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I think Dez has hit the nail. Only because tiff has been such a beatch to Borenice and Luann, it is going to be a little work for her to earn the friendship he needs.
âHaw haw, Tiffanyâs such a slut!â Our protagonist, ladies and gentlemen!
Anyway, I see itâs the week where Luann and Bernice swap places, with one taking over the role of mean-spirited jerk while the other gets to be more kindhearted. Tiffany and Luann really do bring out the absolute worst in each other, probably because theyâre more alike than either one of them would care to admit.
Interesting that Luann is suddenly the snarky one, now that Bernice has switched to analytical mode.
BTW â Neither Luann, Bernice, or Tiffany are âbulliesâ. True bullies threaten or attack people, embarrass them publicly, or viciously deride them to their face.
The snark is just three immature young women engaged in a long-standing rivalry (and nominal friendship), and is quite tolerable for the human condition. No need for everyone to be angels. How utterly boring â and all the more-so for an entertaining comic strip!
Par for the course is that, having aired their snark about Tiff to each other, theyâll get concerned and see if thereâs some way they can assist her.
Luann is not able to get past her old history with Tiffany in high school. Luann has not moved on to the next level of her life post high school â she is still stuck back there. Wait til she sees Tiffany again at their jobs at the kidcare. Wait til she ribs Tiffany about he weight gain and notices that she doesnât respond in her typical way. Will Luann take notice or just continue inattentively?
I agree with Dez â she needs a friend. And whatâs with that Hogwartz textbook Bern is reading? Iâll say it now, Bern doesnât have the EQ to be a mental health professional â sheâs too robotic.
So far this is working out the way I thought, and some of us are predicting. Dez is the peacemaker, reminding the two other girls of their compassion and concern for someone who is hurting. They are reacting so typically, Bernice trying to be scientific, with Luann being purely emotional (tch, tch) but they are human and Dez is pointing out that they need to act that way. Interestingly âneeds a friend or threeâ? Means that Dez includes herself, and she needs to be the caring, and non-historical person here. You think we might be going toward a breakthrough, or will Greg and company through another misdirection play? I hate seeing Tiffany hurt, Luann being mean, and Bernice being unaware.
The âbreakthroughâ might happen. Or we may jump to another arc. Not sure how much Luann, Bern and Dez know about Tiffany & Gunther. They might be better to talk to Gunther. Next time Gunther approaches Tiffany â he needs to give up the Dr. Phil act, and tell Tiff he is lonely without her.
Luann and Tiffany work together. How is it that Luann hasnât, and neither have we, that Tiffany gained a massive amount of weight? My guess is that she is lonely with depression as a result. No real family or friends, No love interest. All she has is school and she has no clue what to do there. Still, Luann would have seen the weight gain. You canât put that much on in a few days.
I think Iâve got it now. This isnât supposed to be Funny- itâs just an ongoing depiction of very flawed, mostly obnoxious and annoying people usually at their worst. Not even a kid is likableâŠ
I donât condone Luannâs unsympathetic remarks and cruel attitude, but after dealing with Tiffanyâs âmean girlâ bullying tactics for most of her life, I understand it.
Wizardgoat and Luann1212 have summarized it very well. I think Luann is venting years of frustration, in private, over how Tiffany has treated her. Luann wouldnât be mean directly to Tiffany, or she would have done so already. Sheâs had plenty of opportunities. And she isnât calling Tiffany a slut, just calling her out for needing to have a lot of male attention.
Dramatic and as petty and mean as it sounds, I believe the three will visit Tiffany and try to offer their help in some wa. Friendship above all. I donât know why everyone wants Gunther to step in now, except he has been a sort of friend at times and tutor, he doesnât seem attuned to Tiffanyâs emotional needs.
Lu and Tiff have a history. That ainât gonna go away. I donât think from Tiffâs reaction to Bern that she will welcome Bernâs and/or Luâs âhelpâ. It sounds more like Bern and Lu want to get the dirt on Tiff. Perhaps the first thing the girls should do is bury the hatchet and start acting like friends. You know take her out for coffee and talk nicely to her. Ask her about her classes, her goals for this semester, if she likes modern art, what does she think about the Rams this year? Would she like to go on a hike? After several weeks of being a kind friend then ask ( gently) what is up,if she hasnât already volunteered the information
Maybe Lu , Tiff and Bern should take improv and contra dancing classes together. The would meet folks outside of their usual sphere and learn lots about each other.
A lot of psychobabble going on here. Did it ever occur to anyone (except me) that maybe Tiffâs weight gain was deliberate? Maybe she took Guntherâs suggestion that she change her appearance to the ultimate. Instead of just changing her hairstyle or leaving off the makeup, she decided to see how people would react to her if she looked REALLY different.
And despite Bernâs implication that Tiff can now compete with the Goodyear blimp, sheâs NOT that big. She was so thin, even a 20-25 pound weight gain would be really noticeable.
I think Luâs response is just reaction from the years of âtormentâ she has gotten from Tiffany. Maybe Dezâ suggestion will make them all see the situation more clearly.
I am highly disappointed in Luannâs continued reactions today. It is definetly not what would have hoped for as a response from her character. While hopefully she may eventually turn around her snippy, snarky behavior and show at least a modicum of concern and empathyâŠ. today makes her seem very much a nasty person. Disappointing.
I am happy that even though Bernice is likely going about it in the wrong way, at least she has changed her tune to at least be trying to helpâŠ. and not just being a mean, snarky person.
