247

Unduly
Posted on December 31, 2022 by David M Willis

247 thoughts on “Unduly”

  1. Ana Chronistic

    Robin’s doing the Reverse-Jason: fell into teaching job, no bowtie

    1. Sirksome

      Robin for Jason is probably a fair trade right?

    2. Sav

      Oh man, is that why she’s going to hire him? To tie her bow ties for her?

      1. someone

        To teach her how to tie bow ties.

        It can easily last the rest of the year.

        1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

          Could get tricky, if he has to use the “stand right behind you and tie it on you because I don’t know how to tie it facing the other way” technique.

        2. Edward Rhodes

          Robert Heinlein had a book called “Glory Road.” (Short story, Heinlein does “epic sword and sorcery,”) one of the characters could tie a bow tie on someone else, but only if they were laying down! (Seems he learned how by dressing corpses at a funeral home.)

        3. Leadsynth

          “The rest of the year” = 10+ years in DoA time!

      2. Ryan

        Why aren’t there so many
        Songs about bowties
        And what is tied inside?
        Bowties are visions
        Not only illusions
        And bowties have nothing to hide
        So we’ve been told and some choose to believe it
        I know they’re wrong wait and see

        Someday we’ll find it, the bowtie connection
        The lovers, the dreamers and me

    3. anon

      lol t me it’d just look like a hoodie drawstring but it’s not like a bowtie is really required for class (tho feels like easier to get a clipon/something pretied versus a ‘fancier’ one or a regular longer tie)

  2. Doctor_Who

    Robin: If only I could hire someone who is an expert on bow-ties. Sadly no such person exists.

    1. Steamweed

      “Someone who can tie bow-ties AND do all the boring grading of papers. Grunt stuff, like interns. Like, do they even HAVE interns for professoring?”

    2. Felgraf

      oh my god I think you may have actually just called it.

    3. davidbreslin101

      Next week she’ll be rocking a fez.

  3. The Wellerman

    Re: alt text, don’t you mean FUNgeon? XD

    1. True Survivor

      That would be better, but the Adventure Time reference would be less clear. That seems important for while I am by no means a fan of the show, even I have noticed a startling proportion of the alt-texts are references to that.

      Adventure Time, come one grab a friend
      come to where my recall this song’s lyrics ends.
      Congratulations, you’re there.

      1. The Wellerman

        ? the alt-text is an Adventure Time reference? Huh. Also, can’t believe that show is over a decade old now, time flies i guess.

      2. Slartibeast Button, BIA

        Trading an Adventure Time ref for a Wreck-It Ralph ref is a win in my book.

      3. James

        So who in DoA would be voiced by Justin Roiland in all his high-pitched glory?

        1. The Chosen One

          Galasso

        2. Rabisch

          The science professor, of course. But maybe he could be even a good Danny. Also, I think Kristen Schaal could be a great Becky.

        3. The Wellerman

          Most likely Danny XD

  4. BBCC

    GOD I feel for Roz here. That kind of frustration is the worst. The person you’ve been telling for YEARS about this shit now turning around and lecturing you about it as if you were the noob? Infuriating.

    But yeah, whoever called Robin getting consulted next? Snaps for you.

    1. brionl

      She’s lecturing the class. It’s not Robin’s fault that Roz happens to be in it.

      1. Wraithy2773

        This, and its a lecture hall style class too, she’s just one of dozens of students in there.

        1. Freemage

          No, no, you don’t understand: Roz is the Center of All Things. If a thing is, it is about Roz, and only Roz.

          Carla has to work at her narcissism; she puts in the time to earn it. Roz? For Roz, it’s as natural as breathing.

        2. Wraithy2773

          That’s unfair. I think Roz gets that its just a weird coincidence, and she’s just annoyed and venting that she’s having to hear her sister lecture on this topic. People just seem to be stretching this too far to imply that either Robin or Roz is being the Worst Person Ever here, when I just see a pretty tame bit of familial squabbling.

        3. Freemage

          I think I’ve just given up on her, and thus have zero inclination to find a kinder interpretation.

        4. BBCC

          Given that Robin herself came just to Roz what a slut she was last semester, yeah, I’m on Roz’s side here. Even if it is part of Robin’s ….I almost said Robin had class plans but we all know that’s bullshit, so I’m just gonna say part of her class, yeah, I can’t fault Roz for snarking at her sister about it.

        5. BBCC

          And? The fact it’s a class context doesn’t make it less infuriating that the sister who said she wasn’t respectable because she dared have sex and called her a hellbound slut who hurt her electability in front of her class is now lecturing about the criminalization of women’s bodies. It may not be Robin’s fault that that’s how things shook out, but when someone who’s been awful to you has basically failed upwards into lecturing YOU about something they do give a flying fuck about (and Roz KNOWS she doesn’t give a flying fuck about it)? That’s gonna chafe, other students or no, job or no.

        6. BBCC

          *That they DON’T give a flying fuck about.

        7. Wraithy2773

          Oh, fully agreed, its going to chafe. I’m not in camp “Roz is out of line” here, nor am I in camp “Robin’s being a jerk”. Roz is chafing and grumbling about it, while Robin’s not doing anything intending to harm Roz, its just weird how things have turned out here.

