Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for April 16, 2021

Est saganaki japonais?

Ummmm, Saganaki, with extra virgin olive oil and pita bread.

T.J. isn’t the only one serving things up hot! I hope Gunther doesn’t let himself be dragged around like a prop anymore!

Surprisingly this did not go well.

Now what are they going to do for dinner dressed like that?

So Bets expected Tiff to have spent a bundle on Pirate decorations but didn’t even pay her the $300 in advance to do that? WTF?

Poor Gunther. He was actually enjoying himself, but he would have enjoyed himself more if those two didn’t yell at each other. He really liked what he saw when he entered the room, and he enjoyed the food. He should have said, “No, I’m staying. My friends made this food for us, so we should stay and eat.”

I knew TJ was waiting in the wings with the flambé. Nice toque blanche. Very suave.

In the second frame, Gunther literally becomes ‘arm candy’…

For a moment I thought the ladies were going to hit each other!

Nuevamente Gunther se acobardó y es arrastrado por Bets como si fuera un simple objeto.

La arpista es toda una profesional, no ha dejado de tocar a pesar de la discusión.

Looks like Tiff and Bets EUROPEAN VACATION 2021 has been called off! LOL

Just sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labor, Tiffany. The whirlwind is gone. Maybe Ox will bring you a nice glass of wine to go with your meal.

And Tiff has called it – no class. G-man is once again yanked away before he even got a shot at the appetizer.

Looks like Tiff, Ox, TJ and the harp lady will get their fill of haute cuisine tonight.

Something may be salvaged from the night. Tiff, TJ and Oxford may come up with a business plan.

Wow bets is obsessed with cosplay and social media. And she grabbed gun by the arm with a “come boy, we’re leaving.”

I noticed that for as strange as ox speaking french is, at least he’s trying. I’ll give him that much.

HA!! There you have it, people! Bets DID NOT pay Tiff in advance like a lot of readers were claiming! Tiff should have told Bets to take her money and go to Chuck E. Cheeses (or whatever the equivalent is in Luannaverse) and ask for their pirate-themed kiddie party. The decorations would be cardboard, but……..I don’t know what kind of decorations she expected Tiff to come up with for $300. Or did she think Tiff had a lot of props from old pirate movies stashed in the attic somewhere?

So Bets storms out, dragging Gunther with her. Notice she never asked him what HE wanted to do, not that she ever does. Gunther has no voice in their relationship at all. Bets tells him what they will do, and when and how, and what he’s expected to do to make it happen, as in this case: “Gun! Forget studying! Sew these pirate costumes. NOW!”

Love the harp player just carrying along like “oh, my friends/coworkers are gonna be in for some great story time when I see them next”. I imagine being an entertainer or caterer is fun when you’re not caught in the drama crosshairs.

Ox’s giant baby head remains as off-putting as ever.

One thing missing in panel 3: Gunther uncoupling his arm from Bets and declaring that he wants to stay.

Maybe tomorrow? I can dream, can’t I?

And I want some saganaki.

Piddle contest, both contestants lost and Gun goes home hangry and embarrassed…what a waste!

Why is everyone hating on Bets? It’s Tiffany in the wrong here.Bets ordered a pirate theme. Tiffany did not deliver, then got mad at her customer when she complained.Also, I bet she does not have a business license, and the upscale neighborhood where Tom’s mansion is located is not zoned for restaurants.

I hope Bets can stop payment on her check..but wait, a real pirate would pay with gold, or at least silver, pieces of eight.

The flaming Greek cheese and Tiff are on fire.

meanwhile at the Fuze, “WHAT, you mean they all called in sick ???”

Yes Tiff, TJ and Ox will come up with business plan.

So much for Bets and Tiff becoming BFF’s.

So Tiff doesn’t care whether Bets pays up or not. She is sticking to her business plan and that is classy. Kudos to her. Tiff – 1, Bets – 0.

I really hope that Gunther calls Bets out on her behavior tomorrow.

