156

Bullshit
Posted on March 18, 2013 by David M Willis

156 thoughts on “Bullshit”

  1. Mkvenner

    Translation please?

    1. Robbie C

      “Bullshit.”

      1. HK-A6A7

        The things you can learn by reading this comic…

      2. Baf

        This is actually one of the few bits of sign language I recognize. Once you’ve seen it done, it kind of sticks in the mind.

        1. Anu3bis

          I know exactly why you know that one..I think we learned it in 7th grade. Hi!
          (This is Dan Abraham)

      3. HiEv

        Think of it as though the right hand is showing the bull’s horns and the left hand is showing what that bull is doing.

    2. Yotomoe

      Bullshit.

    3. John

      If you want to know what Marcie said, read the hovertext.

      1. Jon P

        I keep forgetting this has hovertext now! [goes back and reads the last week’s worth of hovertext]

        1. Sarda

          Somehow I *never* realized that this comic had hovertext despite the fact that after going back and reading hovertexts, I know that I definitely have read some of them previously.

        2. Joel Rice

          What the heck is hover text?

        3. Leonou

          The additional text that appears only when your mouse is hovering over the picture

          It is put there by sadistic webcomic artists that enjoy trolling their readers by adding “hidden” jokes.
          So of course, Willis is doing it.

        4. Valdrax

          aka Alt-text, after the “alt” image tag property that produces it.
          That’s what’s it’s called everywhere else.

        5. Valdrax

          Whoop’s. (What’s it’s got’s in’s it’s pocket’s?)

        6. Narf

          Ha ha ha I see what you did thar. 😀

        7. Shmuel

          Or, rather, “title text,” after the “title” attribute that properly produces it. The “alt” attribute is not actually supposed to do so, despite earlier versions of IE mistakenly implementing it as such. (That got fixed in IE 8.)

        8. Valdrax

          Oh snap! You are correct.

        9. Tucker

          Damn, and I thought that was only XKCD.

      2. Hans Tjelle

        WHAT? This comic has a hovertext??? Crap… Now I’ve gotta re read everything -.-

        1. Josh

          It’s only been around since the start of this chapter. http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/02-guess-whos-coming-to-galassos/scoot/

      3. Micah

        Damn it, I just read the entire archive up to this point and this is the first I’ve known of the hovertext!

  2. Yotomoe

    Sometimes they have sexy accents and admittedly snappy bow-ties and that’s nobody’s fault if you shack up with them.

    1. Doctor_Who

      This statement is true.

      1. MichaelHaneline

        Wow, that was the perfect setup for you, wasn’t it?

    2. Mr. Kitty

      Dangit, Willis!

    3. Pyr05

      Can you have an accent with sign language?

      1. Kernanator

        Some people sign harder or sharper than others.
        #asspulls

      2. TheKelliestKelly

        Yes, actually. It’s ASL all over America but in some states they sign certain words a little differently. I’ve got a story to go along with how I know this but eh. And I’m not intimately familiar with ASL and its differences across the nation, but I’m sure there are lots of other little things.

      3. Traveling Texn

        Also people in different states occasionally use different signs for things than proper ASL. The people I first started learning signing from in Texas (not that I have any ASL skills to mention) sign a double “T” (so TeeTee) for going to the bathroom, but when I was up in Colorado they had a different sign for it.

      4. Clementine

        There are regional differences between signs for some words and region-specific signs for local areas. For example, the small town Binghampton in NY is signed locally by making a the “b” handshape and gesturing away from the nose. It’s a modified sign for “boring.” If someone were signing about Binghampton in California, they would probably fingerspell the letters instead.

        Regardless of whether or not that was a serious question, I had to say something ‘cuz this stuff is freakin’ awesome.

        1. Peruhain

          Binghamton? Yeah, pretty boring place. Especially the one in California. It’s got about five houses and a few prickly pears planted in front of them. The one in NY at least has university.

  3. littlespeck

    bullshit for those curious.

  4. Raine

    Sooooo. I don’t know if you read all these Willis, but is the DoA IRC still a thing? Any plans to repopularize that?

    1. Yotomoe

      I will totally go there if you go there. Everybody IRC tonight! I wanna talk to you face to screen.

      1. Wack'd

        Where is it? I can’t find it.

