Questionable Content 11: It's Like Seeing a Unicorn

[Kato]

"it helps humans empathize with us"
"the designers just think it's cute"

how are these not the same statement?

Because emphasizing with something is not the same as thinking it's cute? I can think a cookie shaped like a dog is cute.. But that is not going to stop me from eating it because I think it has feelings.
Making something blush is way more likely to suggest to you the idea it has human like emotions.. I think. I might be wrong.

Also: no letter opening, that's just rude.

[Dukkai]

http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2292

This. This is why we miss Angus.

Or this: http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1888

:D

[Wraith]

I'm going to go ahead and say that I didn't bother to read today's strip. I saw the first pun and a bolded word in the next speech bubble, the rolled my eyes and gave up.

I swear, this comic is very gently turning into Dominic Deegan.

Also: no letter opening, that's just rude.

Also a criminal offence, if done without the express permission of the addressee - that doesn't include Hanner's Mom, who hired Tilly on behalf of the addressee. Not that Hanners would prosecute, but still something a PA ought to know.

[Vinyadan]

I swear, this comic is very gently turning into Dominic Deegan.

Storm

Of

Bots

[eee]

It is disturbing that these two are so in sync and good at it.

Hanners' sock drawer is in disarray? How did that happen?

[Wraith]

Storm

Of

Bots

March Across Massachusetts-tak. The Court Of Pintsize. The Shadow of Steve-frieg.

[Fawkes]

Who is Punchbot? And why does he want to kill Bubbles?

[masterjoda99]

Who is Huk-Dale? And why does he want to kill Penelope?

Hello Marten, it's your good old friend...Sven.

[SaintRidley]

You know, as active as I was in the old Deegan threads, most of it has vanished from my mind entirely. I remember some of these things, but not enough to make a new joke of my own.

And that's what victory tastes like.

[The Glyphstone]

I know a lot of people hated Yelling Bird, but he was a way for Jeph to occasionally poke fun at his own bad habits.

http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1901

*coughTillycough*

[Gnoman]

Hanners' sock drawer is in disarray? How did that happen?

She's clearly talking about the freshly-laundered socks in the laundry basket she's holding, that need to be sorted before they can be put away.

[Yana]

I know a lot of people hated Yelling Bird, but he was a way for Jeph to occasionally poke fun at his own bad habits.

http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1901

*coughTillycough*

I think it's been at least 15 by now....*checks archive*

Twenty. Seven. Taffy has been in every comic for nigh on two months with the exception of Thanksgiving.

[Keltest]

Clinton was annoying too for that matter (and frequently still is), but at least he brought some exposition with him.

[AvatarVecna]

Clinton was annoying too for that matter (and frequently still is), but at least he brought some exposition with him.

Clinton started as some kinda AI inspector or something, and he remained professional for his first few strips, only for his weirdness to become immediately apparent when Hanners entered the room and introduced herself, and because his default characterization is closer to drama than comedy by default, his annoying quirky stuff is less in focus and makes him more tolerable. So, y'know, the opposite of Tilly so far.

[Max_Killjoy]

https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2202

The more QC mentions "the singularity", the more convinced I am that Jeph is taking the piss out of the True Believers.

[Wraith]

Clinton started as some kinda AI inspector or something, and he remained professional for his first few strips, only for his weirdness to become immediately apparent when Hanners entered the room and introduced herself, and because his default characterization is closer to drama than comedy by default, his annoying quirky stuff is less in focus and makes him more tolerable. So, y'know, the opposite of Tilly so far.

I have to admit, I liked Clinton's entry to the comic.

Had had a reason to be there - he's an interviewer for the Anthro-PC adoption project and he was doing routine catch-up with Marten and Pintsize. That was worthwhile; it called back to the opening premise of the comic and we learned a bit more about Marten and Pintsize's relationship in the process. Then he met Hannelore and revealed an interesting part of his personality; that he is hugely technophilic and he is awestruck by the Elliot-Chathem family. Okay, he reacted poorly, but conflict is a good way of driving the plot so something happened and, importantly, within the month he had recognised that he had acted poorly and then apologised for it to prove that he wasn't necessarily a bad person.