And dont worry Bets, if you hurry you two can still go to Long John Silver’s. That will be the perfect place for your pirate outfits. : )

I love how the harp player is oblivious to the girls arguing.

So what will Tiff do now after she went through all the trouble to set things up?

What an appetizer! Too bad that Gunther will miss this.

TJ should cry out, “OPA”, and then light the Saganaki…….and ya gotta have pita bread. Just what kind of Greek is TJ?

Very funny with the ethereal harp music going on during a contest to see who can be nastier.

Time for a Deus Ex Machina: Tom shows up with a new hot girlfriend. He would be happy to pay the $300 for a romantic dinner.

So will tomorrow’s strip feature Tiffany as she has a romantic dinner with Ox? or with Les? or with TJ? or an awkward conversation with her whole staff, including the harpist? or what starts out as an awkward conversation but turns into a convivial dinner party? or …?

Or will it feature the pirate duo as Gunther pushes back at Bets and then caves in the face of her forceful personality? or prevails and talks her into going back to TTFT (if he pays?)? or decides to break up after Bets blurts out something that amounts to an outrightadmission that Gunther is just a prop for her social media show? or …?

Or will it feature Brad and Toni as they arrive on the scene after the flaming Saganaki ignites that yellow tent thingy?

Or will it feature Tom, who arrives home just in time for a delightful father/daughter dinner? or for a romantic dinner with the harpist? or for what turns out to be a romantic dinner with a certain friend from Paris, who happened to be on the same plane with him and mentioned that she was on her way to Pittsville in order to personally investigate the origin of some counterfeits of her lingerie line?

Or will it feature Les as he provides the pirate theme by prancing into the room in his silver long johns?

Or …?

Geez, more misspelled French in another Ox speech balloon, just the thing to end whatever this was supposed to be! Oh no—there’s one more day of this, isn’t there.

Bets is going to stuff Gunther in her dresser until the next occasion calls for him. I still think the future would bode better for Tiffany and Gunther as a couple.

So I got the wrong country.

We still have the melted cheese.

If tomorrow we have Gunther breaking away from Bets just as she starts to pull out her cellphone…..

CAT FIGHT!!!!!!!! ;D

“The customer is always …..”

NOT the best business sense. Glad money was not paid up front.

Nice comeback, Tiff!

And this is why event planners get everything in writing — and a deposit

Well, I guess this means Shannon next week. Or maybe the flirter at the Fuse will make a return. It would be ironic if the flirter was Tiffany’s father. Just as we went for years never seeing him it could easily be that Nancy nor anyone at the Fuse knows him. It would take the heavy hand of coincidence that Tiffany’s shift never cross when he appeared. But it would be fun just to hear Tiffany say “Dad, you can’t date her, that’s Luann’s mother!”

Ooo, I like it. Ox and Tiff can have their first date at this high end restaurant!

Btw, I side with Tiff, as she made clear she was making a classy restaurant.Btw, I side with Bets, as Tiff agreed to her pirate theme.Btw, I side with Gun, as he just wanted dinner.

This was expected. This will be a good business lesson for Tiff on meeting customer’s needs. Trust me, I get it: The customer is NOT always right, but when you openly defy an initial order to fulfill your personal needs, the businessman is not always right either. And that’s what happened here. Not sure if Tiff will learn this lesson, but considering where she was way back in her high school days, I feel optimistic.

Saturday should be the tell; I’m waiting until then. I am Team Beta here, but Gunther’s intentions need to be shown. I think this goes until next week but at a different venue. Tiffany is selfish and deceitful here. Is it’s Bet’s pushiness in her anger, or Tiffany:s selfishness that is the fulcrum which informs what happens. Those who don’t like Beta, and they are legion will like if Gunther parts with his longest lasting GF, to run the Tiffany’s arms (news flash right now a relationship is the last thing on her mind) or even Luann, which would be a surprise to her. Ultimately it’s up to GnK.

