“Sarah, here is a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, an MP3 player loaded with Death Metal (the grumpiest of all musical genres), and a picture of Jacob shirtless. Lock yourself in the bathroom for three hours and enjoy yourself.”
“Where did you get the picture?”
“I asked if Ethan could secretly take one. Turns out he already has a whole folder full of ’em on his computer.”
Yeah ok that seems like it’d actually work. But what about Ruthless? It’s like EVERYONE’S forgot our favorite RA.
Incomitatus
She can be dealt with through the “Billie Protocol”.
Screwball
“Hey Ruth, I think I saw Billie in Leaf’s underwear” by any chance?
Yet_One_More_Idiot
Or you could get around Ruthie by just inviting her to the party and casually mentioning that Billie will be there too. Perfect excuse for them to be socialising in public with no-one noticing they’re an item… 😉
Sarah’s happiness is inversely proportional to that of everyone else in the room. If Joyce wants to know how the party’s going, all she needs to do is look at Sarah’s face. If the corners of her mouth are dragging on the floor, it’s a success!
For all her talk I think Sarah has acted that way remarkably seldom. The only times I can think of is before the houseparty (where she actually didn’t ruin anyones fun except Ryan’s) and in the mall.
I don’t now. Masturbation seems to be more “filling a biological need” then a hobby. Of course, that could just be a personal take on the matter. I wonder if Sarah is actually chill after a session with Other Jacob.
jpic89
If you don’t consider masturbation a hobby, you aren’t doing it right.
Rich
It turns into an internet business for quite a few people. Solo webcam videos are one of the safest forms of sex industry work, although still pretty badly stigmatized by polite society.
Gangler
It can probably be both.
Like, there’s eating just to survive, then there’s the vast culinary pleasures available to pursue in modern society. There are pretty passionate foodies for whom it’s definitely a hobby.
To a certain extent you could make a similar case for sensory stimulus in general. There are certain sounds we tend to find pleasant and certain sounds we do not, and I’m sure if you dig deep enough it all ties into some evolutionary bullshit about survival or passing on the genes or whatever at some point in our history as a species. Yet from that we build and consume music, which is such a broad thing and which again many people do pursue as a hobby in different ways.
If you’re really passionately into masturbation there’s probably all sorts of stuff you can do to elevate it into something like music or the culinary arts.
David M Willis
i love how this thread is developing
Screwball
It does have an interesting feel to it’s general direction…
Sounds like Gangler probably explained it best. You can do a basic job, or you can make sure you do a good job. Sounds about right?
reminds me of when i was a virgin and was alone at home and started to look at various kitchen contraptions and vegetables with a creative eye.
Tenn
Music, food and masturbation — finally together!
I’m not going to describe the scenario that my perverted brain instantly imagined, but it involves Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik and lobsters.
Rycan
Clawed crustaceans and masturbation do not mix. They really don’t.
fogel
Um, am I really the only one here who knows about “sexy losers” webcomic’s “Mike’s left hand” story line? (I read that the author/artist coined “fap” & “schlock”, but I have not done any research to verify that…)
fogel
SCHLICK, not schlock!!!! (Spellwrecker was clearly invented by the predecessor of Sirius Cybernetics. When I find the programmers responsible, the last sound they’re gonna hear is OMMMMMINOUS HUMMMMMMMM ….)
Rich
So they’ll wind up in a Laz-5 state?
fogel
Oh. Yeah. Strohl guarantees it. If not, you get a 5 minute all you can grab shopping spree in their show room!
timemonkey
There’s masterbating just to take the edge of, where you do it as fast as possible. And then there’s masterbating for fun, where you enjoy the journey as much as possible and it’s time consuming but amazing.
We don’t know what their roommate agreement looks like. I wonder if they even talked about parties or get-togethers and what/how much permission requesting needs to happen… or if Sarah just assumed that super sheltered homeschool girl wasn’t ever going to have a party in thier room.
Roommate agreement or not, it’s kind of a matter of basic courtesy to, y’know, ask the other person sharing your living space if it’s okay to have a party in their living space.
I’m sure that after her previous experiences, Sarah includes “NO DORM PARTIES IN ROOM” on every roommate agreement as a matter or course, no matter who the roommate is. She probably wrote the agreement before she met Joyce.
Between the party and Becky living there, Joyce has been imposing quite a bit lately. If/when Becky gets caught by an RA, both roomies will catch some heat for it, after all.
Still, I don’t think the party is quite the issue it appears to be for Sarah. She can always go hit the library for a while if it is, but I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t stick around “just to keep a eye on the freshmen” of course. Can’t admit to enjoying herself, even if Ethan shows up with Jacob along for the ride.
