272

Hate me
Posted on July 25, 2021 by David M Willis

272 thoughts on “Hate me”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    “at least you aren’t OH LAWD HE COMIN'”

    1. Cholma

      It’s posts like these that make me wish there was a upvote system here, like on Disqus.

      1. Demoted Oblivious

        +1

        1. Hinoron

          That’s how we did it, back in the day before Like buttons. 😛

        2. fridge_logic

          Before our fandoms were tool large to support such quaintness as saying “+1”

  2. Doctor_Who

    Considering how Joe is basically identical to his father (some strong genes there), and how many illegitimate children he probably has, there might literally be Joe all over.

    Dr. Rosenthal visited a small village in the Carpathian Mountains during a vacation about 20 years ago, and the population is now 75% Joe.

    1. Stephen Bierce

      It’s a shame that I can’t share images here because Bill Mauldin drew this strip back in 1944 or ’45.

      1. Demoted Oblivious

        Imgur plus url?

      2. TheKelliestKelly

        You could share a link to the image (presuming such a link exists and you don’t just have a jpeg of the strip in question)

      3. woobie

        I know te one; they are in a Jeep riding through town and the sojer with Willie and Joe says “this must be the place my daddy told me about” or sucg, and everyone, male and female, looked just like the speaker.

        1. Enkrod

          https://travelingboy.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/French-Town.jpg

        2. Demoted Oblivious

          Y’all are doing scholastic work.
          +1 Enkrod, +1 woobie, +1 Bierce, +1 Doctor_Who

        3. StClair

          Indeed, and I’m impressed not only by the research, and how… busy that WW1 soldier must have been, but also by the strength of his genes.

    2. DailyBrad

      I could see Richard using protection. If nothing else, pretty sure Joe’s been careful on that front.

    3. Demoted Oblivious

      Unless Joe’s mom was from there, it is not possible that the population would be more than 50% Joe (the Rosenthal part).

      This fallacy is known colloquially as having forgotten Joe’ momma.

      1. Savail

        Take your internet cookies and get out of here.

        1. Demoted Oblivious

          Yay Oreos!

      2. Doctor_Who

        Let’s not forget the clearly and repeatedly canonically established fact that Joe’s mom is named Dee.

        Maiden name Snutts.

        1. TheKelliestKelly

          No way, no way, no way! Incredible. Amazing. Do you have a link to this being shared in comic?

        2. Doctor_Who

          Right here!

        3. Demoted Oblivious

          Is it wrong that I knew what to expect, but was really hoping for more? Like maybe a collaboration with Yotomoe or something?

  3. C.T. Phipps

    Jennifer: You had sex with a BOY?

    Ruth: I just kidnapped him and held him prisoner!

    1. Doctor_Who

      For Ruth that’s only first base.

      1. C.T. Phipps

        I am curious who Jennifer thinks Ruth slept with and why she cares it’s Jason.

        1. TheStranger

          Because Ruth making sexy times with a boy would probably come across to Jennifer as spiteful throwback in her face since she’s with Asher now.

          For someone screaming about Ruth only thinking of herself, well…there’s a lot of projection going on there

        2. Bryy

          She doesn’t care. I’m more interested in how Jennifer reacts to *thinking* she slept with a man, because I have a theory that Jennifer never actually discussed sexuality with Ruth, and just thought Ruth was lesbian. Ruth being open in her bisexuality (at least now to Jennifer) might be the catalyst for Jennifer to actually question her motives for being with Asher (beyond the whole “I want to ruin Sal’s life” bullshit).

          Also, huge eyeroll at Jennifer thinking Ruth not being forced to sleep with someone is selfish.

        3. Spencer

          I kiiiiinda think this is eventually going to lead to Jennifer going “see you found a guy too. It was always just a phase for both of us and never real.”

          ‘Cause like one that’s the kind of terrible Jennifer’s leaning to these days and two it’d be nice for a textual, on-panel admission of Ruth’s bisexuality, if only so I can link to it whenever someone goes “ruTH is A leSBiAN ThOUgH!!!”

        4. Joyfulldreams

          Oh she’s DEFINITELY going to do that. In fact, she is going to assume further that Ruth only did this as a way to try and specifically spite her, because….that’s almost certainly part of why she’s dating Asher. 8)

        5. C.T. Phipps

          I keep hoping not. There’s enough baggage with Ruth and Jennifer that I’d rather they deal with that without also haing her entering back into denial about bisexuality.

          Mind you, I believe she is in denial and that’s tragic.

        6. King Daniel

          Billie never stopped being in denial about the existence of bisexuality. The last we heard from her on the topic she said it only existed in porn, remember?

        7. Needfuldoer

          Because it wasn’t Daisy, so she doesn’t get free brownie points at work for fixing her boss up.

          And because it wasn’t Barb, she’s probably upset that Ruth “switched sides” because she doesn’t believe bisexuality is a thing. (She reconciles this with her dating Asher by writing off her relationship with Ruth as a “phase” or “experiment”, like her fooling around a little with Alice. Billie’s gonna Billie, no matter how hard she tries to Jennifer.)

  4. Sirksome

    Wait is Joe in this class?

    1. Doctor_Who

      Since he took it last semester, and we have no evidence that he flunked, guessing no.

    2. Clif

      Joe is not in this class. He just doesn’t want to be seen and it get back to Joyce. (probably)

      Ruth and Jennifer are so cute when they flirt.

  5. RassilonTDavros

    …Joe failed the class last semester, didn’t he.

    1. Thag Simmons

      Natch

      1. Demoted Oblivious

        Snatch… I can’t imagine Joe failed to grasp the material. I mean, if the president can do it…

        1. Thag Simmons

          I don’t think Diamond Joe is capable of picking up new information at this point. He may not be capable of retaining old information.

