Panel 6: the face of someone who is desperately hoping that their beanie has secretly been replaced by a brain-eating alien parasite in the last five minutes and is ready to pass it the salt.
It depends on whether he knows that’s Dorothy or not. Apparently it’s not always obvious in-universe, even to people who see Dorothy regularly. Otherwise, it’s not totally inappropriate for a professor to use recent news items as a way to facilitate instruction and discussion on the current lecture topic.
Depending on what subject that class is, it’s quite appropriate to show topical items. He’s going on about “leadership”, so I’m guessing Introduction to Political Science (or Principles, or some such) class.
Enlarged like that (and with her currently wearing the same coat), it does seem more identifiable. At the same time, there are many people who were in my college classes that I’m sure I wouldn’t have recognized from an out-of-context picture showing less than half their face.
Yet_One_More_Idiot
When I was at school (Year 9, I think), my Biology teacher had no idea who I was. I put my hand up to ask a question in class one day (sometime around April or May, I think), and she demanded to know who I was and why I was in her class. I explained I was one of her students, but she was adamant she’d never seen me before in her life and I’d just snuck into her class as a prank. Everyone else is just grinning like idiots at this point.
I walked calmly up to the front of the class, take the class register from her (which she tried to tell me was not for students to touch, FFS), and opened it in front of her. There was my name. There were a row of ticks showing I had been present in every. Single. Lesson. For the entire school year up to that point.
The class erupted into laughter, and she was utterly mortified.
Poor lady. I hadn’t wanted to embarrass her that badly, but I also didn’t want to get in trouble for being in the class I was meant to be in.
Moral of the story: Teachers can be completely oblivious to the identity of their students. This one didn’t know my face or name but had marked me down as present 3 times a week for nearly 9 months.
I had just been assuming he knew it was Dorothy, given that apparently everyone else (except Daisy) was able to recognize them. But you’re right, it’s possible he doesn’t realize that it’s her in the picture.
Way more than kind of. This is hideously (and hilariously) unprofessional of him. Basic respect for others say that you’d ask permission before doing this.
…ya know, Dorothy, good Leadership would also be calling him out on this. 😀
People are really shocked that the characters, who don’t look at Dorothy’s face literally every day, can’t recognize the 15% of her face visible in the picture, the rest being obscured by being smooshed into Joyce’s face.
Astariel
I was arguing exactly this in the last storyline, but then it turned out that everyone who saw the photo recognized them, so I just assumed that the same was the case here.
1. Even if he doesn’t recognize that this is one of his students, he should at least be aware of the possibility (and the possibility that someone in class knows the girls in the photo, even if neither of them are)
2. I get that the joke is that he’s interpreting the kiss as an intentional political statement designed to get in the papers, but Dorothy and Joyce were not leading the protest in any way so this is stupid.
3. As far as we can tell. no one was really “leading” the protest and that was part of why it was so easily co-opted. To the extent that the kiss leading the papers was a result of anyone’s “leadership”, it was a FAILURE of protest leadership for doing a big stunt protest and not having any kind of media strategy at all, which is the kind of thing he should actually be talking about, why that happened and how to prevent it.
So he’s ignoring every potentially relevant aspect of the protest to gawk at hot teenage girls making out. That’s super fucking inappropriate, yeah, to the point that maybe an investigation would be warranted, and it makes me wonder if “O’Ryan” being so similar to “Ryan” is intentional or not.
These are all good points, and I particularly agree about number 3. It’s easy to blame Joyce & Dorothy for ruining the protest, but whoever was running the thing should really have had some kind of media strategy, especially given the probably sympathetic student paper.
On the point of Ryan and O’Ryan though, it seems that both characters date back to the Walkyverse where they didn’t really have any relationship, so I think it probably is just a coincidence.
thejeff
To be fair to the organizers, they thought they were setting up a long term encampment, with no expectation of the board changing the rules and having the police attack on the first day.
