Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for September 26, 2017

’tis better than no one

He was the last one to spend time with her before she got in her current state, and they’re expecting him to get her out of it?

Luann will be pleasantly surprised. Who can say that they are or were more mature at 19?

Gunther started T on the voyage of introspection, he’ll do a fine job of shepherding her through it further. Saying he “caused it” is totally blaming the messenger.

Maybe B will finally notice G a bit if he helps T thru this.

My suspicion is that Luann hit the nail on the head about the “frog”.

Well, it seems that a lot of posters are getting their way about Gunther being called to the rescue.

But my guess is that instead of really being a rescue, it will turn things into an even more complex fiasco.

Twice Tiff has really not wanted Gunther to leave. If they talk Gunther into going to see her, this time she will probably tie him to the

That was faster than expected.

A call Gunther on Tuesday. Not Saturday.

So something unexpected will happen.

They call Gunther’s number and Tiffany answers.

They call Gunther’s number and Rosa answers.

They can’t get Gunther and call Mrs. Berger and Mr. Gray answers.

They call Gunther and he answers by knocking on the door.

An optimist sees the cup as half full.

A pessimist sees the cup as half empty.

An engineer sees the cup as being twice as big as it needs to be.

Moral: Gunther’s best advice to Tiff will be for her to buy some larger clothes.

I would rather they bring in Crystal. We haven’t seen her and Knute in a long time.

That’s why I don’t like Luann. Negative Nelly. She doesn’t even have a positive view of Gunther who never has done her any wrong. She picks up good energy from others rather than from within herself. That’s why she is good with Pru who can carry good energy for both.

Tuesday new information:

Dez no change. Still the only adult.

Bernice no change. Still I can look it up for you wholesale.

Luann. New confirmation. You want Gunther? You can have him and good luck to you. No interest, no jealousy.

WizardGoat: “Moral: Gunther’s best advice to Tiff will be for her to buy some larger clothes.” Kind of cute, even though I know you meant it in a very mean and demeaning way. And I agree with Capricorn9th above, that Luann is a problem here.

My forecast: (1) Gunther knocks (everybody else around the corner, peeking); (2) Tiff opens the door & Gunther walks in; (3) Tiff sits on the bed next to Gunther and says tearfully, “I’ve never told anyone this, but…” Then the following day we see Shannon asking Brad & TJ to build a tree house.

I said this one or two years ago by now: Tiffany went from being the least interesting character to the most interesting.

And I especially agree with Capricorn9th and her (I presume) post yesterday about fat shaming. Sorry, out of 300+ comments, I couldn’t find that post someone had about thin shaming. I don’t doubt that thin shaming exists, but I don’t see it as nearly the problem – in size or severity – as fat shaming. Heck, I have been surprised to see that some of the greatest fat shamers are fat people themselves! It’s pretty bad when the subjects of hate come to hate others like them!

Ah! So the Ladies DID settle on GUNTHER, as the “Solution” to Tiff’s “Problem!”

Wow, What a Surprise! (EYE ROLL)

But Questions Remain:

1) Will Tiffany Also Slam the Door in Gunther’s Face (At First?)

2) Will Luann get just a Tad bit “Jealous,” sending Gunther, Someone, She once said She “Cares for,” over to Tiffany, Someone She HATES?

3) Will Gunther Blame Himself for Tiffany’s Predicament? (I Say Yes)

I’m Brewing a BIG Pot of COFFEE and Awaiting the Outcome of THIS One…..,

Wow. Bern is so arrogant. “I have academic training” – but do you have a license? Then you probably should keep your thoughts and pamphlets to yourself. I took a year of economics in college but that doesn’t make an economist.

A couple days ago I called Luann two-faced for trashing Tiffany behind her back while acting nice to her face later, and I was told that she was just “venting” and was justified given Tiffany’s behavior towards her in the past. So what exactly did Gunther do to justify this snide little remark?

When I was in the military and my subordinates screwed up, I warned them about ever making the same mistake multiple times by saying “Once is an aberration, twice may just be a coincidence, but as of the third time it’s undeniably a ‘pattern of behavior’.” Well, within the past couple months (real-world time) Luann insulting people behind their backs has officially hit “pattern” status. First it was that kid at the drama camp she decided to mock, then Tiffany, and now Gunther. How long until people admit that maybe Luann isn’t as nice a person as they seem to think? When Tiffany insults people it’s used as evidence of what a terrible person she is, but when Luann and her friends do it they get a complete pass. This double standard has got to go.

Good, but this is past calling Gunther. Tiffany needs professional help. She is so clearly depressed her life might be at risk. Bernice should take this to the head of the residence hall so they can get someone with the proper training* involved. In fact I’d be surprised if her RA rulebook doesn’t tell her to do so. Yes, it violates Tiffany’s privacy somewhat, but (1) Bernice has already done that anyway, (2) Tiffany didn’t ask her to keep this to herself and Bernice didn’t promise to, and (3) I’d say concern for Tiffany’s safety is paramount.

That covers the professional side but they should also call Gunther. Yeah, he can be stubbornly obtuse and self-centered (taking her to a dinner that he hated going to himself made me cringe) but he also clearly genuinely cares about her, and she feels comfortable with him. I did plenty of equally dumb things at his age and later.