        8. BBCC

          That’s fair, I was responding to you and the one above you since it would’ve been repetitive. But yeah, other than Robin having forgotten however many years of treating her sister like shit being annoying, I don’t think she’s intentionally goading Roz here.

          Circumstances just aligned so that Roz yet again wants to strangle her sister.

        9. thejeff

          I don’t think Robin ever really intentionally goads people. She just runs right over them with what she wants to do.

          She’s not mean or cruel, she’s just self-centered and oblivious.

        10. Sirksome

          This is what I mean. You bring up the exact things I have issue with. It’s baffling to me that people seem to think Robin’s isn’t cruel to Roz or that this is normal sibling behavior. It’s not. Robin treats Becky like a sister. She treats Roz like a stranger.

        11. BBCC

          I just think a lot of people don’t like Roz and because they still think she’s funny and have leftover nostalgia from Shortpacked!, they do like Robin (which, hey, I do too, most of the time. I want to anyway but holy fuck can this Robin be infuriating. 2016 killed a LOT of my love and goodwill for her) so Robin good, Roz bad.

          Which I get, but I have an issue with it too.

        12. Joy

          I appreciate your words a bunch.

      2. Derek

        Roz is correct in pointing out that their lecturer doesn’t know much about the topic she’s teaching. or about anything really

    2. StClair

      Robinsplaining.

      (but per comments below: go ahead, try to convince Roz or her sister that they’re not the main character.)

      1. Sombrero

        But her sister is the main character!!! Riley, I mean.

    3. milu

      It’s even possible that Robin is transparently (and of course without a hint of humility) repeating stuff she’s heard Roz explain in the past, that Robin maybe even have dismissed and made fun back then.

      Yeah, that must be exceedingly irritating

      1. BBCC

        If that happened, I’d applaud Roz’s restraint in not saying “Oh FUCK RIGHT OFF” in the middle of class, out loud.

  5. not someone else

    Jay Lewis is indeed kind of a dickbag, I agree, Robin.

    1. not someone else

      Letterman. What the heck, brain/fingers

      1. not someone else

        I give up. That One Guy, but not *That* One Guy, the rounder one.

        1. Doctor_Who

          Don’t worry, these late bight guys are hard to tell apart sometimes. I always get him mixed up with Conan Kimmel.

        2. Sirksome

          You see one middle aged white dude in a suit lamely riff for fifteen minutes about the week’s new headlines you’ve seen ‘em all.

        3. Leorale

          Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert always made me laugh.

        4. Keulen

          I think Colbert was way better back when he was on Comedy Central than the Late Show.

        5. Devin

          Agreed. He’s settled into the format he’s in now, and the times he’s at his best are when we get glimpses of when he got to make his own format. Which is sad for us and the comedy landscape.

  6. Sirksome

    Maybe it’s because I have a sibling but I really hate how horrible Robin is to Roz. It’s normal to have a bit of sibling animosity but there is no love here at all.

    1. BBCC

      It’s hard to love someone you’ve spent the past at least two years using as a political pawn. And it’s really hard for them to love you back.

      1. BBCC

        Well, tried to use as a pawn anyway. Roz was pretty good at weaselling out of that when she could.

    2. Yotomoe

      I see no animosity here. I guess cuz I’m not reading Robin as being malicious and genuinely like “oh, haha, I did do that.” She just did her lesson plan for the day and it annoyed Roz and she was just like “oh haha that’s funny”

      1. William Leonard Reese Jr.

        That’s basically how I was reading it. The only animosity, warranted or not, seems to be coming from Roz.

        1. Doctor_Who

          I don’t think Robin is a very good person, but it’s hard to imagine her doing much of anything with actual malice.

          She’s a 100% thoughtless asshole, not a trying-to-be-an-asshole asshole. She’s Inverted Mike.

      2. Sirksome

        In a bubble it’s pretty tame ribbing but I still remember all of Robin’s history with her. She’s a wacky prof now but she’s always been horrible to Roz and it makes even the lighter moments read worse for me. But that’s my issue. I don’t fault anyone who enjoys Robin.

        1. Yotomoe

          I’m a shortpacked guy so I can never hate her.

        2. Sirksome

          See, I hear she’s way better in Shortpacked but I haven’t really read it. To me she’s a pretty obnoxious person who didn’t much care about anyone until recently and purposefully burdens and annoys characters I like.

        3. Yotomoe

          She’s literally exactly the same, just in a different context. It does wonders when the setting is different.

        4. StClair

          Like an object (shape, figure, whatever) against two different backgrounds, where the color/hue/saturation is exactly the same.

        5. BarerMender

          When did “purposely” become “purposefully?”

        6. milu

          They’ve been about as common since the 90’s

        7. milu

          (In published writing) (as recorded by google books)

        8. Needfuldoer

          She was cartoonishly obnoxious, but in a cartoonish world over there.

      3. Derek

        I’m fascinated by your perspective, because before reading your comment I couldn’t read Robin’s “haha” comment as anything other than malicious mockery of something Roz cares deeply about.

