she was vaguely flirty in that one in much the way girls can be sometimes, it’s different when she just comes out and says it. as to her saying it before, I honestly don’t remember. if anyone has a link to that page I’d love to see it. ~<3
ok nix that request, there are shockingly few pages tagged with Alice, kinda hate her now tbh, even with us knowing what went down. but yeah, I just forgot the entire conversation, although “I thought I loved you” doesn’t have to be romantic interest, and with how clearly in a state of dislike she was, it isn’t easy to assume from that page that she had those feelings. ~<3
Michael
Walky’s comment about Alice made it pretty clear that her and Billie were a thing. He said something along the lines of “Well now we know being a drama hurricane is sexually transmitted”, implying Alice got it from Billie.
Zero
You are referring to the page where it’s directly stated, right?
Funny how with fictional same-gender couples stating it outright is often not enough and still gets “It think it was more of a sisterly love.”
That strip remind how fuckin awful Linda is because she talks about she says how Jenny always know she is doing and handwaved her almost killing herself and her friend because she was drunk as just a mistake but she’ll never let go of the mistake that Sal made.
staszu13
Yes. Linda’s secret ingredient here is racism
Nono
It’s a secret?
Michael Steamweed
It’s pretty subtle, yeah. Sal and Walky are beginning to suspect.
Strain of Thought
I still don’t really get this argument, even though it’s explicitly made in the comic. The Walkertons have a pretty classic golden child slash scapegoat child dynamic. It’s not like the magic passive racism is mind-controlling Linda to make her decide not to have empathy for her own child and engage in constant petty cruelty. What, do people think if Linda wasn’t racist she’d somehow not be an awful person? It’s the tail wagging the dog. The racism fairy didn’t fly through her bedroom window one night and latch onto her brain to control her actions and make her do bad things. Linda chooses racist attitudes because as a deeply awful person they appeal to her. If racism wasn’t on the menu, she’d pick out some other completely arbitrary standards by which to constantly declare Sally inadequate.
Jeremiah
I am not sure what you are arguing against here. Nobody had said that Linda would be a great parents if she wasn’t racist. And just a reminded that the racism is a very important part of the golden child dynamic, she take preference over Walky because he acts and look “less black”.
Michael Steamweed
She can’t – and won’t – discuss it with her kids. No acknowledgement. Which means the kids have to view it through the lens of their entire life spans, contrasting how the mother treats the two kids and how those two kids are different. Clearly there’s a difference. Clearly that difference is based on racism.
Bryy
Yeah.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeah.
Regardless of how she treats Sal, saying that about….. a fucking car crash….. is super fucking shitty.
Archieve
besides the racism Linda also loves Billie for her elite rich parents, it’s an epically toxic combo.
“I just hate being found drunk and half-naked by firemen even more.”
“Half-naked” is either a hyperbole – her prom dress is not »that« revealing – or they had sex in the suv. Or maybe they never had sex at all. Alice is still wearing her dress.
AMagicalDuck
She’s talking about the what’s happening during that conversation
Thomas
Right. “Half-naked” refers to Ruth’s situation. Firemen don’t arrive after an accident. An ambulance is more likely.
Antsan
Not sure about the US, but in Germany the firefighters very much do arrive after an accident. We are the ones with cutting equipment, to get people out of the vehicle, no matter how warped it is.
Thomas
I take it Jennifer refers to both situations at once then. An ambiguous reading of her statement is much more interesting.
Yumi
Firefighters may arrive after an accident here as well– and jot only for cutting equipment and such, sometimes they’re just the nearest first responders, so they’ll go as well.
In the linked strip, Jennifer starts off talking about her past, but the “half-naked by firemen” part is about the current situation– they’re hiding because the fire alarm (that Jennifer pulled) has stopped, meaning the fire department is likely there now.
Mark
In the US, a fire department usually deploys EMTs too, and the FD has the big rescue equipment. Police are equipped and trained for first aid, and hospital EMTs are focused on stabilization and transport. You’ll see vans with FIRE RESCUE lettered all over them arriving at a collision site. A well thought out emergency services plan will have unified dispatching and send whoever seems appropriate.
Michael Steamweed
Typically, in the US also. Most bad traffic accidents are responded to by a police car and a smaller firetruck. Generally, they call the ambulance immediately upon arriving, if the driver and passengers aren’t standing.
