He is thinking very limited considering he’s in the girls dorm. Sarah was literally in just a towel (in comic) moments ago and two girls were making out. Expand your horizons young Howard!
I think it might be more about escaping into a fantasy world than being a creepy pervert.
Like, he still likes boobs and those are a definite attraction point for him, but I think Game of Thrones provides an extra layer of escape beyond that.
I was going to say IIRC even the skin channels didn’t air outright pr0n midday, but that was the only time we would bother watching, so hmmm
Deanatay
I remember watching porn through the picture-scrambling encoding the PayTV channels used back in the 80’s. Hard to see anything good, but the sound was unadulterated. To this day, good porn has to sound good, first and foremost – sexy slide shows don’t do it for me.
Darastrix
We used to do that in my dorm even in 2000-01. I think they eventually went to a service that made those channels total static, but for a couple years while I was there, you could click over to what I think was the Spice network, and occasionally, the picture would even clear up for 10+minutes at a time.
I’m sure he also strictly monitors how much tv the kid can watch (if any at all) which explains why the first thing he wants to do whenever he visits Ruth is catch up on game of thrones.
Passchendaele
I don’t think Howard has actually seen GoT before, mostly due to his age (though I know some people below 18 who devotedly watch it), and his grandpa’s strigent control of the media and TV he experiences, which likely correlates to age/content ratings. Besides, he’s only ever mentioned HBO or GoT without pinpointing specific details on either. As the comments section points out, his journey to see it might just be a coping strategy from his crazy life.
^this. Like, sociopath levels of “I only care about my own wants, needs, and desires, what do you mean ‘other people exist and might have needs’?”
thejeff
It’s interesting that every appearance of (or reference to – “the Boy”) Howard reinforces some people’s “abuse victim presenting a coping mechanism” take and other people’s “oblivious, mentally damaged idiot” impression.
Liliet
gee it’s almost like one is the direct result of the other
Gwen
He’s also like 16. Narcissism is kinda developmentally appropriate at that age. I’d be more worried if he was 20 and still doing this.
malisteen
Giving 16 year old boys a pass on this kind of behavior because it’s “developmentally appropriate” is how you end up with 26 year old men who never developed their way out of it.
Mr.Morningstar
16 or not he DID break into someone’s room hoping to catch a glimpse of a tit
you can’t get away with that as a teenager
Gwen
I meant the self-obsession. That bit happens to teens of all genders. Breaking into a room: less ok.
Howard shall hence forth be know as Howard “The Uncaring” seriously your sisters physically and verbaly assaulted and all you seem to give a FUCK about is seeing a pair of tits. As some one with siblings younger and older I can’t stand the idea of someone not standing up for their brother or sister.
I’m pretty sure Ruth isn’t the only one whose being abused by Sir. And this goes a little deeper then wanting to see a pair of Tits. Look at how desperate he is for the Game of Thrones. That’s not a normal reaction. He’s trying to escape the world through TV.
I think this is more of stunted maturity through bad parenting… I’d like to think that we’ll see him have a couple epiphanies and we’ll learn that he’s just a horny teenager who’s been taught poorly, but isn’t really uncaring and stupid.
Maybe.
Leorale
Also, he asks “why would we bring Ruth home?”
He’s been told little or nothing about the situation, he doesn’t know that Ruth is in a bad way.
1) Howard was likely told nothing about what was happening other than “We’re going to see your sister at college” and that he didn’t have to go to school that day.
2) He was probably brought along because ‘Sir’ doesn’t trust that he won’t go completely batshit crazy and do stupid hings wen left unsupervised… because he probably couldn’t make the entire trip between the hours Howard would be confined to school grounds…
2a) Likely he doesn’t trust that Howard will stay at school the full day unless he’s there to present a constant threat of danger and misery at home.
3) Given how naive Howard is, he’s probably never been exposed to anything ‘salacious’ beyond seeing female bodies in bathing suits, or sneaking peaks at the underwear ads in Target mailers. Even then he was probably shamed horribly for casting his eyesight in the general direction if he was caught doing so.
3a) Given he’s so eager and excited to “see a boobie”, I’d wager he’s one of those kids that didn’t get the permission slip signed off when the school offered sex education, if they offered it at all beyond “sex and masturbation are evil and your wee-wee will fall off if you do either”.
3b) Given 3a, he’s probably so sexually repressed as to be utterly obsessed with seeing female nudity, because it’s ‘forbidden’ and ‘sinful’.