Nor were they planning on a superhero going head to head with the cops, which is probably the most newsworthy event from the protest.
Honestly, maybe 3 is the point he’s making. The “leadership” of the protest was supposed to get images of the protesters on the front page, perhaps with some of the police violence that was occurring; instead, the images were dominated by two girls who just happened to kiss in front of a camera they didn’t even know was there. If that had been intentional on the part of the protest leaders, that would have been leadership.
thejeff
If they managed to keep shots of AG drop kicking cops off the front page, they’re probably doing a good job.
“an intentional political statement”
Oh i disagree.
The kiss was just good luck. But Everything about Dorothy being there was what he described. Taking a stand( politically) planting feet in the ground, not ceding ground.
and Joyce followed and hasnt left.
I dont any of this is leadership.( its martyrdom )
he sounds like a giant Dbag. BUt He nailed her actions to a T.
I think Dorothy understands hes praising her things she actually did ( that were bad for multiple reasons; you described ) . Dorothy understands she acted impulsively out of character and has been rewarded for it.
Her getting undue political credit only makes sense to the narrative , ie criticism that she would get undue credit for something she took over.
“Keener, since you’re the last arrival, tell us what you think these two women are trying to say, what’s their symbolism, with their kissing action at the political protest about Bulmeria.”
goin by Carla’s perception, Dorothy and Joyce are practically indistinguishable from any white blonde women with glasses, so maybe this is lore accurate. lol
342 thoughts on “Leadership”
NGPZ
ooooooooooooooooh here we goooooooo 9-9
clif
Leading down the primrose path is still leadership.
Yet_One_More_Idiot
This is not leadership. This is…**checks notes**…a kiss.
**Dotty slips quietly back out of class and decides to change some of her courses**
I Know Why the Mowed Lawn Screams
First Angie Lastname now Bart O’ Ryan? Goddamn, who else is gonna show up in this chapter. Fucking Alan?
Doctor_Who
Everyone but Guns.
Matrix
Guns must never make an appearance. The edicts must be upheld
Shadowsnail
In this universe, her name is Snug. She wears a Snuggie 24/7 and sometimes uses it to fight crime.
Lysbeth
What about Bloodrose?
Staszu13
It is written that Bloodrose, like the Prophet, must never be depicted in art
Aquila
So you think The Big Cheese is gonna be… the janitor or something?
Staszu13
Oh we’ve seen the Cheese, or at least his prior human form. He’s a youth minister here
I Know Why the Mowed Lawn Screams
Actually YKW I should start a betting pool on this. $50 on Manny whatshisname from Shortpacked! coming back.
Nono
My conspiracy hat is pointing out that Manny is also a ginger, so maybe he’s Professor O’Ryan’s kid.
RassilonTDavros
Coulda sworn Manny had already shown up in DoA, but apparently not. Huh. Maybe a Patreon strip I’m forgetting?
EmperorGreed
I’ll give willis $20 if historical jesus shows up
Rosicrucian
We knew Bart O’Ryan existed because Walky based his comic on the guy and mentioned he was a law professor.
Rotunda
Alan Rees is the math professor: https://www.dumbingofage.com/tag/professor-rees/
I Know Why the Mowed Lawn Screams
what I’m learning from all these comments is that I should probably stop doing bits until I do another complete willisverse reread
Throwatron
counterpoint: never stop doing bits for any reason
Miri
I love how you have the perfect icon for this comment!
Azhrei Vep
Do more bits and just don’t be self-conscious about it.
Jon
Don’t trust not doing bits.
Needfuldoer
Maybe we’ll see Barb (the bartender at Galasso’s) again. She started off buried under layers of main characters in the background art of a poster.
Lysbeth
The Head Alien the Head Alien please please the Head Alien.
Or Sal’s boss from the theme rest- sorry, the space-themed dining adventure with duck pizza.
