Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for February 19, 2015

I guess to Gunther, the more things change, the more they don’t stay the same…. And both he and Mrs. B want the changes, without all the "changing"… But you “can’t unbake the cake”! … – And he’s still trying to put a puzzle together, but missing an important “inner peace”… – But don’t get "all caught up in the Twister , Gunther. No one has a Monopoly on Life …..or it’s ups and downs…

Yes, Mother Berger, explain.

Subtle how that picture of the Bergers hangs in the background, there…

“Circumstances” (♫)“Same Difference, Different Similarities”“Fathom The Depths”“Same O, Same O”“Constants And Variables”“Rowing Against The Stream Of Time”“Change Without Changing”“The Best And Worst Of Both Worlds”“Who’ll Stop The Rain?” (♫)or“2 Bergers With Beef…In A Pickle”

If Gunther wants things not to be different, he can go shave and put on a shirt with a collar. Since those have been the biggest change we’ve seen in him so far, that should fix things. Then he can devote his full energies to sabotaging his Mom’s romance with Mr. Gray, since his future happiness in life depends on it.

“We Can Work It Out”, The Beatles“Change”, Tears For Fears“It’s Gonna Get Better”, Genesis“Pale Shelter”, Tears For Fears

(incremental changes) Yup, pretty much…hopefully Gunther will now realize that (as it seems is starting to happen, a bit), instead of “panicking” when something strays from his “desired outcomes”. – (picture:) And something I noticed, as well…

Seeing her probably did help. But not before Quill laid that “smooth advice” on him, first…

…Well. At least he’s let his feelings out. That’s step 1.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is, if I can change, and you can change, everybody can change.”

Rocky Balboa (Rocky IV) I was there in person when he gave that stirring speech!

accept who you are, but never be afraid of who you are becoming

He wants to change but also still wants to cling to the familiar? Been there!

Change isn’t always good. You have to work at making it better.

Gunther should hook up with Tiffany. He could help her get smarter, and she might be able to dislodge that stick from his butt – get him to loosen up and enjoy life!

Changed how? How have you changed? “Oh look. I’m not shaving and I have a new shirt on. I’ve changed.”

And SPEAKING of “Change,” CHANGE That Friggin’ Black Suit!The G-Man Looks Like the Herman Munster Off-Spring, that the Family REFUSES to Talk About.

He keeps saying changed but I don’t think he understands what it means. Gunther supposedly loved Rosa and Peru yet abandoned it all because mommy’s potential boyfriend.

Now comes the story of Gunther’s conception and his father?

Gunther, you poor, confused little baby! You desperately want someone to coddle you and guide you, whether it’s Ma Berger or Rosa. Okay, so admit you’re weak and needy and dependent and get on with your wretched, unsatisfying life.

Or, grow up and become more decisive and independent!

Huh? This is literally all about Mr. Gray. That’s what he doesn’t want to be different.

Huh, yourself! Mr. Gray is, simply a symptom…. a manifestation of Gunther’s greater desire for stability or, at least, slower, “evolutionary speed” change… not the “rapid” change he sees happening. He even said so this morning. “I know I’ve changed, and you’ve changed, and I guess change is good….” He simply doesn’t his “old normal” to become his “new normal” so quickly.

Dave…that (Yours, MIne, and Ours) is a WONDERFUL movie! Ball and Fonda were great together, the story line was well crafted! I should see if I can rent it to see it again.

Please, oh please, move on to some other storyline with ANY of the other characters who have been long forgotten, apparently.

I get it! This means Mom is gonna get a total makeover! An exciting new wardrobe, updated hair, make-up! Mr. Gray will love it!

I agree that if this story was meant to show that Gunther has “grown” in some significant fashion, it has failed to do so. It may be that Greg Evans himself is the person who is resistant to change here (which is why we are stuck with the same core cast still together a year after graduation). He likes the character of Gunther too much to make any real alterations to his nature. So we don’t have a more nearly assertive, confident Gunther, because that would be an ordinary guy, and what’s traditionally been funny about Gunther is how much of a wuss he is. Evans therefore simply made Gunther a bit more snippy and sarcastic, rather than confident and less conflicted, and we are supposed to accept that as a profound transformation brought on by a great “adventure” in Peru. The fact is that Gunther has to keep the beard, or else we shall soon forget that he ever went, since he came back the same guy as he was when he left.

Boring. I’m off to read other things.

And also a little bit of “With Six, You Get Eggroll” (Doris Day/Brian Keith)

As far as his focus on Mr. Gray is concerned, I agree…and even if it weren’t the main reason, it’s the one that he gave most frequently…and also the thing that he preoccupied himself with at the clinic (until that "exit stage ‘out of left field’ " gave him the ‘out’ that he needed)… – But like I was saying the day before yesterday, the “duality” here is that he now also seems to be realizing that what he expected back here in the U.S. isn’t quite lining up with the actual reality …

(adapt to changes:) True! - LOL, I guess that’s one positive thing about the Borg! (Adapt, Assimilate, Repeat…)

In looking back upon the same time last year, it sort of “connects” as to why Rosa kept “lobbying for changes”. Not to “run someone’s life”, but because of the very thing that Gunther is now realizing: You can’t plan every single thing out, and you can’t be afraid of every single change that comes… –

And also same time, last year, Gunther previously tries to change….in a comic way (as soon as he reaches the bottom of the incline)… –

– But it doesn’t just happen automatically. Still, in seeing what he went through in “being bold” down there, as compared to “just ‘staying in a shell’ at home and not seeing the difference outside of your comfort zone”, he may just come out of this a bit wiser….

