Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for January 25, 2014

I think Tiffany needs all the (true friends) that she can make. I don’t believe that Luann’s questions or remarks in the previous few days were meant to be mean spirited.

Silence-After the sound of walls rising, After the sound of walls falling.There is the loudest sound of all…

The sound of nothing….

Luann =will= go to Mooney, grades will be found to be sufficient as M.U. needs the warm bodies, and she and Tiff will be roommates. Check.

Tiff is going after Quill. That’s what it’s ALL about

♪“The Eye Of The Teenager”“Enjoin The Silence”“Get Into The Duel”or“I’m…Too Busy For This Fight…”♪

Roommates? Yeah! Listen to Overtherainbow, Greg

All at the same time…

Is that a tiny tornado to the left of Luann? She must be mad indeed.^^No, not a tornado, it’s what cartoonists call a “Burnie” , it means someone is “burning up, with anger”

“Is that a tiny tornado to the left of Luann?”No….I think it’s smoke.

Looks like “Greg” is in the middle of Tiffany and Luann (middle panel)….

I wonder if “Really Bad” will see her hero’s true colours, now

“Brought to you”, by…Air… with room enough for boom… – Lips guarded closely, like sentried gates… -

Defensive Postures/Mechanisms….And by, Neverlast Gym Equipment… “In stores for a limited time…Hurry up and get ’em while they last!…”

I’ve said it, before…. Tiffany could have been jealous of Luann’s more stable home life (or at least the dynamic in the DeGroot household) that she doesn’t get to enjoy in hers… perhaps that has been what has fueled the “animosity” all of these years…. complicated by their similar need (in different approaches) for affection and attention, and their conflicts regarding boys…..

And I for 6 months….

Once again, Luann tries to present an olive branch to Tiff and once again, gets it spit back in her face

The girls arguing in front of the kids… might we see a double firing in their future?

Remember – a friend is someone who says you have a meaningless life, gets hostile when she learns that you are going to the same college as her boyfriend, and then asks what your Daddy had to do to get you into college and why you don’t go against his wishes. That’’s what friends are for.

Being a friend is telling the truth NOT telling someone what they want to hear!

The little kids are properly indifferent. The teenagers smolder in their mutual silliness. But this goes deeper: both girls are very insecure, Luann in regard to keeping Quill as her exclusive boyfriend; Tiffany in the matter of her family circumstances. I still suspect there may be a very dark history lurking there which needs some day to come out for Tiffany to get beyond her defensive practices….

Oh YOU Said It, Lil Kid Fourth from the Right in The Third Panel!Where’s the Hair Pulling? Where’s the MERCILESS Facial Blows?Especially Since These Two She-Cats Have ACTUALLY Physically FOUGHT In the Past. What a RIP OFF!!!I Got an Idea, Kids: Little Girl that Looks Like Bernice in the Extreme Left of Panel Four? YOU Throw This Bucket Of Paste In Tiff’s Hair! And at the SAME Time, The REST of You Little Cherubs SHOVE Luann Into Tiff!

Good! NOW, Maybe We’ll SEE Something……,

I remember when cereals used to have a contest to see “which new flavor” kids wanted to add in to the mix, or “which new character” they wanted to see on the box…. – The final panel reminds me of this… like, “who do you think won the contest?”, or “which one is in the right?”, or, “who do you want to see have the final laugh?”, or something like this…

So how do you feel about Luann when she bought the ONLY autographed photo that Tiffany was able to sell – for $10.00?!?

To be perfectly honest, I did think that Lu and Tiff would “have a go” at it one more time, as with Junior High, and that “Big Chin” might have to break it up. This seems to be a much better ending. If they had to do this in front of the kids, at least they did so in a way that didn’t end in any “physical exchanges,” even as the kids were expecting some. Show them it doesn’t have to end “violently.” People can disagree, even argue, but walk away from it before it goes too far.

Have a good day tomorrow. I’ll miss you. Credential Exam #2 is tomorrow afternoon.

Note to young readers: Unless it’s done in a ring with paid admission for spectators, fighting IS NOT a sport. If you see a fight either ignore it, break it up, or report it. If you watch, you are encouraging the fight.*Heard the President say “Real men don’t hurt women.” He should have also said, “Real women don’t hurt men.” And “Real men don’t need to pick fights with other men”. And “Real women don’t need to pick fights with other women.”*Levi got it only half right today— they both need each other as close friends, more than they realize.

They each have an indignant “Jack Benny” stare. Gotta wait it out, kids. Yeah, I know – kids have a short attention span; they get bored easily. How many times have you heard a kid say, I’m Bored!

Mini cumulonimbus on Lu’s right, black words from tiff = serious s##t.♫ Don’t know why there’s no sun up in the sky, stormy weather♫

still say they should set up a fight to settle things and charge admission. thees two have always been rivals and that’s not likely to change. might as well get it out of their systems by fighting than nursing hateful feelings towards each other.

Tornado? Looks like Marcie to me.

Now the brats will go home to mommy and daddy and complain of violence in the library, and mom and dad will go ballistic, as they are wont to do these days!

The late Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa once said“I can’t afford to hate anyone. I don’t have that kind of time.” But then, this is a comic strip.

Most fights are spurred on by others wanting to enjoy the carnage.

Actually, Tiffany acted like it was her father’s doing which would get her admitted..Haven’t you had friends you thought were wasting their lives? You were still their friend whether or not you let them know..Tiffany has tried to come between Luann and Quill in the past, a violation of THE GIRL CODE,at least as most see it. The sad thing is not that Tiffany pretends she does not want Luann’s friendship. It is that she pretends she doesn’t need ANY friends and has never learned to be a friend. If you were there you could help her, IF she would bother with you..