*Disclaimer: I have no such training, but I’ve had severe depression.

Nope, I don’t like Luann. She’s not maturing.

Okay, which is it to be, and which one is best if either? My money is on Crystal because they have been friends all the way through grammar and high school, and Crystal is a clear-eyed loyal friend, who is snarky in her own way with Tiffany, but does not have any deep, dark issues that would keep her from only wanting to help her friend. As for Gunther? He is a passive-aggressive, angry, momma’s boy, indecisive, non-committal and self-absorbed young man, who admittedly helped Tiffany when she was down before, but whose latest time with Tiffany ended up in her questioning herself, which maybe she should, but it was based on his anger at her being friendly with Les. He definitely has a deep, dark side. Besides any pretty Goth girl who likes Knute, a total opposite, has got to be a pretty good person. She is to Tiffany, that Bernice is to Luann. Luann’s snarky comment? Have people forgotten that the soul of 19-29 year old conversation is all snark. We all did it, wherever we happened to be. No reason to hate her for making that droll comment. No my money goes on Crystal, but it will probably be Gunther.

Maybe they should just mind their own business.

Cutting to the chase.

Yesterday some posters asked me where I saw Gunther tell Tiff to her face that he’d decided to pursue Bernice. Actually, the sequence is Dec 2-5, 2015.

Tiff was studying with Gunther, and obviously was still sweet on him. But this is where he broke his new intentions to her. That kind of took the wind out of her sails toward him, as she realized he was just not interested in her.

http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2015/12/02

She later accepted his intentions toward Bernice, and even briefly tried to help him have a chance with her by distracting Piro, who Bernice had a crush on.

So Gunther got it across to Tiff that he had no romantic interest in her. And his clumsy pursuit of Bernice bombed as well, leaving him with no relationship. But yet in more recent times, he tried to counsel Tiff on the subject of relationships? Sounds pretty convoluted to me!

Simply put, I want to see Gunth come in and be Tiff’s hero.

I know………..she had to gain weight to play in the next Eyes of Zyzs movie.

Yeah, whatever happened to Crystal?

If Tiff and Gunther are so close why not just ask him what’s going on?

Gunther! Gunther! Gunther!… (repeat)

A little jealousy, there, Luann?

And Luann is now the biggest jerk in her own strip.

Three kind mice, three kind mice…

See how they have done!?…Well, better him than none!…

They call in a guy that they love, but don’t “respect”

And his true charm and poise, they don’t detect-

But what if he reverts to the form that gets him wrecked?

But in the bigger picture, it could be just a speck…

…cos he’s Been-to-Peru….

No, but really, Luann! Don’t discount a frog, so quickly! Even Mario had a “frog suit” he could use, before finding the castle…

“The Princess And The Pea Brain”

“The Legend Of Zealous”

“Super Smarmy?….Oh, Brother!….”

“Never Mind Ernie…Just Cue Bert!”

“Frogger Went A Gettin’ Clobbered…Uh, Huh!” (♪)

“Doink!-y Kong”

“Invasion Of The Space Invaders”

“Dig!….Dug Deep!….”

“Hey, George, Drag Him Into Our Net!’

“Warts Going On” (♬)

“Toad Ya So!”

“Bogged Down, And Truly Swamped”

“A Pad Influence”

or

“You Don’t Have To Rib-bit In, Ya Know!”

hopefully they will provide them two with the needed push. they will be shocked at Tiff’s reaction. and hopefully Yawnther will shock us too, in a good way!

Bet you Tiff is PREGGERS

Wow! All of our beloved characters have become so mean, self-inflated and angry!

Luann is such an unpleasant character. It’s amazing she has friends much less a comic strip.

She won’t want to see Gunther or anyone. She’ll be too embarrassed about her weight gain.

Even though I hate Gunther that was a bit too mean Luann

5

A few things are good and a few things are not so good, IMO, today:

The Good:

1. I am glad we appear to be past the Luann-foot-in-mouth disorder.

2. I am glad that the focus is on trying to HELP Tiffany and not just on her WEIGHT today.

The Not-So-Good:

1. The return of Gunther. While I will try to remain hopeful that perhaps he will return to a nicer Gunther from long ago, I am not overly excited about any arc where he is going to be prominent at the moment. Hopefully I will be wrong and maybe he will be nice, kind, and helpful. But, as of late, that has NOT been his MO.

2. Tiffany’s weight gain is a SYMPTOM of something else going on with her. The presumption is for most of us either a) general sadness or b) clinical depression. But, a lot of the effort and discussion of Tiffany has been focused on the weight as well. With the weight being the symptom, I think that the interesting thing is how a lot of comments focused on the weight itself and not the underlying potential issues.

Saw this coming a mile off.

Luann’s dismissiveness of Gunther is disturbing.

While last week, our intrepid trio marched down the road paved with good intentions, it was so much more of a ‘storming-of-the-gates’ moment. It’s no wonder that Tiffany responded with a door lock click – which may as well have been a door slam, as a depressed person does the quiet response at times.