Dez, as has become her normal behavior, is the voice of reason. I am liking her more and more as we get to know her.
* * * *
Again, I do remember that L, B, and T were âarchâ enemies for quite a lot of their high school experience. But, I also do remember that L, B, and T had made some pretty obvious inroads into being friends since they have started college. I see Luannâs current statements as a significant step backward in her growth.
* * * *
One odd thought I had and would be curious about otherâs ideas & impressions: It is interesting that Tiffanyâs weight gain, which is presumed by most of us here as being some indication of her âletting herself goâ regardless of whether it is due to saddness or clinical depressionâŠ.. this âletting herself goâ is NOT being displayed by a âdonât careâ attitude about her hair or her lipstickâŠ.. in the last image of her, she still had her very styled âhelmet hairâ and red, lipsticked lips.
Is that significant? Or is it just an artifact? Should Greg have perhaps shown her with more natural (unstyled) hair and a lack of lipstick like he did previously? Or, did Greg purposefully show here still having the styled hair and primed lips for another reason?
See, people? All those posts earlier in the week about how Tiffany couldnât possibly have gained so much weight âin a few daysâ were off the mark. No matter how often many people herein pointed out that the characters had been on summer vacation and no one had seen Tiff during that time, a hard-core cadre of posters dogmatically echoed the rule that âStrip time is different from real time!â, and so only a short time must have elapsed since Gunther left Tiffany sobbing. We now see that this is in fact happening in the strip several months after that incident, just as had happened in âreal timeâ. Sometime things are actually just as simple as they seem!
Luann is definitely in âI want revenge for high schoolâ mode. Ultimately, while such sentiments can be understandable, they are nonetheless an exercise in futility. Take the high road and be a friend.
People are being too hard on Luannâs character because they lack perspective on the characterâs position. Luann has a right grouse about Tiffany a bit. She has been treated pretty badly by her for years. We readers see Tiffany in a different light because we know about her friendship with Gunther and goodness she is capable of. Luann was not present for those parts of the narrative. She is not third person omniscient like we readers are. Like a real life person, her characterâs opinion can not (and should not) be changed by events she is unaware of.And also people should be judged by what they ultimately do in situation. It is not uncommon for someone to take on an unpleasant task (but good) with low enthusiasm at first⊠but still do it anyways because it is the right thing to do. Luannâs character has been written in a way where she can be immature but ultimately does the right thing. If they write this story line consistent with her character development over the years, she will help Tiffany.
Dang Luann, chill. I get Tiff was a jerk to you but two wrongs donât make a right. She needs help and if you are half the caring person you aspire to be youâll put high school behind you where it belongs and help her.
It was that last talk with Gunther. Remember he was saying stuff to her? Like âBe yourselfâ and donât try so hard to go out of her way for people? Then she throws Lesâ ph. number away? Then she just slipped out of sight. I wish Luann was part of the FOX channel line up on Sundayâs, I would definitely watch her! :)
Okay, Luann is being snarky and unsympathetic, but I think this is also somewhat in reaction to what she sees as Bernice overreacting. Earlier Bernice was going berserk about Luann associating with Tara because sheâs a CRIMINAL. Luann hasnât actually seen Tiffany or the state sheâs in,so she thinks, âWell, hereâs Bernice overreacting AGAIN because Tiffany gained a few pounds.â
Re: Luannâs responses to Tiffanyâs issues â Iâve long felt that Tiffany was originally intended to be an archetypical 8th grade mean girl who was the bane of the lead character. While I can see that they would have gone through high school together, it always felt like a plot device to me that she has continued to be in Luannâs life to such an extent. After all, Luann goes to a different school, and Tiffany has no real interest in working with children. I think that Luannâs annoyance with her now could easily come from the fact that sheâs been unable to shake this person from her life since childhood, and theyâve never been friends. Iâm not saying that there isnât a potentially interesting story to be told about Tiffany confronting the challenges and changes of her post high school world, just that I can see that, from a writing standpoint, Tiffany had been somewhat forced into continuing to be a part of Luannâs young adult years. Thereâs bound to be some awkwardness in some of the later scenarios between them that could reflect on that writing choice.
Tiffany has had few if any real girlfriends because her interactions with other girls have always been that of trying to out do the person i.e. competing for some guy, thus creating an adversarial relationship. Now (in college) she needs friends more than ever and they are not there. Gunther has been her only actual friend, but (as a guy) he canât relate to all of her needs, and his recent comments have put her over the edge. Now food is her only friend. Dez is right-on when it come to people and their emotional needs. She has that intuitive sense that doesnât come from book learning.
Bernice the Boss will put Tiffany on report. Overeating must violate some rule in that enormous book of infractions that she totes around. The dorm at Moony seems to have some sort of rule prohibiting almost everything that students normally do.
Considering the way Tiffany has treated Luann over the years, I wouldnât be sympathetic either. Tiffany is always going on about how beautiful and amazing she thinks she is. My guess is that Mrs. Berger is fattening her up and now Tiffany is getting her âjust dessertsâ. The loud music Bernice heard was probably Tiffany doing cardio trying to burn the weight off.
Some people overeat when they have depression. The theory is that it elevates serotonin, and some studies bear that out. In the long term, like all addictions, depression becomes even more likely. Here is one source: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.1550-8528.1995.tb00215.x/full
Again, it takes some time for long-time rivals to reach at least some point of objectivity. Luann will come around, and âThe Three Caballerosâ here will do something to help.