The end of a good friendship is always sad. Bets and Tiffany both have strong personalities and are stubborn. I don’t know if they will ever make peace, because here they are both right. But seeing Gunther follow Best without saying a word is really painful.

I sure hope that tomorrow we see Gunther telling Bets that he thinks she was out of line, and that he wants to stay and she can wait in the car if she doesn’t want to go back inside. And that he thought the main thing was that they were going to have a nice dinner together, and not the fact that they were going to be part of some internet streaming event.

For Bets, the internet component was all that mattered, she didn’t care about being with Gunther. It was all about her.

Perfect. Absolutely 100% that non-pirates should not be paid for and Tiff’s flub is witnessed by her helpers. Only downside is poor Gunther, who was dragged into all of this and now gets no meal.

In lieu of monetary payment, Tiff invites harpist, Ox, and TJ to eat the meal with her.

A rollicking good time is had by all.

I sure am tired of Gunther’s girlfriend. Enough, already!

NOW what, Tiffany? All that fuss for nothing…?

It pays to know your client.

Lets see if Gun has the , " b – - – - " to do it ?

Gunther was starting to enjoy himself. Isn’t that what this was supposed to be all about? Bets really is a self-absorbed bee-yotch.

Good! At least she did not waste her money on poor customer service. Gunther, just go with your gal and support her. Enjoy her and whatever alternate plans she may have for the evening I’m sure would be even more fun. This event or future events are not even worth bickering over.

Please vote. Tiffany or Betts, Who was right?

What an ungrateful brat.

Classless Children

Pirates are nothing but terrorists anyway.

Meanwhile the gal playing the harp just smiles and plays away.

You know, I’m really having a hard time deciding who I dislike more: Bets or Tiffany? I do know the guy I feel sorry for: Gunther. He may want to grow a backbone.

Tiffany is running her business like Apple, she tells you what you want haha

The one left out here is Gunther. He still hasnt grown a pair and continues to let himself be controlled. He deserves someone who respects him of which neither Bets nor Tiffany do. If he was smart , he’d dump Bets and go solo until he finishes school then find someone who likes him for himself not someone who treats him like an accessory.

I guess Tiff doesn’t subscribe to the “customer is always right” theory…

I don’t get why many are on Bets during this arc. Tiffany messed up by not listening to the customer and will never make it in business that way. She is still selfish, has not grown as a character, and needs this business lesson.

My way or the highway, Gunther will take so much then by by Bets

Well besides the usual confusion in the story line (did she pay did she not pay) this proves that if you are a young, self centered, arrogant, bossy girl you CAN shoot yourself in the foot with flaming cheese! And good for you Bets! I wouldn’t have stayed or paid either. And for all of you that think Gunther should backstab his girlfriend and stay with Tiffany, good luck. Gunther and Bets are a couple. She has been weird about the pod cast stuff sure, but they are together and he owes her his support when she has been treated badly. No excuse for Tiffany on this one!

What direction will the cartoonist take Gunther’s character now? Interesting plot and character developments could ensue

Gunther The Whole time… “Ummmmm I’m not involved”

Bets should have filmed the blowup she just had with Tiff for her fans. Wonder how many “likes” she would have gotten for showing what a jerk she can be…

She is walking out on a delightful dish.

I LOVE Saginaki!Opa!

They’re not out the door yet, perhaps Gunth will grow a pair of you know what’s and put the brakes on.

I like Ox’s French.

Tiff has a lousy business model. Instead of “the buyer is always right” she prefers “my way or the highway.” So, now she’ll have to absorb all the costs with no return.

Yum…..I want the saganaki!!

I’d say the look on Gunther’s face in the 1st panel suggests he is a tad bothered; Saganaki is pan seared cheese. Surely the smell of that will lure him back if he can break free of Bets’ grasp.

Maybe she’s channeling Eiffel vibrations.

I’m decidedly not a fan of Bets, but you give the customer what they want. If it’s not something you think will fit your brand, then tell them that and don’t take the job.