Cybersnark
Definitely so in Canada (I deal with accident reports for a living; “police, firetrucks, and ambulances attended the scene” is basically a hotkey).
Aus
Actually, firemen *do* arrive after accidents. At least here in the USA, if you call 911, the fire department shows up, because they often can get there quickest. An ambulance will arrive as quickly as they can, of course, but firemen pulling Jennifer from the car is totally realistic.
Leaflet Erin
Specifically they would arrive in that instance (Finding Ruth in that state and hiding in the closet) because she didn’t call 911 in the instance she pulled the fire alarm. They basically have to come out and clear the building before people can go back in just in case there is a fire.
But Fire rescue is a thing and Paramedics at least where I’ve been in the states can often be attached to or part of the fire department. So in all likelihood they would show up anyway as part of a first response unit depending on situation.
At the very least, Billy publicly outing a star footballer as a date rapist suddenly gives some context to the cheer squad’s “thanks but no thanks.” I knew people who crashed cars in high school, that’s not a social reputation killer unless someone dies. But fucking with the football team? Even if it’s true, that’s when people close ranks. They might have SAID it was because of the car, but people take their sportsball, and anything that threatens it, more seriously than they take date rape and teen pregnancies.
Michael Steamweed
Depends on the state. Indiana? Definitely: that’s “Hoosier” cult territory. My state (Texas) is very similarly cultish.
Astariel
I know people can be awful about sportsball, but it seems more believable to me that a big university has a policy against people with DUIs on teams than that they heard about one incoming student making a scene at prom which apparently resulted in no consequences for either party.
thejeff
Yeah, you might protect an existing star, but still not want a fresh recruit with an obvious image problem.
This page is from 2022! I know Willis makes these pages in advance but holy shit does he really prepare his scenes in advance o_o
Thomas
Fwiw, it’s not actually the same drawing. Alice’s nose is different, for example. But yeah, you can bet he has the backstory written out in detail & keeps track of information divulged earlier.
Michael Steamweed
The buffer alone is a year or so ahead. And, yeah, the meta-arc is years ahead. His outline of meta-arcs has probably been nigh-complete since 2010.
Panel 8: Is that Alice doing kissy face prep with Billie? Might explain something.
Yumi
It’s already been heavily suggested that Alice and Billie had a sexual relationship– from the first strips where we met Alice. I think it’s a pretty commonly accepted theory.
Yeah, I was hoping for some conversation about all the stuff going on here, but this sequence seems to have a different purpose. Ah, well, it’s not my story.
There’ve been about (roughly) 5,500 strips so far, if you count all the dailies, the bonuses, the patreons, and slipshines. So, an estimate of 5,745 instances of “don’t do this” means an average of only ~1.05 fuckups and mistakes per individual strip.
284 thoughts on “Crash”
Animedingo
Oh
Thag Simmons
Indeed
Rose by Any other Name
Yeah.
Wasn’t expecting the “I love you” from Alice.
Makes my theory brain work overtime.
DJTsurugi
I… hate being right. ~<3
Theluxland
To be fair, she did say ”I though I loved you” while distancing for Billie and thought that the wording was a bit weird.
Coco
I saw nothing, it’s too dark. Thanks for your comment or I would never know.
mindbleach
Was it not obvious from yesterday’s comic?
DJTsurugi
she was vaguely flirty in that one in much the way girls can be sometimes, it’s different when she just comes out and says it. as to her saying it before, I honestly don’t remember. if anyone has a link to that page I’d love to see it. ~<3
DJTsurugi
ok nix that request, there are shockingly few pages tagged with Alice, kinda hate her now tbh, even with us knowing what went down. but yeah, I just forgot the entire conversation, although “I thought I loved you” doesn’t have to be romantic interest, and with how clearly in a state of dislike she was, it isn’t easy to assume from that page that she had those feelings. ~<3
Michael
Walky’s comment about Alice made it pretty clear that her and Billie were a thing. He said something along the lines of “Well now we know being a drama hurricane is sexually transmitted”, implying Alice got it from Billie.
Zero
You are referring to the page where it’s directly stated, right?
Funny how with fictional same-gender couples stating it outright is often not enough and still gets “It think it was more of a sisterly love.”
Nymph
?