Speaking of âtriosâ, perhaps other famous trios might apply here:
Kirk/Spock/McCoy for example â Luann could be the âKirkâ â although I would NOT have her as captain of a starship â but she will come around and do the right thing here. Bernice would be the âSpockâ, already researching for a possible answer. Which would make Dez the âMcCoyâ: âDamn it, Jim â I mean, Luann â We have to HELP!â
What an amateur Bossy Bernie is! Making a serious diagnosis out of a college textbook?! Really? She will never become any kind of counselor that way.
Luann is just regurgitating Old Hatred, not really thinking much. Or does she really hate Tiffany that strongly? Definitely not her most attractive self showing hereâŠ.
Dez? Dez is the only hope for real-time help for Tiffany at this point!
Luanaphile lead me to learning something yesterday which MIGHT prove helpful in the discussions. It turns out that what USED to be called situational depression, i.e. Incredibly horrid sadness triggered by an event or situation, but not triggered or followed by a major biochemical alteration is now INSTEAD usually called ADJUSTMENT DISORDER. In the refs i found yesterday it looks like that might be because of things which have been learned about depression biochemistry which simply do not fit for what used to be called situational depression by itself.
So, when people here have been pointing out that things some of us (including me) have described from horrors we survived and PERHAPS WHAT TIFFANY IS EXPERIENCING may NOT meet the current criteria for depression, they are right. (Hey, i try to learn something every day.) Calling the problem ADJUSTMENT DISORDER (including IF that turns out to be the situation for Tiffany) does not lessen or alter it, of course. It simply more accurately helps find what approaches can work best.
On another note I noticed I typed âwouldâ as âwoouldâ and âhairstyleâ as âharistyleâ, but Donny didnât notice. Donny 10 points if you find out where! LOL!
Luannâs lack of sensitivity toward Tiffanyâs plight is somewhat understandable since she has been a target of bullying and even sabotage by Tiffany in the past, e.g. (1) the time they were both interviewing for a job at Kidz 1st and Tiffany told the supervisor that there were no candidates other than her to be interviewed knowing that Luann was waiting for her turn. (2) Removing a letter (addressed to Luann) from flowers delivered to Luann at work⊠even trying to keep the flowers initially. All his qualifies as sabotage. But Luann has tried to compete and has allowed herself to be influenced by Tiffany. Similar to Guntherâs lack of any understanding (initially) toward Les having been a target of Lesâs in high school. That said, laughing and being snarky toward someone who is down at the moment is the not the most mature response. After all they are older now.
I remain puzzled about what so many people here think that Dez, Bernice and Luann could do that would actually help Tiffany, if she truly has situational disorder, PTSD or is clinically depressed. Bernice may have read a few textbooks about psychology, but that doesnât qualify her to actually help. And I donât think a drum circle led by Dez will make much of a difference, either. The most that these kids could do for a genuinely ill Tiffany would be to drive her to a therapistâs officeâŠ
@SUKIECRANDALL: If you want to read a true story about why traumatic events in life donât necessarily result in clinical depression, read âA Glass Castleâ, the memoir of Jeannette Walls. This woman, two sisters and a brother had parents who were in rebellion against the world. The Dad claimed to be a genius but never succeeded at holding a job and was a full blown alcoholic. The mother really just wanted to be an artist, not a mother and secretly ate candy bars while her kids starved. This rebellion thing might have been okay if the two adults were in this alone, but they had little children who ended up eating from dumpsters, sleeping in unheated abandoned buildings, using buckets for commodes and going to school unwashed. The Dad even took Jeannette to a bar to âmake some moneyâ when she was a young kid. Yet three out of four of the kids seem to have turned out okayâŠ
I had no idea Luann disliked Tiffany so much. I had thought theyâd left their High School drama behind them. Tiffany certainly seems to have moved on. And yet Luann, our main protagonist, is acting like a snarky, petulant brat.
This is where it ends for me, people. I can no longer read âLuannâ for any reason, not to comment (without periods sometimesâhey, thatâs what âGregâ does) or to mock it. There is something just plain ugly about the writing of this strip. Is that joke about the football team acceptable? No. Does Team Evans mean to suggest that sleeping with the football team means drowsy cuddling, or do they really think it is normal and not ugly for Luannâtheir protagonist with âinner beautyââto make such a remark? They really have no excuse that makes sense in the modern world. No one will notice that Iâm gone, but Iâm gone just the same. Bye Luann, you pig-nosed bratty child! I sincerely hope no real children are like you.
Perhaps Tiffany found out about Piro liking Bernice more than her. All the times Tiffany has been letting Piro crash at her room, and he falls for Bernice.
If Tiffanyâs issue turns out to be relatively minor, then it will be difficult for the Evanses to show Luann getting past this immature rant. She has to be shocked into an unpleasant discovery about herself.
Luannâs envy of Tiffany drips from every word she speaks. She can merely say, âItâs none of my business. I donât careâ and leave it at that. Yet she makes snide, snarky comments behind her back. As Tiffany herself once said, âHigh school is so over.â
It takes some people longer to develop empathy for someone you donât like. I had a Tiffany in my growing up years. It wasnât until we both realized that we were more alike than we wanted to admit until we both cut the crap and actually talked to one another. We became good friends.
The discussions on depression versus adjustment disorder, which used to be called situational depression, have been an interesting learning experience. There have been a scant few who have seemed to not realize that it is not a competition, though. I am certain that every person here has experienced some types of truly profound pain, just as i am certain that for each person here there are others here who in their own ways have experienced far worse, and that everyone here has gained strength from surviving what they have survived. Learning through sharing â something i think pretty much everyone here has wished the character, Bernice, would learn how to do â is a great way to learn. So, thanks for that opportunity.
