[2 May 12] Tickle each others' brain-stems

[CEOIII]

I'm probably still not going to like him overly much. I'm not even sure I like Hank very much.

Is this because they're male?

I'll be honest, I also thought of making that joke.
But I assume Art's problem probably doesn't extend to fictional men. I mean, it might, but that seems unlikely.

Actually, it's sort of because they're both male. Most of the men I know act a lot like those two, and, I don't know, most male behavior seems to involve barriers and that just irritates me a lot.

Barriers are for defense. And there are times when everyone, even men, need a good defense.

Ronnie's overreacting here, but as a former high school fat kid, I know where that's coming from. I know jack about him, and I'm already declaring him my new favorite character. (Unless he does something stupid, like belly-to-belly suplexing Jade when she goes after him all "Whoa, hey, slow down, I wasn't excluding you.")(Which she REALLY should do next comic, BTW.)

[Bardlp]

Ah, the self-excluder. Your irrational and unassailable "logic" and your general unpleasantness makes me stay away from you.

[Artemisia]

I just don't find him sympathetic. . .and given my weight, it isn't a weight issue.

[IS_Wolf]

Can't say I find him very endearing either.

Now granted this is a work place example, but...
I've had coworkers asking me to pass along a message to person X, just because I was going to see person Y, who worked on the same floor, and because they weren't picking up their phone for some reason (and yes, e-mail had also been tried). (They'd borrowed some files, that the legal department needed before hour Z, due to a hearing, and when the end result of the hearing can mean the difference between the organization being able to issue a multimillion fine or not, and said fines, fueling in part the yearly operating budget.. Yeah.. Kinda important. ) Why be insulted? Just a matter of efficiency.

Most likely, he and Lisa share a class, Jade just wants to get it to her asap, that's it. Just shrug, say sure, deliver it, and then go on your way again. And if Lisa were to go ballistic for some reason.. "Hey, I'm just the messenger here, so don't shoot me, shoot Jade if you got a problem with the message. Do you yell at your mailman when he brings you a letter you don't like the contents of? Same deal here, so get off my back."

(And yes, I've had people freak out on me due to a delivered message, shaming them like above, tends to get them apologetic real quick. I then subsequently make clear to the initial "sender" that they can deliver their own messages next time, because I don't enjoy becoming someone's emotional punching bag, due to existing drama between sender and receiver. And that tends to lead to apologies as well, plus they do tend to leave me out of their shenanigans afterwards.)

[NobodySpecial]

I have to say that I don't like Ronnie. I'm sorry, but he really isn't a nice guy.

I beg to differ, I think this is setting up something with him in the near future. If he wasn't a nice guy he wouldn't do that favor for Jade, he would brush her off or tell her off or refuse in a not-so-nice manner. But he didn't do that, he accepted it and vented his frustrations for a second but still did it.

I still don't like him. He's the kind of person I've met before who I usually try very hard to avoid. There's something wrong with him, but he would rather lash out than talk things out.

Buried deep down is the heart of a good person who is a true friend that is devoted to others, and accepting that job of delivering a message to Lisa is part of that personality.

To me and from my own experiences there is a difference between lashing out and venting a frustration. Doing it verbally in a snide manner like that I would call venting, but if he threw in insults and went off on a rant or worse that would be lashing out.

Regarding talking things out...well as was alluded to in the last strip it has been tried by Hank but failed. Ronnie may not know how to or may not be able to open up to others yet.

It's really hard for people like him who probably grew up being put down, ignored, used, abused to open up to anyone who aren't close to them and without the right person to show that they aren't that kind of personality they may unintentionally hurtful to others. Him going to see Lisa, whom we all know to be the anti-everything and probably the most social and inclusive person out there is setting up to be the best possible thing for Ronnie.

This...is something I know a bit about from personal experience. Add to it LeBubbles' insight about knowing that everything is about you and against you.

It's a rather toxic and unpleasant mix of narcissism, low-self-esteem, bullying, and low-grade paranoia. It might have been much worse for me had I been a fat kid like Ronnie - fortunately, I was the stereotypical hungry poor child with ribs showing and everything, so it was in the end fairly easy to hide away.