At least the three are in ‘rethink’ mode, whereas others out there would just give up if try at all. Bernice gets some points for realizing this will take a little more than book learning and Dez, while not knowing Tiff, is supportive. I know there’s a history between the characters, but Luann is snarking a bit too much.

This arc is taking so long. Would’ve been better if this strip showed them talking to Gunther on the phone and him driving over. At least we’d be getting somewhere. Dragging it on by showing these conversations of actions they will take is annoying.

Tiffany is pregnant with the spawn of Günther!

For some reason, Oxford, who was in love with Tiffany, and who is nicer than both Gunther and Crystal, is not even considered.

Gunther’s only good quality is designing and sewing costumes. He has no people skills at all.

If you know the story about the frog and the princess, you know that the frog was superior to the princess in every possible way except maybe physical beauty (even so, he may have been attractive to other frogs).

GO GUNTH!!

Who is taking care of Shannan?

Princess and the frog, eh? I guess Greg could take from pages of another writing – have the three of them grab Gunther, place him in a wooden horse, put the horse containing Gunther in front of Tiff’s door, knock on the door, and haul.

@BRDSHTT: Uh, not sure what Trojans have to do with all this (LOL?!) But the frog and princess thing, to me, seemed like what Luann figured Tiffany’s reaction would be. Luann has no firsthand knowledge of Tiffany and Gunther as study buddies. She remembers how upset Gunther was when Tiffany stood him up at a concert, said she was sick, but actually went somewhere else with someone more to her taste at that time. So I figure Luann was saying that Tiffany would consider Gunther to be a frog to her (Tiffany) princess…

OK, I’m just going to comment on Luann’s controversial “frog & princess” quip, because I think I haven’t seen anybody put it in the context I see it in. :)

Luann isn’t expressing her own opinion of Gunther here: she’s “channeling” what she thinks Tiffany’s view would be.(She’s the one who correctly called Tiff’s previous reaction, after all!)

She’s wrong this time, because she has no idea where the relationship between Tiff and Gunther stands these days – but her “parody” is quite good, in that this is pretty much how Tiff would have seen Gunther “coming to her rescue” – back in HS, which is the Tiff/Gunther relationship Luann does know about.

Luann’s attitude is starting to resemble Leslie Knox’s!

I went back to read all of the cited days referenced by others.

Tiffany was not devastated by Gunther. And she is too strong willed, though still shallow minded, to let herself go on an eating binge as a cure for feeling low. Full blown depression could have been brought on by having weight gain without changing her diet and that depression could have brought on a change in diet.

Gunther has not yet seen any evidence of Tiffany changing her relationship habits. Tiff asked Gunth if he could become a football player. Even the bathrobe scene was made to look like Tiffany was still going after a prize instead of a person. I got homework I need help on. Homework. Homework. Here, boy, fetch. Fetch.

I think Gunther wants a normal one on one relationship and still sees Tiffany as wanting one from column A and one from column B, etc.

Gunther may want the DeGroots—but without Luann. He wants to end up like her parents. He wants a normal Man and Wife relationship that lasts for a lifetime. And the wanna be actress certainly is not that.

Until Gunther sees Tiffany’s current condition.

I hope Gunther destroys Tiffany as she is.

I hope Tiffany destroys Gunther as he is.

Then they help each other put themselves back together.

Tiffany slims down, but never down to what she once was.

░░░░░░░░░░░░

Fun kicker to the story?

Tiffany’s father goes broke or dies. She has to be out of the dorm room come next semester.

No long dating.

Gunther and Tiffany marry and move in with Mrs. Berger.

(Hey, somebody mentioned now that Brad and Toni were married, they were getting boring.)

Calling Gunther seems … I don’t know … unsupported by any evidence. How do they know that G&T are study buddies. None of them ever talk to Tiff or Gunther. In any case who knows Tiff better than Crystal. Besides as a girl she would better understand Tiff’s issues. Oh, but then we’d have to bring one of the abandoned toys back from the Island of Misfit toys…

Maybe Tiff has had too many dinners with Gunther’s mom? If so, then when Gunther comes, he’d say “I don’t see any problems with Tiff at all” or something similar.

I have been, and continue to be, a big fan of this strip and most of the characters in it, for years. But even I can see an attitude change in Luann that is disturbing. She is becoming a huge “Whatever Queen” and her snot-face remarks about nearly everyone are really not in character for her. Hopefully, the artists will give her back her sense of grace sometime soon. No, I don’t want her to become little suzy sunshine, but some maturing kindness on her part couldn’t hurt.

What is wrong with Luann? Why is she being so nasty all of the sudden? Gunther is her friend and has helped her out on many occasions.

I don’t know that Gunther could be of real help: though he might get some insight, his track record of putting things into practice is pretty spotty. It would be nice to have Crystal on hand for a woman’s perspective (in contrast to little girl Luann’s nastiness).

Pundits peruse prolific Pollyanna poligamy case.

Film at 11.

Okay. I can understand Luann’s snark for Tiffany, but why is she slamming Gunther?! He’s always been nice to her and is a stand up guy.

Luann has no room to complain about Tiffany being superficial if she’s judging on Gunth!