Websnark: It's apparently old home day here at Websnark

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Eric: It's apparently old home day here at Websnark

(From Something Positive. Click on the thumbnail for full sized Inability To Win.)

So. After a significant drought of actual webcomics snarks, I've done four in a day. And what are those four? A John Troutman strip, Something Positive, Sluggy Freelance and Narbonic.

Next, I'm anticipating Spatchcock, who's been away from the comments for a while, to make mention of the fact that yes indeed, I am still reading my favorite comic strips. In case anyone was wondering.

This one jumped at me because there's some interesting characterization going on, though, and it deserves a little analysis. Besides, it's not like I can make untarring archives run any faster, and I need to do something with my brain while I wait.

Here's the thing: I don't think there's a snowball's chance in Hell Peejee and Davan are going to end up together. I might be wrong, but I'm certain on this. The core truth of this strip is that Davan, Aubrey and Peejee don't end up having sex. Period. I'm holding to that.

However, if I ignore that for a moment, there's an interesting parallel between Aubrey moving in with Jason (and ultimately ending up his girlfriend and sex partner) and Davan moving in with Peejee. Both involved circumstances where the independence of a core cast member gets cut down by fate they have no control over. Both involve dedicated friends who sometimes inflict violence on one another being put into close quarters. Both involve lonely people discovering that they're less lonely now.

And we know Davan had a crush on Peejee once upon a time. And that he got over it, but more than one person has remarked on it.

It's not outside the realm of possibility that Peejee might find herself pondering their relationship. After all, Peejee is feeling rather epically lonely right now. (Which is evidenced by the fact that she's practically going to bankrupt herself to go to a convention to be with Jhim, who she remains very close to and who she has lusted after from afar all these many years.) We know that Peejee didn't recover from her last breakup/betrayal by scum as readily as she has in the past. And we know that Davan is the one man in her life who's always been there for her and has always been nice to her.

If it did happen, it would end very very badly. In part because Peejee is feeling something akin to rebound right now, and is also finding herself in the somewhat unusual position of having no immediate recourse for a relationship or even dating.

Further, Peejee is attracted to gay men, and it's been solidly established Davan jams gaydar. (I'd look up the strip, but hey -- there's only so much time I can devote to this today.) Frankly, Peejee is bottoming out, emotionally, and that's the point when you start considering things you would never consider.

I suspect Davan will set her straight, if it does come to that. And I further suspect the dichotomy of reactions between it coming up between the pair and what happened to Aubrey and Jason will inform the next round of character development. However, the subtextual echoes are too strong not to at least remark on, and even if my rational brain says we won't go down that path, the irrational brain's drunk and got a broken bottle, so we're going there.

And even if we never get closer to the pairing than we've already seen, the depth of recursiveness and characterization shows a lot going on under the surface. Which would no doubt piss off the people who hate Something Positive because "it's so mean and superficial." And that was reason enough to post this snark, wasn't it?

Posted by Eric Burns-White at September 6, 2005 3:18 PM

Comments

Comment from: 32_footsteps posted at September 6, 2005 3:43 PM

Wait, people complain about S*P being superficial? As opposed to the emotional depth of, say, American Idol?

In all seriousness, I can see about people being turned off by the mean tone. But superficiality? Are we talking about the same Something Positive? I'm really trying to believe people aren't that stupid. Throw me a line here.

Comment from: Eric Burns posted at September 6, 2005 4:06 PM

No, people really are that stupid, 32. Which is why I take joy in highlighting it.

Comment from: TheNintenGenius posted at September 6, 2005 4:32 PM

Having read through S*P's archives only a couple of weeks ago, I could personally see why it's the only webcomic my girlfriend reads on a regular basis. Yeah, it's mean, but it has astounding amounts of character development and depth.

Hearing that some people claim that S*P is superficial makes me wonder whether these people actually took the time to read any of the archives or if they just looked at a few of the most recent ones and couldn't understand what was going on, thus calling it "superficial." I'm sure it happens.

Comment from: ExMember posted at September 6, 2005 4:49 PM

What was the tagline at the bottom of the comic? It's cut off on the image at somethingpositive.com right now. Did Randy remove it because it offended someone?

Comment from: Archon Divinus posted at September 6, 2005 5:09 PM

I was wondering about that myself, but I can't see Randy deleting something because it offended someone. If he did he would have to delete half the archives.

Comment from: Aerin posted at September 6, 2005 5:23 PM

Half the archives? I think it would be significantly more than that. I've seen people take offense at the most RETARDED things, so I guarantee you that each and every S*P contains something that will offend someone, somewhere. Hell, that's part of why I love S*P so much. That, and it makes a nice juxtaposition to Count Your Sheep in my trawl, which comes right before. The fact that two strips can be almost polar opposites in tone and have similar levels of depth and complexity (S*P more so than CYS, obviously, but CYS ain't exactly shallow) just makes me happy to be reading comics.

Comment from: Johnny Assay posted at September 6, 2005 5:30 PM

Hell, he still had "For Yoouuuuu!" in the archives the last I looked.

Yeah, I've been wondering about Davan & PeeJee's relationship ever since the last panel of this strip. It'll be interesting to see if Milholland does anything with it � I kind of hope that he does, even if I viscerally know that any Davan/PeeJee relationship wouldn't end "happily ever after".