ChrissyBillie wake up. I don’t like this, Billie wake up!?Deanatay
SMASH CUT TO – um, well, a smash-up. Meta-awkward.
Michael Steamweed
“Flash-back”? You mean “smash-back” amirite?
Doctor_Who
Huh, she hit a tree. Don’t know if we knew how it went down before, I always assumed there were other people involved.
Tan
Charles made mention of it awhile back. https://www.dumbingofage.com/2023/comic/book-14/02-its-the-love-i-havent-got/taughthimself/
Jeremiah
That strip remind how fuckin awful Linda is because she talks about she says how Jenny always know she is doing and handwaved her almost killing herself and her friend because she was drunk as just a mistake but she’ll never let go of the mistake that Sal made.
staszu13
Yes. Linda’s secret ingredient here is racism
Nono
It’s a secret?
Michael Steamweed
It’s pretty subtle, yeah. Sal and Walky are beginning to suspect.
Strain of Thought
I still don’t really get this argument, even though it’s explicitly made in the comic. The Walkertons have a pretty classic golden child slash scapegoat child dynamic. It’s not like the magic passive racism is mind-controlling Linda to make her decide not to have empathy for her own child and engage in constant petty cruelty. What, do people think if Linda wasn’t racist she’d somehow not be an awful person? It’s the tail wagging the dog. The racism fairy didn’t fly through her bedroom window one night and latch onto her brain to control her actions and make her do bad things. Linda chooses racist attitudes because as a deeply awful person they appeal to her. If racism wasn’t on the menu, she’d pick out some other completely arbitrary standards by which to constantly declare Sally inadequate.
Jeremiah
I am not sure what you are arguing against here. Nobody had said that Linda would be a great parents if she wasn’t racist. And just a reminded that the racism is a very important part of the golden child dynamic, she take preference over Walky because he acts and look “less black”.
Michael Steamweed
She can’t – and won’t – discuss it with her kids. No acknowledgement. Which means the kids have to view it through the lens of their entire life spans, contrasting how the mother treats the two kids and how those two kids are different. Clearly there’s a difference. Clearly that difference is based on racism.
Bryy
Yeah.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeah.
Regardless of how she treats Sal, saying that about….. a fucking car crash….. is super fucking shitty.
Archieve
besides the racism Linda also loves Billie for her elite rich parents, it’s an epically toxic combo.
Doctor_Who
Oh yeah, I forgot that scene.
Jeremiah
Yeah we been know that for a while.
Thag Simmons
I’m sure we knew, although I don’t recall when we learned that
RassilonTDavros
She mentioned the tree waaay back when she first opened up to Ruth.
Thomas
“I just hate being found drunk and half-naked by firemen even more.”
“Half-naked” is either a hyperbole – her prom dress is not »that« revealing – or they had sex in the suv. Or maybe they never had sex at all. Alice is still wearing her dress.
AMagicalDuck
She’s talking about the what’s happening during that conversation
Thomas
Right. “Half-naked” refers to Ruth’s situation. Firemen don’t arrive after an accident. An ambulance is more likely.
Antsan
Not sure about the US, but in Germany the firefighters very much do arrive after an accident. We are the ones with cutting equipment, to get people out of the vehicle, no matter how warped it is.
Thomas
I take it Jennifer refers to both situations at once then. An ambiguous reading of her statement is much more interesting.
Yumi
Firefighters may arrive after an accident here as well– and jot only for cutting equipment and such, sometimes they’re just the nearest first responders, so they’ll go as well.
In the linked strip, Jennifer starts off talking about her past, but the “half-naked by firemen” part is about the current situation– they’re hiding because the fire alarm (that Jennifer pulled) has stopped, meaning the fire department is likely there now.
Mark
In the US, a fire department usually deploys EMTs too, and the FD has the big rescue equipment. Police are equipped and trained for first aid, and hospital EMTs are focused on stabilization and transport. You’ll see vans with FIRE RESCUE lettered all over them arriving at a collision site. A well thought out emergency services plan will have unified dispatching and send whoever seems appropriate.
Michael Steamweed
Typically, in the US also. Most bad traffic accidents are responded to by a police car and a smaller firetruck. Generally, they call the ambulance immediately upon arriving, if the driver and passengers aren’t standing.
