Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for June 19, 2021

Gunther’s comment in the third panel is a devastating analysis of someone and I don’t mean Tiffany (though she does fit…)

WHAT! No apologies – Tiffany is ruthless!

We’re getting nowhere. Happy Father’s Day y’all! 8^ )

Tiffany . . . o o 0 0 (Everyone has their price.)

There are ways to apologize that are less humiliating Tiff!

Flat trite unsurprising bland meaningless no cliffhanger strip today.

Better luck with Shannon tomorrow.

Why should she apologize?

Gunther just made an interesting admission about Bets: “Someone who wants to be right”.

Bets does seem to like things to go her way…

how about a do-over of the dinner for two as Bets had originally intended? pirate themed!

What if Bets is maintaining silence not because of something Tiffany did, but because she was scared off by something that Gunther said?

If we’re just talking about being right, Bets shouldhave seen that Gunther was between a rock & a hard place There’s more to the relationship issue.

You know I love you, Tiffany, but just drop it.

Tiff needs to take a cue from the Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love.” I guess she’s a chip off the old block.

[Gag!] This is getting worse and worse. I had hopes for Tiffany that she was finally going to mature, but- NOT!

Let’s see. We have established through the comments yesterday that Bets had refused to pay Tiffany.

So double $0 is still $0 …

Wow.

Tiffany would rather double Bets’ refund back than admit Bets’ was right and offer an apology?

Uh, Tiffany? Businesses will offer fake, shallow, meaningless apologies all day long in lieu of paying your money back.

And this kid got an “A” in business class??

Well, looks like Gunther is on Bets’s side. He’s bullying Tiff into submission with a sheepish face.

Tiff owes Bets a full refund. Bets owes Gunther an explanation. And, Gunther owes us all a quick exit so we can see how far Bernice and Nil have gone.

Money just can’t fix everything. Just look at those Hollywood types with all their wealth and all their problems. Trying to force an unwanted meeting never ends good. All the way back on April 24th when Bets said “You care more about Tiffany’s feelings than mine?”. He just should’ve said “No I don’t, what makes you think that?”. Would’ve made a world of difference and showed that he cared. He shot himself in foot on April 23rd….“Maybe we should’ve done what she wanted…”. What the heck? That’s weak and things just went up in flames at that point. So, there’s very little hope of recovery from that unless he claims temporary insanity in the heat of moment. He should’ve just agreed with Bets and said something to the affect…“Yeah I sorry that happened…” Could’ve scored major points there with Bets in supporting her view and feelings…but to oppose her was the kiss of death…

She’s the worst business person….ever!!

This is an extremely gratifying strip. There has been a ton of discussion about Tiffany showing character growth, and here is another opportunity for that by her apologizing to Bets. And Gunther can make amends for his failure to validate Bets by corralling Tiffany into apologizing.

That said, I still think the proper outcome for this arc is for Bets and Gunther to participate in TTFT-2—in formal attire. Because Bets was wrong too, and Gunther needs to corral her into seeing that as well.

Tiffany’s assignment was to come up with a business venture, she picked a romantic restaurant, complete with hearts, roses, cupids, harp music and romantic food. Bets wanted her to provide a theme dinner, and while that also would make a interesting business venture, it’s not what Tiffany wanted and it was her assignment.

You don’t go into a Chinese restaurant and demand an Italian dinner just because you are the customer and the one paying. Bets did not want to hear Tiffany wanted romantic and Gunther wanted to study. nor did she want to do any of the work, she just wanted to post pictures to her followers. A very self-centered young woman

I don’t know if Gunther is right that Bets will refuse to get her money back because she wants an apology, maybe he has a too high idea of her. But sure Gunther knows what can make Tiffany feels uncomfortable, asking for forgiveness when she’s sure of being right (and I think she’s right). Gunther is harsh but right with her. Now Tiffany has to choose between her pride and the happiness of her friends and I love this ♡!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I thought Bets had a huge online following. She hasn’t monetized her simps?

What if you apologize, AND give her and Gunther a pirate themed evening, as originally requested?

But it’s not Tiffany’s money, it’s your girlfriend’s money. And how would you know what she wants, you haven’t spoken to her in ages, you presumptuous little man.

Bets doesn’t deserve to be right or an apology or a refund.

While Tiff should have honored Bets request since she paid, if Ed have to watch Bets get her way and bulldoze Gunther yet again it will be painful. Time for Bets to learn some compromise and kindness herself!

Um, a refund is giving the customer’s money back. Gunther’s counterargument makes little sense if Bets had paid something.

So wanting to be right and most important, apologize, is something Gunther is “indicating” that Tiffany needs to be to which she ruefully evades the choice. That could be on both sides so how do we get to it is the question.

