Questionable Content 5: Suffers Occasional Outbreaks of Butt's Disease

[Ravens_cry]

I really don't see her in yellow, but that's just me.

[masterjoda99]

I'm thinking a light blue for some reason. But then, I am a guy who knows less than nothing about such matters...

[Morph Bark]

If the dress is coloured, the best choice is generally one that compliments or contrasts the hair. With red hair, it's generally green or sky blue.

[Ravens_cry]

I admit my own knowledge is pretty thin myself.

[Kato]

*reads thread* *is completely unable to contribute in any way to fashion discussions*

Uhm... can we make "Jeph likes butts" jokes again? Like, did anyone watch the FTL walkthrough he linked to a while a go? I had a look at it and he named hi first ship The Butt LOL, crazy huh? ... Okay, so much for that.


As for today's comment... yes, a business date is still a date. And I'd find racist grandparents more likely in general.

[Morph Bark]

(You could've mentioned how Jeph will likely focus on how Claire's butt looks in that dress.

Insert your own fat butt joke. )

[Marnath]

Is it normal to bring someone you hardly know, and who doesn't know your family, to a wedding? It seems to me like the kind of thing you shouldn't go to unless you actually know who anyone is there.

[Othniel Edden]

Sometimes. It really depends on the family or friends you have. Sometimes you get invitations spelling out to bring a guest, which is what the two plane tickets kinda represented. Plus this is Marten's family.

[Morph Bark]

And knowing this is Marten's family, there is likely going to be lots of awkwardness regarding assumptions as to the relationship he has with Claire.

I'm hoping Jeph has no intentions of realizing a romantic relationship between the two though.

[Ravens_cry]

Aw, I like Claire. I actually like her better than Osaka-chan expy, Emily. Her weirdness feels more natural.

[The Glyphstone]

I dunno. Claire seemed to work better as a foil for Clinton. More normal than Emily, but still feels like an auxiliary character rather than part of the cast. Showing up at CoD more often will help.

[Ravens_cry]

I dunno. Claire seemed to work better as a foil for Clinton. More normal than Emily, but still feels like an auxiliary character rather than part of the cast. Showing up at CoD more often will help.

Well, let's see what Wacky Sitcom Hijinks™ ensue at the wedding, shall we?

[Othniel Edden]

Did Jeph barrow Tom Sidell's use of facial expressions?

[Eurus]

Why do I get the vague feeling that Martin's mom is going to turn out to be upset about the whole thing. Perhaps disappointed that her ex-husband is remarrying and she's still, uh. "Single" doesn't seem quite right... but yeah, even with as much fun as she seems to have, I imagine that's got to be a rather exhausting lifestyle.

Or maybe I'm reading too much into this and she's just being as over-the-top as always.

[Somebloke]

...Jeff, please stop trolling the shippers. It's mean.

[Morph Bark]

Aw, I like Claire. I actually like her better than Osaka-chan expy, Emily. Her weirdness feels more natural.

Who's Osaka-chan?

While I like Claire as a character, it's harder for me to relate to her due to her being a trans person and my never having been into contact with one in real life, and ultimately gender identity is majorly defining for a person's being. As Marten is a relateable character, moreso now that he has a spine, a relationship like that would make him unrelateable for me, and possibly a lot of others as well. While I'd undoubtedly learn more about trans people if such a relationship came to be, that would most likely be because it would have become a big deal at some point, but I think QC's treatment of gender identity, sexuality, beliefs and other person-defining traits in a casual, accepting manner is one of its strong points.

...that might've been a bit long.

For what it's worth, I don't consider Emily to be someone likely to end up in a relationship with Marten, nor Gabby. While Emily and Marten could cause a lot of hilarity, the same effect could easily be reached with them just hanging out. Considering his dating history, he's undoubtedly wise enough to not date her.

I do wonder when we'll get to see more of Gabby, if at all in-depth like with Emily and Claire lately. I mean, she likes books.

...Jeff, please stop trolling the shippers. It's mean.

Hey, it's only a troll. It could be worse.

[Kato]

...Jeff, please stop trolling the shippers. It's mean.

Hm... actually, I think it's pretty legit.

You know, my mom's not that bad (my grandma is worse) but stuff like this really pisses me off... Why even bring a not-date to a wedding if you can expect this to happen?

[Ravens_cry]

Who's Osaka-chan?

Osaka-chan is a character from the manga and anime Azumanga Daioh. Emily's weirdness reminds me of her.
EDIT: Having read the comic, the looks of pubescent embarrassment on Martin and Clare's faces are freaking hilarious.

[Traab]

Why do I get the vague feeling that Martin's mom is going to turn out to be upset about the whole thing. Perhaps disappointed that her ex-husband is remarrying and she's still, uh. "Single" doesn't seem quite right... but yeah, even with as much fun as she seems to have, I imagine that's got to be a rather exhausting lifestyle.

Or maybe I'm reading too much into this and she's just being as over-the-top as always.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing about his mom. She strikes me as trying really hard to enjoy herself.

[Ravens_cry]

Yeah I was thinking the same thing about his mom. She strikes me as trying really hard to enjoy herself.