    2. Wack'd

      I was never able to find it to begin with, but I’m opening up #DumbingOfAge in Sorcery if anyone wants.

    3. Raine

      Wasn’t the original if EF or something? I cant even remember what it was called.

      1. David

        It was in Nightstar, #dumbingofage.

  5. Orion Fury

    Thank you for letting us know what she said.

  6. Wonder Wig

    That’s what she said, sort of.

  7. Plasma Mongoose

    To be fair, sign language isn’t exactly a commonly spoken language…

    1. CanvasWolfDoll

      yea, i can’t remember the last time i heard it being used while walking down the street.

      1. Audiophillie

        Awww…. Almost too far…
        But still hilarious.

    2. Yotomoe

      It’s 2nd only to Braile.

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        It has been a long time since I last heard anyone speak in Braille, I remember it being a very rough language.

        1. Totz the Plaid

          Plas, if I could upvote or like comments on here, I’d definitely give you one for that comment.

        2. Mr. Kitty

          Yo fellow redditor.

        3. Plasma Mongoose

          Danke! ^_^

        4. Wizard

          But it conveys a lot of feeling.

        5. Jimmy

          “Bump, bump, no bump, bump, three vertical bumps, four bumps, and a square.”

        6. Nee Hou

          Braille has its good points.

      2. Wonder Wig

        And 3rd to Latin.

        1. Plasma Mongoose

          Latin is a deadish lannguage, only spoken by Oxbridge grads, sciencists and certain ultra-conservative Catholicdenominations.

        2. Pyr05

          the kind that are on hand for an exorcism or three.

        3. Josh

          You get Oxbridge grads to perform exorcisms?

        4. Andiemus

          Well, yeah. Who else reads enough to know how?

        5. Tan

          Also Latin teachers, TV/movie action-archeologists, et cetera.

  8. Count Dracula

    I always thought Marcie didn’t talk because she was a background character. Making her actually MUTE is a neat choice.

    1. Raine

      Go check her earlier tags. She’s been signin’ for forevers.

      1. Yotomoe

        He meant in the originaly “It’s Walky” series.

    2. Wack'd

      That was the deal in the old universe, but yeah, here she’s always been signing.

    3. Plasma Mongoose

      It’s much cheaper for Willis to cast Marcie as a mute, if she spoke, he would have to pay her extra.

    4. Thor

      The interesting thing about muteness is that it when it is not tied together with deafness, it is almost always due to psychological trauma, not physical problems. And when it is due to physical problems, there are always other ways for a “mute” person to complement their sign language with producing sounds, like clicks, pops, smacks, whistles, and raspberries.

  9. Thor

    You know, the best time to give a person advice that might influence both their love-life and another person’s educational and professional future is when the person who you are giving advice to is very drunk.

    1. Raoullefere

      Truly; that way, you have an even chance they won’t remember and blame you for it later.

  10. Plasma Mongoose

    Who is Marcie saying bullshit to, Billie’s or Sal’s comments?

    1. Geegles

      Sal. That’s why she’s covering it up.

      1. Plasma Mongoose

        Thanks for clearing that up for me. 😀

    2. Totz the Plaid

      I’m going to guess Sal. She’s saying it partway through Sal’s spiel, so…

  11. addude

    So what would be the consequences if the school found out that Sal and Jason knocked boots?

    1. Yotomoe

      Jason would be forced to grade Sal on their lovemaking as an extra-curricular.
      B-. Your foreplay has improved, but your technique is a bit flawed. I have some recommended reading for you tonight, and show up after school for the retest. *hands her the kamasutra*

      1. Totz the Plaid

        “Go redden your lips with bull testicles, and maybe I’ll bump you up to a ‘B’. Maybe.”

    2. Plasma Mongoose

      Jason getting the boot?…

      1. Yotomoe

        Sal is very dominating in the bedroom, you see.

        1. Josh

          Yes, it’s a literal boot.

    3. kingleon

      It depends on who finds out and their own feelings about the subject. Generally speaking, depending on how high up the ladder it goes, it might be as minor as nothing at all, to Jason being switched to grade a different class or as major as Jason being asked to leave his graduate program.

  12. ridtom

    I can’t tell if Sal is trying to help Billie or if she thinks Billie is referring to her. I’m not good at understanding things.

    1. Baroncognito

      I’m pretty sure that Sal is trying to keep Billie from getting the bow-tie guy fired.