How exactly will Tiff and her apology fix Gunthers relationship. Bets didn’t run away after Gun said " I loved the FOOD"

I just picked up a check for a full refund from a service provider who failed to correctly diagnose and address a problem with an appliance. All they did was throw the most expensive part possible in it and hope it worked, well it didn’t. I cannot abide inept merchants who think they can just “wing it” and still keep the money.

Many years ago I got a performance evaluation (I am a research scientist) from my manager telling me I should spend less time being “right” and more time being “effective” in promoting my work. This seemed to me to emphasize the near term over the long term. I ignored his advice and have never regretted it. LIke most managers, he is long gone and forgotten.

Three days ago I opined that The key to what happens will be whether Tiff reacts in girlfriend mode or mogul mode. So far Tiff is being displayed in mogul mode. It is still up in the air whether Bets will reconcile or disappear.

So…Tiffany is offering to double the refund she was hoping would be refused…think it through, Tiff.

After reading the comments this morning a couple things come to mind. 1) Whatever was drawn in the past, apparently both Gunther and Tiffany believe money changed hands prior to the TTFT.

2) If any apologies need to be made, Bets needs to apologize to Gunther for her crude and outrageous behavior. First for her crude and outrageous behavior at Weenie World and then for running from him after his profession of love and finally ignoring his attempts to contact since.

As Gunther said,TTFT was a business class project Tiff needed for school and perhaps they (Bets) should have gone with that. Bets took that statement as him preferring Tiff to her. Then Gun dropped the love bomb. Then Bets bailed, either from the perceived rejection or the profession of love. We still don’t know which. If from the rejection she is outta here. If it’s the Love Bomb it’s stil 50-50 for reconciliation.

Tiff you just can’t throw cash at everything to fix a problem.

Ooh, Someone here is bereft of a clue.Tiff honey, take some of that money to the store and buy yourself a bag of ‘clues’.Pass them around. Most of your friends need one too!

Maybe if Bets had paid double Tiffany could have had some of the decor Bets wanted.

Money doesn’t solve everything, Tiff…

Yeah! C’mon, Tiff! Apologize to Gunther’s whiny maybe-girlfriend and admit she’s completely right and you’re completely wrong! Then clean her shoes with your tongue!

Or maybe give Gunther the refund and wash your hands of this whole thing. Or just leave and do anything else.

Tiffany should not apologize if she is not sorry for what she did. She may feel sorry that Bets dumped Gunther, but that is not Tiffany fault at all. I hate forced, phony apologies.

How about Gunther and Tiffani? Better than Gunther and Betts. She needs to go away.

As i recall, when Bets was venting to G, she said (repeatedly) “am i right?… am i right?”. G didn’t have an answer (in fact the answer isn’t so clear) but clearly it is something that was important to Bets. So I think G is on to something. But they need to meet on neutral ground, not at the mansion.

That said, the issue of right or wrong, re: the dinner, has little to do with Bets leaving G, but it was the catalyst; maybe, if revisited, it can be the catalyst to get them back together and communicating.

Tom Farrell should be proud of his little girl.

??Are Bets and Tiffany friends or not. Bets won’t go to Tiffanys house becuase she wants an apology. How are you ever supposed to apologize to her if she is ghosting you? Put up a billboard on the campus and pray she sees it?

I find myself wondering whether Tiffany paid T.J., Ox and the harpist anything at all…

Doesn’t look like Tiffany even considers apologizing. And I don’t think she needs to. I can’t see how her apologizing to Bets about the dinner will address her (Bets’) reaction, or lack thereof, to his love declaration. Considering all the work Tiffany and her “staff” put into the dinner, and that it was an experimental class project, Bets should have been more tolerant and understanding. And also with Gunther, she could have been more considerate of her “boyfriend”.The entire question of whether or not Bets paid is very confusing, but seems to be the basis of this continuing storyline.

Here it is Saturday and NO Bets showing up. That is what I thought all week, that Bets would not go to Gunther’s home after she ghosted him for 3 weeks.

What if Gunther is actually describing himself in the 3rd frame?

So according to the official dialogues Bets said she paid, then said she won’t pay, then apprently she paid. Now, the girl who spends her time displaying her life on social media is ghosting her boyfriend. Well, she can refuse to answer his messages or his calls, but her followers are bound to wonder what’s happening to the couple. So did she also stop posting? We have also been treated to quite a lot of lazy plotting with Ann Eiffel’s baby picture, Tara’s cousin, Bernice’s suspicions. The overall course and direction of the story is still interesting, but the day to day writing is terrible, full of holes and, I repeat, lazy, because it doesn’t bother about continuity or a minimum of plausibility even within the frame of a comic that allows to stretch plausibility quite a lot. Is Karen Evans 12 years old?

Everyone likes to have things go their own way, but Bets demands her own way.

Just tell Bets to shove it.

Bets would smell a rat if Tiffany offered a double refund. I know I would.

