Sibling rivalry: even though Brad is a mature professional, Luann still just sees him as her lil screw up brother, ergo she feels she has the right to give him a hard time.
Why are people calling Brad “goofy” or a “doofus”? He has matured into a neat, responsible, clean cut character. There are only five responses on this page (not counting mine), and two of them are cutting him down. Why?
If you work on a cube farm or office and told to wear a tie who cares? But if you work in the real world and told to wear a tie a clip-on tie is a safer deal.
I’ve read that the Evanses submit their strips with a six-week (or greater) lead time. That would mean that this one was already done by the time we readers got to see Brad and Toni with ties on when they showed up to get Les and Punk off the roof.
Why a clip on tie? As shown it comes off when a person grabs it. He being a firefighter he may have to put on full gear as quickly as possible. Also they get called out where people can get nuts. Getting it people. Why the tie is only worn as part of the dress uniform not the everyday use.
Brad is, actually, correct in wearing a clip on. Most Emergency personnel (especially police) wear clip ons because if you’re in a fight with someone, your opponent could attempt to strangle you with that tie. At least with the clip on, it will just detach.
Many years ago I got a job as a repair tech. I was required to wear a tie and a jacket, not a suit thankfully. I had to tuck my tie in, high in my shirt. I couldn’t wear a clip-on as I couldn’t find shirts off the rack that I could button the top button.
As someone who works for a fire department, it continues to irk me that a comic strip continues to use “fireman” instead of “firefighter”, ESPECIALLY WHEN SAID COMIC HAS A WOMAN FIREFIGHTER as a central character! C’mon Mr. Evans! Get with it!
Under no circumstances should anyone be OBLIGED to wear a tie at all, clip-on or otherwise.
For most of the 20th Century, men wearing hats whenever they went out of doors was pretty much a requirement; that changed. Men may still wear hats when they choose, but wearing a suit without a hat is no longer cause for comment. So let it be with neckties.
the firefighters in this town are very visble and they all wear heavy outer pants with suspenders and T-shirts, work attire. Brad and Toni seem dressed for an office job almost always.
Same with wearing dangly earrings. I’ve seen women get their ears ripped out by angry/scared patients. I never wore them unless I was away from the hospital.
Nice to see the brother-sister interplay here, and the teasing between them. Contrary to all the mini trolls here it’s actually pretty normal for siblings to tease each other, even healthy. Being an only child I can only wish how I could have had a sibling or siblings to interact with. Anyway this is only a long Sunday weekend. We start with new arcs to troll on Monday. Have a great Sunday meanwhile.
The clip on tie is regulation. I worked in Health & Safety. A regular tie is dangerous around moving equipment. If it gets caught in moving, especially rotating equipment, it can result in a serious injury or even a fatality.
As someone who has served in uniform I can tell you sharp appearance is often preferred over practicality or comfort. Also 99% of what a firefighter does has nothing to do with fires and that isn’t what they wear when they fight fires.
Really, rescue workers shouldn’t even wear ties. There’s always the hazard of a tie getting caught in something or catching fire, or some desperate person grabbing the tie (the latter being the reason for the detachable tie). And studies in hospitals found that ties are big germ reservoirs.
Brad has been married and working for years now and Luann still can’t relate to him on that level. Luann is the doof here; I am waiting for her to grow up but it is not happening, not yesterday not today.
First day, first class in law school, the professor uncliped his tie and said “this is the kind of tie to wear, because at some point, your client will want to strangle you”. True story.
And…as usual Luann blurts out a stupid remark because she is just not quite quick enough to see the obvious safety issues involved! But you gotta love it, don’t ya? The way she just goes stumbling along through her own personal reality every day. It’s a yellow brick road to the DeGroot house! (Well, to Luann’s room anyway) Hah!
We had the same type of tie when working in the prison. If a convict tried to choke you out with your tie, it would just snap away. They finally got smart in the early ’00s and eliminated the tie.
What makes today’s strip so inane is large number of arbitrary and unlikely events surrounding it, As well as the apparent lack of a punchline. Consider…. And remember that while each question can be answered the answers get less and likely as we go along.
First, why is Brad at his parent’s house? Doesn’t he have his own house with loving wife to go to?
Secondly, most people when they move out return home to either fix something that their parents can’t. Brad is obviously not fixing anything and his parents are noticeable by their absence, Again why visit your parents when they’re not home.
Thirdly, why is Brad eating from his parent’s refrigerator? Doesn’t he have food in his refrigerator? Sure, when he was living at home the refrigerator was as much his as theirs, but since he moved out it’s no longer his and theirs, only theirs.