        2. woobie

          whoosh

        3. Thag Simmons

          Oh was this not about the Americans? I’m sorry but I’m not super informed about politics outside of the US, UK and Canada so I just kind of assumed “the president” was talking about the current president of the United States, specifically Joe Biden and his “at least three genders” remark

        4. Demoted Oblivious

          46 – 1. President “Grab ’em by the”

        5. Thag Simmons

          Ah, so when you said “the president” you were talking about the dude who isn’t the president anymore

        6. eh, whatever

          I think there was an allusion to “well, when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal” in there – US politics from a bit longer ago.

        7. Demoted Oblivious

          U.S. Presidents hold the title for life, even after they no longer hold office. The material comparrison of the joke was from when that thing was still in office. i.e. it presumes this normalized behaviour that americans refer to as ‘being presidential’. (this is much like how royalty and nobility were expected to have a particular code of behaviour)
          Beyond that, it’s ok that you couldn’t follow the manner in which the joke was constructed. I don’t fault your for it, my sense of humour isn’t yours and that’s ok. You still deserve to feel loved.

        8. Clif

          On the other hand, anyone who fails to appreciate Mike’s sense of humor is completely unworthy.

          This may not apply to their mother.

    2. DailyBrad

      I am not sure, I think it’s just a joke of him appearing for what is potentially a “catfight”.

    3. JessWitt

      Yeah I can imagine he flunked the class. Leslie must be thrilled to have him back.

      1. Carla's #2 Fan

        This isn’t the first lesson, though. He wasn’t in the first one of the semester, if I remember correctly.

    4. Sunny

      It could be a two-part class where it doesn’t matter which order you take them in. So Ruth, Billifer, Carla, and Becky take the class starting this term and next term they get the content that Joe got last term.
      But then we should still be seeing Dorothy, Joyce, Walky, and Miss Sextape whose name I can’t recall right now. So it’s probably just a joke that Joe is hiding behind the chair.

      1. Azhrei Vep

        I believe you are thinking of Roz “Sextape” DeSanto.

  6. Rosicrucian

    Joe knows his limits.

  7. Sirksome

    Also I really hope that Ruth doesn’t actually think fake porn of her was a positive way to end that date. Cause that’s a small yikes.

    1. Jonah Sanville

      i think ruths mainly saying that to soften the blow

    2. C.T. Phipps

      I imagine Ruth sincerely believes that was a positive way to end it.

    3. Alex

      I think the photo was Ruth’s way of saying “it’s not you, it’s me”. Because she felt bad that she promised intimacy but couldn’t deliver.

      1. Sirksome

        I maybe understand the sentiment of that but the fact she went home with another person means it wasn’t Ruth it WAS Daisy. She had zero problem going home with Jason and pursuing a date afterward. What she did to Daisy is really to spare her own feelings and not Daisy’s. Believing the gift of false hope is somehow less stinging than flat out rejection. It’s not.

  8. Thag Simmons

    Look, Jen, this big dumb plan of yours could have backfired so much worse than this, count yourself lucky

  9. Demoted Oblivious

    Jenniferno seriously expected Ruth to put out to Daisy for Jenniferno’s benefit? Let’s walk back feminism and womens control over their bodies a few decades more then eh? Someone put her in touch with Matt Gaetz & co.

    1. Thag Simmons

      For what it’s worth, I’m sure Jennifer would have zero problem trying this exact same big dumb plan with a male and a male boss.

      1. Thag Simmons

        * a male ex and a male boss.

      2. Demoted Oblivious

        No doubt. But due to a combination of double standard (see South Park “Nice!”), and it being a more notable women’s rights issue, it’s gonna get flagged on multiple counts.

    2. Doctor_Who

      Maybe Jennifer’s planning on winning Robin’s old seat in a couple of years.

      Hopping back in the closet, being generally fakey, expecting other people’s actions to always benefit herself, thinking women shouldn’t have control of their own bodies, and she even has mob connections?

      The GOP will love her.

    3. C.T. Phipps

      Yes, Jennifer fully was trying to pimp out her ex for favors at the college newspaper.

      No exaggeration.

      Ruth was also game.

      1. Spencer

        This is needlessly petty, even for me, and I am the king of needlessly petty, but it’s wild comparing your takes on Danny and Jennifer.

        Like, Danny is a Nice Guy and was a huge manipulative asshole to Ethan and super awful towards Mike “made life worse for everyone all the time” Warner, but Jennifer “is pimping” and yelling at Ruth that she should have slept with her boss to do her a favour, and that’s gucci.

        1. Sirksome

          I’m a little confused by this. Danny was a jerk to Mike mostly over jealousy but how was he manipulative to Ethan? They weren’t dating. Danny just made the mistake of talking shit about Mike while he was dying, but I don’t think that was manipulative just really bad timing.

        2. Zach

          I remember Danny hating Mike, but Mike also hated Mike for all the same reasons. Mike WAS toxic. Danny was right to tell Ethan he shouldn’t hang out with him. He didn’t claim authority over Ethan, and if his last interaction with Mike wasn’t him saying flat out that he hurts people, and wasn’t himself an emotional mess, I don’t think he’d have been such an ass to Ethan when he was grieving.

          Is that what you mean when you call Danny manipulative?

        3. Spencer

          Okay this has backfired on me.

          No I mean you read some of Phipps’ comments on Danny in past strips and it’s just “he’s a Nice Guy, he was horribly cruel to Mike, he was using Ethan” and meanwhile he’s got a bunch of comments like “haha Jennifer is pimping Ruth lol.”

          This is what I get for going Full Petty and I have no one to blame but myself.

        4. Zach

          I shall petulantly berate you for your indiscretion.
          See my fallowing comment for details on how you were unwise.

        5. WanderingLynx

          It ain’t petty to notice a pattern. It’s ok and I’d agree.

        6. zee

          I got what you meant buddy. Phipps’ takes are scarred into my brain, i still remember when he had one so bad Willis had to personally call him out

        7. C.T. Phipps

          For which I am eternally grateful. Always good to get an author check.