The diversity of opinions on the behaviors of Luann and friends truly covers all possibilities. Some of the critiques come from people who seem quite knowledgeable of human develop and many, unfortunately, were written by people who appear quite ignorant of the problems. I want to address two of these characters who seem to be misunderstood even by some commenters who are quite experienced in human behavior.
1. Gunther. I went back to the conversation he had with Tiffany after the infamous dinner party. Sept 14 â 17. I did not perceive anything Gunther said as cause for triggering a depression. Quite the contrary; he told her what a lovely person she is and that she should let other people see the person she shows herself to be with him and then cautions her about Leslie. He tried to tell her what college men (boys) like. I thought he was being supportive and kind and encouraging. Bottom line: IMO Gunther is not the cause of Tiffanyâs depression and weight gain.
2. Luann. Seems to me she is a very typical 19 year old. As several people have pointed out, forgiving people who have bullied you or been unkind is one of the most difficult things a person can do. Luann is reacting in a very normal way as most young adults would. The hurts run deep and the scars linger throughout a life time. If Tiffany were to apologize, then Luann might be able to overcome the hard feelings. I would like to see this happen. Tiffany has an abundance of tangibles that Luann has to work for. Luann, on the other hand, has some intangibles that Tiffany needs for personal growth like a somewhat normal family life, boyfriends, etc. Given a little more time and growing space, Luann will most likely mellow in the relationship. I think it is unfair and perhaps unkind, however, to expect her to be sympathetic to someone who has treated her for so long.
Lighten up, people. Itâs a comic. Plus these are simple archetypes: Bernice the nerdy, socially incompetent-but-well-meaning best friend; Luann the immature-but-bascially nice person, and Tiffany the shallow narcissist who may have underlying problems. Add Dez the supposedly-deep-and-spritual type.
Luann is basically somewhere between mildly jealous (Tiff is more beautiful and gets any guyâs attention she want) and not really believing that Tiffany could really have such a problem (to be honest, I, too, find it hard to believe that Tiffany gained so much weight from binge eating over what⊠one weekend?)
Bernice is not qualified, no, but lookâ-she is actually CARING and saying Tiffany seems to have a problem and needs helpâletâs fix it (the nerdy way.) Sheâs rallying the troops and looking up answers in a book. Not the best, maybe, but there is no hint of ANY of them laughing at Tiffany, saying she deserves it, etc.
Dez is saying, yeah, but maybe what she needs a friend.
howtheduck over 7 years ago
And it turns out Dez is the new Delta. Maybe thatâs why their names are so similar.
tammyspeakslife Premium Member over 7 years ago
She needs understanding and compassion just like any other human being.
Templo S.U.D. over 7 years ago
A fiend in need will be a friend indeed.
Namrepus over 7 years ago
Luannâs attitude is precisely why clinical depression is an underreported, undershared condition.
Mordock999 Premium Member over 7 years ago
Thatâs it Dez!
Tiffany needs a âFriend.â And until Gunther shows up, the THREE of You will do.
Vilyehm over 7 years ago
And so nothing will happen until Saturday.
Pointspread over 7 years ago
AnyFace over 7 years ago
Bernâs not exactly qualified to administer treatment.
31768 over 7 years ago
BJShipley1 over 7 years ago
âHaw haw, Tiffanyâs such a slut!â Our protagonist, ladies and gentlemen!
Anyway, I see itâs the week where Luann and Bernice swap places, with one taking over the role of mean-spirited jerk while the other gets to be more kindhearted. Tiffany and Luann really do bring out the absolute worst in each other, probably because theyâre more alike than either one of them would care to admit.Wizardgoat over 7 years ago
Interesting that Luann is suddenly the snarky one, now that Bernice has switched to analytical mode.
BTW â Neither Luann, Bernice, or Tiffany are âbulliesâ. True bullies threaten or attack people, embarrass them publicly, or viciously deride them to their face.
The snark is just three immature young women engaged in a long-standing rivalry (and nominal friendship), and is quite tolerable for the human condition. No need for everyone to be angels. How utterly boring â and all the more-so for an entertaining comic strip!
Par for the course is that, having aired their snark about Tiff to each other, theyâll get concerned and see if thereâs some way they can assist her.
ILikeMeSomeComics over 7 years ago
Geez Luann. Lighten up. Youâre not a perfect human yourself, no need to look down on Tiffany.
capricorn9th over 7 years ago
Luann is not able to get past her old history with Tiffany in high school. Luann has not moved on to the next level of her life post high school â she is still stuck back there. Wait til she sees Tiffany again at their jobs at the kidcare. Wait til she ribs Tiffany about he weight gain and notices that she doesnât respond in her typical way. Will Luann take notice or just continue inattentively?
Kim Metzger Premium Member over 7 years ago
Just a thought â could Tiffany possibly be pregnant?
Goldie over 7 years ago
Ew, Luann. Real nice. I, for one, would love to see Tiffany rock her curves (without the help of wannabe PHD Bernice).
GovernmentCheese over 7 years ago
I agree with Dez â she needs a friend. And whatâs with that Hogwartz textbook Bern is reading? Iâll say it now, Bern doesnât have the EQ to be a mental health professional â sheâs too robotic.