Staszu13
It would be interesting to see Head Alien in human form (he exists in universe as a fictional character)
Staszu13
We have already seen Alan Rees, who is curiously enough, human and not an alien in a suit
Jon
As far as we know.
Ana Chronistic
cut to O’Ryan saying, “Oh sorry, that’s just my desktop”
Steamweed
Daisy’s, too.
QueenofSodor
What is peak fiction? *pulls up an image of Joyce and Dorothy kissing* This is peak fiction.
QueenofSodor
FUCK my enters didnt format
dying in a hole now bye
Steamweed
Not a bad output regardless. (2nd line showing action totally goes fine with 1st line’s dialogue.)
apocryphascribe
NOW WE’RE TALKING
GIMME THE EMBARRASSMENT
Doctor_Who
Panel 6: the face of someone who is desperately hoping that their beanie has secretly been replaced by a brain-eating alien parasite in the last five minutes and is ready to pass it the salt.
NGPZ
Way to call me out, Doctor XD
Shakes
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
3oranges
Agreed 100%, but I’m not sure anyone can do the kick as well as Mike.
Shakes
Maybe Walky will draw Mike dropkicking Dorothy now.
Yarrr
For real, this got a solid ten seconds long laugh out of me.
Astariel
Oh, shit! Also, this seems kind of inappropriate from the professor.
Dot
It depends on whether he knows that’s Dorothy or not. Apparently it’s not always obvious in-universe, even to people who see Dorothy regularly. Otherwise, it’s not totally inappropriate for a professor to use recent news items as a way to facilitate instruction and discussion on the current lecture topic.
Steamweed
Depending on what subject that class is, it’s quite appropriate to show topical items. He’s going on about “leadership”, so I’m guessing Introduction to Political Science (or Principles, or some such) class.
Yumi
Enlarged like that (and with her currently wearing the same coat), it does seem more identifiable. At the same time, there are many people who were in my college classes that I’m sure I wouldn’t have recognized from an out-of-context picture showing less than half their face.
Yet_One_More_Idiot
When I was at school (Year 9, I think), my Biology teacher had no idea who I was. I put my hand up to ask a question in class one day (sometime around April or May, I think), and she demanded to know who I was and why I was in her class. I explained I was one of her students, but she was adamant she’d never seen me before in her life and I’d just snuck into her class as a prank. Everyone else is just grinning like idiots at this point.
I walked calmly up to the front of the class, take the class register from her (which she tried to tell me was not for students to touch, FFS), and opened it in front of her. There was my name. There were a row of ticks showing I had been present in every. Single. Lesson. For the entire school year up to that point.
The class erupted into laughter, and she was utterly mortified.
Poor lady. I hadn’t wanted to embarrass her that badly, but I also didn’t want to get in trouble for being in the class I was meant to be in.
Moral of the story: Teachers can be completely oblivious to the identity of their students. This one didn’t know my face or name but had marked me down as present 3 times a week for nearly 9 months.
Astariel
I had just been assuming he knew it was Dorothy, given that apparently everyone else (except Daisy) was able to recognize them. But you’re right, it’s possible he doesn’t realize that it’s her in the picture.
Pocky
probably has tenure or something. but I imagine someone is gonna put in a complaint at least.
Wraithy2773
Way more than kind of. This is hideously (and hilariously) unprofessional of him. Basic respect for others say that you’d ask permission before doing this.
…ya know, Dorothy, good Leadership would also be calling him out on this. 😀
Arianod
Pretty sure he doesn’t realize that one of the people in the picture is the person he was just talking to.
Throwatron
People are really shocked that the characters, who don’t look at Dorothy’s face literally every day, can’t recognize the 15% of her face visible in the picture, the rest being obscured by being smooshed into Joyce’s face.
Astariel
I was arguing exactly this in the last storyline, but then it turned out that everyone who saw the photo recognized them, so I just assumed that the same was the case here.