Fourthly, why is he wearing his Dress uniform and not his work uniform. Greg has been obscuring this by acting as if their were his work uniform but it’s not. Firefighting is dirty work and firefighters would wear clothes more appropriate for dirty, danger work. One that does not include a life threatening tie.
Fifthly, why is Brad having such a cow because Luann yanked on a tie she had every reason to think was real. You can tell he’s having a cow by how wide his mouth is open and the way he yanks the tie out of Luann’s hand.
That was the joke. After Luann said he was getting so mature Brad has a cow after she accidentally pulls off the tie that’s meant to be pulled off. It’s inane because there is no good reason for Brad to be at his parent’s house in his dress uniform. It’s as if this strip solely exists to answer the questions raised when Punk was rescued of why fire fighter were wearing ties on a call. It was obviously a bad idea but no one mentioned the break-away ties then. So now Greg has done so. In a totally unlikely situation.
Security guards also wear clip-on ties, for obvious reasons. I once wrote a short mystery in which a phony security guard was exposed because he was wearing a real tie.
Brad and Toni, Frank and Nancy are the only non-doofs in this strip. They are mature adults with lives. The rest are bumbling through life without growing up. Or they regress. Luann had the childcare center, friendships other than Bore-nice, mentoring Fay… Now she has the occasional babysitting Shannon gig, and being bedside therapist to Bore-nice. Gunther is playing dress up with his media consumed gf. Bore-nice is a neurotic snooze. Tiff at least had drama. She matured in the Ann arc as well. This strip needs to focus and tighten up: lose loose ends like Jonah, plot points that get dropped like TJ’s dinner with Dez’s produce, and disappearing characters (Dez, Tara, Knute, Nil, Piro, etc.).
The thing I like about this strip is, it seems to me anyway, is that Greg is acknowledging the many times we have commented that Brad has changed so much from the doofus he used to be into a pretty decent guy with a gorgeous wife.
Templo S.U.D. about 4 years ago
as if firefighters would wear a tie-on necktie
beb01 about 4 years ago
Do firemen really wear clip-on ties? Considering their job why wear even a fake tie are all. PS – Brad is still a doofus
Tyge about 4 years ago
This is a rather inane strip? What is the gag or point? 8^ (
gnmnrbl about 4 years ago
Sibling rivalry: even though Brad is a mature professional, Luann still just sees him as her lil screw up brother, ergo she feels she has the right to give him a hard time.
sallymargret about 4 years ago
Why are people calling Brad “goofy” or a “doofus”? He has matured into a neat, responsible, clean cut character. There are only five responses on this page (not counting mine), and two of them are cutting him down. Why?
Grey Forest about 4 years ago
If you work on a cube farm or office and told to wear a tie who cares? But if you work in the real world and told to wear a tie a clip-on tie is a safer deal.
Enter.Name.Here about 4 years ago
Look just above to see what the OTHER doof looked like back then.
Rhetorical_Question about 4 years ago
Looks like Luann does not respect personal space. So, who is the doofus?
Brdshtt Premium Member about 4 years ago
Since the strip’s inception, their name has changed from DeDoof to DeGroot.
outonalimb about 4 years ago
I’ve read that the Evanses submit their strips with a six-week (or greater) lead time. That would mean that this one was already done by the time we readers got to see Brad and Toni with ties on when they showed up to get Les and Punk off the roof.
kenhense about 4 years ago
Luann always looks better from the side view.
Jmminnc about 4 years ago
Why a clip on tie? As shown it comes off when a person grabs it. He being a firefighter he may have to put on full gear as quickly as possible. Also they get called out where people can get nuts. Getting it people. Why the tie is only worn as part of the dress uniform not the everyday use.
Airman about 4 years ago
Caldonia about 4 years ago
Don’t forget that his head looked like a potato, and his hair was thinning. It’s important.
artsyguy65 about 4 years ago
Yes, this is a real issue of safety for many professions, including all kinds of first responders:
https://www.clipontie.com/breakaway-for-safety-.html
Many institutions — universities, hospitals, museums, concert venues etc. — require all lanyards for ID tags to be breakaway as well.
Mordock999 Premium Member about 4 years ago
So Brad wears a “kitten-proof”clip-on tie.
BIG Friggin’ DEAL!
Aladar30 Premium Member about 4 years ago
I love these sister-brother moments ♡. The relationship between Luann and Brad has grown so much and so well♡ Is so funny and true ♡.
