Jennifer is never going to like Dorothy for the same reason so many commenters hate Dorothy. Jennifer only likes people more flawed than she is. If she likes anyone.
Honestly one of my favorite things about this comic is that most of the characters are self-aware wrt how deeply fucked up they are, but this awareness does not translate into magically being able to fix themselves.
I think if you’re gonna be any kind of leader let alone that of “””the free world””” getting people to like is not gonna get you far unless your’re also fine with other people hating your fucking guts
If she really plans to be a moral politician who’s not corrupt, she’s gonna be sorely disappointed in all the other politicians she has to deal with, assuming she doesn’t eventually get corrupted as well.
Sirksome
Depends on how you define corruption I guess. Democracy almost by design means you’ll have to compromise on something. It will be up to Dorothy to decide what that is and hopefully it won’t too often be her morals. Especially if she hopes to reach any office close to the presidency.
It’s sort of confused in the telling. They keep saying Ruth taught her and Ruth definitely put the idea out there first. But I believe Jennifer actually taught herself.
Dorothy (1) being very perceptive and (2) showing a welcome bit of edge/pushback here. (And (3) offering some genuinely good advice that Ruth is already doing her best to dismiss and ignore, because Only She Can Solve This Problem (by throwing herself on the grenade of self-sacrifice and misery).)
“In a freak coincidence, both the jet and the freight train are converging on one spot… Where the tectonic plates in the earth’s crust have just started to shift! That spot is the house of Farmer Brown Dorothy Keener who, at this moment, is unaware of a gas leak, as she attempts to light her gas stove!
Oh no! I was on such a streak of successful HTML linking (even on mobile B) I got cocky and failed to check. Here, we go. Linky link link
I actually found it by searching for “C&H penny on the train track” because i remembered how hilarious i found that line. Speaking of hilarious, i didnt rember the following strip but it is perfection and sadly has only increased in relevance (I may be biased cos it ran on my 6th bitrthday)
Bringing up the fact that Billie can pick locks adds kind of a new layer to how unhealthy this relationship is. Like, it kinda sounds like Ruth is actually on some level afraid to break up with Billie because Billie would start stalking her if she did. The fact that this isn’t an unfounded concern is deeply troubling.
Exactly. “She’ll double down on staying” isn’t acceptable in any relationship. If someone breaks up with you, even if you think they’re wrong and being self-sabotaging, you accept that break up and get to the business of moving on. Otherwise you’re just stalking and coercing them, but still not dating anymore.
Dumbing of Age Book:… 12? Is it 12?: Oh, I’m Going To Fumble This Hard. And It Will Be Violent, And Blood Will Be Spilled, But At Least NOW There’s Someone To Calmly Explain My Rationale In The Aftermath.
Except that happened in Book 10, what with Toe Dad and Mike both getting offed by Blaine and Blaine getting iced by the crooked cop in the hospital. And Faz getting beat up and left on the corner.
167 thoughts on “Concerns”
Ana Chronistic
sadly for Dotty, I think BJ only likes people who are at least a little bad
Clif
A little?
Clif
Also, every time I see BJ my first assumption is that people mean the cat.
Darkoneko
Billie Jean ?
Doctor_Who
Bennifer Jillingsly.
Mano308gts
Billifer Jenningsworth is my preferred variant. XD
Ana Chronistic
Jillings Worth Ben of Her
Proxiehunter
Contray to what you may have heard she is not my lover. She’s just She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one. But the kid is not my son.
Adam Black
She is just a girl
Needfuldoer
Not the wisecracking meatball surgeon from San Francisco who replaced Trapper in season 4?
Nicoleandmaggie
Jennifer is never going to like Dorothy for the same reason so many commenters hate Dorothy. Jennifer only likes people more flawed than she is. If she likes anyone.
Mr. Bit Chez
Is Dorothy not flawed? Is her tough skin not a bit of a mask? The flawlessness is a front, dog.
Clif
The self awareness on all sides is scary.
RassilonTDavros
Honestly one of my favorite things about this comic is that most of the characters are self-aware wrt how deeply fucked up they are, but this awareness does not translate into magically being able to fix themselves.
Nono
Sarah is the best character since she’s reached the stage of acceptance and is more than happy being a misanthrope.
Pylgrim
Or she was (happy) until a certain triangle-smiled girl forced her to accept that she cares.
Regalli
Agreed. Or if not FULLY how deeply fucked up they are, a non-zero amount.
Opus the Poet
Knowledge that you’re fucked up is only the first step to not being FU. There are thousands of steps after that.
StClair
So true. u_u
Suet
At this stage in college, who wouldn’t wanna?
Ruth Lessick, telegrapher of moves.
Ray Radlein
BLOOD WILL FLOW
Needfuldoer
FEMURS WILL BE ABSCONDED WITH
Proto_Eevee
Showing me how they broke up wont make me less mad at you willis.
ktbear
^^ This.
The Wellerman
??? uh oh
ThunderNight
She can’t get Billie to like her but maybe she can get Jennifer to like her
Sirksome
Dorothy really invests too much in what other people think of her.
Nono
I mean, she plans to be a moral politician who’s not corrupt. That’s pretty much gonna be her main goal.
milu
I think if you’re gonna be any kind of leader let alone that of “””the free world””” getting people to like is not gonna get you far unless your’re also fine with other people hating your fucking guts
Keulen
If she really plans to be a moral politician who’s not corrupt, she’s gonna be sorely disappointed in all the other politicians she has to deal with, assuming she doesn’t eventually get corrupted as well.