3c) Because of 3a and 3b, his exposure to female humans is limited to the point where, other than Ruth and the “girl she’s kissing”, they’re not really people so much as exotic creatures to want to look at, watch, pet, etc… like a tiger at one of those awful “cub petting” places.
4) Given all of 3, Howard likely didn’t notice he wasn’t in the right place to tread into… and probably doesn’t care because he doesn’t see women beyond the few around him as people… He cares more about his need to get a quick wank-spank to a dirty TV show that he’s heard has naked girls in it than he does about whether he’s invaded someone else’s home and is touching their stuff.
5) Howard has all the beginnings of someone who could very likely turn into someone who gravely hurts someone else later on in his life the moment he’s off his grandfather’s leash because his only understanding of basic manners and decency centers solely around keeping ‘Sir’ happy, so interactions with women are going to be a painful learning curve that might just ignite all the repressed anger and hurt and unleash it on a target that doesn’t deserve it that he perceives as belittling or wronging him in the same way ‘Sir’ has all his life… Either that or he’ll fall into the role of getting into a relationship with someone who is just another ‘Sir’ who will take his awkwardness and lack of social graces and twist them against him to pin him into a “no one else will ever love you” trap.
Unless he has some hugely jarring epiphany or gathers up the courage to face down and escape the emotional abuse of his grandfather, any ability for Howard to have a decent social life or healthy interactions with others is going to take a long time to accomplish, or is just never going to happen.
Temperaryobsessor
What I find sort of disturbing is Clint just eliminated the consequences of Ruths actions for her. I could totally see him managing to hush up or get Howard off without punishment if your right and he does something really wrong.
thejeff
If Clint eliminates the consequences for Ruth or for Howard, I suspect they’ll both face even worse consequences for it.
And seriously, if your read on this sequence is “Ruth gets off without punishment”, you’re really missing the point.
Gwen
She *really* didn’t want to keep the job. Among other reasons, the job just got a heck of a lot harder, since everybody knows what just happened and many of them think she should be removed.
Temperaryobsessor
Sorry I don’t read this sequence as Ruth get off without punishment I read the sequence as Clint made sure he is the only one who gets to decide what Ruth is held accountable for, and how Ruth is punished for it.
This is actually really bad for Ruth as well as anyone she hurt. Ruth had an opportunity to face the consequences and grow from that experience, to pick herself up and learn from the whole thing, Clint stole that from her and instead replaced it with basically a punishment for existing.
My take is if he wanted her to face consequences for her actions and learn responsibility he should have let her.
If he wanted to protect her he could have let her be fired and paid the difference it would be cheaper.
If he wanted to avoid rewarding her he could have given her another harder job.
If Howard did something wrong Clint might insure Howard is let off by the people who have a duty to punish him then punish Howard essentially for getting caught. It would be likely be dissatisfying to the person hurt by Howard and send Howard the wrong message.
thejeff
Fair enough. That’s a much better read than I understood at first.
I’m not either of them need punishment so much as help. “facing the consequences” isn’t as important for Ruth as “getting out from Clint’s control” and getting therapy.
Halpful
I think Temperaryobsessor is onto something here. My NMum did some similar things; consequences were always framed as The End Of The World, and she would try everything to *make* me not fail. So now I’m terrified of the smallest of consequences, feel like I *have* to succeed or I’m a horrible person, which also makes it harder to succeed, and there’s no joy in success, only a brief moment of relief before my brain finds the next thing I Have To Do.
When you feel like you have to and you can’t, not existing starts to sound very nice. Any escape is preferable to that torture. (I’m glad I found a way to escape alive, but reprogramming my brain is a lot of work)
basically, Clint is taking away Ruth’s ability to consent. She’s not being allowed to say no to this job. She’s not allowed any boundaries around him, no free will; *his* will is all he seems to care about.
Chris
Oh Lord geez! That class was a nightmare to everyone. I’m like the only mature kid in my class. My teacher seemed to be more afraid of teaching about it then we we’re afraid of seeing it
“Hi sis, long time no seen, glad you are not dad. Anyway, gramp is here. If you need me I will be in a random dark room on a different floor. Byeeeeeee.”
He did NOT want to be around when Sir and Ruth came out from that office.
Follow that dream, Howie. If nothing else you have a decent chance of seeing hot chicks making out in the corridor.
