Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for January 18, 2020

About time Luann is being held accountable for her behavior. She deserves everything she is gets for this one.

Oh, Luann, you’re some friend.

If this were a TV show, anger would morph into unanticipated passion. ✨

You’ve got it all wrong. I didn’t say you two were intimate. I just asked Les if he could find out if you were. Wait, that doesn’t sound much better, does it?

Luann will play Gunther by blaming Les.Only Bernice knows the Truth.

Wait a minute! Where was Al that he heard Tiffany?

Gunther, you and Bets need to unfriend Luann A.S.A.P.!!

We can only hope these are the final notes on this arc.

Or at least, if it continues Monday, it will be about the motor mouth females.

(Yes, men are as bad as women here, but in this particular story, it was the two women)

Gunther is angry that anyone might think he’s having (tee hee) sex. What a totally normal young man!

Oh my… the s*** hits the fan! Busted, Luann!

Irma did the tracking.

Actually, it would be Bets’s fault since his eagerness to exhibit led to this.

No, he’s angry that people aren’t minding their own business and allowing him some privacy.

Gunther just grew a pair! Let’s see if he can hold that until Monday.

OkaY, OKAY.

First a shout out to Dog. You called this, two days in a row.

I thought today was going be the end of this and ALL would be forgiven!

NOPE.

Gunther CONFRONTING Luann and giving her H3LL for running her big mouth! Good! I would have never dreamed THAT would happen. But to be fair, Tiffany deserves the bulk of Gunther’s wrath for spreading unsubstantiated rumors. That might be cool. The last time Gunther yelled at Tiff, she was kinda turned on by it.

Now watch the usual suspects bring up Gunny’s “Anger Issues.” But I say Good for HIM.

A couple of take aways here:

1) Gunther’s “Of Course we’re Safe,” will be debated for years to come. Is it confirmation that he and Bets ARE having sex?

2) Will Gunther’s confrontation with Luann spill over into next week?

3) And if it does, will Luann reveal exactly “Why” she was so curious about Gunther’s personal life?

4) Will Gunther confront Tiffany next?

Come on G&K.Don’t stop now. This is getting GOOD!

HOLY CRAP! I think I’m about to be proven wrong, and I couldn’t be happier!

I love Gunther’s face. Asserting himself and full of annoyance with Luann. Yeah, give it all to Luann. She’s such a busybody because she is bored and has nothing better to do. Heck, she was laying on her bed browsing Instagram, lazing around at home. Yeah, bored enough to stir up trouble. And it sure as he!! was none of her business if he was doing it or not. If she wants action, go get her own and leave her friends alone. In short, she needs to grow up. She’s not in high school anymore.

He wouldn’t even need to trace it. I’m sure Les told him right away that Luann was asking about his sex life with Bets. She had her chance with him and passed. She should stop acting jealous and just let him be happy with Bets.

Well, Luann is about to get the Riot Act read to her!!

“Like sands through the hourglass, so goes the gossip of our lives…”

.

Gunther, working with dated information on corporal punishment also from back when he was in the fifth grade, decides to put Luann over his knee and spank her.

.

Then nobody sees Luann and Gunther for the next two days. As Luann and Gunther share a passionate goodbye ’till later kiss, Luann asks Gunther, “What about Bets?”

.

Gunther replies, “Who’s Bets?”

Luann just needs to come clean with Gunther and tell him that she just wanted to know if he and bets are getting intimate because she’s bored and lonely. And hope he forgives her for her nosiness. Otherwise their very LONG friendship is over.

Luann deserved that. Way to stand up for yourself, Gunther!

I love my friends,

And they love me,

We’re just as close,

As we can be

and just because

we really care

whatever we get

we share

I got it from Agnes

She got it from Jim

We all agree it must have been Louise who gave it to him

Now she got it from Harry

Who got it from Marie

And everybody know that Marie

Got it from me

“How dare you tell people that someone over 18 might be fornicating it with a girlfriend he’s known for months! You’ve ruined my reputation! They’ll probably stone us to death in the town square at the next full moon! I’m innocent, actually. I read a pamphlet, and I still don’t know what that is. Maybe they should’ve made it a coloring book!”