Sirksome
Depends on how you define corruption I guess. Democracy almost by design means you’ll have to compromise on something. It will be up to Dorothy to decide what that is and hopefully it won’t too often be her morals. Especially if she hopes to reach any office close to the presidency.
Clif
Wait. Ruth taught her to pick locks. Is that how I remember it?
Nono
No, Jennifer taught herself. Ruth put the idea in her head though.
thejeff
What part of ‘You taught me to pick locks’ are you still refusing to understand?
Comic.phile
Man, the next page is feels, given this
thejeff
Even that page:
“This time you almost got rid of me. You were trying to get rid of me again.”
milu
You mean the part where Ruth says she feels she needs to choose between her addictions to both Billie and murder?
…she’s made her choice
Dandi Andi
It’s sort of confused in the telling. They keep saying Ruth taught her and Ruth definitely put the idea out there first. But I believe Jennifer actually taught herself.
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2014/comic/book-4/04-the-whiteboard-dong-bandit/pick-2/
StClair
Dorothy (1) being very perceptive and (2) showing a welcome bit of edge/pushback here. (And (3) offering some genuinely good advice that Ruth is already doing her best to dismiss and ignore, because Only She Can Solve This Problem (by throwing herself on the grenade of self-sacrifice and misery).)
RassilonTDavros
…THAT IS NOT DOROTHY’S JOB, RUTH!
Clif
Or it wasn’t. It is now.
Nova
Voluntold
Stephen Bierce
It really comes as no surprise
To find that you planned it all alo~o~ong
Mr. Random
You’re not part of the mediation.
You’re part of the autopsy.
Opus the Poet
You can’t be a part of the solution if you’re the precipitate. Chemistry 101 joke.
Clif
Though the words Mr. Random is putting into Ruth’s mouth are more situationally appropriate.
T Campbell
Just gotta say the Billie-Ruth stuff has been goddamn poetry lately
Thag Simmons
It’s always been the good shit, but it’s firing on all cylinders right now.
Clif
It’s always good to know the engine is firing on all cylinders as we head towards the train wreck.
Thag Simmons
I think this is a Crash at Crush situation, where the engines on both characters are firing at all cylinders right towards each other.
milu
“In a freak coincidence, both the jet and the freight train are converging on one spot… Where the tectonic plates in the earth’s crust have just started to shift! That spot is the house of
Farmer BrownDorothy Keener who, at this moment, is unaware of a gas leak, as she attempts to light her gas stove!As she strikes the match, she casually glances out the window.“
Uly
Your link doesn’t work, which is a pity as I love that particular strip. Oh, Calvin.
milu
Oh no! I was on such a streak of successful HTML linking (even on mobile B) I got cocky and failed to check. Here, we go.
Linky link link
I actually found it by searching for “C&H penny on the train track” because i remembered how hilarious i found that line. Speaking of hilarious, i didnt rember the following strip but it is perfection and sadly has only increased in relevance (I may be biased cos it ran on my 6th bitrthday)
milu
Did You Know!!!:
…that train-crashing shows were a thing in the 19th century?!
here is a banger of a YouTube video for your perusal and edification on this hoot of a topic
Thag Simmons
It was cool and we should do it more often.
milu
Right?????
thakoru
Bringing up the fact that Billie can pick locks adds kind of a new layer to how unhealthy this relationship is. Like, it kinda sounds like Ruth is actually on some level afraid to break up with Billie because Billie would start stalking her if she did. The fact that this isn’t an unfounded concern is deeply troubling.
Nova
Exactly. “She’ll double down on staying” isn’t acceptable in any relationship. If someone breaks up with you, even if you think they’re wrong and being self-sabotaging, you accept that break up and get to the business of moving on. Otherwise you’re just stalking and coercing them, but still not dating anymore.
C.T. Phipps
So, I assume Jennifer taught the skill to her boyfriend? That’s cute.
Needfuldoer
Asher probably already knew how, but played along anyway because he wants to be supportive.
Regalli
Dumbing of Age Book:… 12? Is it 12?: Oh, I’m Going To Fumble This Hard. And It Will Be Violent, And Blood Will Be Spilled, But At Least NOW There’s Someone To Calmly Explain My Rationale In The Aftermath.
Clif
This might actually benefit from short and to the point.
Dumbing of Age – Book 12: BLOOD WILL FLOW
Clif
No, wait. That was Ray Radlein.
Dumbing of Age – Book 12: BLOOD WILL BE SPILLED
That’s better because otherwise we’d reach the part about Joyce’s period and people would be faked out.
The Wellerman
BRILLIANT!!!! You’d make a good demon, Clif! ?
Clif
The only good demon is a bad demon.
Or something like that.
Opus the Poet
The drinks will flow and the blood will spill, and if the boys wanna fight ya better let ’em Thin Lizzie
Opus the Poet
Except that happened in Book 10, what with Toe Dad and Mike both getting offed by Blaine and Blaine getting iced by the crooked cop in the hospital. And Faz getting beat up and left on the corner.
The Wellerman
Might be a little two spoiler-y to have that as a title, no?
Anyway how have you been Regalli? Great to see your commenting as usual!
King Daniel
Eh, Willis titled one of the books ”Hey Guess What, I’m a Lesbian!”. Doesn’t get much more spoilery than that.
milu
That was ONE spoiler. Wellerman clearly meant Regalli’s suggestion is, and I quote, “two-spoiler-y” (emphasis mine)
(I jest Wellerman I know its a typo and I know you hate them, I couldn’t resist =P)
Robbie