Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for June 03, 2017

I’ll be here all week, folks. Don’t forget to tip your waiter!

Dull? Yep, looks that way…

Boy, did I miss that one!

Here is a copy of past strips involving Gunther and his women, not in any particular order: Gunther hits Leslie with backpack on 1-31-12 and 2-1-12. Here’s a couple of Gunther kissing Rosa while dancing: 12-12-13 and 5-2-14. Here’s a scene after Tiffany’s ant bites: 5-13-15. Gunther asks Rosa out for the first time: 9-21-11 and 9 22 11. Leslie and Tiffany’s interactions: 9-24-12, 9-25-12, 9-26-12 and 9-27-12. Here is the “spectacular kiss”: 2-14-14. Tiffany redesigns Gunther: 3-25-02, 3-26-02, 4-15-02 through 4-20-02, 5-6-02 through 5-11-02. Gunther goes on a date with Luann after she has her wisdom teeth taken out: 6-6-02 through 6-15-02, Interesting strip about Gunther’s perceived desirability: 10-30-02. Bernice kisses Gunther 7-25-03 through 7-29-03. Luann is jealous when Gunther likes Rosa 12-5-06. Luann kisses Gunther 11-17-06.

well, gunther, you tried to warn Tiffany and it backfired

Gunther lost his stubble in the last frame. I wonder it it’s symbolic.

Tiffany is the social glue they need. Is Gunther seeing her in a new light?

That went about as well as might be expected.

Yes where is the stubble in the last panel? Little drawing mistake, eh? Anyway, so Tiffany is the life of the party, making everyone have a good time. And she really does not seem to be trying to be a girlfriend for either young man, just funny for everyone. I said she would be key, but to what door? Well that I was not sure. The room still awaits complete exploration.

Interesting ambiguous look on Gunther’s face—well done! He almost doesn’t want to give up his grudge against these command performances, but he also appreciates, and maybe even admires Tiffany’s handling of the situation. She does have some skills that can help him get through rough social situations, just as he has math skills that can get her through college. Their complementing each other, filling each other’s deficits, is a more solid foundation than most Luannverse relationships have.

He blushed his stubble away?

Typical, when the serious, he will change characters for six weeks.

looks like only one person is dull, wonder who?

Looks like “The Last Supper” with everyone seated on one side of the table.

The U.S.S. Gunther just got torpedoed.

All they needed was Tiffany to bring the party to life. Maybe these dinners were so ‘deadly dull’ because poor ole Gunthie spent most of the time resenting Mr. Gray…

Tiff and Les sure seem to harmonize socially. Wonder if there’s more in their future?

Everyone laughs as Tiff tells how Gunther’s stubble all fell off.

I think I see something I have never seen before. Mr. Gray is laughing. In fact they are all laughing except Gunther, who is too busy mooning over Tiffany to realize she said something funny.

3….,2….,1!!! HAPPY NO DATE, EVERYBODY!!!

♪♪ “Well, Les’ Harassment, Been Forgot,”

“And Will NE-VER come to Miiiiind!”

“And Gunth’s a MO-RON and Hopeless, Snot!”

“And We’re Singing Auld-Lang-Synnnnnnnnne!!!” ♪♪

Hey Gunth, Don’t Worry! Tiff will be going Home with Les, so You can go straight to Your Room, and Stare Mindlessly In Your Mirror and go: “Gee, Gee, Gee,” for the next 45 minutes!

And Folks, be SURE to stay tuned for FUTURE Unforgettable Episodes! THRILL, when Tiffany, with Les in Tow, goes into IMMEDIATE “Hey Look What I Got, and He’s Better than Yours” Mode, with Luann! WEEP, Uncontrollably, and Have Your hankies READY when Ma Berger One Day sides with Les AGAINST Her Only Son, on EVERYTHING! And Bust Out LAUGHING, when Gunther, Once Again, FOOLISHLY tries to “Pursue” Bernice!

You’ll Laugh, You’ll Cry, You’ll Kiss Bandwidth GOODBYE!!

Drive Carefully, and Remember, COFFEE is Available, for the Low, Low Price of 25 bucks a Cup!!

Isolation.

Sorry Gunther. Truth is, you are dull, not the meal get-togethers.