Maybe she's feeling what a guy might feel if a man married a lesbian, who then left him and is now marrying a lesbian. Sure, you loved them, love them, and you are happy for them, but . . .

[Morph Bark]

Maybe she's feeling what a guy might feel if a man married a lesbian, who then left him and is now marrying a lesbian. Sure, you loved them, love them, and you are happy for them, but . . .

So Marten's mom is Ross from Friends?

[Ravens_cry]

So Marten's mom is Ross from Friends?

You know, I was not thinking of that example when I typed that, but now that you mention it . . .
I guess one reason I identify with Clare is because my own gender identity is pretty fluid.

[Marnath]

Who's Osaka-chan?

While I like Claire as a character, it's harder for me to relate to her due to her being a trans person and my never having been into contact with one in real life, and ultimately gender identity is majorly defining for a person's being. As Marten is a relateable character, moreso now that he has a spine, a relationship like that would make him unrelateable for me, and possibly a lot of others as well. While I'd undoubtedly learn more about trans people if such a relationship came to be, that would most likely be because it would have become a big deal at some point, but I think QC's treatment of gender identity, sexuality, beliefs and other person-defining traits in a casual, accepting manner is one of its strong points.

...that might've been a bit long.

Your problem with relating to her might come from the fact that you think of her primarily as a trans character instead of as a female character. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression that it's correct to treat a trans-woman as a woman and not even worry about the trans part? It seems like a minor detail that may not even be relevant in Claire's case unless someone else finds out and is weird about it?

[John Cribati]

Your problem with relating to her might come from the fact that you think of her primarily as a trans character instead of as a female character. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression that it's correct to treat a trans-woman as a woman and not even worry about the trans part? It seems like a minor detail that may not even be relevant in Claire's case unless someone else finds out and is weird about it?

There's a middle ground between "Think about how she's trans* all the time" and "Ignore the fact that she's trans* at all."

Like, as a Black guy, when I hang with White people, I don't expect them to sidestep around the slightest thing to avoid offending me, but at the same time, I'd want them to understand that I grew up with different experiences and issues from them.

In the specific situation of dating, Marten and Claire would have to set up some boundaries as to what they want to get out of the relationship and how far they're willing to go, especially sexually. Claire still has XY genitalia, after all. That can't be ignored, especially on Marten's end.

[Wraith]

I've just remembered how much I dislike Marten's mom.

She did the exact same thing the last time she showed up - imposed herself between Marten and his friends, and went about embarrassing him as enthusiastically as possible. I wouldn't be surprised if she later tells him off for trying to complain about it again.

[Morph Bark]

There's a middle ground between "Think about how she's trans* all the time" and "Ignore the fact that she's trans* at all."

Exactly. The difference here is between the treating of and acting towards the other person and how you think of them. I certainly don't treat my friends of other races, sexualities or religions or of the other sex any different from friends of the same, but I think of them a lot differently. Part of this is thanks to growing up without coming into contact with some groups of people (I grew up in a mostly mono-ethnic/race environment, with the exception of some Moroccan and Polish people, for instance) and only gaining friends belonging to those groups in adulthood. But another part of it is that in certain situations, you should treat them differently. Men and women, black or white, Jewish, trans, gay, they're equal, but denying that they're not different is ignorant.

To add to that, I acknowledge that I'm largely ignorant of trans people, even in spite of having had gender identity issues myself, and it's precisely because of that ignorance that I find the treatment of Claire's character so refreshing, as it is casually accepting of her being trans and simultaneously a way for me to learn more about trans people (though Jeph's acknowledged he's largely ignorant about it too, which is why I like that the audience reception of Claire is so good in spite of that, though for that reason the comic will likely not go into that too much).

...and on a sidenote, in many cases I may not treat people equally, because it concerns something they're not equal in. Doctors, for instance. But in that case the discriminating factor is medical knowledge, not genetalia, skin colour, or whether you believe there's a God taking credit for the lives you save.

I've just remembered how much I dislike Marten's mom.

She did the exact same thing the last time she showed up - imposed herself between Marten and his friends, and went about embarrassing him as enthusiastically as possible. I wouldn't be surprised if she later tells him off for trying to complain about it again.

Truly, the day Marten stands up to his mom (and not just shouting "MOM!") is the day his spine will show us it has fully grown.

[Marnath]

Claire still has XY genitalia, after all. That can't be ignored, especially on Marten's end.

Do we know that? I don't see it mentioned either way, other than she started hormone replacement in college, and she's 24 now.

[John Cribati]

Do we know that? I don't see it mentioned either way, other than she started hormone replacement in college, and she's 24 now.

I'm pretty sure she'd have said something about having the surgery, what with her being all sharey.

[Turalisj]

I'm pretty sure she'd have said something about having the surgery, what with her being all sharey.

But until it's said in the comic, speculating on it here is just that.

[Flickerdart]

I've just remembered how much I dislike Marten's mom.

She did the exact same thing the last time she showed up - imposed herself between Marten and his friends, and went about embarrassing him as enthusiastically as possible. I wouldn't be surprised if she later tells him off for trying to complain about it again.

Marten gets drunk at the wedding, tells his mom off, hijacks Claire's car, and pulls a Steve?