Brdshtt Premium Member over 7 years ago
Three different people, three different ideas. Dez looks like she is showing genuine concern for Tiffany in the first panel.
thestig747 over 7 years ago
Perhaps Tiffany got a new acting gig, and the role requires a few extra pounds�
Ruth Brown over 7 years ago
Thank you, Dez.
Peppermeow over 7 years ago
Dez actually gets it. Bernice it too clinical and Luann is just clueless and unsympathetic.
luann1212 over 7 years ago
So far this is working out the way I thought, and some of us are predicting. Dez is the peacemaker, reminding the two other girls of their compassion and concern for someone who is hurting. They are reacting so typically, Bernice trying to be scientific, with Luann being purely emotional (tch, tch) but they are human and Dez is pointing out that they need to act that way. Interestingly âneeds a friend or threeâ? Means that Dez includes herself, and she needs to be the caring, and non-historical person here. You think we might be going toward a breakthrough, or will Greg and company through another misdirection play? I hate seeing Tiffany hurt, Luann being mean, and Bernice being unaware.
kenhense over 7 years ago
The âbreakthroughâ might happen. Or we may jump to another arc. Not sure how much Luann, Bern and Dez know about Tiffany & Gunther. They might be better to talk to Gunther. Next time Gunther approaches Tiffany â he needs to give up the Dr. Phil act, and tell Tiff he is lonely without her.
TexanAtHeart over 7 years ago
Luann and Tiffany work together. How is it that Luann hasnât, and neither have we, that Tiffany gained a massive amount of weight? My guess is that she is lonely with depression as a result. No real family or friends, No love interest. All she has is school and she has no clue what to do there. Still, Luann would have seen the weight gain. You canât put that much on in a few days.
auramac over 7 years ago
I think Iâve got it now. This isnât supposed to be Funny- itâs just an ongoing depiction of very flawed, mostly obnoxious and annoying people usually at their worst. Not even a kid is likableâŠ
JayBluE over 7 years ago
Rub a dub dub, three girls confront a rubâŠ
And what do you think they do?
The Brain Butcher, the Pain Staker, And The Elephant-Dung-Candlestick MakerâŠ.
And they all go in three directions to find the same clueâŠ
JayBluE over 7 years ago
âThree Women And A Maybeâ
âIâm Down For The Cause!âŠ.And EffectsâŠâ
âSolve For XâŠAnd Also Whyâ
âA Panther That Is Pretty In Pinkâ
âStopâŠ.Will You Just Listen!?â (âȘ)
âBait-girl, Stupor-girl, and Asunder Womanâ
âElvis, John Wayne And Beavis Search The Mall, Searching For The Orange Juliusâ
âWhoâs Line Is It, Anyway?â
âLadies, And Divergentsâ
âTrailing Off From This Hitchâ
âFlag This Snag, With My Own Swagâ
âDuck Soup For The Soulâ
âAye! Thereâs The Rub-Her-Face-In-It!â
âOld Habits Die HardâŠ.With A Vengeanceâ
or
âApproaches Check InâŠBut They Donât All Check OutâŠ.â
sueb1863 over 7 years ago
Luann: Oh, sorry, I have to go tutor my student Fay, whose mother hired me because Iâm so mature and empathetic.
sueb1863 over 7 years ago
I think this is the first time Luann has pretty much come out and said that she thinks Tiffany is a slut.
Jose_Muerte over 7 years ago
Meanwhile back at theâŠâŠ..
Axeɫ handeɫ over 7 years ago
âDepression may lead to emotional eatingâ and suicidal thoughts.
Don Draper over 7 years ago
I donât condone Luannâs unsympathetic remarks and cruel attitude, but after dealing with Tiffanyâs âmean girlâ bullying tactics for most of her life, I understand it.
Chuck374 over 7 years ago
Bern wantâs everybody to have emotional and psychological problems for her to treat. Can we all say Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.
Willywise52 Premium Member over 7 years ago
Pfft,Tiffany deserves every bad word she gets.Time to float.
Tyge over 7 years ago
The three characters are acting true to form.
Outsideplaying over 7 years ago
Wizardgoat and Luann1212 have summarized it very well. I think Luann is venting years of frustration, in private, over how Tiffany has treated her. Luann wouldnât be mean directly to Tiffany, or she would have done so already. Sheâs had plenty of opportunities. And she isnât calling Tiffany a slut, just calling her out for needing to have a lot of male attention.
Dramatic and as petty and mean as it sounds, I believe the three will visit Tiffany and try to offer their help in some wa. Friendship above all. I donât know why everyone wants Gunther to step in now, except he has been a sort of friend at times and tutor, he doesnât seem attuned to Tiffanyâs emotional needs.
Katecst over 7 years ago
Lu and Tiff have a history. That ainât gonna go away. I donât think from Tiffâs reaction to Bern that she will welcome Bernâs and/or Luâs âhelpâ. It sounds more like Bern and Lu want to get the dirt on Tiff. Perhaps the first thing the girls should do is bury the hatchet and start acting like friends. You know take her out for coffee and talk nicely to her. Ask her about her classes, her goals for this semester, if she likes modern art, what does she think about the Rams this year? Would she like to go on a hike? After several weeks of being a kind friend then ask ( gently) what is up,if she hasnât already volunteered the information
Katecst over 7 years ago
Maybe Lu , Tiff and Bern should take improv and contra dancing classes together. The would meet folks outside of their usual sphere and learn lots about each other.