While I agree with you that Gunther’s obsession with keeping his mother away from Mr. Gray (or any other man) is disturbing, I don’t agree with you on the reason why he is so obsessed.-Everything I’ve had to read about Freud and his ‘Oedipus complex’ thing had to do with a very young son feeling a physical attraction to his mother because he was so dependent on her care, and jealousy of his father who might interfere. Supposedly, per Freud, this happened when the kid was around age infant to 3 or so and very dependent on Mom, and saw Dad as a rival. And supposedly everyone goes through that, and if they are ok, they outgrow it. (If they don’t outgrow it, big problems!) -But I’ve never seen evidence that Gunther is physically attracted to his mother. What we see instead is that, while he says he resents her ‘babying’ him, he nonetheless does not want her to have a life independent of being his mom. That’s why he said mothers aren’t supposed to change.-I think he would be equally controlling and angry if his mother said she wanted to go to college and have a career, or if she decided to start a small bakery business. Anything that takes her attention away from him.-As he says he wants ‘familiarity and home’. And what’s more ‘familiar’ that a home where mother is always there to take care of you? Things may be falling apart outside, you may flunk out of school, break up with a girlfriend, get fired or what, but Mom is there to make it ‘all better’.-That’s disturbing enough, without the (yech) addition of the thought of Gunther being attracted to his mother…

True….

I’m talking about Gunther’s “fear of going outside the plan”, in total, not any specific planning. There wasn’t any specific plans that Rosa was addressing, just the fact that he seemed to “hinder himself” socially, by being afraid of the changes themselves , along with never straying outside of the plan. In other words, adapting new changes to your plans or being flexible enough to not break when things don’t go according to every single plan …

Comes the dawn Gunther. Life is ruthless, not all plaid & gray!

Thank you.

I have to disagree. Making a friend can be a HUGE life change. Wearing a different shirt and growing a beard, not so much.

funny how people associate Oedipus with being attracted to one’s mom, according to the myth, he met his mother WITHOUT KNOWING SHE WAS HIS MOM, And both decided to get married, and had 4 children, than when they found out the truth, Jocasta killed herself, and he took his eyes out……………… his 2 sons had a civil war for Thebes, and both died in battle, their Uncle took over and declared that one of them would not be buried, but his sister Antigone took the body and tried to have her brother buried, thus the Uncle DECLARED that she would die by being buried in a cave, the Uncle’s son who was engaged to his cousin Antigone, leaves his father and decides to go to the cave to save her, when the Uncle gets convinced that he should do burial to both nephews(not just one) and goes to the cave to take out Antigone, finds that she hanged herself, and than his son killed himself when he saw her body, and when the Uncle’s wife finds out, she also kills herself

I know you’ve been to Comics Curmudgeon so you know the long list of people that think that. It’s sad because there’s more proof of his obsession with mom than anything else.

Untie the apron strings. BOTH of you.

If you’re talking about the Comics Curmudgeon, I figure most of those folks live to shock. So that’s the kind of comment to expect from them.-I read comics on ArcaMax all the time, because the next day comic gets posted there a lot sooner than on GoComics. I’ve only seen one guy, a poster who calls himself ‘Liam’, suggest this.

G is a complex man, he is someone who is obsessed with things going according to “exact steps”, and at same time he is scared of “new experiences that he has never tried or planned”…..he likes things being safe, and not risky…………. the only time he was actually bold was when he decided to make a move on Tiff(first makeover) but that was only because IN HIS MIND he was sure she was attracted to him, his boldness was not about “conquering her heart” even knowing she is not attracted to him YET……… even now, he was forced into action, he “decided to go back to block Mr. Gray” without having an actual plan….. in a way he is growing "slowly: right now…………… 1) HE IS SEEING THAT “HIS DECISION” (block Mr Gray) led to him giving up his love of his life(Rosa) without considering staying at Lima(kind of close to Rosa but without staying out of place in a village) …………2) he is seeing that even thought things are now as he “planned a year ago”, his being in school does not fulfill him, in a way his going to new places(Peru) and having some minor new experiences have changed him …………….. 3) his mom is confusing him, he now wants her to change(don’t treat me as a kid) but is scared of seeing her changing so fast(getting potential romantic interests) ………….. 4) his stubble and new wardrobe is a “safe mode” of showing he is “changing”(he has not done a really a profound change, YET) , he is not sure if he is ready to do a drastic change into a dynamic person (makes general plans, but is ready to make necessary unexpected moves according to unplanned circumstances) …………………. Rosa is the other way around, she is ready to explore new grounds, but does not think ahead, and does not make general plans to guide her in her trek, she is the type that one day says “let’s go hiking” so she gets a T-shirt, pants and running shoes and just goes somewhere to hike, instead of getting a backpack, getting a compass, a cell phone with many extra batteries, a GPS pointer so others can find her if she gets lost, the necessary gear for her backpack and herself(different types of clothing, Hike boots, decide where she is going, and a map of the area, and inform people of where she is planning to go)

Reminds me of something that I read in one of my Uncle John’s Bathroom Readers. It was a slogan that the Saudi government used for their 60th anniversary:

“Sixty years of progress, without change.”