        8. Demoted Oblivious

          This didn’t read as C.T. saying they were ok with it, they were just restating the facts as they perceived them. While I disagree that Ruth was quite on board with the idea of performing sexual favours for Jenniferno, C.T. isn’t wrong in stating that Ruth was willingly going on the date. At no point though, did C.T. imply that they were cool with that.

          You make some good points on a regular basis, but it may be worth taking a breath and re-reading what people actually wrote, not what you think they wrote, before jumping down their throats. It’s not easy, but compassion often isn’t. see: Cassie Jaye (she was a feminist documenting MRA’s, but her points on listening are broadly applicable)

        9. Demoted Oblivious

          This is some tasty crow. Also, I found C.T.’s other comment much more heavily implying they were cool with it. Still not outright stated they’re cool with it but.. well I’m gunna tuck back into my crow pie.

        10. WanderingLynx

          Yeaaah, no. Ruth agreed because she was lonely and wondered if this would get Billie to forgive her, not because she actually wanted Daisy. But even if she had, and with zero coercion! At no point this ever ever ever EVER means that Ruth can’t retire her consent to it. Even if it wasn’t her birthday, to spend with whomever she pleases.

          And Jenniferno (love the nickname) is throwing a tantrum? Classy. As classy as some comments I’ve read in the section tonight :’)

        11. C.T. Phipps

          If you mean I think Ruth was cool with the date then yes she was and that was a shocking swerve because I think Jennifer acted like she expected Ruth to sleep with Daisy on their date. Ruth notably said, “I was stated I was going to have sex on this” before Daisy went to the bathroom so it seemed an implicit assumption by her.

          And if I’m okay with it? Oh absolutely not. No, it’s terrible and weird, which is awful given they were a couple that have both severe issues they need to deal with. It seems like Jennifer is comfortable using her ex and Ruth wants to be used just because it’s better than being lonely.

          I love the characters but think this is the nadir of their relationship and I remind everyone that they were a lot more serious about the suicide pact than I think some people took them.

        12. C.T. Phipps

          As for Danny, I admit to being of the mind that Danny is also passive aggressive with his crushes. He shows up and expects to resume his relationship with Dorothy, he is shocked when his “breakup for their own good” backfires on him with Amber/Amazi-Girl, and I feel like his actions in trying to confront Ethan about his toxic friendship with Mike were profoundly tasteless given the man is in the hospital–no matter whether he is right or not, it was clearly a time of great emotional distress for Ethan.

          But no, I don’t actually think Danny smothered Mike with a pillow.

        13. Sirksome

          I had a whole multi paragraph thing defending Danny but then I got self conscious about it so I’m just gonna say you’re wrong about Danny and I don’t agree……”You’re wrong about Danny and I don’t agree.”

    4. Jason

      Seriously amazed the first comment calling Jennifer out for this is this far down the page. Of all the things we’ve seen her do, guilt tripping and calling her ex selfish for choosing not to sleep with someone she didn’t want to is easily one of the most despicable. Possibly THE most despicable but my memory isn’t good enough to be confident on that.

      1. Needfuldoer

        Meet the new Jennifer, same as the old Billie.

      2. Sambo

        @Jason I had the same thought. Jennifer is harassing Ruth for not sleeping with someone?? Does Jennifer not know what “consent” means?

  10. BBCC

    Ahhhh, Jennifer and Ruth are always comedy gold.

  11. Wagstaff

    *plays “Low Down Doe” by Terry Scott Taylor on Voxola PR-76*

  12. McMuffin

    Silly Ruth, you should have understood Jennifer trying to get you laid was for her own ulterior motives, not for YOU

    1. C.T. Phipps

      It wasn’t ulterior.

      It was directly stated and upfront. It’s not backstabbing if you do it in the front.

      1. Needfuldoer

        It is if your enemy is backpedaling, you’re moving forward, and the backstab hitbox lags the collision hitbox thanks to the lag compensation elasticity.

        Thanks for never fixing that Source/TF2 bug, Valve!

  13. skud fargo

    “can’t you stop thinking of yourself for one second”

    so this wasn’t you trying to do Ruth a solid by getting her a hookup for her birthday, this was you trying to use Ruth’s body to ingratiate yourself with your boss.

    know what, im glad these 2 aren’t together anymore. Ruth deserves better.

    1. Doc Harleen

      Seconded.

    2. AeromechanicalAce

      Honestly, even ASHER deserves better. Billingsworth is incredibly toxic.

      1. Bryy

        I will laugh my ass off if Asher breaks up with Ruth.

        1. woobie

          Uhh….

        2. Stanistani

          Hmmm… that went somewhere.

        3. Reltzik

          TBF, the sequence leading up to that event would probably be hilarious.

        4. Clif

          Agreed.

        5. Delicious Taffy

          I agree, that would be very good.

      2. Doki

        Yeah, I actually wonder how good she is to him. We haven’t seen much of them alone together yet, and the one time we did it was him doing her a favor.

        Hmm.

    3. Demoted Oblivious

      +1

      1. Lux

        +1

    4. C.T. Phipps

      Didn’t Jennifer say that? She never hid it was pimping her ex from her ex.

    5. Keulen

      Jennifer really is the pot calling the kettle black with that question. I liked them when they were together, but now I think Ruth definitely deserves better.

      1. C.T. Phipps

        I was actually rooting for Daisy/Ruth so I’m kind of sad about that not working wants.

        It’s like Leslie and her date.

        The heart wants a disaster.

      2. Doki

        “ I liked them when they were together, but now I think Ruth definitely deserves better.”

        THIS. I liked the trajectory Billie was on, but… Jennifer? EUGH.

    6. Needfuldoer

      That’s all it ever was, she just tried to frame it as benevolence so they’d go along with it.

    7. Jon Rich

      You know, she *says* her name is Jennifer, but she’s sure sounding like a Karen these days….