ESM
1. Even if he doesn’t recognize that this is one of his students, he should at least be aware of the possibility (and the possibility that someone in class knows the girls in the photo, even if neither of them are)
2. I get that the joke is that he’s interpreting the kiss as an intentional political statement designed to get in the papers, but Dorothy and Joyce were not leading the protest in any way so this is stupid.
3. As far as we can tell. no one was really “leading” the protest and that was part of why it was so easily co-opted. To the extent that the kiss leading the papers was a result of anyone’s “leadership”, it was a FAILURE of protest leadership for doing a big stunt protest and not having any kind of media strategy at all, which is the kind of thing he should actually be talking about, why that happened and how to prevent it.
So he’s ignoring every potentially relevant aspect of the protest to gawk at hot teenage girls making out. That’s super fucking inappropriate, yeah, to the point that maybe an investigation would be warranted, and it makes me wonder if “O’Ryan” being so similar to “Ryan” is intentional or not.
Astariel
These are all good points, and I particularly agree about number 3. It’s easy to blame Joyce & Dorothy for ruining the protest, but whoever was running the thing should really have had some kind of media strategy, especially given the probably sympathetic student paper.
On the point of Ryan and O’Ryan though, it seems that both characters date back to the Walkyverse where they didn’t really have any relationship, so I think it probably is just a coincidence.
thejeff
To be fair to the organizers, they thought they were setting up a long term encampment, with no expectation of the board changing the rules and having the police attack on the first day.
Nor were they planning on a superhero going head to head with the cops, which is probably the most newsworthy event from the protest.
Jon
Honestly, maybe 3 is the point he’s making. The “leadership” of the protest was supposed to get images of the protesters on the front page, perhaps with some of the police violence that was occurring; instead, the images were dominated by two girls who just happened to kiss in front of a camera they didn’t even know was there. If that had been intentional on the part of the protest leaders, that would have been leadership.
thejeff
If they managed to keep shots of AG drop kicking cops off the front page, they’re probably doing a good job.
Adam Black
“an intentional political statement”
Oh i disagree.
The kiss was just good luck. But Everything about Dorothy being there was what he described. Taking a stand( politically) planting feet in the ground, not ceding ground.
and Joyce followed and hasnt left.
I dont any of this is leadership.( its martyrdom )
he sounds like a giant Dbag. BUt He nailed her actions to a T.
I think Dorothy understands hes praising her things she actually did ( that were bad for multiple reasons; you described ) . Dorothy understands she acted impulsively out of character and has been rewarded for it.
Her getting undue political credit only makes sense to the narrative , ie criticism that she would get undue credit for something she took over.
If that didnt happen it would be empty complaint.
mindbleach
“Though we may never know who these women are…”
Steamweed
“Keener, since you’re the last arrival, tell us what you think these two women are trying to say, what’s their symbolism, with their kissing action at the political protest about Bulmeria.”
Nymph
The Hat That Has Consumed Dorothy: ~maybe they’re just both idiots~
Prof: No, that can’t be it. This has symbolism, I just know it.
Adept
I hope this is exactly it. Make the latecomer tell the class her interpretation of the photo, and what she thinks motivated it.
Pocky
goin by Carla’s perception, Dorothy and Joyce are practically indistinguishable from any white blonde women with glasses, so maybe this is lore accurate. lol
Jon
On the other hand, Carla’s world consists of Carla, Charlie, and Carla’s parents.
Porto
All of this shenaniganry was worth it for this one strip. My god that is AMAZING.
shadowcell
right before the triumphant return of mike
Bajja
?
Lysbeth
But who could he dropkick?
OngoingConversation
I mean, Dorothy seems like the obvious choice
Staszu13
Yes please after all he is only in witness protection
Cattleprod
This is a lawsome turn of events.
Steamweed
Professor O’Ryan goes on to compare the Dorothy-Joyce kiss picture to the Flag Raising On Iwo Jima photo.
(who took that photo? why, it was joe. joe rosenthal.)
Matrix