        1. milu

          Well I’m fascinated by your comment, because while i feel this sort of “worst possible interpretation” stance is overrepresented in the comments around here, you’re a rare case where someone actually considers and discusses how their own harsh judgment could be the product of reflexive personal bias =)

        2. Derek

          I’ll go ahead and assume your comment here is not sarcastic?

        3. milu

          Not sarcastic! Genuinely impressed and appreciative, though there was some collateral flippancy i admit. Happy new year ^^

      4. Devin

        I don’t read animosity in it per se, but indifference. Which given their history seems roughly just as bad to me.

    3. Pylgrim

      I have many more memories of Roz intentionally being horrible to people while the few memories I have of Robin being horrible to her are pretty unintentional, in her klutzy, self-centered way.

      1. Schpoonman

        There was the time she and the Dean came to Leslie’s class and spent their visit slutshaming Roz. I’m no fan of Roz and that was easily the worst thing to happen between the two sisters.

      2. thejeff

        Also when she dragged Roz to political events in support of policies she’s adamantly opposed to.

        But mostly, even if it’s mostly oblivious rather than intentional, Roz has been living with the crazed overwhelming whirlwind of Robin her entire life. Those couple of days that Robin broke into Leslie’s house and wouldn’t leave or admit there was anything wrong? That’s been Roz’s whole life.

    4. Azhrei Vep

      “No love here at all” pretty accurately describes every sibling relationship I’ve personally witnessed or been part of. So, pretty normal.

      1. milu

        Aw seriously? Im sorry to hear thar. Its really not universal though

      2. zee

        Yeah no fair. On a technical level i love my brother but in practice i wanna bash his head in over his star wars opinions
        Oh and i guess also bc he does the “lecturing me on things i already know about” thing a lot. But mostly the star wars thing

        1. Taffy

          Star Wars fans love to act like nobody’s ever heard of Star Wars before.

        2. Clif

          Of course people have heard of Star Wars. They just have wrong opinions about it.

          On the Internet.

        3. Edward Rhodes

          Star Wars, Star Trek, Blake’s 7, Doctor Who, it’s all wonderful. (Just not “Starlost.”)

        4. Clif

          Okay. Agreed.

  7. Rose by Any Other Name

    … damn it. She’s right. She is already maxed out.

    1. milu

      It’s pronounced “maxed out” but it’s written “maxxx?ed ?ut”

      1. Azhrei Vep

        “Macksckscksfaced peachut?” I don’t get it.

        1. milu

          I’m just being silly ?‍♀️

        2. milu

          (Were you also being silly??? ?)

        3. Azhrei Vep

          The peach confuses me, the rest is just being a goof.

        4. milu

          peach = bum (in the sexy way) in some(?) emojilects.
          also, kinda works as an ‘O’??? or so i thought

    2. Clif

      I’m not sure if she’s maxed out, but it’s handy to have someone around who’ll do things you’re too ethical to do.

      Not speaking from personal experience or anything.

  8. Yumi

    I’m not sure this is what the students signed up for the class expecting to learn, but it is a decent point from Robin. People still use her name/comparison as an insult, which is stupid to begin with, but also move on.

    1. milu

      Do they still?!

      1. Azhrei Vep

        In my experience, it’s pretty rare, but it still happens.

      2. Yumi

        In maybe 2015, a girl I was in college with was working on a poem where she was including names as negative examples, and Monica Lewinsky was one. I said something to her like, “Why is Monica Lewinsky worse than Bill Clinton to you?” and she replied, “Well, Bill Clinton did other things with his life as well.” Hm. “And you think that was t he only thing Monica Lewinsky ever did?”

        1. Clif

          In fairness, it was the only thing she ever heard about.

    2. zee

      Oh wait is she talking about the Bill Clinton thing? I was so confused i thought she was talking about some presidents daughter

  9. Yotomoe

    She’s right tho. She’s hot as hell.

    1. Taffy

      Absolutely sizzlin’, as they say.

  10. RassilonTDavros

    50 year old president? C’mon, you gotta be at least 70 just to get nominated these days. The Boomers would never elect anyone who has a personal investment in keeping the planet life-sustaining!

    1. Dean

      It was the 1990s, a 50 year old could be elected because boomers were still in their 50s then.

    2. ahecht

      Pretty sure that was a reference to the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, which began when he was 49 and she was 22 (and became public when he was 52 and she was 25).

      1. RassilonTDavros

        …okay, I really shoulda caught that. I just thought it was one of those “don’t name the president because of the floating timescale” things.

        Honestly, I kinda love that through 25 years of Willis shifting across the political spectrum, mocking the fuck out of Bill Clinton remains a constant. Though it’s probably for the best that this one has been nuked out of continuity.

        1. Thag Simmons

          Nobody likes Bill, regardless of politics. Like even people who were ride or die for his wife don’t like him

        2. thejeff

          That’s an odd take. Bill was always more popular than Hillary. Whatever you think about his policies or behavior, he had a ton of charisma she didn’t.

          Even most of those who hated him, hated her more – on the left or the right.