There are arguments on both sides here (I think Tiffany probably had more right on her side but I think also had ulterior motives re: a subtle competition over Gunther) but at the end of the day if Tiffany wants to go into business she is going to have to learn to be diplomatic with her customers. In the real world she would have needed to have drawn clear boundaries but also perhaps figured out a way to negotiate something that would have satisfied both parties.

I say go get some mozzarella sticks at TGI Fridays and set them on fire like cheap cigars !

:-/

When is rosa coming back?

“Sew” that didn’t go well

Gunther is not a victim. He is a passive -aggressive participant who likes to relegate responsibility for himself to others. He will self righteously rage if it serves him to do so. Maybe his mommy shaped him, but it’s his choice to continue this behavior.

Opa!!

Gunther doesn’t look too happy about being led away. He had his chance to speak up yesterday and blew it. Maybe tomorrow he’ll stand up to Bets? Or maybe not based on how she has him twisted around her finger and gave in to making costumes instead of doing his homework.

The problem as i see it. Say i call a restaurant i want a table for 20 with a harp and ask for sakanaki that’s what i would expect to have when my 19 friends and I go at 7.

Tomorrow we get to see Tiffany trying to explain to everyone why they are not getting paid. Hope she got her allowance back from daddy!

Literally the only element of Tiff’s business plan that isn’t the way she wants it is the decorations. Everything else – food sourcing, menu, service – is a good test of whether it could work.

I’ve done a lot of startup business work and have found out how hard it is to get a first customer or to make money while debugging a concept. From a business perspective, Tiff is being a fool to ignore the opportunity to make money on a first-attempt prototype over one minor and ultimately irrelevant (given that it’s a prototype and would only be done the pirate way once) change that the customer requested, specifically, exactly how the room is decorated.

Doing it Bets’ way and writing it up would get an A in any reasonable business class, a small profit, and continued friendship with a person who’s been willing to help her study. Doing it Tiff’s way and losing the customer and the money might still get a D+ or C- for the paper if lessons learned were demonstrated, but it would get an F for the result.

Tiff should sit down and have dinner with TJ and Ox. Since they’re all going to get fired from the Fuse, this may be their last good meal for a while.

What song is that harp lady playing in the background? The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”?

Classy dinner for Tiffany and Ox?

TJ only agreed to this gig on the condition that he gets to set something on fire. I hope it’s just food, and not the house. I hope he doesn’t get too close to that yellow curtain.

Ox should say “Tray Be on Fire”.

Gunther is certainly not enjoying himself! And “ tray beeyun,”

Tiff knew what Betts wanted (elegant, pirate-themed dinner), knew how much she was going to get ($300) and did not meet her customer’s desires. Betts has every right to be ticked at Tiff.

One has to learn “the customer is always right” and the other has to learn “it’s not all about you”. Just saying.

What a slag. Which one? Take your pick.

Here’s a thought..neither woman listened to the other when this dinner plan was hatched. The blame is split 50-50. But Gunther reacted like a poodle on a leash by getting jerked out of there cause Bets was tantruming.

Bye bye, Bets! Have fun storming out of the castle!

TJ is supposed to shout OPA!

Bets ordered a specific thing and Tiffany completely ignored her request. But Bets could have handled things much more diplomatically. If she was caring at all about giving Gunther a wonderful evening, she would have noticed that even if she was disappointed, he was NOT, and stayed and made the best of it, knowing he would be happy either way.

Gunther is not doing Bets any favor by giving into her demands all the time. She starts to think she can push everyone around. Today is what happens when someone doesn’t give into pushy, demanding Bets. She explodes.

Will Ox get the fire extinguisher? Stay tooned !!!!!

We have not seen Les so far this week. He is also working. Maybe Les will stand up for Gunther and tell Bets off tomorrow.

Bets is a psycho plain and simple, and quite the controller and manipulator. Just another silly person addicted to social media and their phone. Is she live streaming all this too !!! Ready for another story line Please !!! ;-)

Gunther needs to grow a pair and stop letting Bets rule him.