Schrodinger's Dog over 7 years ago
ummm. âŠâŠ. Is Luann suggesting that Tiffany needs to âget laidâ ? !!!!! :-O
patvinshawl over 7 years ago
How many story arcs are now dangling in this strip?
wantcomicsnow over 7 years ago
A lot of psychobabble going on here. Did it ever occur to anyone (except me) that maybe Tiffâs weight gain was deliberate? Maybe she took Guntherâs suggestion that she change her appearance to the ultimate. Instead of just changing her hairstyle or leaving off the makeup, she decided to see how people would react to her if she looked REALLY different.
And despite Bernâs implication that Tiff can now compete with the Goodyear blimp, sheâs NOT that big. She was so thin, even a 20-25 pound weight gain would be really noticeable.
Terminal Frost Premium Member over 7 years ago
Ok NOW LuAnn is just being petty. She needs to stop.
Colonelkay over 7 years ago
I guess Crystal doesnât pal around with Tiff anymore?
Colonelkay over 7 years ago
I think Luâs response is just reaction from the years of âtormentâ she has gotten from Tiffany. Maybe Dezâ suggestion will make them all see the situation more clearly.
Pipe Tobacco Premium Member over 7 years ago
5
Pipe and coffee break commentary from me today:
I am highly disappointed in Luannâs continued reactions today. It is definetly not what would have hoped for as a response from her character. While hopefully she may eventually turn around her snippy, snarky behavior and show at least a modicum of concern and empathyâŠ. today makes her seem very much a nasty person. Disappointing.
I am happy that even though Bernice is likely going about it in the wrong way, at least she has changed her tune to at least be trying to helpâŠ. and not just being a mean, snarky person.
Dez, as has become her normal behavior, is the voice of reason. I am liking her more and more as we get to know her.
* * * *Again, I do remember that L, B, and T were âarchâ enemies for quite a lot of their high school experience. But, I also do remember that L, B, and T had made some pretty obvious inroads into being friends since they have started college. I see Luannâs current statements as a significant step backward in her growth.
* * * *One odd thought I had and would be curious about otherâs ideas & impressions: It is interesting that Tiffanyâs weight gain, which is presumed by most of us here as being some indication of her âletting herself goâ regardless of whether it is due to saddness or clinical depressionâŠ.. this âletting herself goâ is NOT being displayed by a âdonât careâ attitude about her hair or her lipstickâŠ.. in the last image of her, she still had her very styled âhelmet hairâ and red, lipsticked lips.
Is that significant? Or is it just an artifact? Should Greg have perhaps shown her with more natural (unstyled) hair and a lack of lipstick like he did previously? Or, did Greg purposefully show here still having the styled hair and primed lips for another reason?
seismic-2 Premium Member over 7 years ago
See, people? All those posts earlier in the week about how Tiffany couldnât possibly have gained so much weight âin a few daysâ were off the mark. No matter how often many people herein pointed out that the characters had been on summer vacation and no one had seen Tiff during that time, a hard-core cadre of posters dogmatically echoed the rule that âStrip time is different from real time!â, and so only a short time must have elapsed since Gunther left Tiffany sobbing. We now see that this is in fact happening in the strip several months after that incident, just as had happened in âreal timeâ. Sometime things are actually just as simple as they seem!
BlitzMcD over 7 years ago
Luann is definitely in âI want revenge for high schoolâ mode. Ultimately, while such sentiments can be understandable, they are nonetheless an exercise in futility. Take the high road and be a friend.
Tyge over 7 years ago
I take it Luann & Tiff are on hiatus from the preschool volunteer work â since Luann hasnât seen Tiffâs appearance yet.
StackableContainers over 7 years ago
People are being too hard on Luannâs character because they lack perspective on the characterâs position. Luann has a right grouse about Tiffany a bit. She has been treated pretty badly by her for years. We readers see Tiffany in a different light because we know about her friendship with Gunther and goodness she is capable of. Luann was not present for those parts of the narrative. She is not third person omniscient like we readers are. Like a real life person, her characterâs opinion can not (and should not) be changed by events she is unaware of.And also people should be judged by what they ultimately do in situation. It is not uncommon for someone to take on an unpleasant task (but good) with low enthusiasm at first⊠but still do it anyways because it is the right thing to do. Luannâs character has been written in a way where she can be immature but ultimately does the right thing. If they write this story line consistent with her character development over the years, she will help Tiffany.
Leslie B. over 7 years ago
So Tiff slept with the ENTIRE football team, and they wonder why she is fat and depressed? Sounds like a no-brainer.
Kamui1815 over 7 years ago
Dang Luann, chill. I get Tiff was a jerk to you but two wrongs donât make a right. She needs help and if you are half the caring person you aspire to be youâll put high school behind you where it belongs and help her.
Sweetlorrain over 7 years ago
It was that last talk with Gunther. Remember he was saying stuff to her? Like âBe yourselfâ and donât try so hard to go out of her way for people? Then she throws Lesâ ph. number away? Then she just slipped out of sight. I wish Luann was part of the FOX channel line up on Sundayâs, I would definitely watch her! :)
Asharah over 7 years ago
Okay, Luann is being snarky and unsympathetic, but I think this is also somewhat in reaction to what she sees as Bernice overreacting. Earlier Bernice was going berserk about Luann associating with Tara because sheâs a CRIMINAL. Luann hasnât actually seen Tiffany or the state sheâs in,so she thinks, âWell, hereâs Bernice overreacting AGAIN because Tiffany gained a few pounds.â
kauri44 over 7 years ago
RSH over 7 years ago
Tiffany has had few if any real girlfriends because her interactions with other girls have always been that of trying to out do the person i.e. competing for some guy, thus creating an adversarial relationship. Now (in college) she needs friends more than ever and they are not there. Gunther has been her only actual friend, but (as a guy) he canât relate to all of her needs, and his recent comments have put her over the edge. Now food is her only friend. Dez is right-on when it come to people and their emotional needs. She has that intuitive sense that doesnât come from book learning.
seismic-2 Premium Member over 7 years ago
Bernice the Boss will put Tiffany on report. Overeating must violate some rule in that enormous book of infractions that she totes around. The dorm at Moony seems to have some sort of rule prohibiting almost everything that students normally do.