      1. Baroncognito

        Especially the way Billie phrased it “A Supervisor has feelings for you … I could get them fired.”

        It’s gender neutral and the way Billie mixed up her pronouns by using both you and I, it’s ambiguous enough that Sal could get confused.

        1. Pyr05

          Probably more toward if one person is being put on the spot for such an instance, then EVERYONE is going to be put on watch.

        2. SUGauthor

          Sal’s not dumb, considering the way Ruth has been acting lately, and the fact that Billie was just whining about how only loser girls make out with her, guessing the truth wouldn’t be much of a stretch.

  13. NCP19

    Methinks the lady doth protest too much, eh wot.

  14. Tomb

    Oh, and I thought she was asking Sal for Billie’s number.

    Guess that is it for Billie’s girl-action streak.

  15. Kernanator

    Even if she could read it before, she can’t now. It’s pretty hard to read sign language when you’re facing away from the other person. Also, when you’re drunk.

    1. Shobo

      When Billie’s drunk, she actually communicates via brain waves. That’s why she’s having so many drinks right now. In a second or two, she will casually walk down the hall to Ruth’s room.

      Only to be interrupted by the thoughts of everyone masturbating to Walky on the way. Cause dang. That man is FINE. Did you see that shirt he was wearing?

      1. Kernanator

        My alcoholism gives me psychic powers!

        1. Wixvhen

          Mike’s scowl gives him super physical powers. To plow your mom. For a nickle.

        2. Yotomoe

          Clearly Wixvhen wins the comment section.

  16. Axel

    “Hey, you can’t read sign language, can ya? Cuz I mostly get by on guessing and on her face, but if you know what she’s actually saying, that’d actually be real helpful.”

  17. Raibean

    I am really enjoying the ASL.

  18. Giant Speck

    “A common misconception is the sign for “bullshit.” Signed with both arms held out, elbows bent, and folded in front of the signer with the dominant forearm on top, the dominant hand mimics a pair of horns with the index and pinkie finger. The non-dominant hand mimics the “business end” with flapping fingers. This sign is not considered part of ASL, but rather invented by hearing people. The correct sign is performed with both the pointer and pinkie finger being extended and thrusting the hand forward to signify “bullshit”. Another alternative is to make a “C” around your nose, rotate the “C”, and then close your hand in a fist and face your palm to your nose. These signs are, however, not used as jokes. To sign the equivalent of a joking “that’s BS,” you simply sign the letters B-S.”

    1. Kernanator

      The more you know!

    2. Baroncognito

      Well, Marcie is a hearing person after all.

    3. Kelly

      She might intentionally be using that form hoping Billie would be more likely to understand it.

      1. Kernanator

        I like this explanation.

    4. David

      I have an honest question about this. The only place on the Internet that mentions this misconception is the site this is copy-pasted from, a questionably uncited Wikipedia page. Is there another site that corroborates? Because I’m finding a heck of a lot of sign language dictionaries and ASL-dedicated internet forums that mention this sign. There are also multiple other ways to sign “bullshit” mentioned as well, but I think that’d be expected in any language.

      1. Rufus Saltus

        Wait, that brings up a really interesting question as to whether ASL undergoes changes on the same way spoken and written language does. If you were to say that X was a word that meant something equivalent to “bullshit,” then I would say that it is now a word because you are a native English speaker. However, I don’t know if that happens is sign languages. I assume that people create new signs when they need them and they spread, just as new words. The same goes for changes in grammar.

      2. Raen

        …I’d actually thought that symbol was BSL. I’m pretty sure I remember Alan Davies doing it once…

      3. merbrat

        I think it falls into the realm of slang. Maybe *not* proper ASL, but most know it through popular use.

      4. Sagara S.

        I can assure you, while it IS a sign more used when interacting with hearing people, MANY Deaf and deaf users of ASL use this way to sign bullshit. There’s also the ‘t across the nose’ sign.

  19. Cooledd

    For some reason i’m more attracted to her the moment she said bullshit

  20. andmangrewproud

    I’m quite proud of the fact that I didn’t have to read the title to know that sign.

  21. dethtoll

    This must be a regional thing, because I actually don’t see that sign very often (I’m deaf.) The one I mostly see here is just a pinkie/forefinger outstretch (like giving the horns at a metal concert) with the hand facing inwards, bobbing it once in front of the chest.