Someone needs to teach Ox to shout OPA! when the saganaki is lit

I would LOVE to see Gunther come back, without Bets, to enjoy a really good meal with Tiffany. No romance, just two friends having a nice meal and conversation. Now, that would be cool.

Well we still have Saturday’s panel to enjoy. Does the story end there or continues on for another week? Still hope to see Gunther grow a pair.

I dislike this side of Bets and I also dislike this side of Tiffany. It appears that Gunther is nothing but a prop to Bets, not being asked if he would rather have a romantic dinner or a pirate theme dinner, plus having to make the costumes when Gun said he really wanted to study. Bets didn’t plan this for Gunther, she did if for her followers and nothing more. nothing seems to matter to her more than pleasing her online followers. Tiffany, for as smart as you are, you sure are dumb. Nothing in writing, nothing paid up front. TJ, Ox and Les might say forget the payment owed and eat the free food, but that harp lady, fork over that. I doubt even Bets 300 would cover a harpist for the evening. Gunther, you really need to have an honest talk with Bets and what are you exactly to her and your feelings, wants and needs should be taken into account and not just what is expected. Maybe Gunther should talk to Les, since Bets and Les dated, what is his take on Bets since out of all the characters in the LuAnn universe, Les would know Bets the best.

If Gunther does leave, he will go home and finish his studying alone. He doesn’t need a bully like Bets telling him what to do all the time. Gunther has a plan for his life and Bets does not fit into it.

Sudden realization for Tiff in 3… 2…

Businesses should cater to their clientele; at the same time, the clientele should find a business that reflects what they seek rather than trying to force a business into being what they want it to be when it is not.

Bets finally shows her true colors (poor Gunther)

Hoping to hear from 1212 on this.

One: We really do need to hear Les’ side of the story, since he and Bets dated once already.

Two: But for all the shade cast upon Bets (and here is where I want to hear from 1212), how much of this is RACE?

1212 brought it up yesterday (and was Pooh-Pooh’ed by my favorite posters) – while we like to say it’s the behavior we’re objecting to, really: If Bets were any other skin color, would we be ganging up on her (pretty much the way we usually gang up on Gunther)?

And why are G&K going out of their way to make Bets so apparently undesirable? At this point, I have to assume it’s deliberate; apparently, they want us to dislike Bets (if that makes any sense).

And while I really want to hear 1212’s side of the story, I get it, being a white person myself, no one wants to be called a racist. But I’ve been around the block a few times and know that it’s possible, or rather, probable, that even the best intentioned person is going to do something perceived as racist.

Nevertheless, to me at least, it seems as if G&K are going out of their way in their depictions of this, perhaps the only person of color to be regularly featured in their comic.

And I find it uncomfortable.

4

I am glad that Tiffany still stayed relatively calm in the face of Bets’ ire. Tiffany did take one bit of a jab in return, but it was not really bad and actually was rather in keeping with how Bets was acting.

In terms of Bets’ behavior…. I grow more disappointed. Prior to this arc, I really liked Bets… even with her a bit overly strong emphasis on her social media presence. This arc has made her seem more selfish in rather unpleasant ways:

1. She seems to be much more transactionally focused rather than friend focused.

2. She seems to not see the bigger picture of how Tiffany has gotten an entire GROUP of people together to provide an elegant, romantic evening for Bets and “Gun”.

3. She seems not particularly adept at “rolling with” things. I mean…. yes, this was NOT the pirate ship motif that Bets envisioned. But, at the same time, if she would have listened more to what Tiffany said earlier “I do not do pirates.”…. she would have better understood what Tiffany was going to DO with regard to what STILL is Tiffany’s school project. I see no reason why Bets couldn’t have gone with the flow, and had her social media moment with two pirates enjoying fine dining…… I mean, she could have spun the event in a variety of ways that could have had it be fun on her social media outlet(s).

