Me

    Joe has been more of a caricature than a character. He deserves some Character Development Time.

    1. Lou

      Does he need… that perfect girl?

      1. Just Me

        Might do him some good, but I can’t see him in a committed relationship at this point in his life. Not everyone finds “The One” so easily.

  36. bearfuz

    F. I. N. E. in the Aerosmith sense.

    1. hof1991

      Fine in the Louise Penny sense – ‘Fucked up, Insecure, Neurotic and Egotistical.’

    2. Deanatay

      At least it’s not F.E.I.N. In the Stooges sense.

  37. DaveM

    Do we know anything about Joe’s background? I’m wondering if his “Macho alpha male jock” persona is similar to Joyce’s “fundamentalist Christian home-schooling housewife” persona (in that they both were trained to this role by parents/community). In which case more than one persona may be showing uncomfortable cracks at the moment.

    1. Rabid Rabbit

      In this continuity, Joe’s father is as big a lady’s man as he is, only a bit worse; and Joe has mentioned that he was like that before the marriage ended. http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/persistent/

      We have no idea what his mother’s like.

  38. Archivist

    I’ve been reading more Walkyverse than Dumbiverse lately so on my first readthrough I forgot the specifics of their current dynamic and my brain just went ‘FRIENDSHIP FRIENDSHIP FRIENDSHIP *rejoices*’

    Yeah. Friendship-maybe. Woo.

    1. Spencer

      If Joe starts cleaning up his act and maturing, then I would actually like to see them together. They’re just so inherently different people it’d be fun to watch.

  39. LimeSheep

    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAh

    1. LimeSheep

      im sorry. it was an instinct.

  40. Buhzim

    Phones are easy mode. It required teamwork and stealth tactics to pass the little pieces of paper around. Plus when people put it on their crotch to type it looks like they’re touching themselves.

    1. Captain Button

      And vice versa?

  41. shoeboxjeddy

    Oh ha ha. I thought she might finally be apologizing for the team beating she handed out to him for pathetic reasons the first day they met. My mistake, that would clearly be a ridiculous thing to apologize for.

    (To be fair, I’m shaky on the timeline. Was that like… weeks ago? A month ago?)

    1. Solenoid

      Somewhere near a month ago, yeah. Kind of late for that apology. That said, it’s the sort of thing that doesn’t really have an expiration date on the appropriateness of apologizing. Also, she may apologize for it or express regret at some point later.

    2. Spencer

      It was nearly five years ago now, so I doubt it’s going to have any more impact on their relationship. It’d be like if Danny suddenly got pissed off at Dorothy again for dumping him at the start of the comic.

      1. thejeff

        Though he’s brought it up a few times since. I don’t remember how recently. And it’s only been weeks for them.

        1. Spencer

          Earlier this class, when Joyce called him a jackass.

          And, yeah, I know it’s only been just over a month now for them, but it’s been five years for us. It’s hard to care about that one thing that happened oh so long ago since it had absolutely no consequence.

        2. thejeff

          OTOH, if Willis keeps bringing it up, it means there’s still drama to be exacted from it.
          Not that I think Joe will blow up at her about it, more than he already has, but it definitely would need to be acknowledged and dealt with if they’re to become even friends.

      2. JQuire

        Those things are not alike at all.

        1. Spencer

          What I meant was that it was something that happened too long ago, with little follow up or indication that it was important, for me to care about it, hence why I compared it to Danny and Dorothy’s break up; it happened at the very beginning of the comic, both characters have grown in completely different directions since then, and there’d be no benefit in returning to it. That drama well is dry.

  42. RandomRedMage

    I’m more concerned as to HOW she and him have eachothers number/. o_o He does not seem like a person she would exchange numbers with unless forced to, under gunpoint. ._.

    1. DinaWho

      My guess was this is a FB chat or some other messaging app, but they don’t necessarily have each other’s numbers.
      Alternatively, they exchanged them before the disastrous date went down and have yet to delete the numbers from their phones.

  43. Bagge

    “Feels?”
    “NO FEELS!!!!”

  44. Shadow-DJ

    They friends now? :3

    1. Aeron

      They’re on each other’s friends list, totally different.

  45. Deviant

    Ooh. Will this be the start of an arc showing us that Joe is more than a shallow womanizer?

  46. BenRG

    Now we are reminded about just how fundamentally good, nice and sweet Joyce is. Joe probably is just doing the “I’m make and therefore don’t express my emotions” thing.

  47. Lawzlo

    They’re both using proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation? Unbelievable. These aren’t the young people of today!

    1. LimeSheep

      theyre both typing in all caps though, so thats something

      1. Aeron

        Joyce: “SORRY!!”

        Joe: “Christ, keep it down, I still have a hangover.”

    2. Aslee

      we’re less into improper grammar and more into lowercase and spontaneous punctuation these days

      you know its realistic when it looks like bad freeform poetry

    3. Captain Button

      Using punctuation in texts makes you look insincere or something like that. It must be true, I read it on the Internet.

  48. Lordess of Madness

    Holy shit! They could actually become friends!
    And other holy shit! Maybe Joe actually has some seriously well thought out core beliefs under all that womanising!