OneTime59 about 4 years ago
The fourth frame is simply funny.
TORAD_07 about 4 years ago
Brad is, actually, correct in wearing a clip on. Most Emergency personnel (especially police) wear clip ons because if you’re in a fight with someone, your opponent could attempt to strangle you with that tie. At least with the clip on, it will just detach.
EasyEight about 4 years ago
I love my tie but would never wear it around equipment. If the tie gets caught it’s a hangman’s noose.
Ellis97 about 4 years ago
Give your brother a break. Tying a tie isn’t easy.
Ignatz Premium Member about 4 years ago
If cops and firemen have to wear ties, of course they have to be clip-on in the interests of safety. But why is a tie part of the uniform at ALL?
Joe Miller about 4 years ago
inane? Then quit reading it.
landyk about 4 years ago
Many years ago I got a job as a repair tech. I was required to wear a tie and a jacket, not a suit thankfully. I had to tuck my tie in, high in my shirt. I couldn’t wear a clip-on as I couldn’t find shirts off the rack that I could button the top button.
Denise DeSerio about 4 years ago
As someone who works for a fire department, it continues to irk me that a comic strip continues to use “fireman” instead of “firefighter”, ESPECIALLY WHEN SAID COMIC HAS A WOMAN FIREFIGHTER as a central character! C’mon Mr. Evans! Get with it!
Troglodyte about 4 years ago
The ties that bind…? :D
Otis Rufus Driftwood about 4 years ago
I don’t think firefighters where ties all the time anymore. (And Luann does need to grow up some herself.)
Schrodinger's Dog about 4 years ago
I think the “doofus” is on the other foot.
darcyandsimon about 4 years ago
Ahem. Folks? This is a dress uniform. Yeah, they wear them a lot in this strip, but nonetheless, that’s what it is.
fritzoid Premium Member about 4 years ago
Under no circumstances should anyone be OBLIGED to wear a tie at all, clip-on or otherwise.
For most of the 20th Century, men wearing hats whenever they went out of doors was pretty much a requirement; that changed. Men may still wear hats when they choose, but wearing a suit without a hat is no longer cause for comment. So let it be with neckties.
dv1093 about 4 years ago
It’s not hard to tie a tie. I remember I taught my son when he was 11 years old.
raybarb44 about 4 years ago
Too bad Brad can’t say the same……
RSH about 4 years ago
the firefighters in this town are very visble and they all wear heavy outer pants with suspenders and T-shirts, work attire. Brad and Toni seem dressed for an office job almost always.
ForrestOverin about 4 years ago
Luann’s demonstrating her superiority by criticizing her brother.
sallymargret about 4 years ago
Same with wearing dangly earrings. I’ve seen women get their ears ripped out by angry/scared patients. I never wore them unless I was away from the hospital.
luann1212 about 4 years ago
Nice to see the brother-sister interplay here, and the teasing between them. Contrary to all the mini trolls here it’s actually pretty normal for siblings to tease each other, even healthy. Being an only child I can only wish how I could have had a sibling or siblings to interact with. Anyway this is only a long Sunday weekend. We start with new arcs to troll on Monday. Have a great Sunday meanwhile.
w16521 about 4 years ago
Luann will never grow up. Such an irritating inmature dolt.
[Unnamed Reader - 089237] about 4 years ago
The clip on tie is regulation. I worked in Health & Safety. A regular tie is dangerous around moving equipment. If it gets caught in moving, especially rotating equipment, it can result in a serious injury or even a fatality.
Sisyphos about 4 years ago
Invasive, gabby L’il Sis is who still is a doof, IMO….
yangeldf about 4 years ago
gotta look good but not worry about getting choked by a piece of fabric around your neck
drewpamon about 4 years ago
As someone who has served in uniform I can tell you sharp appearance is often preferred over practicality or comfort. Also 99% of what a firefighter does has nothing to do with fires and that isn’t what they wear when they fight fires.
GaryCooper about 4 years ago
Really, rescue workers shouldn’t even wear ties. There’s always the hazard of a tie getting caught in something or catching fire, or some desperate person grabbing the tie (the latter being the reason for the detachable tie). And studies in hospitals found that ties are big germ reservoirs.
Cheapskate0 about 4 years ago
Before TSA finally did away with ties, they, too, required clip-on ties. And break-away lanyards. Still do.
The mystery was, why did it take us ten years to get rid of the ties?