I liked that a lot. He had a reason to enter the story, he established his personality, and then he even managed a little bit of growth in a very short time. I understand if one might find the character annoying, but otherwise I think he's quite well rounded and has gone on to be explored in ways that I enjoyed.

[Thufir]

There are definite problems with a character being introduced by them completely disregarding the boundaries of one of the main characters, producing a sob story when called out on their inappropriate behaviour and then suddenly all is forgiven.

Now, question: Was I just describing Tilly's introduction, or Clinton's?

[JeenLeen]

There are definite problems with a character being introduced by them completely disregarding the boundaries of one of the main characters, producing a sob story when called out on their inappropriate behaviour and then suddenly all is forgiven.

Now, question: Was I just describing Tilly's introduction, or Clinton's?

That's also sorta how Hanners was introduced. Stalking Marten and such, then accepted as a friend.

[halfeye]

She's clearly talking about the freshly-laundered socks in the laundry basket she's holding, that need to be sorted before they can be put away.

That appear to already be sorted. It's OCD for fun/relaxation, there is no need for them to be unsorted at the start of the sort.

[Keltest]

There are definite problems with a character being introduced by them completely disregarding the boundaries of one of the main characters, producing a sob story when called out on their inappropriate behaviour and then suddenly all is forgiven.

Now, question: Was I just describing Tilly's introduction, or Clinton's?

Tilly, unless you think "I'm a fanboy" is a sob story for some reason.

[Comrade]

Clinton didn't really have a sob story, but he was still kind of annoying once he went into ultra-fanboy mode. Or ultra-quirky mode, I guess. I feel like the comic has totally lost the balance between normalcy and quirkiness that previously made it so good-- characters like Clinton and Tilly just nosedive way too deep into 'quirky' territory and it just ends up not very fun to read for me. A slice-of-life comic can just be about normal people and still be funny and worthwhile; earlier QC is a sterling example of that.

[Thufir]

Tilly, unless you think "I'm a fanboy" is a sob story for some reason.

It's actually the title.

[Max_Killjoy]

That's also sorta how Hanners was introduced. Stalking Marten and such, then accepted as a friend.

Hanners was also doing a comically over-the-top version of something that's familiar to people with severe social anxiety -- trying to learn about someone before risking introductions.

[Vinyadan]

The scourge cometh

[Max_Killjoy]

The scourge cometh

Hannelore means "death" in five languages...

[Shadow of the Sun]

Hm, I'm surprised Jeph didn't show Hanners' mother using pronouns other than the ones Tilly prefers. Works with the misnaming and is kind of an easy jerk move to have her do.

Iunno, maybe Jeph wants to be somewhat subtle.

[Keltest]

Hm, I'm surprised Jeph didn't show Hanners' mother using pronouns other than the ones Tilly prefers. Works with the misnaming and is kind of an easy jerk move to have her do.

Iunno, maybe Jeph wants to be somewhat subtle.

Given the level of disinterest Mrs Hanner's Mom has with Tilly at all, I suspect she legitimately doesn't know (or care) whether theyre a boy or a girl or what. And Tilly's dad would only use the gender neutral pronouns that Tilly uses, hopefully, so she wouldn't necessarily even know.

[eee]

GO, HANNERS! Maintain that rage until you've gutted her!

The scourge cometh

And about time, too.

It is worth considering, though, who Tilly's father might be. He's apparently big or important enough that Hanners' mom has to deal with him as something of an equal; yet Tilly doesn't act like you'd expect a girl brought up to wealth to. Could he be another super scientist or a politician who has come to power late in life and now is trying to integrate himself and his daughter into the power structure? Possibly we'll find out...

[Ibrinar]

I wonder whether AIs can legally adopt children in the QC verse. (That might seem a bit random but I was thinking, what if her dad is a super AI! )

[Lethologica]

Hm, I'm surprised Jeph didn't show Hanners' mother using pronouns other than the ones Tilly prefers. Works with the misnaming and is kind of an easy jerk move to have her do.

Iunno, maybe Jeph wants to be somewhat subtle.

No, he's just saving it for the big confrontation. No sense wasting it now.