The reason why they are all laughing is because Gunther put something in their drinks to make them all giddy, then drop into sleep. Now, count the cups – there are only four. Gunther is not laughing because he does not have a cup and did not imbibe with the rest of them. After they are all asleep at the table, Gunther will have the last laugh as he puts Tiff in Mr. Gray’s lap and Les and Ma Berger in a rather compromising position on the couch. Howls of laughter will ensue when they all wake up. Gunther might just be the ultimate “bad boy”…

Never invite a guest and ask your guest to ignore another guest. You are not treating your guest like a friend.

Les’s shady past makes him feel that all relatively straight-laced people are out to get him, so he stays on the defensive, and often becomes even more dishonest.

But he senses that Tiff can be devious and sly, herself, so she doesn’t threaten him. He feels he’s with like company.

Thinking about it, the success or failure of any dinner party hinges upon the guest list: Guess Tiff was the missing ingredient.

FUN FACT: Decades ago, Steve Allen had a PBS show, “Meeting of Minds,” where he would invite famous figures from history (… portrayed by actors of course, at least one of which was almost always Steve’s real-life spouse, Jayne Meadows) to just such dinner parties, allowing the guests to speak almost entirely in their own words, courtesy of the historical record.

Dare I describe Gunther’s expression in Panel Two as “Pleasantly Surprised?”

A certain contingent is silent… so far….

I’d like to know what Tiffany just said to provoke the laughter. Flash Gordon posed essentially the same question above and got one answer, at least as of this posting, and it was a good one. More ideas? I know this crowd has ’em….

Well, Tiffany is giving Les some of her digits, after all!… If he can even count that high…. Oh, wait, it’s possible he can! After all, he did go to buy that necklace…

And, I think Tiffany got her vocabulary words mixed up, again! Silly girl doesn’t know what ‘ignore’ and ‘dull’ means, it seems. Yeah, I don’t think she’s doing it right….

Maybe Tiffany had to force herself to have a good time… Guess even “An overbearing mom”, “A mean old guy taking her away”, “A Long ago H.S. nemesis”, and “The traitor, I mean friend, who now sympathizes with the enemy” can all find some way to get through the night, huh, Gunther?

“Dinner With Reservations”

“Bore’s Nest”

“The Duke Of Spazz-ard”

“Don’t Be So ‘Ha!’d’ On Yourselves!”

“I Won’t Bring Her Flowers, Anymore” (♪)

“Everybody Have Fun, Tonight?” (♫)

“Good Times? These Are The Good Times?” (♪)

“There’s Something Happening Here, And What It Is, Ain’t Exactly Clear” (♪)

“The Capacity To Be A Resistor”

“Ohm, My,This Is Such A Load!”

“Force Fed”

“Entertainment, Tonight”

“Better Assimilate, Than Never”

or

“Dinner, And Deserted”

“No Bones About It (Limelight In The Coconut)”, Formerly Known As “Twilight Zone” – Somewhere in Pitts, there is a guy, who starts to realize that he didn’t get the joke…

But everyone else at dinner did, and has turned their backs to laugh, among each other….

It’s 7:02 P.M., The Potatoes are all gone

I’m sitting here, waiting for Tiffany to get the text from my phone

Maybe she had it on buzz, maybe my diversion is tired, and didn’t notice my glances

Yeah, the Jello is loose, but tight is the dread

I opened my mouth to drop a line, but the line went dead

And I’ve now decided, that my whole life has spun into a tizzy

Help, I’m slippin’ out of the limelight, at home

So, this is what it feels like, to bea Knute-like clone!

My chair has been moved, it’s never been pushed back, this far…

If I were any further, I’d be out in the car!

See my fall, oh, no!!!

Like the Chicken off this bone!

♦

Well, they had a good time, while I hoped the Alka Seltzer would take the Ezpress!

Maybe she didn’t hear me when I said: “No more, and No Les!”

I even heard someone say: “Let’s all watch ‘Love Connection’, when we’re through!”

So, now my one true hope has crossed the line,

And the calculations don’t add up, in my mind!

And with each punch line that comes from out of the Gray, I wonder how much more I’ll feel cheated!

He said: “Thank you, for making me feel at home!”

The coffee wasn’t bad, and neither were the scones!

And Tiffany was moved to help Les put the plates in the sink

I’m beginning to see she didn’t care what I’d think!