  49. Charles Phipps

    I have the theory Joe actually thinks he’s a progressive, which would probably blow away a lot of posters. He hates his father for being an actual misogynist asshole and thinks of being upfront about sexuality and disdaining marriage, he’s being good about this. Leslie makes him feel more like his dad.

    1. Aslee

      Oh my god, you’re right, and k have never identified with Joe harder.

    2. Rutee

      Blow away nothing. Tons of people with fucked up views think they’re pretty progressive on gender, they just look at an even worse starting point to do so. They might not use the word ‘progressive’ but they think they have a view that is equal.

    3. Lord Stoneheart

      I mean, I don’t think any of us would be surprised to see he thinks that. Just because he thinks he’s progressive doesn’t actually make him so.

      1. Charles Phipps

        True, but it’s an interesting thing which adds a layer to Joe other than Fratboy. He wants to be the good guy to women but doesn’t really have a starting point.

    4. Spencer

      What Rutee and Lord Stoneheart said.

      It’s easy to think that not caring about race/gender/sexuality is the surefire way to be the most progressive human being on the planet.

  50. Aeron

    *reads alt text*

    The last time THESE people were in college, they had to also. 😉

  51. Rob

    CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN THE TWO.
    Who called it?
    ROB CALLED IT.

    1. LimeSheep

      i dont get to say i called it until theyre on a second date but for now this is good

  52. DarkoNeko

    Well, I didn’t expect that. She kept his number.

  53. Kraken

    Soon all the angry characters will form a supergroup. Sal, Joyce, Joe and Amber will pout all over the campus with an iron jaw! None shall escape their scowls!

    Indiana University will be “fine” forevermore.

    1. BenRG

      Maybe they could have a club tee-shirt? Black with the white text: “Who Says It Isn’t Really That Bad?” With “No, I Won’t ‘Cheer Up’!” on the back.

    2. Captain Button

      Ire-Squad, Assemble!

  54. Aslee

    Oh no, this is actually really sweet. [hisses] Be friendssssssss.

    1. Deanatay

      and then kisssssss

  55. Marvelman

    Now that I think about it… why is Joe so pissed off today?

    1. Chrissy

      I think he’s got a lot of residual anger over the dissolution of his parents marriage

      1. TheNinthShader

        Hes mad because his head is square.

    2. Spencer

      Because he lost. He thought he outsmarted Leslie’s attempt at turning him into a teachable moment, because this is Gender Studies and that means treating the material with any dignity is something Joe is incapable of.

      1. chris73

        Superficially yes but if you scratch the surface a little its probably bringing up memories of his parents marriage

        1. Spencer

          Possibly that too. His general “fuck this” demeanor about the project is probably rooted in how much he hates the idea of marriage, period.

        2. chris73

          I’ll admit to my bias and say that I want to see Joe grow a little more

        3. Captain Button

          You know how Joe would respond to that, right?

        4. Spencer

          A dick joke?

  56. ozzi

    I’d ship this.

    1. TheNinthShader

      OTP INTENSIFIES.

      1. Spencer

        Huh. I honestly thought I and maybe five other people shipped JoJo. I didn’t think there’d be some folks into it.

  57. BenRG

    I find myself wondering if Joe is capable of understanding what a chaste hug of friendship and empathy is and responding to it appropriately. I wonder because I have a feeling that one may be coming his way from Joyce.

    1. chris73

      If it comes from Joyce probably but from someone else who knows…

  58. That One Guy

    I love every Joe expression. Especially that texting avatar.

  59. Psychotic Mantis

    Fitting that Joyce is at least trying to settle this peacefully on January 10th. Look up David Bowie.

    I’m sorry.

    1. Psychotic Mantis

      RIP David.

      1. inqntrol

        What?! He passed away?!

        1. TheNinthShader

          He didn’t get the required batman dosage needed for extended lifespan.

        2. Adam Black

          Bowie

      2. Willoughby Chase

        Right bastard of a day.

        RIP Bowie.

  60. ischemgeek

    Stuff like this makes me fairly confident that Joyce is going to turn out okay. Probably a bit more angry and cynical than she was before she had all her illusions shattered, but even after all that’s happened, she’s able to retain her faith that people don’t do things without a good reason. So she reaches out to Joe of all people with a gesture of empathy. Joe who is about her least-favorite not-absolutely-horrible person in the known universe (to be fair, Toedad and Rapist Jerk have both probably completely recalibrated her mental “terrible person” scale so that even Mike doesn’t seem that bad by comparison).

    Strip away all the god-bothering and sanctimony she was programmed with, and underneath she’s a genuinely nice and empathetic person with a genuine faith in the goodness of other people. Certainly, she’s a better person than I am. Let’s be frank: I don’t know if I would be able to a, recognize that someone who doesn’t like me is acting even more antagonistic towards em than usual, b, realize that they seem to be out of sorts and this uncharacteristic anger is the reason they’re so hostile, and c, reach out with a gesture of empathy, very shortly after a blow-up fight with them and while dealing with my own mental storm of angst and trauma. Hell, I’ll go one further: I don’t know if, in Joyce’s shoes, I’d even want to reach out, even if I correctly perceived a and b. Frankly, I don’t think I’m that nice and caring. I think I’d be more likely to stew in anger over the argument. Joyce genuinely is that nice and caring. And if she’s able to hold on to her nice side, and to her ability to assume the best of people today, I’m pretty sure she’ll be able to hold on to it through what’s to come.