Dog congrats you called it again!! I still hope to see some tangible evidence of the grown-up, intimate nature of their relationship, like her in his robe or something, but I think the real take-away, for this part of the arc anyway, is Gunther’s anger at her total invasion of his and Bets privacy. And the issue is why and how they confront it. I think it will make Luann think about her whole romantic life, remember she started the whole thing with showing him how to use social media, after being encouraged by Pru to go actually talk to someone. Squared circle, eh? I hope no lasting harm happens though. Jack to her rescue eventually?

(Eating my popcorn and watching with great interest)

Wow! In tonight’s comments, the Moral Majority just descended on us. We have had a lot of comments over time that no comic should ever indicate anyone is having sex unless they’re married. And Gunther on his high horse warned Tiffany that Les might “pounce” on her. How did we wind up back in the 1950s? We’re in an era where maybe half of 20 year olds have had sex. It always seemed to me that Gunther’s abstinence stemmed from fear that he would not succeed if making a move – and his moral posture just deflected the issue. Back to Luann – yes she probably needed to either reel in Gunther when she had the chance – or else cut him loose. And yes – Luann wasn’t careful enough with her curiosity in this arc. But Luann is far from a horrible person, and Gunther’s overreaction approaches a condition that seems like mental illness. It’s just fine if Gunther & Bets are having sex – or not. But note G & K have shelved Crystal & Knute – as it seemed their relationship could never progress.

Is it possible that Luann is unconsciously jealous and has not realized that? Why does Luann feel so much “curiosity” now that Gunther finally has a girlfriend?

6

Hmm…. one thought I had about today that is a bit disturbing…

One pretty common trope in an array of rom-com films over the last few decades is where the two protagonists near the end of the film will have a emotional, blowup style fight….. and in the middle of it begin to realize their love for each other and (old school style) “swoon” over each other and fall into each other’s arms or (more modern style) head off to the bedroom together.

What if, pray-tell…. this trope is the destination Greg has in mind?!? If so, this situation usually occurs at the end of the film…. could this be the end of the comic? And, if this coupling between Luann and Gunther were to occur…. this would be horribly mean and rude for Bets.

How ironic that it’s Luann who’s getting into trouble with too much social media, and not Gunther and Bets.

That was really dumb of Irma to tell Gunther that his friends are talking about his love life. It takes 2 people to hurt you. One person saying things about you behind your back, and a “friend” to report to you what was said behind your back. Irma had no reason to tell Gunther what his friends said.

I like this comic very much; it’s the first one I read very morning. However, I am also amused by how seriously all you people take this comic. IT’S A COMIC STRIP! That being said, Luann has annoyed me for years. She’s immature, selfish, lazy, self-centered… she’s very human and annoying. (She’s great with little kids, however, that’s a plus). And also that being said, somebody like Bets, a free spirit of sorts, would have lost her you-know-what when she was about 14. (And here I am taking a COMIC STRIP seriously. Guilt of my own criticisms.

I am in Gunther’s corner for this one! Luann just went way low in her jealousy toward the nerd Gunny who has found a catch while she fails time and time again since she said Bon Voyage to the quirky Oz boy who was into theater more than Luann (or other woman I suspect). Tough break young lady and now you lost a good friend unless you do damage control pronto!!!!

Next stop Tiffany?

Next week we find out that Gunther and Bets have broken up, Luann confesses that she was jealous and they end up in each other’s arms

Beautiful, the gossip network has been revealed. I personally hope that the two of them will have a very animated chat and I hope Gunther will makes the same speech to Tiffany. But in Luann’s defense; it was only a matter of time before Irma made that Talk with Gunther.

If I were Gunther, I would be angry because If Bets finds out about this rumor she will have an emotional range from hurt to anger. It will be interesting to see Bets and Tiffany in microeconomics class next week.

How can he prosecute one who is so clumsy that balance of any sort gained socially is miraculous. He already knows her propensity for the inadvertent acts of insanity. When you add in a network of gossip hungry pals, you just know that’s like giving a bull horn to kid in a quiet room. Any hope of her ever changing is not likely as he knows that as well. Gunther….why even bother…just keep a lid on containment with this messy spill and look out for leakages which can and will happen with this volatile situation. There’s lots of ways this could land on Bets. Hopefully only the truth will be there and not from the “TGN – The Gossip Network”.

The chickens have come home to roost. Let her have it, Gunther!!!

Maybe they’ll both score

Luann is so dead.