  14. Jonah Sanville

    joe was like “i dont wanna handle feelings” and then went to the class with the most feelings

    1. Prince Mech

      Poor guy has some real “Mom and Dad are fighting again” eyes there.

      1. AeromechanicalAce

        Given what he’s mentioned in the past, that’s probably some genuine Trauma there, he’s mentioned his parents used to yell at each other a lot.

        1. SeasideSun

          Yeah some people think he’s being a dingus but i really think he’s scared or at least having some trauma dug up, i say as someone who has had a similar reaction (not quite the same though)

  15. Doc Harleen

    “You were supposed to sleep with my boss so she likes me! Why can’t you stop thinking just of yourself?”

    Oh Jennifer. Listen to yourself for like ten seconds, please.

    1. Schpoonman

      God, she’s the worst.

      1. Schpoonman

        Really, like Britta less comically and more dramatically inept.

        1. Schpoonman

          *like Britta but…

        2. Demoted Oblivious

          Community?

        3. Schpoonman

          Yup.

        4. Needfuldoer

          Jennifer was Brita, but this whole plan is pure, unfiltered Billie.

    2. StClair

      She doesn’t have to, she’s been to therapy and she’s All Better Now.

  16. Yotomoe

    o3o I decided to compile every single Willis drawing I could into an imgur. It’s taking a while but I’ll probably finish it later tonight.

    1. Schpoonman

      Oh, hey, I might restart my imgur account.

      Do you have a PayPal? Or a Ko-fi? Your art is fantastic and if straight donations are a way to keep it going (or encourage you to pursue it full-time), yeah, okay, I’ve got disposable income.

      1. Tawnee

        Seconding the call for a Ko-fi link. I’ve really enjoyed the art and it would be great to help prevent Yotomoe getting thirsty.

        Well, not *that* kind of thirsty anyway.

        1. Yotomoe

          Jokes on you I’m always thirsty. Also I can’t link Ko-fi here. It’s jut my name though.

    2. Bicycle Bill

      If that’s just for personal use I suppose it’s OK … but since his art and this comic currently seems to be Willis’s chief means of support, I wonder if converting his art to an easily-distributed form outside of his own control isn’t tip-toeing along a very fine line,.

      1. Demoted Oblivious

        Oh, I assumed Yoto meant the drawings they’d done of Willis’ characters. Unless they’s a programmer, it’s unlikely to process all of Willis’ work in a day.

      2. Yotomoe

        oh yeah I meant my own work haha sorry that was a typo.

    3. Yotomoe

      https://imgur.com/a/8Q50mBQ
      I did it. Lotta old stuff. I’ve been at this a Loooooooooooooong time.

      1. Yotomoe

        Also the first half is more or less SFW while the bottom half is NSFW. So you can stop when things get too horny.

        1. Carms

          Man that’s a super chill way to organise stuff, good think and thank you

        2. Schpoonman

          This is also partially sorted chronologically, yes? I ask because there’s a fairly early spot of Dina motorboating Joyce while Joyce’s shirt progressively opens

        3. Yotomoe

          Indeed. I did my best to try to get them in chronological order, both in the SFW and then in the NSFW sections. Also Dina bites her boob too!

        4. Clif

          Going to add my “thankyou”s.

      2. Wagstaff

        An ingenious way to organize your art!

        Very great work once again, Yotomoe!

      3. Rabisch

        I know it’s wrong. But Mary x Carla is also my ship♡.

        1. Yotomoe

          Its the guiltiest of guilty pleasures. I love combining malice and affection. (and I’m socked nobody’s gotten mad at me over it)

        2. RacingTurtle

          After browsing the art some more today, I do think a CW: transphobia would be appropriate for some of those Mary/Carla pieces. Just an FYI for other potential viewers

        3. Yotomoe

          That’s fair 😛

        4. Wagstaff

          I didn’t think it was possible, but Mary is somehow even less appealing than the sandwich she’s eating.

      4. Sporky

        Wow, those old Shortpacked! ones at the beginning. I didn’t know you’d even been reading for that long.

        1. Yotomoe

          I started reading DOA and Shortpacked! in high school. I thought Robin/Leslie were the cutest couple and I cried when they broke up. (Also I found Malaya super hot cuz I like mean girls.)

      5. Amos Batista

        wow, congratz, Yotomoe

      6. RassilonTDavros

        I’m in love with this one at the moment, though that might have something to do with the fact that I literally just started watching Part 4 today…

        1. Wagstaff

          Oh that looks so AWESOME!!!

          I’m also glad to know that you’re a fellow JoJo fan! Brace yourself, it’s only gonna get more bizarre from there!

    4. RacingTurtle

      Nice! I was particularly entertained by “Joyce annotates the Really Good Book;” I don’t remember seeing that one before!

      1. Yotomoe

        I’ve certainly drawn a lot more Joyce than I thought. I guess there’s a bit of fun in drawing the churchy girl being a little sexy.

        1. zee

          As you should, Joyce is one of the hottest girls imo

        2. Yotomoe

          I dunno if it’s a style progression thing or I just never noticed until halfway through the story, but she’s kinda thicc. Like pretty curvy.
          She’s probably low key in my top 5 hottest <3

    5. Jhon

      I think you broke Imgur.

    6. Yotomoe

      I just found a shit ton of OTHER drawings after scouring the internet that I forgot I did/remember I did but couldn’t find. And I still know there’s at least one more that I couldn’t find so I’m gonna have to keep updating the imgur

  17. Lawzlo

    Joe, cover your eyes. If you can’t see them, they can’t see you.

    1. Andy

      Joe is not a hoopy frood, as he’s forgotten his towel.

    2. Wagstaff

      No chance unless he’s been in contact with a mysterious arrow…

      1. WanderingLynx

        Is that a JoJo Rererence? ;D

        1. Deanatay

          Nah, Hitchhiker’s Guide.

    3. Needfuldoer

      He just has to hope they do not have object permanence.