As far as opening up, Lookingin is exactly right: When everything is against you and you've shut yourself off from the world, it is both very hard to open up to others and very very hard to realize when they're telling you the truth and not necessarily what they think you want to hear.

[Captain LeBubbles]

I have to say that I don't like Ronnie. I'm sorry, but he really isn't a nice guy.

I beg to differ, I think this is setting up something with him in the near future. If he wasn't a nice guy he wouldn't do that favor for Jade, he would brush her off or tell her off or refuse in a not-so-nice manner. But he didn't do that, he accepted it and vented his frustrations for a second but still did it.

I still don't like him. He's the kind of person I've met before who I usually try very hard to avoid. There's something wrong with him, but he would rather lash out than talk things out.

Buried deep down is the heart of a good person who is a true friend that is devoted to others, and accepting that job of delivering a message to Lisa is part of that personality.

To me and from my own experiences there is a difference between lashing out and venting a frustration. Doing it verbally in a snide manner like that I would call venting, but if he threw in insults and went off on a rant or worse that would be lashing out.

Regarding talking things out...well as was alluded to in the last strip it has been tried by Hank but failed. Ronnie may not know how to or may not be able to open up to others yet.

It's really hard for people like him who probably grew up being put down, ignored, used, abused to open up to anyone who aren't close to them and without the right person to show that they aren't that kind of personality they may unintentionally hurtful to others. Him going to see Lisa, whom we all know to be the anti-everything and probably the most social and inclusive person out there is setting up to be the best possible thing for Ronnie.

This...is something I know a bit about from personal experience. Add to it LeBubbles' insight about knowing that everything is about you and against you.

It's a rather toxic and unpleasant mix of narcissism, low-self-esteem, bullying, and low-grade paranoia. It might have been much worse for me had I been a fat kid like Ronnie - fortunately, I was the stereotypical hungry poor child with ribs showing and everything, so it was in the end fairly easy to hide away.

As far as opening up, Lookingin is exactly right: When everything is against you and you've shut yourself off from the world, it is both very hard to open up to others and very very hard to realize when they're telling you the truth and not necessarily what they think you want to hear.

"What are you laughing at?"

Try to keep your voice calm, add a curious note. Leave out the accusation, don't get their defenses up. Let your voice tell them you just want to share the joke. It's not about you, it's not about you. You're not making it about you, you just want to share the joke.

"Don't worry 'bout it."
"Oh."

Casual disappointment. Put it in your voice, show them that you don't get to hear the joke but it's not the end of the world, you don't care. Don't let them see how you really feel. Stop making it about you. It's not about you. They're not laughing at you.

They are laughing at you. Don't let them fool you, they are. You're just here for their amusement anyway. Why are you so bothered? At least they noticed you. As long as they're laughing at you, you're not invisible. You should be glad.

"Okay then."
*laughter*

Stop laughing at me.
why are they laughing at me?
Because you're just a joke to them.
i didn't ask for this
It doesn't matter.
please just stop
just stop
stop laughing

It doesn't go away. It never goes away. The voice just gets quieter, is all. Easier to ignore. But it's always there, whispering. They all hate you and if they say otherwise they're just humoring you. Laughing at you. Over and over, every day. People make it easier to silence. If someone tells you they love you enough, you'll start to believe it. But it doesn't go away.

[Outshined]

Okay, so everyone's painting Ronnie as this surly, standoffish guy. Let me play the devil's advocate here and try to step into Ronnie's shoes a bit:

Ronnie is having a bad day. Then some random person that Ronnie barely knows comes up and asks him to run an errand for her. The errand clearly nothing to do with Ronnie, and, barring some extenuating circumstance that Ronnie/the audience isn't aware of yet, the errand seems like something that Jade is perfectly capable of doing herself. Why doesn't she just do it herself? Is it not worth her time? Why get Ronnie to do it? Maybe Ronnie seems like a doormat to this girl, the type that she could fob off trivial errands/work onto. It's obvious that he's basically being used as an errand boy to advance some agenda; possibly helping Jade get with Lisa. Or maybe this person is intentionally making a show of how something is happening and Ronnie is specifically excluded. Some people do that to be cruel, I have observed it before.