David Huie Green LikeNobody'sEverSeen over 7 years ago
We all need friends. The best way to get them is to be a friend.
psminson over 7 years ago
My bet is the Evans are setting up for Luann to have another one of those Life Lessons moments, when she grows as a person.
BluNova over 7 years ago
Considering the way Tiffany has treated Luann over the years, I wouldnât be sympathetic either. Tiffany is always going on about how beautiful and amazing she thinks she is. My guess is that Mrs. Berger is fattening her up and now Tiffany is getting her âjust dessertsâ. The loud music Bernice heard was probably Tiffany doing cardio trying to burn the weight off.
Luanaphile over 7 years ago
Some people overeat when they have depression. The theory is that it elevates serotonin, and some studies bear that out. In the long term, like all addictions, depression becomes even more likely. Here is one source: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.1550-8528.1995.tb00215.x/full
Germanshepherds4ever over 7 years ago
Tiffany has been a total BEE-ATCH to everyone her whole comic career. KARMA, baby!!!!!
Code the Enforcer over 7 years ago
Again, it takes some time for long-time rivals to reach at least some point of objectivity. Luann will come around, and âThe Three Caballerosâ here will do something to help.
Code the Enforcer over 7 years ago
Speaking of âtriosâ, perhaps other famous trios might apply here:
Kirk/Spock/McCoy for example â Luann could be the âKirkâ â although I would NOT have her as captain of a starship â but she will come around and do the right thing here. Bernice would be the âSpockâ, already researching for a possible answer. Which would make Dez the âMcCoyâ: âDamn it, Jim â I mean, Luann â We have to HELP!â
Sisyphos over 7 years ago
What an amateur Bossy Bernie is! Making a serious diagnosis out of a college textbook?! Really? She will never become any kind of counselor that way.
Luann is just regurgitating Old Hatred, not really thinking much. Or does she really hate Tiffany that strongly? Definitely not her most attractive self showing hereâŠ.
Dez? Dez is the only hope for real-time help for Tiffany at this point!
SukieCrandall Premium Member over 7 years ago
Luanaphile lead me to learning something yesterday which MIGHT prove helpful in the discussions. It turns out that what USED to be called situational depression, i.e. Incredibly horrid sadness triggered by an event or situation, but not triggered or followed by a major biochemical alteration is now INSTEAD usually called ADJUSTMENT DISORDER. In the refs i found yesterday it looks like that might be because of things which have been learned about depression biochemistry which simply do not fit for what used to be called situational depression by itself.
So, when people here have been pointing out that things some of us (including me) have described from horrors we survived and PERHAPS WHAT TIFFANY IS EXPERIENCING may NOT meet the current criteria for depression, they are right. (Hey, i try to learn something every day.) Calling the problem ADJUSTMENT DISORDER (including IF that turns out to be the situation for Tiffany) does not lessen or alter it, of course. It simply more accurately helps find what approaches can work best.
Terminal Frost Premium Member over 7 years ago
On another note I noticed I typed âwouldâ as âwoouldâ and âhairstyleâ as âharistyleâ, but Donny didnât notice. Donny 10 points if you find out where! LOL!
Schrodinger's Dog over 7 years ago
After all this gabbing, will they even see Tiffany?
RSH over 7 years ago
Luannâs lack of sensitivity toward Tiffanyâs plight is somewhat understandable since she has been a target of bullying and even sabotage by Tiffany in the past, e.g. (1) the time they were both interviewing for a job at Kidz 1st and Tiffany told the supervisor that there were no candidates other than her to be interviewed knowing that Luann was waiting for her turn. (2) Removing a letter (addressed to Luann) from flowers delivered to Luann at work⊠even trying to keep the flowers initially. All his qualifies as sabotage. But Luann has tried to compete and has allowed herself to be influenced by Tiffany. Similar to Guntherâs lack of any understanding (initially) toward Les having been a target of Lesâs in high school. That said, laughing and being snarky toward someone who is down at the moment is the not the most mature response. After all they are older now.
notbornyesterday over 7 years ago
News flash for Dez, Out of the three, there may be one friend of Tiffanyâs , but more than one? probably not
Argy.Bargy2 over 7 years ago
I remain puzzled about what so many people here think that Dez, Bernice and Luann could do that would actually help Tiffany, if she truly has situational disorder, PTSD or is clinically depressed. Bernice may have read a few textbooks about psychology, but that doesnât qualify her to actually help. And I donât think a drum circle led by Dez will make much of a difference, either. The most that these kids could do for a genuinely ill Tiffany would be to drive her to a therapistâs officeâŠ
Argy.Bargy2 over 7 years ago
@SUKIECRANDALL: If you want to read a true story about why traumatic events in life donât necessarily result in clinical depression, read âA Glass Castleâ, the memoir of Jeannette Walls. This woman, two sisters and a brother had parents who were in rebellion against the world. The Dad claimed to be a genius but never succeeded at holding a job and was a full blown alcoholic. The mother really just wanted to be an artist, not a mother and secretly ate candy bars while her kids starved. This rebellion thing might have been okay if the two adults were in this alone, but they had little children who ended up eating from dumpsters, sleeping in unheated abandoned buildings, using buckets for commodes and going to school unwashed. The Dad even took Jeannette to a bar to âmake some moneyâ when she was a young kid. Yet three out of four of the kids seem to have turned out okayâŠ
nathenleeturner over 7 years ago
I had no idea Luann disliked Tiffany so much. I had thought theyâd left their High School drama behind them. Tiffany certainly seems to have moved on. And yet Luann, our main protagonist, is acting like a snarky, petulant brat.