Let her have it, Gunther!!! And be sure to mention how your personal life is NONE of HER business. Glad he told his mom that he and Bets are safe. I guess now that clears up a lot of things for everyone.

“Often she that gossips reveals what she herself lacks.”

Well, Gunther’s probably gonna kill Luann now…

Ahhh – ha – haaaaaa!

Rip her a new one Gunth. “Give her the biggest lecture she ever had!” (recognize the lyric?)

One thing I think we can determine from Irma and Gunther’s conversation: Since it’s was clear from yesterday what they were talking about and Gunther says “Of course we’re safe”, I think it’s clear that he and Bets have done the horizontal bop.

WORLDS COLLIDING!!!

Aha! Gunth just told him Irma that Betts and he were being safe! Sounds like an admission to me!

Flash Forward 10 years: Today we find the parents of the gang worried that their kiddos may never be “doing it”

Looks like the You Know What is about to hit the fan…

Good, now Luann will get what’s coming to her. I hope we pick it up on Monday with Gunther reaming her out. She really hasn’t matured at all since high school.

Ho, boy! Here we go……..

For those that thought Irma was the rumor cutout, she sure dispelled that in a hurry. I’m surprised she didn’t add “Luann and Bernice have been playing Curious Cat for some time now.”

Caught red-handed. Blame it on an anonymous stranger, untraceable undisprovable.

Well it looks like “The Talk” isn’t going to be what so many thought. :o)

Perhaps the feared break up of Gun and Bets will be one of Gun with Luann. That certainly would culminate in this arc’s high drama many were expecting. If it does, I believe there will be a reconciliation in the middle-to-far future. It might even be as a rebound from a Bets breakup. In the meantime Luann will experiment and fail with other dates.

With friends like Luann who needs enemies.

You with all the judgment going on here I need to remind that stoning someone is perilous if the stone thrower looks at themselves, Luann made a mistake, she is not perfect, and her romanticism needs a serious upgrade, but I like to keep the critique in perspective. "who amongst us./

This reminds me of Norman Rockwell’s painting: The Chain of Gossip.

This is the beginning pf the end of Luann and Gunther’s friendship!

Luann has a dirty mind. Whoda thunk….

AnyFace opined last night If this were a TV show, anger would morph into unanticipated passion. ✨

WOW! What a dramatic turn of events that would be. Envision the scene:

Gunther (leaning forward, fists clutched): How dare you pry into my private life! You’ve greatly angered me and upset my family and friends. I am so furious right now!

Luann (weeping, sagging): I’m so sorry Gunther. I don’t know what came over me. The thought of you and Bets being intimate was making me crazy. That night… alone in your room… in the Gulag… hiding from Les… it’s altered my life more than I knew. I wish we had consummated that kiss. Maybe things would have turned out differently. (sound of sobbing hiccups)

(Pregnant pause! Luann and Gunther staring at one another… confused emotional looks…)

Fade to black!

Great scene! Never happen. :o(

P.S. I hope they practiced safe sex.

Luann is just trying to find out what “Doing it” means.

And as the explosion dust finally settles to the ground, Brad overhears TJ on he phone, saying, “Yes, Toni is doing it with Zebo”. Of course they are planning Brad’s surprise birthday party. " Let loose the dogs of war"….here we go again.

Busted! About time, too.

I am still mystified why everyone here is posting anger at Luann for not minding her own business, and no one seems to notice that if Bets and Gunther post every step of their relationship on social media, it can hardly be expected that people who know them won’t comment or pay attention. Gunther had previously indicated some degree of nervousness over the ‘fans’ who were paying so much attention to him, but he obviously didn’t follow through on that with Bets; she continued to post things. So, again I have to ask, if you constantly put your life on social media, how can you then argue that you need your privacy, Gunther and Bets?

I have to wonder if Luann’s actions, might have been subconsciously directed by her memory of Gunther wet and naked in the library. As she said, “the full Moon was out, and the front door was WIDE open”. Considering how she glomped Gun at Kafe Kablooey, there might be more than boredom or jealousy present.

I’m waiting for, “Lu, this is none of your business!” And he’d be right.