  11. Kim

    Huh, Robin IS always maxed out

  12. Yotomoe

    Here’s my thought experiment for the day. What would you try to do if you were president of the USA?

    1. Yotomoe

      I” go first. I truly truly would do everything in my power to slowly remove our dependence on money. Either through UBI or some system that makes all of the necessities for life to be automatically covered/free. It’d be woefully unpopular with my party and I probably wouldn’t get reelected but I’d put all my effort into abolishing money as a concept, because I hate it.

      1. Eolirin

        Be better off trying to do that from inside Congress. Presidents don’t get to set legislative agendas. Majority leader and Speaker of the House do.

      2. Needfuldoer

        Good luck getting anything past the turtle and the rabid lunatics.

    2. Yumi

      Desperately try to find someone more qualified to do the job and had morals and try to get them to be next in line so I could step down.

    3. The Wellerman

      Implement UBI, a socialized housing market, and legal cannabis.

    4. Savail

      I’d be incredibly immensely confused. Because A) female and B) not religious. Probably be incredibly ineffective and taint the position for all future women who might try for it unless the party who got me in did so with me as just a figure-head with a vice president who was more with it–which would be fine by me. I can advise pretty well, but I’m no good at leading.

      1. Yumi

        The question is “what would you try to do,” to be fair. Otherwise my answer would probably just be “panic.”

        1. Clif

          I’d veto everything until congress changed our immigration laws to something more rational.

    5. Kyrik Michalowski

      I would declare war on Russia, on behalf of Ukraine, Crimea and every other piece that putin has decided are Russian against their will.

      Probably would cause WW3 but fuck it, we’re heading down that path anyway.

      1. Kyrik Michalowski

        What is this? Did I use the wrong email again?

        1. The Wellerman

          altering the capitalization of your email will also shuffle the site gravitar, yes

        2. Kyrik Michalowski

          Yes I did, but back to my Sal gravatar. My personal favorite, both in comic and in gravatars.

    6. DailyBrad

      Probably get assassinated or coup’d for acknowledging a lot of shit like the US’s treatment of the Marshall Islands.

    7. BarerMender

      I’d try really hard to get out of it. I’m not fit to be president.

    8. shrub

      Depending on my mood either:

      A. Look at how other countries run their elections and implement those ideas that seem logical

      B. Implement new rules (or enforce current rules) for social media sites

    9. Dana

      Wealth tax. Inheritance tax. Cap deductions for contributions to charity at a couple million so that the ultra-wealthy can’t dodge taxes that way. Continue the work on a worldwide minimum corporate tax. As for what the revenue would go to, that’s not the point, but I’m fond of good pay for undervalued social service sector jobs, child care, etc., of UBI, and I’d be interested in setting up a sovereign wealth fund.

      1. Dana

        As for foreign policy, I’d put a high priority on nuclear disarmament. Given how handy Russia is finding the treat of nukes right now, that one’s a tall order.

    10. cbwroses

      Do everything possible to get term limits implemented for members of Congress as well as the Supreme Court.
      I feel that no single individual or group of individuals should influence our legal system either in making laws or in interpreting laws for too long.
      I’d also try to get rid of the electoral college.
      And lastly, I’d try to remove Congress ability to raise its own salary.

      1. shrub

        I like it, throw in some stuff about investing and I’ll vote for you

    11. Taffy

      Honestly, fuck it. I’m mashin’ that “Nuke the Planet” button like a Guile player in an arcade. The worst that can happen is it gets me too, that’s the only consequence.

      1. Serendipity

        That’s fucked up.

        1. Taffy

          Sounds like someone else’s problem, to me. What, is someone gonna hold me accountable for nuking the world? They’re gonna have mirelurks and deathclaws to worry about.

        2. Joy

          icon check out

        3. Schpoonman

          The world is fucked-up.

      2. Yumi

        *slips you a note that says, “We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson”*

        1. Taffy

          Seems like it might be an interesting read. I’ll see if the local library has/can get a copy.

    12. someone

      Wonder how the hell it happened since I am not eligible to be POTUS.

      Honestly not sure I could do what I’d want to do, such as establishing a single-payer universal health coverage on the model of what exists in literally every other single developed country, because it seems the USA are designed to make this impossible.

      So instead I’d just imitate something that has been done by a POTUS and hope to replicate it successfully. Ike’s interstate transport act of 1956 managed to build road highways everywhere. I’d do that but for high-speed rail instead.

    13. Keulen

      I’d try to end capitalism, but I highly doubt it’d be possible for the president to be able to do that alone. Though the ultra-rich and their giant corporations who fund most politicians in this country would never let someone who’s genuinely anti-capitalist become president anyway.

    14. milu

      Hm. That feels kind of like that question “what would you do if you won the lottery”. And ive always hated that question, anf the ensuing conversations about how much you would give to your friends, and charity, and how many trips around the world you would take, and houses you would buy and so on. Because its fucked up that any one individual *could* be permitted to have that much money, and similarly it’s fucked up that any one individual could have as much power as the potus has…

      (While i know their power is nowhere near unlimited, its still freakishly huge. Frankly if i think about it too hard it’s just wild to me that we live in a world where the gold standard of “democracy”, ie so-called “government of the people” involves electing one person to, like, “represent” the entire people??? That i such a transparently monarchical fiction, just with the fantasised “will of the people” replacing god. /curmudgeon)

      1. thejeff

        What’s kind of amusing in counterpoint to this is that most of the answers given here are things the President really can’t do. Certainly not on their own. Some they probably couldn’t do even with full support of a majority party. They certainly have a lot of influence and could get something into the political conversation that might make them more possible over time.