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/03-when-god-closes-the-door/ohhoho/

  18. Bicycle Bill

    Quickly does a search back for strips where Jason is tagged to try to see just which long-haired ginger bartender Jennifer is referring to.

    1. Thag Simmons

      Their name is Barb and they appeared in like two comics.

      1. Jhon

        Thank you!

    2. Needfuldoer

      Barb was originally in the background of an It’s Walky! poster, completely obscured by main characters, and was only rediscovered when Willis dug through the original .psd file out of curiosity when the reruns caught back up to that point. She’s appeared thrice in DoA so far, two main strips and one bonus. Not bad for the deepest of Walkyverse deep cuts!

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/tag/barb/

      1. Needfuldoer

        Found it. Barb’s origins revealed!

        http://www.itswalky.com/comic/theres-a-reason-they-call-these-sweatshirts/

  19. RedCat

    Becky please, this man’s not chonk he is SWOLE.

    1. JessWitt

      Can he be swonk instead?

      1. mrnoidea

        chole

        wait no

        1. AGV

          That’s his chose

          Ha gottem

        2. mrnoidea

          yea I was thinking “chode”

  20. Schpoonman

    Jennifer, are you really losing your shit on your ex for not fucking your boss on your ex’s birthday for the express purpose of improving your standing at “work”?

    I could lose my shit in text for 10 minutes and not repeat myself once, may R. Lee Ermey rest in peace, but I don’t want to be banned from commenting, so I’ll just leave for now.

    1. C.T. Phipps

      Of course, an agreement was made.

      A PIMPING AGREEMENT!

      Jennifer is here to get her Pimping Harlots Degree!

      1. Schpoonman

        Dude, could you please not pollute my comments with your weird opinions about Jennifer and Ruth?

        1. John

          oh yes we must preserve the sanctity of the comment section on a webcomic where the main interests of one of the primary characters is poopin’.

          don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it can’t be a place of civil and intelligent discourse, but a person’s making dumb jokes, is that really pollution? is there a comic comment section more suited to goofing off and telling jokes than a college comedy?

        2. John

          I apologize, I misread “my comments” as “the comments,” previous argument rescinded.

        3. Demoted Oblivious

          To be honest, I kind of want you to write it up. If you don’t want to spam the comments maybe put in a google doc or sumthin and post the link?

      2. Schpoonman

        I went back and read the specific exchange, and while Jennifer is pretty direct about herself receiving a specific benefit, the fact that she’s immediately started literally shouting at Ruth (the thing for which I remember you crucifying Ruth) because she didn’t get that benefit is really damning.

        1. C.T. Phipps

          Jennifer’s behavior here is inexcusable but I’d argue it was inexcusable from the start as expecting your ex to sleep with your boss is terribad. Maybe Jennifer didn’t expect them to have sex but it seemed Ruth thought that was on the table due to her comments before Daisy’s bathroom trip.

          And yes, the fact it was Jennifer thinking of herself when it was Ruth’s birthday makes me think poorly of it.

  21. Cholma

    Never thought there’d come a day when Joe would be referred to as “CHONK”. I don’t hate it. 😀

  22. Joyfulldreams

    Wow. I don’t think I’ve genuinely ever hated Jennifer more than in this exact moment. Holy *shit*.

    RUTH’s Birthday and HER date wasn’t about her??? She was supposed to sleep with someone regardless of whether she wanted to, because of what YOU wanted?????

    I want to slap her.

    1. C.T. Phipps

      Hey, Ruth agreed to be Jennifer’s tool for a job no one actually wants but her and she doesn’t get paid for and probably can’t get promoted from.

      It’s really on her.

      1. Joyfulldreams

        Um. I can’t tell if you’re joking or not?

        She agreed to go on a blind date. That was it.

        1. C.T. Phipps

          I’m joking and think Ruth actually agreed to sex. I think the whole thing was every bit as sleazy and insane as the worst interpretation of it. Which is why it’s…sleazy and insane.

        2. C.T. Phipps

          If they are to get back together or even make a proper friendship, they will have a lot of baggage to unload and it’s a shame because despite my distaste for the pattern of personal attacks between them, I think the characters are fantastic and interesting.

          I keep wishing Jennifer would get better but she goes in circles and I’m actually scared for Ruth’s health-health due to her resumption of drinking.

        3. Chris Phoenix

          I’m saying nothing about Jennifer here. But when you say the whole thing is sleazy, aren’t you slut-shaming Ruth and Daisy?

          As I read it, Ruth and Daisy each went on that date hoping to have sex with a stranger who also wanted to have sex with a stranger. The blind date was suggested by someone who thought they’d each be attractive to each other. Again, I’m not talking about Jennifer’s motives. But Ruth and Daisy’s motives were not, by modern US urban standards, shameful.

        4. C.T. Phipps

          The sleazy part would be Jennifer trying to set it up to benefit her position at the paper. I think Daisy’s part of the whole thing was rather sweet. I also saw it as Ruth indulging Jennifer and just having nothing better to do with her time.

          No slut shaming intended. Safe, sane, and consensual for everyone of adult age (or not if it’s not your bag).

      2. mrnoidea

        Ruth was allowed to change her mind.

      3. Willo

        Maybe that’s part of why Ruth liked Jason enough to handcuff him. He reminded her that she was allowed to withdraw consent at any time. He showed respect for her feelings and mental state instead of a selfish ploy by an ex using her guilt to get something she wanted.

        Ruth did it because she wanted to be ‘forgiven’ for whatever it is she did that Willis has decided to hold out on us with. It’s not on her for deciding it wasn’t something she wanted, she shouldn’t have been put in that position in the first place.

        Jennifer wants Ruth to get over her and thinks she’ll achieve that by getting her laid (apparently she doesn’t think it matters who because come on, Daisy for all appearances from Jennifer’s interactions are that her boss is horny, plain and simple, and she doesn’t like her, she wouldn’t care enough to do Daisy a favor if it didn’t serve her in some way) So with all that in mind she tried to force her to move on by foisting her onto someone else that would in turn, benefit her in a bonus way, she gets rid of the ties, and she gets more pull on her job.

