Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for February 10, 2021

darn right, Ben

Bernice is feeling slighted. Hey, Bern, you did NOT confide in Luann about your Jack dream. So you are as bad as she is about secrecy. The thing is everyone is entitled to keeping some things secret, even married couples. It’s something you need to learn to respect. If Luann wants to share, she will.

Bernice really is the absolute worst. She only ever busts out the Best Friends card to guilt-trip Luann. Our titular character would be far better off without this frigid, joyless control freak.

Entitlement- the world orbits around Bernice, not Luann!

Kind of annoying how Ben and Bern look so much alike—as do Gunther and his mom.

Bernice, put yourself in Luann’s shoes for a minute. If YOU had a someone over and were meeting someone at the park. But Luann was all up in your business being nosy, how would you react? You’d likely say “MYOB.” This is what Luann has told you, if she wants you to know what’s going on, she’ll tell you. This is also a lesson Luann needs to learn: is someone wants you to know what’s going on in their life—- they’ll fill you in. Otherwise leave it alone.

All this suspicion is doing is driving a wedge between them.

Apparently Bernice does not trust her closest best friend as far as she can throw her. Like most ideas that reflect well on anyone besides Bernice herself, the idea that Luann may be completely justified in keeping something from Bernice will simply never enter Bernice’s head.

Bernice the hypocrite Halper wouldn’t even tell Luann about her dream, yet she insists——no, make that DEMANDS -—-Luann tell her everything.

Ben should tell her that maybe if she started behaving like a best friend, Luann would start treating her like one.

Like Bernice said. Why is she hiding behind all the sneaky secrecy? The question about why she cares only relates to Br’er Ben. Bernice knows why she cares, if she could get past her hurt feelings and think about it. Although I don’t think Bern would be too much less concerned if she knew the real reason for Luann’s shenanigans. Bernice is suffering from the pain of a possible betrayal by her BFF and perceived lack of trust from her. And being angry is a tried and true way of covering pain; though a not very fruitful one.

But, hey! This is a comic strip. Things will work their way to a head between the two. A blow up will occur. Apologies will be made. BFF-dom will be restored and hilarity will ensue.

And Jack will wonder what the heck just happened.

Why must people feel compelled to share everything. Keeping one’s own confidence is not a betrayal when it has nothing to do with anyone else…

What I want to get back to is what is happening with Tara living secretly in the Fuze.

A few years ago, a homeless guy found an unused closet under the stairs in a local Catholic church. He moved into it, lighting his bedroom with candles. The result was a fire that did significant damage to the beautiful old building.

Dang, he just keeps throwing out the zingers! Bern is getting the burn.

Ooh, ooh, I know! Because she’s got LOTS of better friends than your worthless hide, ‘Bern’?

Bernice is such a control freak. She really gets upset whenever she is not in control of a situation or when people do not do what she wants them too (Gunnie and Bets at the residence hall study-a-thon, if Bern had her way they would be in opposite corners of the room instead of lounging on the couch together). Here it is so much worse because she truly like Jack a lot and her mind is creating a scenario of her best friend deceiving her and essentially stealing him (in Bern’s mind) when in reality Luann just helped Tara out and then became a total nimrod by telling her its okay to squat in the Fuse and giving Tara a key and essentially carte blanche to everything in the establishment!

grnmnbl: Another take: “Put yourself in Luann’s shoes.”

Suppose you were hiding a questionable character in your room, wouldn’t you want to hide it from Luann? Especially if you knew that that questionable person does not get along well with Luann?

And if you were going to betray your parents by letting her hole up in your parents’ business establishment, without telling them, would you want yet another witness to what you were planning?

Most of all, if you could trick Luann into thinking you had snuck a boy into your room – instead of telling her what you really did – wouldn’t that be the perfect cover for your deeds? I mean, like, she has no idea what you really did and isn’t even asking the right questions!

Mission accomplished!

Back to the computer ink “reality” (of sorts): Yes, I still blame Luann for all of this. Even if Bernice jumped to an erroneous conclusion, which she did, because it suited Luann’s purpose, Luann deliberately allowed Bernice to assume what Bernice thought was the worst.

And don’t forget, Luann enjoyed that Bernice was “in a snit” about the thought that Jack was in Luann’s room.

Luann bears total responsibility for this entire mess.

And yet, G&K seemed focused on Bernice, as if to let us think that this is all her fault, somehow.

Bernice, welcome to the Gunther club.