RSH about 4 years ago
Brad has been married and working for years now and Luann still can’t relate to him on that level. Luann is the doof here; I am waiting for her to grow up but it is not happening, not yesterday not today.
notbornyesterday about 4 years ago
First day, first class in law school, the professor uncliped his tie and said “this is the kind of tie to wear, because at some point, your client will want to strangle you”. True story.
comic reader 22 about 4 years ago
And…as usual Luann blurts out a stupid remark because she is just not quite quick enough to see the obvious safety issues involved! But you gotta love it, don’t ya? The way she just goes stumbling along through her own personal reality every day. It’s a yellow brick road to the DeGroot house! (Well, to Luann’s room anyway) Hah!
comic reader 22 about 4 years ago
Oh, and “Hello, you used to be such a doof” is my new official greeting. I like it.
Back to Big Mike about 4 years ago
We had the same type of tie when working in the prison. If a convict tried to choke you out with your tie, it would just snap away. They finally got smart in the early ’00s and eliminated the tie.
Lablubber about 4 years ago
Most public safety and security workers are required to wear clip on ties for safety purposes.
beb01 about 4 years ago
What makes today’s strip so inane is large number of arbitrary and unlikely events surrounding it, As well as the apparent lack of a punchline. Consider…. And remember that while each question can be answered the answers get less and likely as we go along.
First, why is Brad at his parent’s house? Doesn’t he have his own house with loving wife to go to?
Secondly, most people when they move out return home to either fix something that their parents can’t. Brad is obviously not fixing anything and his parents are noticeable by their absence, Again why visit your parents when they’re not home.
Thirdly, why is Brad eating from his parent’s refrigerator? Doesn’t he have food in his refrigerator? Sure, when he was living at home the refrigerator was as much his as theirs, but since he moved out it’s no longer his and theirs, only theirs.
Fourthly, why is he wearing his Dress uniform and not his work uniform. Greg has been obscuring this by acting as if their were his work uniform but it’s not. Firefighting is dirty work and firefighters would wear clothes more appropriate for dirty, danger work. One that does not include a life threatening tie.
Fifthly, why is Brad having such a cow because Luann yanked on a tie she had every reason to think was real. You can tell he’s having a cow by how wide his mouth is open and the way he yanks the tie out of Luann’s hand.
That was the joke. After Luann said he was getting so mature Brad has a cow after she accidentally pulls off the tie that’s meant to be pulled off. It’s inane because there is no good reason for Brad to be at his parent’s house in his dress uniform. It’s as if this strip solely exists to answer the questions raised when Punk was rescued of why fire fighter were wearing ties on a call. It was obviously a bad idea but no one mentioned the break-away ties then. So now Greg has done so. In a totally unlikely situation.
Joe1962 about 4 years ago
Who cares what Brad wears.
Sailor46 USN 65-95 about 4 years ago
As a LEO, I wore a fake tie.
Schaller Handmade Knives about 4 years ago
Security guards also wear clip-on ties, for obvious reasons. I once wrote a short mystery in which a phony security guard was exposed because he was wearing a real tie.
kittysquared Premium Member about 4 years ago
Brad and Toni, Frank and Nancy are the only non-doofs in this strip. They are mature adults with lives. The rest are bumbling through life without growing up. Or they regress. Luann had the childcare center, friendships other than Bore-nice, mentoring Fay… Now she has the occasional babysitting Shannon gig, and being bedside therapist to Bore-nice. Gunther is playing dress up with his media consumed gf. Bore-nice is a neurotic snooze. Tiff at least had drama. She matured in the Ann arc as well. This strip needs to focus and tighten up: lose loose ends like Jonah, plot points that get dropped like TJ’s dinner with Dez’s produce, and disappearing characters (Dez, Tara, Knute, Nil, Piro, etc.).
Laurie Stoker Premium Member about 4 years ago
The thing I like about this strip is, it seems to me anyway, is that Greg is acknowledging the many times we have commented that Brad has changed so much from the doofus he used to be into a pretty decent guy with a gorgeous wife.
LeighBurton about 4 years ago
If Luann is 20 or 21 now, then how old is Brad?
bakana about 4 years ago
Yeah, a Necktie is Not the fashion accessory you’d want hanging around your neck in an emergency.
Boomer Premium Member about 4 years ago
So he got fit and lost weight…..but how did his eyes grow farther apart?
Schrodinger's Dog about 4 years ago
Tomorrow: A new arc to dissect !!!
illuminare about 4 years ago
As if she has room to talk. talk about a flake
Bwahahaha! about 4 years ago
Wow, this is really stupid
kitkat395 10 months ago
90% of Luann talks with her brother: you was a loser.