    1. Secha

      Hmm, very interesting. Around my work place, it seems pretty common place with the deaf employees we have. Though I have also seen them sign “horse” and then “shit” too, for the same effect.

  22. Jesse

    I’d like to see more of Marcie. I find her character design to be the most interesting one in the series, and having a mute character appear more prominently would add more variety to the cast.

    1. OmegaDez

      Me too.

      Marcie and that girl with the short red hair and glasses are my favorite among the “mute” background cast, and I wish they were expended a bit.

      1. John

        Mandy.

        I hope you mean “expanded”. “Expended” is what Willis did to them at the end of It’s Walky!.

  23. Raoullefere

    I’m going to be rather upset if Billie doesn’t go through with her plan, only to find Ruth has offed herself, driving the university to enforce a massive crackdown on staff and assistants, so as to make this a real clusterfuck for Sal.

    Considers

    Hard on Ruth as well, I guess, but those are the breaks. No eggs, no omelet.

  24. Arkadi

    I learned one new thing today ^^

  25. Notebooked

    Ooh, Sal’s being manipulative for her own e~ends!
    Ethan being with Joyce is a lie to cover up his being gay, the very act of Amber wearing a mask and becoming Amazi-Girl is a lie, Billie’s lying to herself by telling herself her problems don’t have to be dealt with by drowning them with alcohol…
    DoA is a veritable breeding ground of deceit now, isn’t it?

    1. taekwondogirl

      Well, it IS college.

    2. Arkadi

      Well, it *is* a Willis comic.

      1. Roborat

        About college.

        1. George

          Which is a breeding ground of deceit squared, which is actually a positive thing.

    3. begbert2

      Billie really should tell herself the truth: Her problems do have to be dealt with by drowning them in alcohol! No other approach will resolve them.

  26. E.C.

    It is a big deal as long as one party is supposed to have authority over the other.

  27. Josh

    I’m pretty sure that isn’t legit sign language. 😉

    1. Secha

      Surprisingly, according to my deaf co-worker, it is legit. There’s also another sign for BS, but they use this one a lot too.

  28. Leonou

    Not related to the current comic :

    Right now on the DOA website there is an advertising asking for money to fund protests against same-sex marriage in France (at least it is visible by french readers).

    Mr Willis, I believe you may be interested in knowing that your website is currently used for a political agenda. One I do not think you agree with.
    Maybe you can remove it from your website ? (the add is from adclick, it is blue and pink and the text is: “Je participe à / la manif pour tous / je fais un don )

    For those who don’t know:
    French representatives are currently debating about legalizing same-sex marriage and the law should pass before the end of this year.
    However, there are a lot of opponents (mostly churchgoers) who try to prevent it. They are gathered under the name “La Manif pour Tous” and they organize protests to advocate the law’s refusal. Fortunately, they are very likely to fail. ^^

    1. Notebooked

      I think it’s easier for him to remove it if you click it and check what the URL that comes up is. Not sure about this though.

    2. Arkadi

      Oh, l’ironie!

    3. Li

      Actually, I think Willis has talked about this before and basically said “If the idiots want to waste their money by advertising on MY site, I’ll be glad to take it off their hands.”

      Think of it this way: if they advertise on Willis’s site, that’s advertising money they can’t spend more effectively elsewhere! Double win, and Willis will just add more gay people making out to his comic to reinforce the intended message.

      1. David

        Yeah, that’s basically it. Anti-gay groups are gonna spend their money somewhere, so I’d rather it go to places where it’s basically a waste.

        And then that money gets sent to the Human Rights Campaign, whoops.

        1. Leonou

          Okay, no problem with this reasoning.

          Still, it’s weird seeing this kind of ads right next to the DOA strips. Especially the BilliexRuth one !
          I’ve taken a screenshot of it, of course, but can’t decide if I find it hilarious or just annoying …

          Oh, and I’m taking your word about that “add more gay people making out” thing Li talked about !

        2. Aydr

          Yeah, I’m pretty sure Mike and Ethan are gonna have to make out now to balance this out.

        3. TPman

          Do the advertisers get charged by how many times you click the ad? Should I just click it a whole bunch?

        4. Yotomoe

          I think that’s the polar opposite of how it works.

        5. Li

          No, that’s exactly how it works.