        Whatever positive emotions she may have had for Ruth might have made her think she was doing her a ‘favor’ too, but ultimately, she responded to the situation showing that it was in fact, all about her and Ruth’s emotional and mental state don’t matter so long as her ends were achieved, but they weren’t so now she’s horrible again. She didn’t bother to ask ‘what happened’ or why the date didn’t work out, she just jumped to making her out to be selfish. Toxic. Toxic. Toxic.

    2. Bryy

      It hurts me so much that every arc is a singular day. Meaning we’re always like a year away from anyone having any kind of personal growth.

  23. William Leonard Reese Jr.

    Truly the greatest value loss in getting “dem gains”. You lose the ability to fit into tight spaces and hide yourselves behind small bits of furniture.

    Also CHONK!

    Though I do wonder why exactly the Chonk is hiding from the argument between Jennifer and Ruth.

    1. MrSmith

      Well hes not at all chonk but yeah hes got no skin in this game so why the hiding?

      1. Cholma

        He’s trying to avoid the blood when the femurs start flying.

      2. Reltzik

        He knows the sort of thing his hindbrain will make his mouth say if he’s got direct line of sight on this kerfluffle.

    2. Wizard

      Considering the potential for collateral damage, it’s the second smartest thing he could do. (The smartest would be to get out completely, although that would mean missing the drama.)

    3. AeromechanicalAce

      I suspect this fight is bringing up some very old survival instincts. This looks like the “My Parents are fighting, make myself Scarce” Strategy.

      1. WanderingLynx

        … Can’t unsee :C Poor boy

        1. Wagstaff

          *throws up in mouth a little*

          It’s not a wonder that the majority of those who are the best at this kind of psychology had to be, because they were survivors os abusive environments.

        2. WanderingLynx

          Yeah, it’s called hypervigilance :C

          I do written roleplay and one of the characters I write the most about grew up in this wildly abusive home. And, like… Mine was “only” toxic, and my mom and I didn’t get along for almost two decades, but the was love and good intentions; meanwhile there’s all these experiences and coping mechanisms and survival skills I had to read about. This? Is Joe realizing shit’s going down and his Inner Child diving for cover even if his Yuge Manmeat exterior doesn’t let him.

      2. StClair

        Bingo.
        which is also how Becky knows when and where to start looking around for kids doing that.

        1. Demoted Oblivious

          Huh. I read that as “Bongo’s” which is how Becky knows…” And it still parsed perfectly, aside from her particular issue being dad not mom. He was still a total bongo dongo though.

        2. BBCC

          We have no indication Joe has issues with his mom, aside from the messy divorce which seems to have been caused by Dad’s fidelity issues.

        3. Demoted Oblivious

          Correct. But StClairs’ comment was about Becky and her perception, not about Joe’s (possibly non-existent) situation. People respond to what they perceive, not to what they don’t know.

        4. BBCC

          Ohhhh, okay, I think I get it now. I think I misread. My bad!

  24. TemporalShrew

    Joe cowering in fear makes the inanity of this argument worth it.

  25. JessWitt

    Nice to see Ruth maintaining her cool in the face of Jennifer reaching her boiling point.

    1. Dev

      Agreed. I’m really proud of Ruth for not rising to it. Especially since her argument was it was for *her* birthday.

      I know Jen/Billie is selfish and way too privileged, thus needing to be brought down more pegs, but this one really made me dislike her.

  26. BenRG

    RUTH: “How the hell was I ever into that?”

    1. StClair

      A combination of alcohol, physical attraction, and “this is all I deserve”.

  27. Clif

    Is it not obvious that Joe is here to talk to Becky?

    About Joyce.

    1. Spencer

      “Becky what do I do? I think I’ve got it bad for Joyce.”

      “Have you tried not talking about it ever?”

      Actually Joe coming to Becky for Joyce advice would probably be a fun conversation. I kinda wanna see that now.

      1. Clif

        Joyce has been sneaking sad looks at her phone. Joe wants to know what’s going on because he actually cares about Joyce. Joyce isn’t going to tell him. If anyone is likely to know and be willing to tell him it’s Becky. But he doesn’t want Joyce to know he’s asking. So he’s not there.

        1. Clif

          Joyce acting at all depressed would be a red flag for Becky.

        2. anonymsly

          And, interestingly, Becky may know nothing at all about it. Joyce has been acting normal around her, and she’s been fully engaged with Dina during science class. Which may be why Joyce felt it was ‘safe’ to do the sad glances: no one was going to notice. Except Joe noticed.

        3. Demoted Oblivious

          Maybe Joe wants to let Becky know Joyce is sad about something, so there’s more ghan one person who cares keeping an eye on Joyce?

          Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got my ticket to ride the S.S. Joeyce cruise liner to the mediterranean, but I’m hoping it’s more than just another flash in the pan.

      2. Needfuldoer

        “Try winning her a knockoff Elsa doll at Six Flags.”

        1. Spencer

          Joyce strikes me as more of a Tangled gal.

        2. Needfuldoer

          It’s a previous storyline reference:

          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2019/comic/book-10/02-to-remind-you-of-my-love/princess-2/

          But I think Willis drew Joyce dressed up as Disney Rapunzel one Halloween early on in DoA’s run too, if that’s what you’re referencing.

  28. AeromechanicalAce

    Wow. Jennifer is trying HARD to take the “worst Non-Parent character” title from Mary, huh?

    1. Ellegos

      If I recall correctly, I think Mary probably lost that award to the rapist who attempted to drug Joyce and got stabbed by Amber.

      1. Reltzik

        After trying to stab Amber. Yup. And I think even if it weren’t Scar-boy, she’d be in behind Creepy Nighttime Stalker Guy.