Luann is the only one who made a mistake here. She should have known better. It’s natural to be curious about such things and to discuss it with a best friend. Bernice’s wishy-washy response didn’t help matters, but it was Luann herself who decided to take action and did. Bernice is Luann’s friend, not her keeper. Luann should have asked herself if she was willing to pose her question directly to Gunther. It’s pretty clear she wasn’t, so that’s where it should ended. This is a learning moment for Luann. Hopefully she will be contrite about it and apologize to Gunther. However, knowing what we know about her character, I believe she is much likely to be defensive about it in various ways. She will probably protest her innocence, and may even attempt to blame others. We shall see next week.

And, thus do Rumors come full circle.

Sic him Puddles!!

https://youtu.be/Nbc1Fs3Om-0

oooooops

Problem I’m having with this story arc is that nowadays….hell, for decades for that matter….if you’ve been dating someone for a while, the relationships been consummated.

Uh-oh Spaghettios!

If Gunther was going to get terse with someone I am certainly glad that he didn’t go after the innocent, like Les who (this time) was content to leave Gunther’s personal life behind the closed doors of their house. I predict Luann will pretend she was acting (as a friend) out of concern… but for what?

So far – it looks like 400 comments max before the next Luann. That’s not bad – however I still remember when the sudden appearance of Ann Eiffel got over 600 comments! Evil rules – as long as it’s still sexy…

Sunday: crystal buys Knute a present!

Sounds like an admission.

“You’ve always been jealous of people with more active lives than you!”

Wow! You go, Detective Berger! Sock it to her! Luann needs a wake-up call!

People, here’s another example of gossip within the VAST Luanniverse, with Tiffany once again being the chief gossip:

https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2001/11/23

But, Crystal started it by telling Tiffany:

https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2001/11/21

Our Good Friend, Luann1212, made a very good point about how this whole thing got started. Not so much with Luann’s nosiness THIS arc, but what went on between her and Gunny in his bedroom a year ago. Here’s a refresher if you missed it.

Start here: https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2019/01/28

And end Here: https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2019/03/02

And like #1 said, the whole thing started with Luann showing Gunther how to use social media. Before, Gunther was jealous of Les’ usage of it, never dreaming of using it HIMSELF.

Bottom line, if it hadn’t been for Luann, Gunther would have probably never met Bets, even though they both attend the same college. At the very least, Luann should remind Gunther of that when he’s yelling at her next week.

IF, he’s yelling at her next week. There’s still a chance that THIS Strip, is the end of THIS particular arc, and We may take a look in on someone else next week. But if this DOES continue, I would hope Luann would give a reason WHY she was so interested in Gunther’s sex life. I would hope that Luann would reveal that she has very strong feelings for Gunther. THAT would certainly put the brakes on his yelling at her. At least for the moment. But that ain’t gonna happen, because I’d want that too badly. ;)

Or it could be a half a week of Gunther ripping Luann, and the ret of the week if Bets tearing into Tiffany. Like I said the other day, Karma would be Bets no longer helping Tiff with her school work. And Tiff flunking out, moving back home to be at the mercy of Ann Eiffel.

So. Will this story continue, or will it end, Today? And treated as though it never happened?

Most definitely Gunther checked with Les who told him of Luann’s prying; Les has her pegged. If Luann is still trying to figure an occupation one thing she should rule out is a position in ‘intelligence gathering’; she’s an open book even when she’s trying hard not to be, like her comment and demeanor in the last panel today.

I think I am more on Luanns side on this one than Gunther for todays strip. It would appear as if he is under the assumption that Luann is telling people if he and Bets are doing it, but no … that would be Tiffany. She asked Les if … but what Tiffany heard was Les exclaim they were. Luann needs to learn from this, but so do Gunther. She does need to apologize, cause she should have just asked him instead of asking about him. I really do hope that after Gunther tells her off at the door, I hope she calmly apologizes for asking Les IF they were, and as she closes the door in his face, tell him she never said they ARE and wish him and Bets the best and to let it and them go. Luann isn’t the one spreading rumors. Luann isn’t going around to the group and asking everyone if they are doing it. In the end, she talked to one. I would say that Luann is still more of a friend to Gunther than Tiffany. Tiffany could have stepped into the dishroom and told both of them to MYOB. She didn’t. She could have went and just said something to Gunther. She didn’t.

People in college have Es Ee Ex ?

Okay, I know this is a comic strip, but Gunther went to another country with his girlfriend after high school. Are we suppose to believe that they were just buddies?