      2. Yotomoe

        I think about what I’d do if I won the lottery too. Which is “I’d start my own animation studio and hire as many animators I could and just say “Make what you want”. And just not worry about the money we make as long as everyone has creative freedom. And who knows maybe I’ll get lucky and make some money on projects. But even then there will be more animation in the world and that’s always a good thing.

        1. Clif

          I bet you didn’t know Mike was an animator.

          His kitty torture series will develop a cult following from the anti-cat crowd that will keep you going indefinitely.

          Mike doesn’t hate kittens; he just enjoys making as many people as possible uncomfortable.

        2. milu

          yeah i was unnecessarily negative. its true most people’s “what if i won the lottery” fantasies tend to involve accomplishing some dream they genuinely only lack the material resources to achieve.

      3. Taffy

        As far as the lottery goes, that money is already being siphoned off from the poor, desperate, and (yes) stupid. Why should it just sit there, getting bigger and bigger, instead of going to someone who actually intends to use it?

    15. Azhrei Vep

      I would try my absolutely damndest not to touch or affect anything. I have near zero idea how anything is actually accomplished at that level, and the risk of colossally fucking things up even worse would paralyze me.

      1. Ed Callahan

        I’m with you on that. I’d probably appoint my wife as “special adviser” and have her make the decisions, since she has serious executive skills.

      2. thejeff

        Don’t worry. Not touching anything would also fuck things up. 🙂

        But yeah – try to find good advisors and cabinet officers to do most of the actual work.

        I’m also introverted and a horrible public speaker, so I’d be rubbish at the bully pulpit part of the job.

    16. Mark

      (Re)build healthy relationships between the US and other nations. Carefully explain to our people why this is in the best interest of each faction. Campaign for independent redistricting commissions, or some other way that isn’t a glaring inherent conflict of interest. Campaign for some sort of preference voting, so the next centrist President wouldn’t also be an astounding fluke.

      But that’s a lot to do whilst carrying out the laws that Congress enacts, which is what the chief executive’s job description actually says.

    17. Hof1991

      Pack the Supreme Court. Move them to senior status after 18 years. Having lifetime appointments for legal priests is bad for democracy and life on earth.

      That would solve a lot of other problems or at least make solutions possible.

      1. thejeff

        All things that are good ideas, but not possible for a President to do on their own. The senior status part is questionable Constitutionally as well – and it’s the Court that would get to decide if it passed muster.

    18. anon

      “If aliens are out there, I will establish relations with them…and see if they’re DTF” 8D;

  13. Stephen Bierce

    Alles klaar, Tie Kommissar?

    1. shrub

      Damn strait

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-bgiiTxhzM

  14. Yumi

    Also, re: Robin’s lecture: Love a thematic connection.

  15. Suet

    Jay Leno slander? In the year (nearly) 2023?

    I dunno if sending Becky to horny jail or sex dungeon makes it better. And so is giving Robin a clip-on.

    1. The Wellerman

      re: NYE, I’m planning to watch FLCL at midnight and chill out after finishing a code commission 😀

      1. Joy

        Awesome!

    2. Needfuldoer

      Leno’s still relevant. Haven’t you heard about his latest hot take?

      1. Azhrei Vep

        Didn’t he die a few years back?

        1. Needfuldoer

          No, but one of his steam-powered cars tried to off him a few weeks ago.

    3. HueSatLight

      It’s not slander if it’s true.

      1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

        And it can’t be slander if it is written.

      2. HueSatLight

        Also not slander when it’s an opinion of someone’s character and not a factual claim. On Penn & Teller’s Bullshit, they called people assholes instead of liars for legal reasons.

  16. DarkoNeko

    Roz being like “how DARE they teach me something I already know ! in a school !!!”

    1. DarkoNeko

      ‘I am the world’s navel, that other people are also in this class doesn’t matter !!1!1″

    2. SuperZero

      I think the person being Robin was also a factor.

      1. thejeff

        A big part of it, though she did pull the “I could probably teach this class” early on in gender studies as well.

  17. RacingTurtle

    Why can’t I stop shipping this

    1. Yotomoe

      Fun anecdote with shortpacked spoilers
      Years ago when I first discovered Shortpacked there was a section where these two who were together for a while had a big dramatic breakup.

      I legit cried in the shower and posted a weird criptic post online about how much their breakup hurt me. I shipped them hard as hell.