As in, somehow, with all the stuff that happens, no matter what the others have done, it’s still your fault.

Self-righteous. Snark. Degrading. And I’m sure you’ve all got worse descriptors for Bernice.

Just like the anger and mommy issues for Gunther. Who was it, Caledonia, who said the other day, “Who wants to talk to Gunther” (the implication being, no one).

Welcome, Bernice, to the Gunther club.

Rant out.

Her imagination has grabbed hold of her with both hands and dragged her off to the green-eyed dragon with the thirteen tails.

This is only Weds. By the end of the week Bernice will have reached Ren Hoek levels of jealousy and madness. Only, it was funny when he did it.

Somebody do something!

I’m not fond of Bernice but to be fair this sort of situation can make fools of us all.

Ah!

So Brother Ben has just axed Bern the $64,000 question.

Problem Is, Bernice just spent the better part of this week lying.

So it ain’t bloody likely that Bernie is gonna fess-up and reveal her true feelings about Mr. Jack, to her bro.

Which would be ironic because she’s pretty much told Ben everything else. ;)

Luann helped Bernice get a grip and go have dinner with her family. Seems like Ben is going to return the favor and help Bernice get a grip about minding her own business.

The emotion investment between Luann and Bernice is being portray as an entitlement without no escape clauses. A Major explosion by Saturday unless Sgt Ben York defuse the situation.

Ben’s remark at the third frame sums up this arc. If it weren’t already drawn, GnK could end it right there and switch to another topic. There has to be something else, though, ’cause Ben leaves us with “but…” We will simply have to find out later if Bernice interrogates Luann.

Ben looks like he gets why Bernice only has 1 friend and even they are getting tired of her. Yeah, I know, it’s a comic strip and she’s acting like this for hilarity’s sake, but she needs to pull that stick out a few inches, it’s up there too far even by her normal irritating standards.

So, are we going to have the moment of revelation? Will Bernice admit that the reason she is so upset is her own interest in Jack?

Bernice could grow a better mustache than Ben, if she didn’t use a depilatory.

The Shrink needs a Shrink.

(Phone rings): “Yes?” Why do you care? “I know your voice.” I have been here before – why do you care? “You’ll never know.” (The Prisoner, “Once Upon a Time”)

Bern, stop being the Sphincter Police!

Think I’ll wait and come back on Monday. Too much of a snark week.

Bernice has no business being a therapist. She leaps to assumptions, struggles with compassion, is judgemental, problem avoidant when it comes to her own feelings, and is not comfortable with being wrong. She would be a better medical doctor or surgeon. Counselor, no. Unless she learns to fix herself first.

Aren’t you overreacting?

Bern’s angry face reminds me of MT (pronounced Empty) Qlown.

Ben, one of us! Let’s hope Bernice will answer his question ♡. I just want to know if Bernice is more angry at Luann for her mystery or for betraying her by having an affair with the guy she likes. But for sure, if Bernice keeps doing this, Tara will soon become Luann’s new bestie. Hopefully, Ben will find a way to avoid that.

If Bern was a TRUE friend she would know when to stay out of Luann’s business. What she is doing is not what a real friend does. It is prying where you have no right to. Besides, she has no idea what she is talking about.

I still think Bern is going to confront Jack about this … but will it clear things up, or will she interpret his answers through her “suspicion” filter.

It appears her relationship with her brother has progressed to soul bearing conversations. Isn’t that a positive for Ms B?

Everybody just keeps walking and talking and going nowhere.

I like the way Ben is probing (gently). Maybe by tomorrow he’ll ask if Bern if she really has evidence that Jack was in Luann’s room. Bern never heard his voice. So then Ben might say “….now let’s take the scenario that it was someone else and see how that fits the data………”. i like their relationship; they’re kind of cute together, looking alike. Bern needs this kind of big brother which is quite different from Luann’s relationship with Brad which is more antagonistic and joking.

Bernice is going to be an old maid for sure unless someone pulls that stick out of her butt.

Leave Bernice alone. She’s enjoying the adrenalin rush from her self righteous indignation. I would let her get just as outrageously deluded as she wants, hopefully leading to full on shouting confrontation with Luann and Jack. That would be great.

Bernice goes on and on and on………..