164 thoughts on “Counteract”
Jen Aside
“What if I invite Other Jacob?”
“…we’ll collectively look in this other direction.”
“What? Joyce, you don’t even want to LOOK at this other dude?”
“…Sarah, you explain.”
“OH, no way, I’d rather see YOU explain!”
“??? Now I HAVE to know.”
“DANGIT SARAH”
Doctor_Who
Joyce: “Hey, what happened to Other Jacob?”
Sarah: “You ever see a movie where someone brings a date to a party, but they wind up leaving with someone else?”
Joyce: “Hey, what happened to Ethan?”
Sarah: “Bingo.”
Screwball
These are both conversations I would like to see. But not the Ethan-with-Other-Jacob part, Not interested in that sorry…
Camachri
’tis better to ask for condescension than permission.
o
Whee
otusasio451
In that case, we will enact the Sarah Protocols.
Doctor_Who
“Sarah, here is a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, an MP3 player loaded with Death Metal (the grumpiest of all musical genres), and a picture of Jacob shirtless. Lock yourself in the bathroom for three hours and enjoy yourself.”
“Where did you get the picture?”
“I asked if Ethan could secretly take one. Turns out he already has a whole folder full of ’em on his computer.”
boomwolf
And with that, I now quit the internet forever.
Johnathan Joestar
Yeah ok that seems like it’d actually work. But what about Ruthless? It’s like EVERYONE’S forgot our favorite RA.
Incomitatus
She can be dealt with through the “Billie Protocol”.
Screwball
“Hey Ruth, I think I saw Billie in Leaf’s underwear” by any chance?
Yet_One_More_Idiot
Or you could get around Ruthie by just inviting her to the party and casually mentioning that Billie will be there too. Perfect excuse for them to be socialising in public with no-one noticing they’re an item… 😉
Kris
Sarah your irritation is how everyone will know it’s a party.
Doctor_Who
Sarah’s happiness is inversely proportional to that of everyone else in the room. If Joyce wants to know how the party’s going, all she needs to do is look at Sarah’s face. If the corners of her mouth are dragging on the floor, it’s a success!
Rich
Going by that theory, she ought to shipped with Mike for her own benefit, shouldn’t she?
Rycan
Mike would figure out how to make Sarah miserable. It’s his special ability.
Plasma Mongoose
Face it Sarah, you have been typecast as a grumble-bum.
Dreadhawk177
if((grumble-bum)Sarah.mood < 10){
exit(1);
}
Plasma Mongoose
Is that maths or computer code?
Tacos
Computer code. I remember having to take a coding class once before I switched majors.
annamal
I think it might be grumble_bum.
Of course if Sarah is ever unable to be cast as grumble_bum then you’d be looking at a null exception error
You must be *supremely* confident in Sarah’s grumble_bumness.
The Churro
Its true, in swift here causeOfAnnoyance isn’t even optional.
Bagge
For all her talk I think Sarah has acted that way remarkably seldom. The only times I can think of is before the houseparty (where she actually didn’t ruin anyones fun except Ryan’s) and in the mall.
Rycan
And that time she intervened against Dana.
Kernanator
Joyce has skipped straight to the end of the Five Stages of Party Grief.
-Sentinel-
Becky’s navel is staring at me. O_O
Doctor_Who
Don’t break eye contact, or it will attack.
Tacos
So is it like a T-rex and its vision is based on movement?
Someone
Just back away slowly
Rycan
Maybe it’s like a bird – throw a blanket over it, and it’ll calm down.
saki
Don’t blink.
Halloween Jack
It already winked at me. What now?
tim gueguen
Joyce actually looks a bit annoyed in that last panel. Could it be her tone of voice is sarcastic? Can she even do sarcastic?
Plasma Mongoose
How can this be? Jesus hates the snark.
JessWitt
Thou shalt not snark.
Kathleen
Not annoyed, sad/resigned.
DarkoNeko
Sarah makes a lot of very good points. Especially the last one.
MeghanTheWorldEater
So what? Are you suggesting we use logic in our lives? What sort of blasphemy is this!
Screwball
logic & sanity, both are over-rated at times…
DarkoNeko
…also, she’s starting to snarl in her last panel <_<;
Start backing away slowly, people.
LiaHansen
Sarah’s so cartoony, i love it
m-m
Have we ever seen Sarah happy? Like relaxed and content? Can’t think of a single one… MAYBE one time with Jacob.