Billie is awesome! Ruth is in melt-down mode and “Sir” is off to strangulate kittens or whatever, so she makes sure to check on Howard and get some more information in the process. Again she proves that she excels at short term solution.
It was when I read your comment and thought “ruin how?” that I realized my moral compass has forever been destroyed by the beautiful world of doujinshi…
iforgetwhatiputhere
This is actually the equivalent to all pizzas being delivered by pornstars in western media.
Delicious Taffy
Those motherfuckers never even have the pizza. They’re all just random well-hung dudes in a polo and khakis.
361 thoughts on “School day”
Ana Chronistic
Howard will now have to resort to going through a zillion women’s dorm rooms
though with his luck, he STILL won’t see a single boobie *wonk wonk*
nobodybasically
He should try Mary’s. She doesn’t get dressed until sometime after 2pm.
Passchendaele
“I’ve been taking a survey, should I dress before 2 pm?”
“Ye–nooooooooooooooo”
Chris
Go to Sal’s room Howard
Silly Name
That’s Billie’s room.
Chris
Same room though
Silly Name
That’s what I meant.
Chris
I know
Kris
He is thinking very limited considering he’s in the girls dorm. Sarah was literally in just a towel (in comic) moments ago and two girls were making out. Expand your horizons young Howard!
jeffepp
But, their not REAL girls, like on TV. Or in video games.
Cerberus
I think it might be more about escaping into a fantasy world than being a creepy pervert.
Like, he still likes boobs and those are a definite attraction point for him, but I think Game of Thrones provides an extra layer of escape beyond that.
Robert
Maybe Howard just has a fetish for incest?
Doctor_Who
Do they just not have the internet in Canada?
I’d ask any Canadians in the comments to chime in, but I’m worried they can’t.
BBCC
Am Canadian, can confirm
Not really relevant though – Howard lives in Carmel, Indiana.
Azutte
you can’t spell “carmel, indiana” without “canada”
JohnnyO
I actually fact-checked you on that and you’re right.
Foxhack
I think Grampy McDoucheButt has all the security settings on high so he can’t see a damn thing on the internet.
OnyxIdol
Implying gramps is more tech savy than the kid, which, while not impossible, is at least doubtful.
snogglethorpe
Howard doesn’t seem like the sharpest kid on the block…
inqntrol
I’m sure they have, the problem would be the internet speed.
Doctor_Who
I managed to see my share of boobies in the 90s. It just takes patience. And it helps to develop a fetish for pixelation.
Ana Chronistic
I was going to say IIRC even the skin channels didn’t air outright pr0n midday, but that was the only time we would bother watching, so hmmm
Deanatay
I remember watching porn through the picture-scrambling encoding the PayTV channels used back in the 80’s. Hard to see anything good, but the sound was unadulterated. To this day, good porn has to sound good, first and foremost – sexy slide shows don’t do it for me.
Darastrix
We used to do that in my dorm even in 2000-01. I think they eventually went to a service that made those channels total static, but for a couple years while I was there, you could click over to what I think was the Spice network, and occasionally, the picture would even clear up for 10+minutes at a time.
spriteless
Clearly Sir keeps him off the internet so as to keep him under control.
fillerusername
I’m sure he also strictly monitors how much tv the kid can watch (if any at all) which explains why the first thing he wants to do whenever he visits Ruth is catch up on game of thrones.
Passchendaele
I don’t think Howard has actually seen GoT before, mostly due to his age (though I know some people below 18 who devotedly watch it), and his grandpa’s strigent control of the media and TV he experiences, which likely correlates to age/content ratings. Besides, he’s only ever mentioned HBO or GoT without pinpointing specific details on either. As the comments section points out, his journey to see it might just be a coping strategy from his crazy life.
tim gueguen
Clint can’t watch him 24/7, so it’s entirely possible he’s seen some at a friend’s house.
Reltzik
Unless he’s not allowed to go to a friend’s house.
SgtWadeyWilson
Clint can’t watch him 24/7, so… like… if he’s smart, he still does.
Power Stranger
He doesn’t even know it’s a show, he just shouts it out randomly because he thinks it’ll make people like him
Historyman68
Mission Successful!
Kernanator
Companies get weird about letting you see their content internationally.
BBCC
Oh Howard
lia47
I’m howard every day with my own tv at home
Jess
I don’t think I like Howard much.