4. I used to think that Bets’ weaknesses were related to NOT SEEING other folks point of view but had anticipated she could and would grow better in that regard. While that is still possible for her, at the moment…. she seems FAR MORE of a sort with the mindset of….. “It’s MY WAY… or the HIGHWAY!”. This rather dictatorial mindset is not pleasant to view, nor is it pleasant to be around.

+ + +

So, it appears Gunther will be dragged out of the venue. Will the arc continue next week with Bets and Gun discussing/arguing about this? Or, will we veer off into some of the others in this week’s arc…. or will

… or will we get some new arc?

The harpist is a psychology major and tonight is giving her the theme for her thesis.

She’s good enough to take it all in without skipping a single note.

Poor Gunther, being abused by a woman. Yet if he was the one pulling her out by the arm, boy would everyone be up in arms.

Just goes to show that one gender gets the benefit of the doubt and gets sympathy, but when the shoe is on the other gender’s foot, is just ignored.

“For it is a pirate void.”

“And it is, it is, a glorious thing that Bets is now annoyed.”

“Oh better far to cook and serve, and mispronounce the word, ‘hors d’oeuvre,…”

Both Bets and Tiffany were in the wrong. They never resolved the conflict when the dinner was ordered. Comics don’t have a lot of space or interest to have drawn-out negotiations, and the whole idea was to set up conflict anyways, so, like, the lack of resolution wasn’t something that stood out as unexpected in a panelled strip. Point is, there are lots of fingers to point in this. I wonder if Ox, TJ, and the harpist will get paid?

Need a new twist it would really shake things up. How about Tiff and Gunther end up together?

The customer is always…oh, never mind.

Weirdly, the thing that most bugs me about today’s strip is that both TJ and Ox seem completely unaware of the drama. OK, TJ was probably in the kitchen until now, but Ox has been there the whole time. And Gunther really should have spoken up sooner. I agree he needs to drop Bets. She’s very irritating and is more interested in internet “likes” than in an actual relationship.

It’s grossly unfair of Tiffany to put him in the middle and make him choose. And it’s even worse of Bets for treating him like some kind of social media accessory. I hope he stays and eats dinner. It looks good! And I really hope he breaks up with Bets over this. She’s gotten way out of hand. And this comes from one of her former strong supporters.

Tiff is having a problem wrapping her head around the concept of “The Customer is Always Right”.

Two Alpha females does not make for a happy Gunther. Unfortunately he doesn’t have the backbone to stand up to either of them.

Gunther, dump Bossy Bets, then immediately ask Tiff to a classy dinner!

Gunther isn’t bothered by it just his date and she rules.

LOVE Saganaki!!!!

Oxford, please join Tiffany in sitting down to a good meal accompanied by the music of the harp. The saganaki appetizer is served; start with a nice chilled retsina. Maybe Gunther will free himself and sneak back in to enjoy dinner and the evening with you and the entourage….

Hey, Tiff, the customer is always right. She wanted pirates, you should have given her pirates.

I can’t help wondering if this is the start of Tiff n Gunther….

Could Bets be written by G&K as being so bad mearly to have set her up for an arc to be secretly titled:

Highly unlikely plot follows….

Gunther appears in a dream Bets has, as a ghost tied down not in chains, but in computer cables.

Bets will visited by three ghosts….

The ghost of media past.

The ghost of active webpages.

The ghost of social media yet to come.

“Are there no babies eating cream pie? Are there no cats chasing laser lights?”

“Then let their pages die off, and decrease the surplus bandwidth.”

It just doesn’t seem logical to make another female character bad only to get rid of her.

My man Gunther has all the gals fighting over him. Even Luann is jealous of his hookup with Bets! You GO Gun! 8^ D

Time to look for a site that up dates!

Awwww, now this is a sweet ending to this arc. Tiffany and Ox? An unusual pairing, but really, Ox is a very sweet guy. I’d have him for a friend any day.

Does anyone know where Mordy has been? :(