From Ronnie's perspective, being irritable is perfectly reasonable. He doesn't owe her any favors, and volunteering to do this for her sets a precedent that allows her to shove off other burdens onto Ronnie in the future.

[brasca]

I'm probably still not going to like him overly much. I'm not even sure I like Hank very much.

Is this because they're male?

I'll be honest, I also thought of making that joke.
But I assume Art's problem probably doesn't extend to fictional men. I mean, it might, but that seems unlikely.

Actually, it's sort of because they're both male. Most of the men I know act a lot like those two, and, I don't know, most male behavior seems to involve barriers and that just irritates me a lot.

Barriers are for defense. And there are times when everyone, even men, need a good defense.

Ronnie's overreacting here, but as a former high school fat kid, I know where that's coming from. I know jack about him, and I'm already declaring him my new favorite character. (Unless he does something stupid, like belly-to-belly suplexing Jade when she goes after him all "Whoa, hey, slow down, I wasn't excluding you.")(Which she REALLY should do next comic, BTW.)

Congratulations CEO! But I'm not going to lie to you it's tough supporting a character of mixed popularity that some find difficult to sympathize with or outright hate. I never really had image problems so I don't identify with Ronnie as much. For me it's been about self worth and what you bring to the table and fearing you never really measure up which is why I identify with Helen.

[Artemisia]

I can understand people liking or sympathizing with Ronnie. I just don't, that's all.

[Trefle]

I have to say that I don't like Ronnie. I'm sorry, but he really isn't a nice guy.

I beg to differ, I think this is setting up something with him in the near future. If he wasn't a nice guy he wouldn't do that favor for Jade, he would brush her off or tell her off or refuse in a not-so-nice manner. But he didn't do that, he accepted it and vented his frustrations for a second but still did it.

I still don't like him. He's the kind of person I've met before who I usually try very hard to avoid. There's something wrong with him, but he would rather lash out than talk things out.

Buried deep down is the heart of a good person who is a true friend that is devoted to others, and accepting that job of delivering a message to Lisa is part of that personality.

To me and from my own experiences there is a difference between lashing out and venting a frustration. Doing it verbally in a snide manner like that I would call venting, but if he threw in insults and went off on a rant or worse that would be lashing out.

Regarding talking things out...well as was alluded to in the last strip it has been tried by Hank but failed. Ronnie may not know how to or may not be able to open up to others yet.

It's really hard for people like him who probably grew up being put down, ignored, used, abused to open up to anyone who aren't close to them and without the right person to show that they aren't that kind of personality they may unintentionally hurtful to others. Him going to see Lisa, whom we all know to be the anti-everything and probably the most social and inclusive person out there is setting up to be the best possible thing for Ronnie.

This...is something I know a bit about from personal experience. Add to it LeBubbles' insight about knowing that everything is about you and against you.

It's a rather toxic and unpleasant mix of narcissism, low-self-esteem, bullying, and low-grade paranoia. It might have been much worse for me had I been a fat kid like Ronnie - fortunately, I was the stereotypical hungry poor child with ribs showing and everything, so it was in the end fairly easy to hide away.

As far as opening up, Lookingin is exactly right: When everything is against you and you've shut yourself off from the world, it is both very hard to open up to others and very very hard to realize when they're telling you the truth and not necessarily what they think you want to hear.

"What are you laughing at?"

Try to keep your voice calm, add a curious note. Leave out the accusation, don't get their defenses up. Let your voice tell them you just want to share the joke. It's not about you, it's not about you. You're not making it about you, you just want to share the joke.

"Don't worry 'bout it."
"Oh."

Casual disappointment. Put it in your voice, show them that you don't get to hear the joke but it's not the end of the world, you don't care. Don't let them see how you really feel. Stop making it about you. It's not about you. They're not laughing at you.

They are laughing at you. Don't let them fool you, they are. You're just here for their amusement anyway. Why are you so bothered? At least they noticed you. As long as they're laughing at you, you're not invisible. You should be glad.