Doctor_Who
– Every reviewer of 1986’s Howard the Duck.
Derek
I’m with you there
C.T Phipps
Why? He seems completely inoffensive.
Power Stranger
He… broke into a stranger’s bedroom, for one.
Emily
He seems completely self-obsessed.
Dragon_Nataku
^this. Like, sociopath levels of “I only care about my own wants, needs, and desires, what do you mean ‘other people exist and might have needs’?”
thejeff
It’s interesting that every appearance of (or reference to – “the Boy”) Howard reinforces some people’s “abuse victim presenting a coping mechanism” take and other people’s “oblivious, mentally damaged idiot” impression.
Liliet
gee it’s almost like one is the direct result of the other
Gwen
He’s also like 16. Narcissism is kinda developmentally appropriate at that age. I’d be more worried if he was 20 and still doing this.
malisteen
Giving 16 year old boys a pass on this kind of behavior because it’s “developmentally appropriate” is how you end up with 26 year old men who never developed their way out of it.
Mr.Morningstar
16 or not he DID break into someone’s room hoping to catch a glimpse of a tit
you can’t get away with that as a teenager
Gwen
I meant the self-obsession. That bit happens to teens of all genders. Breaking into a room: less ok.
TheAnonymousGuy
Howard shall hence forth be know as Howard “The Uncaring” seriously your sisters physically and verbaly assaulted and all you seem to give a FUCK about is seeing a pair of tits. As some one with siblings younger and older I can’t stand the idea of someone not standing up for their brother or sister.
Zatar
I’m pretty sure Ruth isn’t the only one whose being abused by Sir. And this goes a little deeper then wanting to see a pair of Tits. Look at how desperate he is for the Game of Thrones. That’s not a normal reaction. He’s trying to escape the world through TV.
Znayx
I think this is more of stunted maturity through bad parenting… I’d like to think that we’ll see him have a couple epiphanies and we’ll learn that he’s just a horny teenager who’s been taught poorly, but isn’t really uncaring and stupid.
Maybe.
Leorale
Also, he asks “why would we bring Ruth home?”
He’s been told little or nothing about the situation, he doesn’t know that Ruth is in a bad way.
GhostWriterL
1) Howard was likely told nothing about what was happening other than “We’re going to see your sister at college” and that he didn’t have to go to school that day.
2) He was probably brought along because ‘Sir’ doesn’t trust that he won’t go completely batshit crazy and do stupid hings wen left unsupervised… because he probably couldn’t make the entire trip between the hours Howard would be confined to school grounds…
2a) Likely he doesn’t trust that Howard will stay at school the full day unless he’s there to present a constant threat of danger and misery at home.
3) Given how naive Howard is, he’s probably never been exposed to anything ‘salacious’ beyond seeing female bodies in bathing suits, or sneaking peaks at the underwear ads in Target mailers. Even then he was probably shamed horribly for casting his eyesight in the general direction if he was caught doing so.
3a) Given he’s so eager and excited to “see a boobie”, I’d wager he’s one of those kids that didn’t get the permission slip signed off when the school offered sex education, if they offered it at all beyond “sex and masturbation are evil and your wee-wee will fall off if you do either”.
3b) Given 3a, he’s probably so sexually repressed as to be utterly obsessed with seeing female nudity, because it’s ‘forbidden’ and ‘sinful’.
3c) Because of 3a and 3b, his exposure to female humans is limited to the point where, other than Ruth and the “girl she’s kissing”, they’re not really people so much as exotic creatures to want to look at, watch, pet, etc… like a tiger at one of those awful “cub petting” places.
4) Given all of 3, Howard likely didn’t notice he wasn’t in the right place to tread into… and probably doesn’t care because he doesn’t see women beyond the few around him as people… He cares more about his need to get a quick wank-spank to a dirty TV show that he’s heard has naked girls in it than he does about whether he’s invaded someone else’s home and is touching their stuff.
5) Howard has all the beginnings of someone who could very likely turn into someone who gravely hurts someone else later on in his life the moment he’s off his grandfather’s leash because his only understanding of basic manners and decency centers solely around keeping ‘Sir’ happy, so interactions with women are going to be a painful learning curve that might just ignite all the repressed anger and hurt and unleash it on a target that doesn’t deserve it that he perceives as belittling or wronging him in the same way ‘Sir’ has all his life… Either that or he’ll fall into the role of getting into a relationship with someone who is just another ‘Sir’ who will take his awkwardness and lack of social graces and twist them against him to pin him into a “no one else will ever love you” trap.