Thoughts:

Introduction of refund have successfully shifted the dialog away from the problem: Bets lost it when Gunther said „I love you.“

More losing it: Continuity errors abound, particularly regarding whether Bets paid for the fiasco or not. I will take Tiffany’s word at face value; if Bets had not paid, what’s to refund? Since Tiffany’s talking refund, Bets must have paid.

But that’s not the issue at hand. As long as they’re discussing that, we’re getting nowhere.

And now, cue the ominous music. Sorry, 1212, but with Gunther saying that Bets is a woman who has to be right, even when she’s wrong, we are now at a point where I don’t think there’s any return.

Much as I liked (and still like) Bets, I do not see her returning to either Gunther or Tiffany.

I think Bets is stick-a-fork-in-it done.

Uh, Gunther, a refund would be Bets’ money not Tiffany’s.

Wake up, Tiffany! Bets doesn’t love Gunther!

If you can’t, or WON’T give a customer what they request and pay for, DON’T take the job and don’t take their money! I cannot understand why there is so much confusion here on that very simple concept.

If I were them, I’d quit while I was ahead. This feels suspiciously like courting disaster.

Gunther is both right and wrong. Everything he said about Bets was spot on. But he was sticking up for her and blaming Tiff, in typical Stockholm Syndrome fashion. Tiffany never agreed to the pirate thing; she made herself quite clear about that and btw it was her school project (not to mention her home & her “biz”), and it was her glamour idea that got her an ‘A’. Oh and, “someone who wants to be right, someone who wants an apology” ya mean someone who NEEDS to be right, someone who will NEVER admit if they were in the wrong…. those are typical traits of malignant narcissists. IMHO Gunther has been victimized by Bets & now he’s trying to blame Tiffany rather than admit that to himself.

you know, her heart is in the right place

Tiffany is trying to do the right thing, which, as a child of money, is (to her) to apply money. The Law, in its wisdom, compensates injuries, and even the most egregious injustices, with MONEY. Gunther is young and idealistic. The glorious capitalist society in which we live will cure him in time. The (still!) GOP-controlled Senate of millionaires will cut everything they can, and leave the old, sick, and poor to fight for the scraps. Tiffany is no fool. She will do well.

3

Many have already noted how confusing this is at the moment. There are aspects of previous strips that suggest Bets did not pay anything….. and at least one that suggests she did. This of course leads to considerable confusion. But, the continuity of this aside….

I am not really liking this approach Tiffany is taking. I suspect it is an attempt to create some sort of “hilarity ensues” moment…. but…. I don’t know…. it just feels wrong. I would have felt better had the “fix” Tiffany envisioned had been more “slap-stick” or more “earnest” or even more “dumb blonde” in nature. Having it be about money feels rather sullied to me. And, also, Gunther’s statement of “someone who wants to be RIGHT” also feels more than a touch slimy to me.

If Tiffany is really SO ONLY about money…. or she things Bets is SO ONLY about money…. then I am not really fond of Tiffany at the moment.

If Bets is really SO ONLY about being RIGHT… or Gunther believes Bets is typically so focused ONLY on about being proven RIGHT…. then I am not liking this relationship much if at all now.

Did Bets actually pay Tiffany? I remember her saying she wouldn’t pay for the dinner because it wasn’t what she wanted.

Tiff is violently allergic to apologies and being “Wrong”.

Does Not Compute! —At least not in Tiffany’s mind. Money is the basis of all value. Wanting to be right or preferring an apology are alien concepts in Tiff’s universe….

Reading this strip, I immediately pinged on Tiffany’s basic self-centeredness.

Money won’t solve this problem. A person who knows both Gunther and Bets and has enormous empathy will.

For some reason, I thought of Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing.” You had this ugly ethnic conflict that ends in the destruction of a neighborhood institution, simply because the neighbors can’t solve the problem of the “Wall of Fame” in the pizzeria.

I said, when I watched the movie, “They need two things here. An extremely empathic clergy member from the neighborhood who can unite people through both old and modern philosophy to cool down the hot tempers if not the weather. The second is a NASA flight director who can look at this situation and say: ’Let’s work the problem, people. Let’s not make it any worse by guessin’.”

To me, the solution was right there. I could see it on the wall of the pizzeria. IT HAD SPACE for more photographs of important people. The solution was to tell Mookie to figure out who should go up there and Danny Aiello purchase some frames. Then they display an expanded “Wall of Fame” either in chronological, alphabetical, or random order (e.g., names drawn from a Brooklyn Dodgers hat).

Bets and Gunther need to sit down and work the problem. Maybe they should reunite, maybe they should go separate ways. But not like this.

I hate that no one seems to understand that even if the customer is bonkers, you don’t agree with what they want and you tell them you won’t give them what they want – you don’t turn around and TAKE THEIR MONEY! Taking the money implied to Bets that Tiffany was going to give her what she asked for.