"Okay then."
*laughter*

Stop laughing at me.
why are they laughing at me?
Because you're just a joke to them.
i didn't ask for this
It doesn't matter.
please just stop
just stop
stop laughing

It doesn't go away. It never goes away. The voice just gets quieter, is all. Easier to ignore. But it's always there, whispering. They all hate you and if they say otherwise they're just humoring you. Laughing at you. Over and over, every day. People make it easier to silence. If someone tells you they love you enough, you'll start to believe it. But it doesn't go away.

Yelp.

*hugs*
You'd depicted Popsicle!era me in.....almost perfect form. (only need to add "are they laughing at me?" paranoia every line. Three times. And "pleasedon'tpleasedon'tpleasedon't")

If this is from personal experience, With utmost sincerity : *hugs*
Please be strong. Even if, at worst, you're actually being laughed at, you're being ACTUALLY, blatantly rejected; Please be strong. Let the pain out and accept who you are, good and bad, open and hidden, shameful or proud. You -can- survive.
I hope things will get better.

The same with Otaking as well. Plusses concerned, that...sounds..terribly inconvenient at best.
===

And well,
that wasn't exactly the nicest first impression right there, Ronnie.

I don't really know his type on real life, but I can see why he's annoying. And why he might also be tragic.
It's hard to -be- nice. When you've seen so much proof of the messed upness of the world and its people; when you have seen proofs of how and what they considered you as, and what for. It's quicker to assume, safer to attack. Offense is the best defense.

Jade isn't exactly innocent. Inside knowledge and/or jokes can and does exclude outside people. Especially with her tone, which can be taken as "aw shut up, you just don't understand and I don't see you as IMPORTANT enough to talk about it". In fact, it's what I read beneath her lines.

I'm going to lump him with Leah; they are annoying, but not yet irredeemably so. Just flawed, currently. And seemed to be with stories behind. Might be interesting to see.
I wonder, why the insistence on Ronnie? If I guessed it right, Ron seems to be his actual name..

[CEOIII]

Someone who hurt him called him Ron. The people who made fun of him in high school called him Ron. So, Ronnie.

My name is Charles. I kinda insist on being called Charlie. There's another variation of the name Charles that only immediate family is permitted to call me, since most everyone in school would add something to it solely to annoy me. So my name is Charlie.

It's like T turned me white and put me in this comic. And I don't mind a bit.

[Artemisia]

I was going to say something, but I won't...other than I'm starting to wonder if T is taking bits of us from the boards and making us into the comic.

Thinking about it, I probably come across rather like Leah at times, huh?

[Hexr]

Bubbles, next time you read my mind and post the results to the board, please warn me beforehand, would you?
I'm not saying you should not do it, just give a warning. You brought me to tears with that one.

On more serious note, though, would you mind terribly if I posted that to the assemblage of random ravings I call my blog? I would credit you, of course.

Someone who hurt him called him Ron. The people who made fun of him in high school called him Ron. So, Ronnie.

My name is Charles. I kinda insist on being called Charlie. There's another variation of the name Charles that only immediate family is permitted to call me, since most everyone in school would add something to it solely to annoy me. So my name is Charlie.

Beat me to the punch. My name is a stock name given to an overweight, balding middle-aged man in Finnish TV series, so I don't like it much. There are two stock nicknames for it, and they used them both. Only my little big brother is allowed to use one (he used it before they did) and the other one is pretty much buried.
I have nothing against nicknames, I just don't respond to those two.

[NobodySpecial]

I was going to say something, but I won't...other than I'm starting to wonder if T is taking bits of us from the boards and making us into the comic.

Thinking about it, I probably come across rather like Leah at times, huh?

Not really. You don't project obliviousness the way Leah wears it as a force-field.

But I'm dead sure he's taking bits of us. Hee.

[Captain LeBubbles]

Bubbles, next time you read my mind and post the results to the board, please warn me beforehand, would you?

*snaps fingers* Damn, knew I was forgetting something. Still getting used to this mind-reading ray, you know.