That girl needs a hobby.
JessWitt
Isn’t Other Jacob a hobby?
M-M
I don’t now. Masturbation seems to be more “filling a biological need” then a hobby. Of course, that could just be a personal take on the matter. I wonder if Sarah is actually chill after a session with Other Jacob.
jpic89
If you don’t consider masturbation a hobby, you aren’t doing it right.
Rich
It turns into an internet business for quite a few people. Solo webcam videos are one of the safest forms of sex industry work, although still pretty badly stigmatized by polite society.
Gangler
It can probably be both.
Like, there’s eating just to survive, then there’s the vast culinary pleasures available to pursue in modern society. There are pretty passionate foodies for whom it’s definitely a hobby.
To a certain extent you could make a similar case for sensory stimulus in general. There are certain sounds we tend to find pleasant and certain sounds we do not, and I’m sure if you dig deep enough it all ties into some evolutionary bullshit about survival or passing on the genes or whatever at some point in our history as a species. Yet from that we build and consume music, which is such a broad thing and which again many people do pursue as a hobby in different ways.
If you’re really passionately into masturbation there’s probably all sorts of stuff you can do to elevate it into something like music or the culinary arts.
David M Willis
i love how this thread is developing
Screwball
It does have an interesting feel to it’s general direction…
Sounds like Gangler probably explained it best. You can do a basic job, or you can make sure you do a good job. Sounds about right?
Rycan
This thread is Pornlord Approved, then
DarkoNeko
Yes. Yes it is.
ThatGuy
reminds me of when i was a virgin and was alone at home and started to look at various kitchen contraptions and vegetables with a creative eye.
Tenn
Music, food and masturbation — finally together!
I’m not going to describe the scenario that my perverted brain instantly imagined, but it involves Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik and lobsters.
Rycan
Clawed crustaceans and masturbation do not mix. They really don’t.
fogel
Um, am I really the only one here who knows about “sexy losers” webcomic’s “Mike’s left hand” story line? (I read that the author/artist coined “fap” & “schlock”, but I have not done any research to verify that…)
fogel
SCHLICK, not schlock!!!! (Spellwrecker was clearly invented by the predecessor of Sirius Cybernetics. When I find the programmers responsible, the last sound they’re gonna hear is OMMMMMINOUS HUMMMMMMMM ….)
Rich
So they’ll wind up in a Laz-5 state?
fogel
Oh. Yeah. Strohl guarantees it. If not, you get a 5 minute all you can grab shopping spree in their show room!
timemonkey
There’s masterbating just to take the edge of, where you do it as fast as possible. And then there’s masterbating for fun, where you enjoy the journey as much as possible and it’s time consuming but amazing.
rj
that comment with your avatar is terrifying
saki
If memory serves, there was that one time the night of the party when Joyce called her big sister
Rycan
I thought of that too, but I wasn’t sure if that would qualify as Sarah being “relaxed and content”.
Rycan
Here it is: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/06-yesterday-was-thursday/sisters-2/
A better instance of Sarah relaxed & content occurred to me just now:
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/kindness-2/
saki
Hm, misremembered that scene, huh. ^^” And yeah I wasn’t going for relaxed and content, I just thought she might have smiled at that moment.
Oh, that’s a good one, wouldn’t have thought of that one.
I just remembered one where she seems happy: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/05-media-rumble/stare/
Wendy
Kinda sympathizing with Sarah here, particularly because it’s her room too, and they haven’t even asked for her permission to have a party there.
M-M
We don’t know what their roommate agreement looks like. I wonder if they even talked about parties or get-togethers and what/how much permission requesting needs to happen… or if Sarah just assumed that super sheltered homeschool girl wasn’t ever going to have a party in thier room.
Wendy
Roommate agreement or not, it’s kind of a matter of basic courtesy to, y’know, ask the other person sharing your living space if it’s okay to have a party in their living space.
DarkoNeko
At the moment they’re too hype to consider
Ryan
I’m sure that after her previous experiences, Sarah includes “NO DORM PARTIES IN ROOM” on every roommate agreement as a matter or course, no matter who the roommate is. She probably wrote the agreement before she met Joyce.
Rich
Between the party and Becky living there, Joyce has been imposing quite a bit lately. If/when Becky gets caught by an RA, both roomies will catch some heat for it, after all.
Still, I don’t think the party is quite the issue it appears to be for Sarah. She can always go hit the library for a while if it is, but I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t stick around “just to keep a eye on the freshmen” of course. Can’t admit to enjoying herself, even if Ethan shows up with Jacob along for the ride.