Train 1911 over 7 years ago
Seem like they all need help
Caldonia over 7 years ago
This is where it ends for me, people. I can no longer read âLuannâ for any reason, not to comment (without periods sometimesâhey, thatâs what âGregâ does) or to mock it. There is something just plain ugly about the writing of this strip. Is that joke about the football team acceptable? No. Does Team Evans mean to suggest that sleeping with the football team means drowsy cuddling, or do they really think it is normal and not ugly for Luannâtheir protagonist with âinner beautyââto make such a remark? They really have no excuse that makes sense in the modern world. No one will notice that Iâm gone, but Iâm gone just the same. Bye Luann, you pig-nosed bratty child! I sincerely hope no real children are like you.
Dragoncat over 7 years ago
Perhaps Tiffany found out about Piro liking Bernice more than her. All the times Tiffany has been letting Piro crash at her room, and he falls for Bernice.
That is probably it.
Luanaphile over 7 years ago
If Tiffanyâs issue turns out to be relatively minor, then it will be difficult for the Evanses to show Luann getting past this immature rant. She has to be shocked into an unpleasant discovery about herself.
rimshot22 over 7 years ago
Luannâs envy of Tiffany drips from every word she speaks. She can merely say, âItâs none of my business. I donât careâ and leave it at that. Yet she makes snide, snarky comments behind her back. As Tiffany herself once said, âHigh school is so over.â
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 7 years ago
And Dez is the voice of humanity here and empathy if not sympathy too.
Nenamatahari over 7 years ago
It takes some people longer to develop empathy for someone you donât like. I had a Tiffany in my growing up years. It wasnât until we both realized that we were more alike than we wanted to admit until we both cut the crap and actually talked to one another. We became good friends.
Schrodinger's Dog over 7 years ago
so with all this talking are they or arenât they going to try to talk to Tiff?
SukieCrandall Premium Member over 7 years ago
The discussions on depression versus adjustment disorder, which used to be called situational depression, have been an interesting learning experience. There have been a scant few who have seemed to not realize that it is not a competition, though. I am certain that every person here has experienced some types of truly profound pain, just as i am certain that for each person here there are others here who in their own ways have experienced far worse, and that everyone here has gained strength from surviving what they have survived. Learning through sharing â something i think pretty much everyone here has wished the character, Bernice, would learn how to do â is a great way to learn. So, thanks for that opportunity.
Mayflower over 7 years ago
The diversity of opinions on the behaviors of Luann and friends truly covers all possibilities. Some of the critiques come from people who seem quite knowledgeable of human develop and many, unfortunately, were written by people who appear quite ignorant of the problems. I want to address two of these characters who seem to be misunderstood even by some commenters who are quite experienced in human behavior.
1. Gunther. I went back to the conversation he had with Tiffany after the infamous dinner party. Sept 14 â 17. I did not perceive anything Gunther said as cause for triggering a depression. Quite the contrary; he told her what a lovely person she is and that she should let other people see the person she shows herself to be with him and then cautions her about Leslie. He tried to tell her what college men (boys) like. I thought he was being supportive and kind and encouraging. Bottom line: IMO Gunther is not the cause of Tiffanyâs depression and weight gain.
2. Luann. Seems to me she is a very typical 19 year old. As several people have pointed out, forgiving people who have bullied you or been unkind is one of the most difficult things a person can do. Luann is reacting in a very normal way as most young adults would. The hurts run deep and the scars linger throughout a life time. If Tiffany were to apologize, then Luann might be able to overcome the hard feelings. I would like to see this happen. Tiffany has an abundance of tangibles that Luann has to work for. Luann, on the other hand, has some intangibles that Tiffany needs for personal growth like a somewhat normal family life, boyfriends, etc. Given a little more time and growing space, Luann will most likely mellow in the relationship. I think it is unfair and perhaps unkind, however, to expect her to be sympathetic to someone who has treated her for so long.
billdaviswords over 7 years ago
Lighten up, people. Itâs a comic. Plus these are simple archetypes: Bernice the nerdy, socially incompetent-but-well-meaning best friend; Luann the immature-but-bascially nice person, and Tiffany the shallow narcissist who may have underlying problems. Add Dez the supposedly-deep-and-spritual type.
Luann is basically somewhere between mildly jealous (Tiff is more beautiful and gets any guyâs attention she want) and not really believing that Tiffany could really have such a problem (to be honest, I, too, find it hard to believe that Tiffany gained so much weight from binge eating over what⊠one weekend?)
Bernice is not qualified, no, but lookâ-she is actually CARING and saying Tiffany seems to have a problem and needs helpâletâs fix it (the nerdy way.) Sheâs rallying the troops and looking up answers in a book. Not the best, maybe, but there is no hint of ANY of them laughing at Tiffany, saying she deserves it, etc.
Dez is saying, yeah, but maybe what she needs a friend.