Gunther started this whole thing on Feb. 14, 2014 by inviting Rosa to the prom with a major league kiss in the school hallway. Now, over a year later………….what? Nothing happened, no real romance, no sex, do they even talk to each other anymore? Did this marathon arc have a reason?

“He’s a complicated man, and no one understands him but his MOTHER…GUN THER!”Couldn’t help thinking that…

Ma Berger, please help move things along in the plot.

How many days before“My Dinner With Mr. Gray” ?

See it all the time. Adults want all the rights of an adult but only the responsibilities of a child.

Things will change when we meet Mr. Grey..Things will change when we meet Mr. Grey..Things will change when we meet Mr. Grey.

Gunther has never gone for something he wanted, before. Everything else he has wanted and went for, has always been as close to his “comfort zone” as his sewing machine was (e.g., the costumer position at “Drama Camp”). – Oh ….except for a relationship with Luann. But why didn’t he get that relationship? Because she (and everyone else) looked at him as “good ol’ Gunther”. “Safe and ‘non-intriguing’ Gunther”. “Every Mother’s Dream Choice” for their daughter, “Every Daughter’s Passing Thought” to please their mother. He has only chased her and she was into more…“intriguing choices”… as was every other girl in the strip. Even Delta didn’t. Not even Bernice. Why did Tiffany take an “interest” all of a sudden? To get somewhere in class? Maybe so! But also, because now , all the girls see his “outer change” and go: “Yum!” (he now gets at least a little bit more than a passing thought from them, they ‘gaze a bit longer’ in looking at him)… – Why did he not want to stay at the party? Because he looked at his watch and decided that it wasn’t a “safe” hour to stay past. Why did Rosa really decide to say something at New Years’ ? Because it was on a long list of “safe boundaries” and she was wanting to stay in the relationship, (and was glad he went “as far as Peru”), but knew that eventually, his “safe boundaries” might keep him ‘tied down’ and not “relationship ready”. Not just with her, but maybe almost anyone else…well, maybe almost anyone else….time will tell…

during the first makeover, when he thought she was into him, he was kind of nervous talking to her, and slightly when talking to her during the “let’s make Q jealous I am with G” phase of Tiffany right before G started showing interest on Rosa, G is always portrayed as nervous with Lue when he is interested on her, but finding it easy to talk to her about him and Rosa, and he was kind of nervous with Bern during the time he was having a hard time deciding between her and Luann…………. he is usually nervous around “women he is romantically interested”

Oh, thank you for that!!! On a better day, I might have attempted a full verse. I do love a good song parody!

“Always looking at her; when he agrees with her, doing so subtly; asking a relevant question once in a while; all classic hallmarks of listening.” ^Gunther has always been able to be a good friend, and a great listener, that’s for sure! – But…there was that last panel in this strip… – – So with that first thing, I agree with you (on his being able to be a good friend and listener). But I kind of also agree with RB in this same area, the fact that he was already a good friend and listener, which is what he did there, in those strips. – But, overall, when it came to the “Romance Dept.” he lacked this confidence, except for a few shining moments, like here… –

– Interestingly, as his mother said, the reason why Rosa likes him (and why any future date could), is because he’s not a “crusher of spirit”. Funny though, how when it comes to everything else, he crushes his own spirit, but he knows how to not crush others’ spirit…. hopefully he learns this, too, part of the “changes” he has to go through…

The kids of heads of household who don’t show responsibility also become society’s problems, way before they become adults, unfortunately…

words are always just a failed attempt to convey what we feel and think and mean — other than for those who use words to avoid the same

Got it.*“I want to have other people in my life. But I want to be the only person in YOUR life.”*“I know exactly what you mean.”

No Gunther is not bipolar. He is simply becoming an adult which has a few speed bumps.

When I first started reading the comments for the various comics I read (and Luann is my fave) I enjoyed them. But you know, as time goes on, you regulars on Luann just have created your own little community and it really has nothing to do with Luann whatsoever.

It appears that most of the every day/multiple times a day posters are probably over 50, maybe even over 60. WTF are y’all doing here besides massaging your own egos at the expense of teens who are COMIC characters?

You people are nuts. Bu-bye!!

SPOILER ALERT (EXCEPT FOR HATER SVETLANA 17,18 OR 2015)!!!!!-Uh, oh. A doorbell is ringing, at a very sensitive moment. What next, inquiring minds need to know?

Age-related bigotry is just one of my hot buttons, I guess. I seem to have more and more of them, the older I get…

You were probably more accurate the first time! He often shares attributes with that character. Gollee…