Unless he has some hugely jarring epiphany or gathers up the courage to face down and escape the emotional abuse of his grandfather, any ability for Howard to have a decent social life or healthy interactions with others is going to take a long time to accomplish, or is just never going to happen.
Temperaryobsessor
What I find sort of disturbing is Clint just eliminated the consequences of Ruths actions for her. I could totally see him managing to hush up or get Howard off without punishment if your right and he does something really wrong.
thejeff
If Clint eliminates the consequences for Ruth or for Howard, I suspect they’ll both face even worse consequences for it.
And seriously, if your read on this sequence is “Ruth gets off without punishment”, you’re really missing the point.
Gwen
She *really* didn’t want to keep the job. Among other reasons, the job just got a heck of a lot harder, since everybody knows what just happened and many of them think she should be removed.
Temperaryobsessor
Sorry I don’t read this sequence as Ruth get off without punishment I read the sequence as Clint made sure he is the only one who gets to decide what Ruth is held accountable for, and how Ruth is punished for it.
This is actually really bad for Ruth as well as anyone she hurt. Ruth had an opportunity to face the consequences and grow from that experience, to pick herself up and learn from the whole thing, Clint stole that from her and instead replaced it with basically a punishment for existing.
My take is if he wanted her to face consequences for her actions and learn responsibility he should have let her.
If he wanted to protect her he could have let her be fired and paid the difference it would be cheaper.
If he wanted to avoid rewarding her he could have given her another harder job.
If Howard did something wrong Clint might insure Howard is let off by the people who have a duty to punish him then punish Howard essentially for getting caught. It would be likely be dissatisfying to the person hurt by Howard and send Howard the wrong message.
thejeff
Fair enough. That’s a much better read than I understood at first.
I’m not either of them need punishment so much as help. “facing the consequences” isn’t as important for Ruth as “getting out from Clint’s control” and getting therapy.
Halpful
I think Temperaryobsessor is onto something here. My NMum did some similar things; consequences were always framed as The End Of The World, and she would try everything to *make* me not fail. So now I’m terrified of the smallest of consequences, feel like I *have* to succeed or I’m a horrible person, which also makes it harder to succeed, and there’s no joy in success, only a brief moment of relief before my brain finds the next thing I Have To Do.
When you feel like you have to and you can’t, not existing starts to sound very nice. Any escape is preferable to that torture. (I’m glad I found a way to escape alive, but reprogramming my brain is a lot of work)
basically, Clint is taking away Ruth’s ability to consent. She’s not being allowed to say no to this job. She’s not allowed any boundaries around him, no free will; *his* will is all he seems to care about.
Chris
Oh Lord geez! That class was a nightmare to everyone. I’m like the only mature kid in my class. My teacher seemed to be more afraid of teaching about it then we we’re afraid of seeing it
Solenoid
Singleminded determination. Not to see a boob, just to avoid anything serious.
Bagge
Very much so.
“Hi sis, long time no seen, glad you are not dad. Anyway, gramp is here. If you need me I will be in a random dark room on a different floor. Byeeeeeee.”
He did NOT want to be around when Sir and Ruth came out from that office.
Doctor_Who
I’m glad my sister isn’t dad too. It would be weird if they were the same person.
Bagge
“HELLO GLAD, I’M DAD!”
Peter
As a father, I strenuously approve of that comment.
Josh Spicer
Don’t get dad, get glad?
Bagge
Follow that dream, Howie. If nothing else you have a decent chance of seeing hot chicks making out in the corridor.
Billie is awesome! Ruth is in melt-down mode and “Sir” is off to strangulate kittens or whatever, so she makes sure to check on Howard and get some more information in the process. Again she proves that she excels at short term solution.
John
With Howard’s luck, one of the hot chicks will be his sister, though, which is an excellent way to ruin a perfectly good lesbian makeout.
madock345
“ruin”
Power Stranger
It was when I read your comment and thought “ruin how?” that I realized my moral compass has forever been destroyed by the beautiful world of doujinshi…
iforgetwhatiputhere
This is actually the equivalent to all pizzas being delivered by pornstars in western media.
Delicious Taffy
Those motherfuckers never even have the pizza. They’re all just random well-hung dudes in a polo and khakis.