    2. anon

      “divorced energy” could make for a fun hatef*** slipshine 8D;

      1. Yotomoe

        *writes that down*

        1. anon

          makes me wonder if there are poly meetups, or simply orgies where a few exes still run into each other then, i’m not super sexual myself but i don’t know if i could get with someone that annoyed me (if anything, if i was stressed out or pissed off at someone else, i’d go to someone else lol) let alone all that history versus “well we’re pissed off but we’re already naked in this bathhouse/sauna so might as well get it out of our system”

  18. Marvelman

    Took me half-a-minute to realize Robin was talking about Monica Lewinsky.

    1. spriteless aunty

      It’s an evergreen joke! Could also be Sarah Palin, or even Kamala Harris!

  19. anon

    “maxed out” everyone needs to have a bit of that confidence. or fake it til you make it. just don’t follow some of robin’s other behaviors lol

  20. Bryy

    oh shit.
    A reference to the title of the greater work!
    *leo dicaprio pointing gif*

  21. drs

    Calling her friends “12” seems like Sarah wants to stop having friends.

    1. Yotomoe

      I mean…yeah. Honestly that seems like her MO in general.

    2. The Wellerman

      You think? ?

    3. Taffy

      My friends and I bullshit about each other’s ages all the time, it’s not a real problem if the group doesn’t want it to be. I get called a 5-year-old all the time because I always get my ass kicked at Yu-Gi-Oh! cards.

      1. Yumi

        Yeah, like one of my friends is 3 years younger than me, and there have been multiple times I’ve referred to him as “a baby.” And like. It’s a three year difference.

        It’s hard to tell from this one panel how bothered anyone is by it.

      2. Pearl

        This gets funnier the older you are.

        1. Azhrei Vep

          It is the prerogative of the eldest present person in any given friend (or friend-adjacent) group to refer to the young’uns around them as children.

          And of course, it’s just as much the prerogative of those ignorant young twats to mock their elder for being better than them.

          … I may be slightly biased toward one side for … reasons.

      3. BBCC

        My friends mention being babies in the early 2000s and despite only being a few years older I’m just like ‘Get off my lawn and stop hitting grandma in her age.”

    4. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      Of course she wants to stop having friends. Friends just cause you problems and get in the way of studying.

      She must not have fun.
      Fun is the time-killer.

    5. zee

      Oh come on you can’t be serious. Everyone jokes that their younger friends are babies and their older friends are senile. I talk about my younger friend like they’re my literal daughter. That’s just how friendship works

  22. Nono

    Robin’s like Carla, but a lot more corrupted.

  23. Devin

    Yes Roz. She lectured you. You specifically. The rest of the class was just there by coincidence. Nobody else could possibly have gained any value from that…class. In school.

    1. Needfuldoer

      Someone had to witness Robin lecturing Roz.

    2. BBCC

      Yeah, how dare Roz be annoyed the sister that showed up to her class just to make sure she knew that her being ‘a hellbound slut’ hurt her chances of getting elected is now lecturing about criminalization of women’s bodies.

      Can’t imagine why that might annoy her, class context or not.

      1. Devin

        I don’t blame Roz for being annoyed about this, and I think it would be better for her to put as much distance between Robin and herself as possible. And that’s an option for her here, which she continues to not choose, and is in fact choosing to actively engage with Robin. Which is also consistent with the pattern established in Leslie’s class for her to try to make the class about her when it is in fact a college class that she chose to enroll in.

        It’s not Roz’s annoyance I take issue with here, it’s what she does with it. And this is a very appropriate age for her to be doing these things I find objectionable, but they still rub me the wrong way.

        1. Yumi

          To be fair, it’s not like Roz signed up to take this class with Robin. There was another professor assigned to the course who left last minute. She could drop it, and it’d probably be good for her in some ways, but it also might be way more complicated for her schedule.

          She could just try to get through the class without saying anything to Robin, but the situation’s still going to suck for her, and the main difference would be that she’s holding in her resentment, which I don’t actually think is ideal here.

        2. Devin

          Roz could also vent to someone else. I don’t think expressing her frustration to Robin is actually healthy in this instance. Certainly not in this way.

        3. BBCC

          It being a college class doesn’t make it better. Her snarking at Robin might not help anything, but given ROBIN is the one who has been an asshole to her sister for who knows how long, I can’t fault her for it either, especially since she snarks at her and then moves right along. A sarcastic line to her sister as she walks out is hardly making a class about herself.

          Not sure about this class, but she didn’t actually have a choice about being in Leslie’s. She’s a gender studies major. Intro to gender studies is required for her.

        4. Devin

          If we abstract it out enough we can make anything into nothing. But using that singular pronoun does make it about her specifically. I can tell you’re not faulting her for it, that’s been your entire position. But there doesn’t have to be a right and a wrong for every conflict. Both Robin and Roz can be wrong. Like I said, it’s not Roz’s annoyance I take issue with here, it’s what she does with it. You see it as fine, I don’t. We see a glimpse of the richness of human experience. Very nice.

  24. Derek

    this is why I hate Robin so much. Roz definitely knows more about slut shaming and misogyny than Robin because she’s been at the receiving end of it from Robin herself and yet Robin still answers “yup, guess I did lecture you on this topic” with that smarmy smile of hers. She has no shame or self awareness and she’s SO DAMN PROUD OF THAT. at least other politicians pretend to have humility. not Robin though

    1. Mark

      I would have said that self awareness is pretty much the only awareness that Robin has. All of the universe that isn’t Robin just isn’t very real to her, so her antics don’t matter. To her.