    Willis might prove me wrong, but that’s my read of her.

    1. egwenna

      I agree. Even in the midst of her own turmoil, to be able to perceive another’s turmoil and reach out is a true hallmark of the kind of person she is. She’s hurting, but she’s not broken.

  61. TheNinthShader

    Poor Willis, I remember those shitty days. I got caught. Every. Single. Time.

  62. TheNinthShader

    Joes head is remarkable square in the last panel.

    1. TheNinthShader

      Remarkably

  63. Somebro

    Really like the contrast between Joyce and Joe chat avatar faces and their actual faces.

  64. Nicster216

    Sooooo joyce keeps telling joe not to talk to her yet has his number…. classic joyce

  65. Nicster216

    also im new here buuut i read the whole thing in two days(yes i have that much free time and its a really good webcomic) anybody know hownto change your avatar

    1. Leonou

      Go to secure.gravatar.com and upload the picture of your choice, then associate it with an email adress.
      Every forum using Gravatar wil display the same image for the same posting adress.

      1. Captain Button

        Note that when you change your gravatar, it changes for all your past comments also. Which is why some many old comments about gravatars make no sense.

        1. Kamino Neko

          Which is the best reason to change them often. >_>

  66. Lulu

    *gasp* Joe will become a complex character too?

    1. TheNinthShader

      Joe? Something complex? Hahhaha.

      1. Spencer

        Joe’s never going to move past sex as his primary character motivation, but that’s still a good place for a character to start exploring other aspects of their identity.

        Walkyverse!Joe never moved past being a horndog, even when he was in a relationship, but he was ultimately still a three dimensional character with depth and flaws and an arc.

      2. Buhzim

        Maybe he could learn about tantric sex?

    2. Captain Button

      He needs to acquire imaginary parts for that.

    3. segnosaur

      You know, there have been small hints that maybe Joe might be able to grow.

      In an earlier strip (A few years ago), after an encounter between the 2 of them, Joyce shouted “Don’t touch me!” and stormed off. Joe made some sort of statement after saying “You touched ME”. Depending on how you want to interpret it, he could be indicating some sort of feelings for Joyce.

      And in the last few strips, after Joyce swore in front of Joe, he got a strange look on his face, which could mean he doesn’t LIKE that side of Joyce, or at least recognizes something is wrong.

      Or, I could just be reading too much into a couple of panels.

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2012/comic/book-2/01-pajama-jeans/touch/
      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/02-that-perfect-girl/jackbutt/

      1. thejeff

        The “You touched me” is almost certainly a reference to her punching him on the date, not anything emotional.

        The other is definitely him registering a bit of shock that she swore – though it’s hard to say what he makes of it.

  67. Paul

    The girl behind Joyce looks like Danny.

  68. Griffin

    ….friendship?

  69. QWERTY

    I’m glad Joyce is still Joyce.

  70. Betty Anne

    Jebas Crackers, I want to give Joe a hug. And not a ~HeEeEeEeEeY Baby~ hug – a “We’re not going to have sex, we’re going to go down to Galasso’s Pizza (and Subs) to eat pizza and talk or not talk to the extent you want to” hug. Poor kid would rather shut down and be angry than admit someone hurt him emotionally. :/

    1. Spencer

      I know. I’m interpreting Joe as a three dimensional character right now.

      It buuurrrrrnnnnssss.

  71. Bunk

    Looks like Joe’s finally exploring the Z-Axis.

  72. Tenn

    Pffft, alt text! In twenty years, new readers are gonna read this and think “Wait, why is she poking her phone like that? And why do they have, like, grandma phones? Isn’t this supposed to be set in the present*?”

    * Because, you see, in twenty years the “Read before posting” page will be automatically uploaded to every reader’s brain as soon as they visit the site, so they will at least know that the comic isn’t frozen in 2010.

  73. zmm

    They shared numbers?
    and.. even took pictures for the contact identification?

  74. Nicster216

    Joyce tells Joe not to talk to her let gives him her number…. I can dig that

  75. Earthquake

    I think that when Joyce says your anger seems familiar because its just like hers. Both Joyce and Joe have very different opinions then the other people in their genders studies class and I think they are both angry at being made into lessons or being looked down on because of how they act or what they believe. (Even if how they act is polar opposite of each other.)

  76. Clayton

    Weren’t Joe’s parents divorced or something? And his father was a wild one at that.

    Joe might get his sex drive from daddy-o, but he’s conflicted on what women are in terms of his life’s heiarchy. He’s stuck between seeing them as items and seeing them as the enemy.

    Or maybe I’m overanalyzing this.

  77. Joner

    there’s a small piece of me that ships joe and joyce……..but it’s quite small

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