  29. WanderingLynx

    Welp, it’s official. A metric ton of bullshit didn’t get me out of this struggling ship but Jeniffer “how dare you change your mind on sexing my boss for my benefit” Billingsworth is being A Hole in this hull by herself, and it’s now past saving.

    Ruth deserves better and I swear to Marx that if Jenniffer (who’s fallen of the wagon of drama, woes) pulls a “SEE I KNEW YOU WERE STRAIGHT, JUST LIKE ME! IT WAS A PHASE!”, I’m going to ship Ruth and Jason even harder out of spite. “Pissy, Nihilistic, Desperate” can apply to more than one people.

    1. Joyfulldreams

      Honestly? Same. HARD same.

      1. WanderingLynx

        I’m so upset! They showed so much growth together and while I’d never endorse IRL their brand of codependence… My id was convinced it was romantic and hot and all those epic things. And then it was over?? During a time skip?? DyW what did—?

        Forget it. Forget it. I’m glad they broke up (and pissed off that I’m glad lmaoo)

        1. Doki

          Ugh. Saaaame. They were on a positive trajectory and then SOMETHING??? happened and now… eeeeugh.

          Both of the ships I like most in the comic now seem SUPER dead (Ruth/Billie and Danny/Ethan). And obviously it goes without saying that the author can write his characters how he wants, and that’s fine? But MAN it’s kinda sad as someone who’s followed DOA for years now. :C

    2. Wagstaff

      Nah, if there’s anyone worth swearing to for “Jennifer’s” sake, it’s SpongeBob.

      “Screw her! BAH HA HA HA HA HA!!!”

      1. Wagstaff

        https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OcYuLE2_yTI&t=9

        1. WanderingLynx

          A+++, a moment that marked a whole generation [wipes single tear] Thank you ;A; <3

  30. Megan Rivera

    Joe C H O N K

  31. Bagge

    Two women have a shouting match about sex. Isn’t this the kind of bullshit Joe claims to be into.

  32. NinjaNick

    Ruth: “And I tied him to the doorknob…like a dog.”

    Jennifer in Mrs. Schwartz’s voice: “WHA-WHA-WHAAAAAAT?!!!”

    1. Demoted Oblivious

      “And I tied with him like a dog!”

      WHOA! whoa! oh. Oh that’s not what you wrote. Good lawd I thought this had taken a dark, furry turn.

  33. WanderingLynx

    BTW I was wondering. Because if Joe flunked this class, it’s not like he cared the first time around so it wouldn’t be a surprise, but… He’s retaking it.

    This time he’s there to actually learn.

  34. cbwroses

    It’s ok. Their vision is based on movement.

  35. Indiana Bones

    Can’t believe it’s taken me this long to notice that, with the coat, Becky’s color palette is the lesbian flag

    1. ADLegend21

      now that you mention it, it might be!

  36. Rabisch

    If this continues, Leslie will be forced to tell Jennifer (I hope Ruth is spared, she’s just a victim) to never return to her class again. This or reshaping her whole lesson to discuss what happens to Jennifer and Ruth day after day… too much work. Also, I don’t know what Joe is doing there, but I’m sorry to see him so scared.

    1. Sam

      Leslie hasn’t even arrived yet that we know. And to our knowledge, this is literally the second class. Technically students are allowed to verbally argue before lessons start.

  37. ADLegend21

    Wow Jennifer Billingsworth, how dare someone think of themselves on their own birthday and not be completely worried about you and your problems. So mature of you.

    1. Needfuldoer

      But she’s the main character from her perspective, she’s supposed to get everything she wants! It’s not fair when that doesn’t happen!

      /s

  38. Keulen

    Joe is a cat now. That’s interesting. Also, why is he in this class? Didn’t he take it last semester?

    1. AGV

      He’s a cat boy now

    2. Rabisch

      Probably he wants to talk with Becky about Joyce’s parents.

  39. Mr.Morningstar

    Hey she can go home with whomever she likes honestly, and tbh Jennifer has no right to be mad about that

  40. darkoneko

    Jenny, what the hell

  41. :0

    Hey there Billie Jennifer, congratulation for becoming the worst version of yourself, I guess?

  42. Eric

    I’m gonna be honest: this storyline is too long and convoluted, and I completely forgot about what’s her face newspaper editor.

    1. Clif

      This storyline is too long and convoluted.

      (Sorry for all the implied laughter.) I’m assuming that you haven’t been reading Willis’s comics very long.

      1. Eric

        Decades.

  43. Jabberwocky

    God Billie is awful

  44. Emily

    Jennifer. >:( Why are you like this?

  45. Needfuldoer

    “You didn’t boink my boss, so now she’s going to hate me even more! You don’t think about anyone but yourself!”

    That’s probably Jennifer Billingsworth’s most on-brand line yet.

  46. Username Taken

    “We were just talking about how we were all settling down and growing up.” – Billie, five minutes ago

    1. Rabisch

      This is reality hilarious to think.

  47. Rabisch

    Joe want to ask Becky how Joyce’s parents divorce is going. It’s sad he don’t ask her directly.

  48. Tan

    So here’s the thing. Jennifer is upset Ruth didn’t fuck Daisy, yes. But that’s not what really sets Jennifer off. What really sets her off is Ruth going home with a male. Because ‘bisexuality isn’t a thing’, so Ruth being with a man means that Ruth is straight and that their relationship didn’t mean anything to Ruth (just as Jennifer being with Asher now means their relationship didn’t mean anything to Jennifer). Ruth never had real feelings for her, and that is shocking and hurtful.

    Yes, the hypocrisy is deep, but we knew that.

    1. Sam

      An interesting point.

    2. Spencer

      I was leaning towards Jennifer coming to the same conclusion but the idea of her being hurt that “it was also just a phase” for Ruth, that’s a damn good read.

    3. Rabisch

      Wow…. I LOVE this!

    4. BBCC

      Interesting. I thought she might assume this meant it was ‘a phase’ for Ruth too, but I never considered that might hurt Jennifer.