Comment from: InkBlot posted at September 6, 2005 5:35 PM

Best I can make out, it sayeth:
"Sure I trust you. I trust you to lie through your teeth, use me until I have nothing left to give you and then [...] without an explanation on to the next man. But that's still trust."

My eyes are bleeding.

Comment from: Misha Grin posted at September 6, 2005 6:29 PM

"...and it's been solidly established Davan jams gaydar."

*blinks*

*reads again*

Dude, I have never, EVER heard that term (gaydar jamming) used outside of my circle of friends. And have never heard it used to refer to anyone but ME. To read it here is just... whoa.

However, having met Randy - and seen more than a few similarities between the two of us - and knowing that Davan is atleast partially based on his own experiences...

Yeah, I can see it.

Comment from: Zaq posted at September 6, 2005 7:10 PM

I believe these were the strips in question...

http://somethingpositive.net/sp03272003.shtml
http://somethingpositive.net/sp03282003.shtml

Comment from: Brendan posted at September 6, 2005 8:01 PM

I first read that as "Aubrey and PeeJee don't end up having sex."

You can't have anything between Davan and PeeJee! It would make them happy, and we can't have that, can we?

Comment from: Prodigal posted at September 6, 2005 10:36 PM

I didn't read the last panel as an indicator of a potential romantic relationship developing, but rather as PeeJee being offended at not being considered a target for sexual advances.

Especially not Davan's - it's a "You went after Eva, but not me!?!" pride thing.

Comment from: jurnelei posted at September 6, 2005 10:38 PM

I haven't read the archives lately--but what in Peejee & Davan's characters would prevent a happy-ish relationship?

I mean, in the past they've been strickly platonic, but obviously not in the same brother-sister way as Aubrey & Davan. But their lives have changed dramatically since the strip began. And I wouldn't characterize the recent Peejee-reminiscing sequence as "bottoming-out" when it could also be read as "re-evaluating the past and priorities."

I agree that Davan, right now, would "set Peejee straight," but more because of his lack of self-esteem, not because he'd be right. Basically, I think Davan and Peejee *can* work; if they will, only Millholand knows...

I'd also like to bring the perfect execution of this strip into focus--it's been a long time since I've seen such good use of the beat panel. The funniest (& least wordy) SP in ages.

Comment from: 32_footsteps posted at September 6, 2005 10:52 PM

I don't know. Think of it this way, what causes more complications than when good, close friends that have been purely platonic for years have sex? The confused emotions and guilt would make the two absolutely miserable.

I'm not saying it won't happen, but I think Davan and PeeJee see each other too much like family to actually have sex. (Implicit, as opposed to Davan explicitly saying that about Aubrey.) Also, the setup seems almost too tidy for them to get together. Unless the scenario gets complicated at all (for the Aubrey example, when she threw herself at Jason and he demurred), I don't think they'll end up together.

Comment from: abb3w posted at September 7, 2005 12:32 AM

I'm trying to figure out of Davan does this because he is playing with her brain, or because he is just inconsiderate of such subtle nuances like most guys.

Comment from: Sahsha posted at September 7, 2005 9:11 AM

Yay for Netscape, it lets me post!

Davan and PeeJee have changed so much throughout the course of the series, that I would not be surprised if they paired in the end. Do I necessarily want them to? Not really, but I wouldn�t be shocked. In their relationship with one another, the pair closely resembles Davan's parents in their behavior toward one another. When Davan moved in, this only seemed to strengthen.

Comment from: 32_footsteps posted at September 7, 2005 11:45 AM

You know, Eric, you're going to have to link to someone that calls S*P superficial. I haven't seen anything and I'm not buying it without proof.

Of course, watch Randy track down my email (not at all hard) and forward a whole bunch of his favorite "fan mail" to prove Eric right.

I'm also curious to know if this strip parallels the first time PeeJee and Davan had this conversation (it's been made clear that the joke has come up before).

Comment from: EsotericWombat posted at September 7, 2005 12:26 PM

The "no strings attatched sugar daddy" arrangement has been mentioned before in the strip I think. Let me check...

got it!

http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp08072004.shtml

I don't know if this was an oversight or if Davan was just reminding her. In any case, one thing we have to remember is that Peejee is based on a real person, and that certainly effects the way RK uses the character in storylines. That having been said, the real Peejee's identity is a closely guarded secret, so who knows what could have happened in real life...

Whatever is going on I can't wait to see where this goes. RK does this thing where he throws a storyline out there and teases you with it and I've been waiting for this to break for a long time. Maybe we'll get the "Davan moves in with Peejee after leaving Texas" storyline now.

Comment from: Andy H. posted at September 8, 2005 1:10 AM

Actually, I can see PeeJee's objection. She has asserted Sugar Daddies always want "sex or love" in return for the money. Davan states that if the opportunity ever should arise, he'll provide the money without asking for sex. This ("no strings" aside) can either imply that he expects love instead (a more terrifying prospect for someone with relationship issues), or that she's not desirable for sex...

Although the most straightforward interpretation is that he's saying, "You don't like that aspect, huh? Well, if it were my decision, I'd let you do without it, then." What your synopsis seems to be missing is that her initial assertion is a complaint, and although she clearly has taken one of the same implications that you did (presumably the latter), I don't think that they're anywhere near his intent, or that they're obvious enough, given his context and delivery, that his failing to have them occur to him qualifies as being "inconsiderate". (Though I don't know these characters as well as most others here, so perhaps I'm missing something.)

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