How could I even know?

It was all the “Ha ha ha!” ’s that had flown!

Said, How would I come to know?

Well, it’s just me here, with my phone!

(Final Choruses:)Well, I’ve gone and fell out of the Limelight, at home!

Why’d Ma have to make the greatest dinner, they’d ever known?

I was forced to have a good time, tried to be mad at everyone else!

But to my surprise,they had a good time, left me there, on the shelf!

Yeah, Coconut and Lime, Chicken tender, slipping off the bone!

And they all let me down, and I couldn’t just go out, and fly my drone!

Why’d the food have to be so good, Ma, and everyone is enjoying theirselves?

And ’ve got nowhere to go, but to sit on this shelf!

And the food was so-ohhhh good, That dumb Chicken fell off the bone!

That Bully wouldn’t leave her alone! Not a backpack to be thrown!

They all let me down, with the best time they’d ever known!

….Oh, no, Chicken, not you, too! ….You melted off the bone!

Kept thinking about it, couldn’t throw a bone!

Aaaah, Ah-ah! Baked Fowl, without a bone!

You had to taste so good…should’ve known!!!….

Oh-ohhhh, whoah-oh, no bones!!!… (fade)

Gunther has really changed. He’s so unpleasant since he came back from being with Rosa. Always has a chip on his shoulder and seems mad at the world. I miss the old, geeky but nice, Gunther. Wish he would snap out of it! He’s going to go ballistic when Mr Gray asks his mom to marry him….

If there’s one thing a narcissist like Tiffany loves, it’s a willing audience. They’re desperate for conversation so they’ll let her talk the whole time about anything she wants, so she can be the center of attention and loves every minute of it.

I like Gunther better all shaved and clean. He just looks so much cuter and less like life is rough.

Interesting to see Les act human for a change.

May well be that Gunther is the reason dinners are so “deathly dull.”

Maybe your resentments and jealousy have been bringing the room down, Gunther. Or Tiffany is surprisingly good at putting people at ease when she puts her mind to it. Or both.

I don’t think I like watching Mr. Gray laugh. His mouth is… disconcerting. At first I thought it was a mustache.

A relaxed, happy Tiffany actually enjoying herself.

Still feel bored, Gunth?

Tiffany didn’t bring a full set of “baggage” to dinner like Gunther does. That’s why she’s free to enjoy the evening.

I didn’t see the evening of laughter coming.

I didn’t see the evening of laughter coming.

I didn’t see the evening of laughter coming.

It’s refreshing to see people at home making the effort to get along and engaged in actual human discourse, as opposed to arguing over politics or communicating electronically while sitting in a restaurant.

I’m glad Tiffany is getting along with Gunther’s mother and Mr. Gray, she can be charming when she tries. But I DO NOT want to see her waste her time with Leslie.

This reminds us that we are often seeing Tiffany through Luann’s eyes— vain, self-absorbed. But there has to be a reason that she’s the “popular” girl, and this may be it: She knows how to be the life of the party— a skill Gunther lacks.

Unless i missed it, no one predicted this, but i may have just missed putting it in one of the days’ prediction lists, so feel free to give congratulations if i missed someone (and apologies in that case, of course, as well as congratulations). I have a vague recollection of Pipe at one point guessing that everyone but Gunther would have fun, but it is entirely possible that either my notes or recollection are wrong.

careful Gunth … you’re losing her …..

This coincidence today was just too funny to not include:

Gray Seal Gunther

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news/gray-seal-gets-visit-dentist?utm_source=National+Zoo+News+June+3+2017&utm_campaign=National+Zoo+News%3A+June+2017&utm_medium=email

Meanwhile, it is like pulling teeth for Gunther at the dinner party

G.I. JOOOOOEEEEEEEE … no one caught that? Sad, really, but I guess you gotta be a kid in the 60s/70s to catch it.

Gunther has regressed to “sullen teenager” since he can back from Peru (apparently to punish everyone else for his bad decision).I can imagine him sitting through most of the dinners refusing to enter into any small talk and being a general party pooper.It would change the dynamic immensely if he would set the table with Les’ seat on that unused side of the table so they’re not jammed up against one another.