Right now Oxford, Ox, is her best hope.

I never complain about Bernice telling Luann the truth. That’s part of their relationship.

Tiff cannot be friends with anyone who wants to get personal. Her life is so empty she needs to hide it. She can’t make herself vulnerable to someone like Luann who has everything. Crystal is the perfect friend for her because she is not really interested.

Same theme, but a slightly different take from IamJayblue.

I wonder how far Tiffany will get on her own efforts and not by daddy pulling strings? If she continues to be a Snot, her post high school life will be a disaster. There have always been girls like her.

little boy on left…Why were they fighting anyway?little blond girl…..Well they weren’t really fighting, their monthly cycles are just in sync…little boy on left…You mean someone took their bikes?little blond girl….Never mind…

Some people like to put Tiff in predetermined slots. I think she reminds them of entitled attractive jerks they don’t like, so they decide she’s a villain. In the strip reality, she’s a pretty tame one!

If Luann dumped Quill, Tiffany would lose interest in him.

How are they supposed to be friends when Luann thinks Tiffanys career path is meaningless, when she thinks Tiffany is trying to seduce Quill still, and why she automatically assumed her dad got her in to college^^Well, Tiff just admitted that her Father got her in… which makes sense, since Tiff hasn’t made better than a C average her entire scholar life

crapping on Tiffany is getting old and I’m going to point it out every time Evans does it.^^As I said, she reaps what she sowed, Tiff has been a selfish and self-righteous “little rich girl” snob forever & for years she made Luann (Who already suffered from low self-esteem), the main butt of her nastiness and bullying, now, Luann is finally getting a little confidence and fighting back, as someone who spent years being bullied, I say, good on you Tiff, you’re getting what you deserve! The fact that Lu still is trying to befriend her is proof that Lu is the better person!

And yet, Tiffany’s life IS meaningless so far.Oxford can help her save herself with his honesty and kindness. He is one of the few she never felt obligated to verbally attack..We hope Tiffany can make a life for herself, with a little help from her friends and father. (What’s the deal with Tiffany’s mother? Is she dead or just unimportant?).As you point out, we see what we look for in these comics. We remember those who wronged us in school and those we wronged. We would like justice for all but our ideas of justice differ..Most interesting of all is your anger at the creator, Evans. You are convinced he doesn’t know his creation.

Trope: noun, a figure of speech, cliche, overused theme.What does it mean when you use it?

I don’t need YOU as a FRIEND, Luann!translation: I don’t need ANYBODY as a friend (but I’ll accept Crystal)

Come now, that’s not all.Think back to the beauty contest. Luan wore Gunther’s creation, knowing full well it made her look silly. She did it for Gunther — not a love interest and not for her own benefit..TJ has done no harm to anyone who didn’t hurt his friend, Brad. Even there he just let her hurt herself. He used to be much worse..You discount Luann’s work with children, bu it looks just like prejudice for some reason on your part. I suspect it is because Tiffany dislikes her and you stand in defence of Tiffany..Crystal has sided with an outcast and the outcast, knute, has joyfully lived his life despite the protests of “those who know better.” That is constant growth, not being tied down to the past and its wrongs..Gunther isn’t happy with himself but he hasn’t given up. You think Rosa doesn’t properly belong with him. Maybe she sees more than you do even though he’s a lot of work. I can accept the possibility because I have seen such mismatchs have long, happy lives together. .I have also seen some “mean girls” change and have seen others years later come to the point that they would cry out, “Vanity, vanity, it was all vanity.” In fact, the one who was worst in my class keeps emailing me because I forgave her and kept being friendly as best I could..There is hope for all in life, we just get trapped in habits — good and bad — but we can free ourselves if we are willing. Leaving school forces some of that.

Yes, we agree Tiffany needs some real friends, but that will be more likely when she learns to avoid backstabbing. And yes, Luann HAS made friendly overtures even though she and you rejected them, giving the worst possible interpretation of them. She can’t affect how you choose to feel..

Ann did not expect Brad to do the work he was hired for. She pulled him off his duties to run private errands for her at company expense.TJ did not scam customers, he suggested they make more expensive purchases, which many chose to do, knowing full well what they were doing.In contrast, Ann cheated customers, drove them off, and forbade the kind of social interaction which would have them coming back to spend more.

Getting paid to do a job does not negate the good done while doing it. Luann works wholeheartedly with the children, not a bare minimum as so many do. It counts in her favor.

Definitely not a way to act in front of children. Role models the two of them are not being. The little girl who says, “I’m too busy for this,” has heard that line before, and I bet she keeps it for life.

Tiffany is not an outcast. She rejects everybody else unless they are busy praising her beauty.

Gunther is socially inept without being cruel to others.This a joke to others and to you as it causes him much pain and sleeplessness.Oxford wouldn’t make fun of him but then Oxford is a good person.

You are actually convinced Tiffany can not change for the better unless Luann helps her???So you are saying she has no independent existence and can only be what Luann of all the people on earth allows?Wow!

Talk about a life without meaning.I have a MUCH higher opinion of Tiffany rhan you do.

There are other forms of conflict available than just interpersonal conflict.

Health issuesWealth — or the lack thereof

Personal loss such as from fire, injury, cutbacks, death and other illnessEducational growth and strugglesOther people’s problems and helping them

TJ could have dental problems