      1. Derek

        I don’t think being egotistical and being self aware go hand in hand when it comes to Robin

      2. thejeff

        There’s a big difference between self-centered and self-aware.

    2. Lan

      I mean Roz is also more than happy to lecture people on topics she has no place lecturing on (see her talking about queer rights or to litchrally any queer person) so maybe it just runs in the family

    3. Rabisch

      Robin was horrible to Roz that time. But that happened: before Robin fell madly in love with a woman, before she knew she had a rapist among those who worked for her and fought with her staff AND fired them all, before she found herself alone and desperate rethinking about her life, before she decided to take Becky under her wing and before she decided to leave her political career to show Becky that she really cared about her. I think that during all of this MAYBE some ideas changed in her.

      1. BBCC

        Okay, but she still treated Roz like shit and has made zero effort to apologize and/or fix that or that she actually cares about this stuff and isn’t just saying it for her job.

        1. Rabisch

          I don’t think Robin has an obligation to say to Roz that she’s sorry and she was right about everything. Maybe she will do that a day, but for now remember that Roz always spoke very bad about Robin, about her own family and has also said, a lots of times, that she can’t stand her siblings. It’s a complicated family situation.

        2. Devin

          I think this is a great example of how there doesn’t intrinsically have to be a right side and a wrong side to every conflict. Sometimes both sides are wrong in different ways and those wrongs collide.

        3. thejeff

          So the theory here is that Robin was awful, but she’s changed now and because she’s changed she doesn’t have any obligation to apologize to Roz?

        4. Sirksome

          I can acknowledge Robin’s changed for the better but that hasn’t really been reflected in how she treats Roz. Roz does deserve an apology for the slut shaming but that won’t happen because even the new “soft reboot” Robin doesn’t care about Roz.

        5. Sirksome

          Opps. Replied to the wrong person. This was meant to be @Rabisch

        6. Rabisch

          Not because she changed but because Roz is her sister and relationship between family members are complicated by pride and way too much stupid old memories. Maybe Robin will never say to her that she’s sorry. But I strongly doubt she will slut shaming her ever again.

        7. BBCC

          I strongly disagree. If you do something that hurts people, and they’re open to it, you ARE obligated to apologize and try to fix things. Roz always spoke badly of Robin because Robin was trying to treat her like a political pawn and did things like come into her class to call her a hellbound slut that hurt her electability. I wouldn’t be able to stand her either. That is on ROBIN to fix. Pride isn’t a good reason not to apologize, and just not slut shaming her again isn’t enough when Roz is clearly still angry about it. Family relationships are complicated and there’s lots of complicated situations there but this is one where it’s pretty straightforward that Robin was an asshole and should try to fix things.

      2. Derek

        I don’t think she “took Becky under her wing” as much as she tried desperately to spin positive her tailspinning political career by hiring a teenager who had spicy things to say.
        And I can’t bring myself to see her falling in love with Leslie as positive because she stalked her and trespassed in her house and destroyed her valuables.

        The only good thing she did was to quit politics.

        1. Devin

          She did also fire the interns and also her staff that was propping them up. I think Robin doesn’t like to see people suffering personally, and can figure out how to do something about that, but not on a broader ideological level.

        2. thejeff

          A common flaw. Capable of feeling empathy personally over those you know, but not capable of extending that to the larger scale.

        3. Yumi

          Yeah, I’ve actually walked my dad through larger picture issues through starting with personal empathy on a number of things… in that case, and I think possibly commonly in the real world, the issue isn’t “not capable of this” but “it hadn’t occurred to them to do this.” IDK… Trump was the final push in my dad no longer being a Republican, but I like to think I helped set some things in motion.

        4. thejeff

          It might have started as just “hiring a teenager who had spicy things to say”, along with a dose of outdoing Leslie at momming her protege, but she definitely did go beyond that for Becky in the end.
          She left Congress after the kidnapping because of her.

    4. Joy

      yeah…

  25. GUIGUI

    I am not sure I understand the comment about late night shows, nor how it tie with the criminalization of women’s bodies.

    1. not someone else

      Monica Lewinsky got pressured into sleeping with the President and when it came out her entire career got turned into a smoking crater, in significant part because the folks who were media influencers at the time turned her into the punchline.

      1. JBento

        I mean, regardless of everything else (there’s no doubt that the treatment of Lewinsky by, e.g., the media and Hillary was beyond the pale), I’m not sure we can say she got pressured into sleeping with the president when even before she got to the White House she was telling her friends how she was totally going to sleep with the president.

        1. spriteless aunty

          it’s a lot like Jason and Sal. Even if she wanted it, you do not fuck someone you have power over.

        2. GUIGUI

          From what I can tell, it seemed to be fully consensual with zero repercussion or any feeling of threat if she said no.

          With that said, it was fully irresponsible of Bill Clinton to let himself go to such inclination. As an already experienced politician, he was fully aware of the consequence she was risking her to.