          There are two systems: 1.) Pay Per Click (PPC), and 2.) Per Per Impression (CPM*). If they have a PPC system, they pay Willis for every click on the ad; if they have a CPM system, they pay him for every time the ad loads.

          In NEITHER case does the advertiser pay only for conversions (when someone makes a purchase). It’d be best for the advertiser, but it wouldn’t really be fair to anyone else.

          (Once a potential customer has gone to their site, it’s really THEIR job to get that customer to buy t-shirts or w/e, and not Willis’s fault if they don’t, you know?)

          * The M stands for Cost Per Mille, which means 1000, though the actual number varies a little.

        6. Whittier

          You made my week.

  29. Charles Phipps

    Nice Sal. REAAAAL classy.

    The ending made it all worth it, though.

  30. Joe

    “Hey, another strip where the title isn’t somewhere in the dia-oh, wait, no, there it is.”

  31. Sigurther

    Marcie’s the hottest one in this comic.

  32. bunivasal

    Sal, shut up. Nobody cares if you’re having consensual sex with your TA. Even if you did forcibly disrobe him.

  33. Dr.Z

    Props for drawing sign language. I is learning things.

    Um, why does Sal give such horrid advice?

    1. Aydr

      Same reason she makes such horrid decisions?

      1. Dr.Z

        Touché.

  34. Sir Robin

    Why is Amazi-Girl not on the poll?

    1. Leonou

      She’s not on the poll because, even under his very convincing disguise, Joe is not a lady.
      I think.

    2. John

      She is, in her civilian identity. She’s even winning.

      I want to know why Leslie’s not on the poll.

    3. David

      I’m pretty sure she is.

  35. J42

    I DEMAND A HOTTEST GUY POLL SO I CAN VOTE FOR JASON UHH I mean.. because it would be sexist otherwise? Yeah, that’s a legit reason…

    ..look, the guys are just really hot, okay?

    1. David

      It’s next. You can look through the poll archives to see what the results were the last time.

      1. J42

        Oh right! I completely retract any suggestions implied that you might be sexist, especially when you could totally school me in feminist theory any day.

  36. begbert2

    The poll need to come with a link of pinu-er, full body shots, so we can make side-by-side comparisons.

    1. ASmellyOgre

      *clears throat*
      http://cache1.bigcartel.com/product_images/66387405/postcardsordered.png

  37. ArkhamTexan

    I’m gonna take this comic strip as a sign that the thing with Jason was more than just a one-time thing. I’m thinking (or hoping, anyway), that this becomes a regular thing between Sal and Jason.

  38. Sagara S.

    part of me is exstatic to see ASL
    (bullshit, by the way)
    and part of me is going “but how does she know to say bullshit? is she merely mute? should I be slightly offended that we are to assume she can read Sal’s lips from the side despite many ASL users not knowing how to read lips? Am I reading FAR too much into a great webcomic?”
    rock on Willis!!!!

  39. Axel Bordelon

    I know that it’s always been Marcie’s thing that she never talked, but I guess I just never really thought that she might be mute. She isn’t deaf though, is she? I mean, Sal was kinda looking away from her, so she had to hear it. Right?

  40. Axel Bordelon

    And my Gravatar is Jason. YES PLEASE!

  41. luke

    i like sal’s pose in panel 5, it’s nice

  42. Love is Mathematical

    Topical. #steubenville.

    Watch out, you don’t want to be confused for CNN, Sal.

  43. Jenna

    My 2nd boyfriend back in high school was the eldest son of 2 deaf parents, and for some reason that is the first sign they saw fit to teach me… Thanks for a good laugh! lol. Totally disrupted my programming lecture.

  44. Maycroft

    does that mean Jason went for it?

  45. Dion Rainsmith

    It’s been a while since I saw that form of ‘bullshit’ (it’s archaic and not used as much anymore), but it’s quite nostalgic. I don’t know if it’s different in other areas, but normally it’s the index finger extended, not the thumb.

    Of course, the more modern form of ‘bullshit’ could be mistaken easily for the ‘rock it’ hand sign so many love to associate to music now.

  46. Nee Hou

    What we have here is a failure to communicate… clearly.

  47. dukeskunk

    holy crap! Friends who speak sign language said I was making that sign up but I’ve known that one since I was a teen but never found anyone who knew it before!

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