Cybersnark
Definitely so in Canada (I deal with accident reports for a living; “police, firetrucks, and ambulances attended the scene” is basically a hotkey).
Aus
Actually, firemen *do* arrive after accidents. At least here in the USA, if you call 911, the fire department shows up, because they often can get there quickest. An ambulance will arrive as quickly as they can, of course, but firemen pulling Jennifer from the car is totally realistic.
Leaflet Erin
Specifically they would arrive in that instance (Finding Ruth in that state and hiding in the closet) because she didn’t call 911 in the instance she pulled the fire alarm. They basically have to come out and clear the building before people can go back in just in case there is a fire.
But Fire rescue is a thing and Paramedics at least where I’ve been in the states can often be attached to or part of the fire department. So in all likelihood they would show up anyway as part of a first response unit depending on situation.
morhek
At the very least, Billy publicly outing a star footballer as a date rapist suddenly gives some context to the cheer squad’s “thanks but no thanks.” I knew people who crashed cars in high school, that’s not a social reputation killer unless someone dies. But fucking with the football team? Even if it’s true, that’s when people close ranks. They might have SAID it was because of the car, but people take their sportsball, and anything that threatens it, more seriously than they take date rape and teen pregnancies.
Michael Steamweed
Depends on the state. Indiana? Definitely: that’s “Hoosier” cult territory. My state (Texas) is very similarly cultish.
Astariel
I know people can be awful about sportsball, but it seems more believable to me that a big university has a policy against people with DUIs on teams than that they heard about one incoming student making a scene at prom which apparently resulted in no consequences for either party.
thejeff
Yeah, you might protect an existing star, but still not want a fresh recruit with an obvious image problem.
Jamie
I’m pretty sure we’ve seen the tree strike from the rear view, but I couldn’t tell you which strip it was.
Needfuldoer
There was a flashback strip a while back that had a brief slice of this scene in it.
http://dumbingofage.com/billie
Fussypupy
This page is from 2022! I know Willis makes these pages in advance but holy shit does he really prepare his scenes in advance o_o
Thomas
Fwiw, it’s not actually the same drawing. Alice’s nose is different, for example. But yeah, you can bet he has the backstory written out in detail & keeps track of information divulged earlier.
Michael Steamweed
The buffer alone is a year or so ahead. And, yeah, the meta-arc is years ahead. His outline of meta-arcs has probably been nigh-complete since 2010.
Michael Steamweed
Panel 8: Is that Alice doing kissy face prep with Billie? Might explain something.
Yumi
It’s already been heavily suggested that Alice and Billie had a sexual relationship– from the first strips where we met Alice. I think it’s a pretty commonly accepted theory.
bwooom
What we’ve all been waiting for!
clif
Well, it was kind of abrupt. I was expecting another couple of strips and additional revelations, followed by the wreck and waking up next to Ruth.
Mark
Yeah, I was hoping for some conversation about all the stuff going on here, but this sequence seems to have a different purpose. Ah, well, it’s not my story.
Karla Jean
Sucks being lucky sometimes.
Taffy
Damn, they put the poor girl in the casket upside-down.
minerharry
God tier comment
clif
First Mike dies and now Jennifer suffocates on her pillow.
Can this be coincidence?
Mark
“He died at the console, of hunger and thirst.
Next day he was buried, face down, nine edge first.”
Michael Steamweed
Prevents vampirism.
ProjectXa3
And so that’s all anyone remembered from that night. Of course.
mindbleach
Dumbing Of Age: DON’T DO THIS (Part 5,745)
Wraithy2773
…huh, are you sure? That count seems kinda low… 😀
Michael Steamweed
There’ve been about (roughly) 5,500 strips so far, if you count all the dailies, the bonuses, the patreons, and slipshines. So, an estimate of 5,745 instances of “don’t do this” means an average of only ~1.05 fuckups and mistakes per individual strip.
Jeremiah
You don’t know what you have until you lose it.
Cholma
Can anyone read the speech bubble in panel 4? It’s too dark for me.
True Survivor
“Please Wake Up, I Love You”
Imogen
next book title
MadScientist520
CAN’T WAKE UP
Michael Steamweed
WAKE ME UP INSIDE
elebenty
SAVE ME
Taffy
LET YOUR WARM HANDS BREAK RIGHT THROUGH
MisterJinKC