When is Tiffany ever funny? She is not naturally a funny person. Where did this come from? But I can understand her thriving with an audience, to quote Sue1863. Tiffany is not intelligent enough to be witty. Wonder what they are talking about to get everyone – minus one – laughing…..Sorry, Gunther, I agree with those who are saying the past dinners were dull because YOU are dull. You have been sullen since Peru and Les is the same – mad at the world. Mr. Gray is not a talker. Mrs. Berger tried to keep these dinners lively but she is not as pretty as Tiffany or hip or young. Look in the mirror, Gunther, and see what everyone sees.

It would be quite a pleasant surprise to find out that Tiffany has a self deprecating sense of humor.

Novelty: Tiff wearing pants. Usually its a short skirt to display her legs. Maybe she’s isn’t worried about impressing Gunther, so she didn’t bring her “A” game.

Tiff and Leslie: a match made in hell!

Gunther doesn’t want anyone to have a good time. He is not comfortable with fun.

Gunther’s look is saying ‘She can do that?! Even I am having some fun, and I’m really trying not to!’

This may lead to something for Tiff (besides the guaranteed invite to the next get-together); Gunther may like the new light he’s seeing her in. And if not, Les definitely seems interested too – and after seeing the civil way he accepted Pru’s turning him down, I think maybe that wouldn’t be so bad either.

Flying high in April, shot down in May.

Why is everyone assuming TIFF said something funny? Maybe Mrs. Berger was telling everyone how her lil Gunthie just LOVES his peanut butter and jelly sammies. That would make me laugh, especially if I were Les. (Maybe Gunthie’s stubble fell off in embarrassment.) Tiff is a mediocre actress who might do OK with a script in front of her, but I doubt she’s all that great at improv. Although she does know how to “work” all the men in a room, I’ll give her that. She learned that as soon a she hit puberty. As for the suggestion that Gunther drugged everyone so he could put them in compromising positions I doubt Gunth has the imagination for anything like that. Besides, Gunthie would never do that to his mommy. He might put Mr. Gray, Tiff and Les in a threesome so he could show his mom what a louse Mr. Gray was, but that would be about it.

Tiffany looks like she was gesturing, and heads are turned in her direction. Both are visual social signals of being the speaker.

Tiff: “And then Gunther said …… oh wait til you hear this part!”..

The reason those dinners were so dull was because Gunther had that grumpy look on his face and didn’t even try to lighten things up…

Tiffany and Les. Could be interesting.

Gunther looks like he might be trying to laugh but it’s just not coming out. Tiffany may now have a permanent invitation to these dinners.

OK, suppose we stipulate that Gunther has had a bad attitude about these dinners. But we’ve all seen how Mom can derail any conversation with her (doubtless well-meaning) bumbling. There have been nearly unrelenting comments about how unpleasant Les can be. In fact, hasn’t he complained about these get-togethers himself? Mr. Gray, while I see him as innocuous, has come in for criticism as being boring, bland, manipulative. Given all that, isn’t it true that Gunther hasn’t come to his attitude about these soirées randomly? How would YOU like to spend an evening with this little group? The only variable here is Tiffany. (And speaking of unwarranted criticism, I think she deserves the Miss Maligned of the Decade award.) My point is that ALL of these characters have been victims of, well, character assassination in this comment section, and often. The rallying around everyone but Gunther is odd. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: The reactions to these strips are revelatory in the same way as Rorschach blots. The gymnastic leaps and contortionist > s t r e t c h i n g< required to justify certain idiosyncratic interpretations of each character’s “true motivation” is pretty much Olympic level. Every character here present has been at the bottom of the dogpile, and frequently. The “it’s all Gunther’s fault” POV? I don’t think that can be justified by the evidence as presented to us.

And so, Gunther Berger learned a great lesson. The only thing missing from these monthly meals needed to spark them up was Tiffany Farrell! Now, what could he do to insure her presence on a regular basis, while keeping Leslie Knox away from her? Well, what, Gunny, my man?

“Dull is as dull does. I don’t do ‘dull’.”

(Just saw Wonder Woman. Most impressive. Tiffany could have done even better, but no mere mortal could beat Gal Gadot.)

I will never go to Kroger, whatever that is. Their ad is covering half the page.

Like I’ve said before, I can see Gunther and Tiffany becoming an item because she brings out the best in him while he’s the only one who most likely actually understands her personality.