      1. Sam

        Jennifer being insensitive to the feelings of others by saying it was just a phase out loud with words doesn’t grant her immunity to pain from perceiving someone feeling that way about her.

        Also as a sidenote, this made me aware we should pay attention to how sensitive she is to Asher’s feelings because she was at her most caring with Ruth so interesting parallels may crop up.

        1. Delicious Taffy

          Y’all aren’t wrong, but like. Boo-hoo for Jennifer?

        2. Spencer

          I mean yeah she’s an ass, but as observers from beyond the fourth wall we can be privy to Jennifer being a douchenozzle and Jennifer burying her sexuality on the grounds of needing to embrace the heteronormative status quo she wants to belong to.

        3. thejeff

          Which raises the interesting note that we haven’t seen any private moments between Jennifer and Asher yet. Everything we’ve seen of Jennifer since the timeskip has been public performance – for either her new friends, her old, or a couple of earlier moments with Ruth that seemed a bit more genuine.

  49. Needfuldoer

    Hey just an FYI: you can get rid of that auto-play video ad that takes up 2/3 of your mobile device screen by making your mobile browser ask for the desktop page. The contents of the page won’t change except for that.

    1. brute

      thank you friend

    2. Regalli

      Appreciated, thanks!

    3. Clif

      I had forgotten you can do that from the menu. Thanks.

    4. Delicious Taffy

      That’s nifty, but it’d be nice if people didn’t have to bend over backwards with all these neat little tricks just so some asshole can’t force us to look at some worthless product we can’t even afford.

  50. Pylgrim

    So much for that self-congratulatory spiel about growing up.

    1. Nevermaker

      Yeah, if that rant about having something Sal wants didn’t make it clear that the spiel was BS, this writes it in the sky in 50-foot-tall flaming letters.

  51. Varangian

    Jennifer is leaning into that heel energy, and this is when she’s going after someone who literally took the bartender she likes hostage, damn!

    (Obviously Ruth isn’t blameless, this whole thing is a tire fire, but c’mon. Who looks worse here.)

  52. Regalli

    Hoo boy, Jennifer.

    1) Ruth and Daisy both agreed to go on a blind date. Ruth was clearly not ready for sex, as evidenced by her self-sabotaging, and decided Daisy was ‘too good’ for her. This is Ruth’s right as a human being. Though she clearly hit it off with Jason, I still don’t think she was up for sex specifically last night. She definitely wasn’t up for the prospect of dating someone who was nice and pleasant and not remotely intimidated by her attempts at self-sabotaging, and who wouldn’t consider dating someone who held them hostage. Ruth handled literally every other aspect terribly, but she does totally get to change her mind about having sex with someone.

    2) Jennifer still doesn’t acknowledge bisexuality is a thing (putting Ruth and also Alice as ‘weird’ and ‘everyone has these thoughts, right?’) She also might not be aware Ruth had a boyfriend back in Canada, as the only mention of Ciaran was while she wasn’t present. This makes Ruth hitting it off with and subsequently threatening Jason a challenge in some way to this idea. Either she can brush it off into Ruth ALSO being straight and this was all totally just a mutual phase (which will almost certainly be challenged by Ruth, who DOES recognize bisexuality as a thing and has seemed remarkably unconcerned with her attraction to multiple genders, not to mention how this downplays how much the relationship clearly mattered to BOTH of them,) or Jennifer has to acknowledge that maybe bisexuality exists outside of porn. Maybe not everyone thinks about how hot their same-gender friends are. Maybe she isn’t, in fact, that ideal of Totally Normal she’s made for herself (that is, of course, straight even if she messes around with female friends) who’s the perfect Teen Movie ideal of the mean girl head cheerleader.

    Or she’ll spin this as Ruth hooking up with a guy AT Jennifer rather than internalize something that challenges her view of herself because OBVIOUSLY that can’t be it.

    Mutual clusterfuck, folks. Get your popcorn.

    1. Alex

      Well to be fair Ruth made it sound like she slept with Jason. And I think she told Billie “I had a boyfriend back in Canada” during the scene where she tries to wear lingerie. But yeah, Billie is out of line. I think we can all see the irony of her berating someone else for being selfish.

      1. Regalli

        I forgot she had mentioned it! Thanks.

        Jennifer’s so far out of line she’s in a different line entirely, regardless of reasoning. I have some sympathy for the complete failure of sex ed that makes her think bisexuality isn’t real, but like, there’s resources. Ruth can decide she doesn’t want to screw her ex’s boss as a favor to said ex (even if Jennifer was trying to sell it as a favor to RUTH) for any reason whatsoever, up to and including ‘I liked the bartender better and want to screw him instead.’

  53. ziggy78eog

    The irony of Jennifer telling others to quit being selfish, while the primary reason for her hooking up Ruth and Daisy was for her own benefit, does not escape me. So being with Asher has not made her a better person, just a lateral shift into another type of terrible.

  54. thumb

    Jennifer is being such an ass, I’m almost certain the break up was due to Ruth fucking up. Because that’s how stories usually work.

    1. Nevermaker

      I mean, both of them seem to blame Ruth for what happened, but we still don’t know the details: we’ll have to find out later!

      But yes, Jennifer is being The Literal Worst here. Total agreement there.

  55. Josh Spicer

    I know that the focus is supposed to be Ruth and Jennifer but I’m way too focused on Joe’s fear and him being “too chonk.”

    1. MrSmith

      I’m not entirely convinced that Becky is the best person to accurately describe a male given that Joe is not chonk but swole

    2. Rotunda

      The focus moves during the strip, first by introducing Becky behind Jennifer and Ruth, and then moving to her interaction with Joe.

  56. voidsiren

    I’m incredibly appalled that Jennifer thinks she has the right to say Ruth was only thinking about herself in the same situation where she was pimping her ex out to her boss.

    Like, I haven’t cared for Jennifer at all since the timeskip, but this is incredible. How can she breathe when her head is so far up her own ass?

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