Foe crikey’s sake give Bernice a break!! She is frustrated enormously by her repressed feeling for hunky, but gentleman Jack, the closeness of her to her BFF (and I think in the end the friendship will hold, snarkiness is common with close friends, but they know how far they will go for the friend when the chips are really down and that is the way it is with these two young women, boy fights are common, just as Rick Springfield’s song so brilliantly covers in “In Jessie’s Girl”) and in this case the chips will come down, but not because of Jack, it will because of Tara and possible misadventures with that situation. Ben is the wise and loving older brother here and I think he might be the calming influence Bernice needs to cool her jets down enough to really enjoy life.

This reminds me slightly of my first week in college. My roommate of two days burst into tears because I didn’t wait for her to get up, get dressed and go down to breakfast with her. Uh, why should I? My first class starts an hour and a half before yours does. Anyhow this tizzy was soon replaced by, why don’t you wait and walk with me between classes? It took awhile but we did work it out.

Hey folks! Remember the Groundhog Day strip where Luann offered Tara the option of letting her crash in her house on the up and up? Tara squelched it with a false accusation about Bernice. Tara was caught by the security guard reviewing security cam footage. Tara wants to be incognito for some reason and it probably is not about a cousin that is in trouble. If one remembers back to Pitts CC days, Tara disappeared for a time causing some concern for Jack and Luann, classmates at the time. Tara gave some lame excuse about losing her phone when Luann’s unanswered texts and calls. If GnK are playing straight with Tara’s character, she’s in more trouble than she’s let on.

And her desire for anonymity is fueling the fires on the BFF front.

My brother and I looked very much alike. What’s wrong with that?

This storyline is ridiculous as is Bern’s character. How exactly is she supposed to become a therapist with this mentality?

Well said: “Bigger Question: Who made you the neighborhood busy body?”

Jack passes by with an airtight alibi in 3… 2…

Apparently she has forgotten that she got caught spying on her “best friend”. Okay, it was a clumsy attempt at spying that would have gotten a thumbs up from Inspector Clouseau, but an spying nonetheless. That alone is a reason not to trust her. I like how Luann reminded Bernice that she is no longer an RA yesterday. She is on her way to being a less attractive Eva Perón but without the fashion sense.

Ben is becoming my favorite character. But the strip wouldn’t be the same if there were any other level-headed people in it.

Aha, it’s night! Time to continue this conversation at Fuse over a cup of decaff.

I think Bernice will follow Luann the next time she visits Tara and find out the secret.

Cripes! You’re not entitled to know everything, Bernice.

Bernice you need to get a life.

More LIES from Bernice today. She has no proof that Luann met Jack at the dog park. And Bernice is not Luann’s closest, best friend. More like a frememy. I hope Luann and Jack find out all the lies Bernice is spreading about them.

Looks like not even Ben can stop Bernie from making a fool of herself once she has determined to do so….

Why is that annoying?

I can tell you why Bernice cares about this, Ben; it’s because she has no life of her own whatsoever, and must therefore stick her nose into other’s people’s lives in order to feel relevant.

Another question for Bernice: What makes you think you have any right to ask about it, much less to demand?

Oh crud! This story arc is going to run at least 4 weeks, isn’t it? It won’t be over until Tara gets caught trespassing and Luann gets her butt in a sling. Wait: It could be even worse. Tara steals something — that’s her forte, isn’t it? And then the whole story gets out. In any case, Luann is banned from the Fuse and has to give back her door key. Maybe she even loses her key to her parents’ house, since she’s proven herself untrustworthy.

Bern is just stuck in that Huge Assumption. Plus, she’s Jealous about Jack.

The snark runs in the family, I see.

Sure looks like jealousy to me. There’s hope yet.

Bern calls Luann her BFF yet believes that Luann would sneak around with a guy, and a guy she has a crush on. She thinks this of her childhood friend. No benefit of the doubt. Not even asking Luann what is going on in a nonjudgy way. That is not being a friend. Who needs the baggage that is Bernice?

My mom’s dad’s family genes are strong. I am pretty much a clone of my dad, but with a few of his features. My brother takes after my mom’s side. An actress has the same last name as my mom’s maiden name that looks like a female edition of my gfather with different color hair. I am sure we’re related, but she isn’t from any area where my mom has any family.

I just had a revelation. The reason that some people think that Luann knows Bernice thinks she was with Jack is this: Puddles told Luann that Bernice was asking him if it was Jack! Why didn’t anyone think of this before now? \s

One of the beautiful things about getting older is I’ve learned that if someone wants to tell you something personal they will do it when they are ready, not from pressure from a friend to tell them now. But then, I’m not as curious as I used to be when I was younger.

Identical twins