        3. JBento

          Oh, I’m not saying Clinton dind’t fuck up in, like, three different ways. Definitely did.

        4. thejeff

          It actually makes it a better parallel to the Jason/Sal situation, though it’s not really the same in other ways. In both cases, she may have made the first moves and he didn’t force or pressure her, but it’s the position and power over her he held that make it a problem.

      2. GUIGUI

        Ah, Monica Lewinsky, it make sense, now. thanks.

  26. Needfuldoer

    Sarah, you turned 20 about three months ago, your time. Get down off your high horse.

    1. Azhrei Vep

      She shall do no such thing! The eldest in any friend or friend-adjacent group has the right to lord their probably-fake wisdom over the tiny babies that surround them! Such is the way of the world.

      1. ValdVin

        I am 14 months younger than my brother, who is the oldest of three. I recognize this.

  27. Lan

    I was going to say I was surprised that Robin’s lecture seemed sympathetic towards Lewinsky but then I remembered she’s a republican so she’ll likely happily hop on the #metoo train if it’s to bash a Clinton

    1. ValdVin

      Yeah, Robin’s not gonna look too closely at the serious (sic) press’ conduct during this time. I would guess she’s pretty big into Murc’s Law.

    2. Devin

      I think this gives Robin too much credit. I’m not convinced she has much of any principles of her own, but rather adopts positions that she think will bring her benefit.

      I think she doesn’t like to see people suffering on a personal level, and when she’s shown personal suffering those are the times she makes changes. But she doesn’t seem to demonstrate the ability to internalize any of this on an ideological level.

      1. Moonie

        Haha this

      2. ValdVin

        A valid response, certainly, but to people in politics who have no actual polestar to guide them (whether it guides them the way I am or you are) Murc’s Law is pretty much a default setting.

  28. Rabisch

    So there are two possibilities. Or Leslie will tell Robin that she knows a young man who is looking for a job as an assistant professor and knows how to tie bow ties and she will enthusiastically hire him (and I wonder how Ruth can take the fact that her boyfriend will be working for the hot prof, notorious for acting without thinking when she’s drag from the passion) or Robin will be mortally offended, because Lelie thinks she would have no problems hiring a guy who slept with one of the students he was supposed to tutoring. I hope for the second.

    1. thejeff

      It’s not a coincidence that the lecture was about Clinton and Lewinski.

      1. HueSatLight

        o dang, of course.

        1. Clif

          Nor is it a coincidence that Leslie is seeking Robin out.

  29. milu

    happy “not being broken-up with day” to all who celebrate!!! ?
    you’re the first to know, randomly enough #oversharing

    …i’ll be fine though. this isn’t a bad one. i’ve had bad ones, this isn’t nowhere near.
    still fairly stings though =C

    1. Needfuldoer

      Sympathy via light textual contact.

      1. Needfuldoer

        Dammit!

        https://www.dumbingofage.com/sympathy-2/

        1. milu

          Guh that is SO CUTE

    2. Yotomoe

      Sorry to hear Milu! Glad it wasn’t too bad but still.

      Also I can’t be broken up with if I’m never dating anyone- *taps forehead meme image*

    3. BBCC

      Aww, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope it stings less soon.

    4. JBento

      Wow, SOMEBODY really followed through with their New Year’s resolution, huh?

      On the upside, there’s loads of chocolate around this time of year so, y’know, bottom’s up! Hope the sting fades soon.

      1. Yumi

        I did recently learn that a lot of dark chocolate has been found to have heavy metals in them, though… like, more heavy metals than you’d want. This hasn’t stopped me from eating the dark chocolate I already had, but I have felt worse about it.

        Also, this was based on findings in the US, so maybe the dark chocolate situation is better wherever you’re at, milu. Or maybe you don’t even like dark chocolate. Regardless, I hope you find something that comforts you.

        1. Schpoonman

          Fuck, really? I like dark chocolate (60-70) in my chocolate chip cookies. Should I start splurging for imports?

        2. Taffy

          Apparently nothing is remotely nutritious or safe to eat anymore. Guess I’ll die.

        3. Clif

          Death is very bad for your health.

        4. Needfuldoer

          Eat Arby’s.

        5. Clif

          When it comes to Jamocha shakes, I don’t really give a damn whether it’s bad for my health or not.

    5. milu

      Y’all are cuties. <3
      And yeah, I was lucky to have a wonderful time with an awesome person while it lasted. I wish you all all the best this year, specially you Yoto <3

      Love dark chocolate. Won't be worrying about any negative health effect as im a city-dwelling, below-poverty-level depressive smoker haha. Lots of things will be killing me long before that chocolate has a fleeting chance ?‍♀️

  30. Stephen Nedland

    So, is Leslie going to ask Robin to hire Jason? This has got to be one those, “I’m going to hate myself in the morning”, things, is it not?

    1. HueSatLight

      Robin DeSanto, sin eater. Unless she says no.

  31. zee

    God she does look hotter tho

  32. Masumi

    Okay lots of people called Robin being asked next, but who thought it would be *Leslie’s* idea?

  33. EpochFlame

    last-panel robin has a point

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