23-10-08 ...Really?!

[firendrakendorf]

First time poster "long" time reader here, loving this comic so far, but I dont really get how Zi is the "nicest" girl Gary met, to me Didi seems nicer.

I think what happens is that Gary is too focused on Didi as an object of desire for Didi's being nice to register in his mind. And also, Didi might do nice things for them, be helpful and cheerful, but she hasn't had as far as I remember a real conversation with them, everything was kind superficial, so in a way, maybe Gary unconsciously sees her as another tease, even though Didi has no intention like that. Zii is a little more open with what she feels and thinks, and Gary notices that.

Well, I finally found something to say in this board xD

[brnleague99]

The fact that Zii has a thing for short, pleated skirts makes my morning.

[Dryope]

So basically Gary didn't care about any of those other girls as people, only as what they could do for him carnally. And they rejected him so gosh golly they must be terrible people. What a cad. Hey, maybe they have feelings too! Maybe they weren't ready for a physical relationship! Let's blame it all on their religion. At least saying you want to wait until marriage weeds out most of the creeps who are only interested in your body. There are always some who think they can chaaaange you, that if they completely disrespect your wishes and beliefs you'll give in (and what, be happy about the fact they pressured you into something you weren't ready for?) Thank you, no. Hopefully those poor girls dealt with as little of that as possible and found boys who actually cared about them as people.

Incidentally, I was under the impression Canada actively discouraged religion. >.> But perhaps Gary moved there from somewhere else.

[oni]

Ah... so now we have the reason for Gary being a virgin... Religion. The major downfall of society and humanity. Personally I'd say it does sound like he's from one of the Christianity based faiths, but its weird to me that if his upbringing was that strict that he's still a virgin at 29 despite not wanting to be, why is he so tollerant of everyone else? I'm guessing everything else about his religious upbringing didn't stick.

But Zii being the nicest coolest girl he's known? DiDi is much nicer and heck, you'd think he'd think her cooler after watching her on Dance, Dance Revolution for a while... Heck, Gary must have really been censored when Zii is the epitome of female kindness to him.

I swear please don't let this become another confessional about the abuse of religion or some pussywhipped shit; Sorry, no disrespect to those who DO follow religion but can seperate fact from fiction in it's correct use of practice; Bear I know what you mean like guy got his priorities tangled up if that's exactly his mindset thinking she's w-w-hat, come again, Nice?? Damn, the fact a complete stranger a guy no less came into his house knock boots with this crush only to be crushed hard with disappointment ego or otherwise (if he ever had one to begin with) doesn't mean he should go to the very thing that's cock-blocking him Vanbiesbrouck style!

[midgetshrimp]

So basically Gary didn't care about any of those other girls as people, only as what they could do for him carnally. And they rejected him so gosh golly they must be terrible people. What a cad. Hey, maybe they have feelings too! Maybe they weren't ready for a physical relationship! Let's blame it all on their religion. At least saying you want to wait until marriage weeds out most of the creeps who are only interested in your body. There are always some who think they can chaaaange you, that if they completely disrespect your wishes and beliefs you'll give in (and what, be happy about the fact they pressured you into something you weren't ready for?) Thank you, no. Hopefully those poor girls dealt with as little of that as possible and found boys who actually cared about them as people.

Incidentally, I was under the impression Canada actively discouraged religion. >.> But perhaps Gary moved there from somewhere else.

That seems to be an overly harsh view of a situation that we know pretty much nothing about. He said they played "mind games" with him. That could just have been his own insecurities molding his perception of others' actions, or maybe they really did just like to screw with his head. Either way, we can't know for sure. Unless we have a flashback. Or montage. Because there's nothing a montage can't do.

And I think Zii had the right expression the second time. The one where she wasn't all excited. But confused. Confused is the right expression there.

[firendrakendorf]

So basically Gary didn't care about any of those other girls as people, only as what they could do for him carnally. And they rejected him so gosh golly they must be terrible people. What a cad. Hey, maybe they have feelings too! Maybe they weren't ready for a physical relationship! Let's blame it all on their religion. At least saying you want to wait until marriage weeds out most of the creeps who are only interested in your body. There are always some who think they can chaaaange you, that if they completely disrespect your wishes and beliefs you'll give in (and what, be happy about the fact they pressured you into something you weren't ready for?) Thank you, no. Hopefully those poor girls dealt with as little of that as possible and found boys who actually cared about them as people.

I'm confused. What in the strip made you think that Gary acts that way? Because if he were as insensitive as that, I don't think that the girls would mess with him, just to frustrate him. It would be really uncool if you play around with somebody's mind when at the same time you want respect.

So what you're saying is valid in general, but I highly doubt that that's how it went down in Gary's life. Because the way he is, he probably wasn't actively pursuing girls. Remember, he hasn't even held hands, so no girlfriend. Since he can't even work up to that part, what makes you think he would be thinking just on getting some? So I think girls might have played him for a fool (that's his fault too, for not stopping the BS), laughing behind his back, and maybe even openly.

In order for somebody to care for other persons as people, the other person has to show you some real parts of herself. It could be that these girls didn't even do that.

He said they played "mind games" with him. That could just have been his own insecurities molding his perception of others' actions, or maybe they really did just like to screw with his head. Either way, we can't know for sure.

OK, I hadn't seen it that way... But if the problem was Gary's distorted perspective, he was just being too naive, and I don't think that he was doing anything but playing it straight (I am attracted to this girl, what to do about it?). My problem right now is what type of "game" he is talking about. Because we haven't even established if he has gone on dates or not.

[dianekikiula]

First time poster "long" time reader here, loving this comic so far, but I dont really get how Zi is the "nicest" girl Gary met, to me Didi seems nicer.

I think what happens is that Gary is too focused on Didi as an object of desire for Didi's being nice to register in his mind. And also, Didi might do nice things for them, be helpful and cheerful, but she hasn't had as far as I remember a real conversation with them, everything was kind superficial, so in a way, maybe Gary unconsciously sees her as another tease, even though Didi has no intention like that. Zii is a little more open with what she feels and thinks, and Gary notices that.

Well, I finally found something to say in this board xD

Yes. This. QFT.

[dianekikiula]

Gary's a Buddhist?

My first thought was Jehovah's Witness. There are quite a few of then here in my nack of the woods, and that description is spot on for how they operate. Has that sect made it into Canada yet? Don't actually know much about Buddhism, is that how they work as well?

Buddhism is the first religion that came to mind, but a lot of the Eastern religions have asceticism as the ideal means to Nirvana/perfection/breaking out of the reincarnation cycle/etc. As far as Christian varieties go, the only one that comes to mind readily are the Shakers - but who knows, maybe he grew up in a cult community.

[Pneumonica]

So basically Gary didn't care about any of those other girls as people, only as what they could do for him carnally. And they rejected him so gosh golly they must be terrible people. What a cad.

I'm under the impression the situation was somewhat reversed. Firstly, Gary seems to be too entirely passive to be sexually aggressive in that way. Secondly, in religiously oppressive environments the aggressive become the strong and the passive become the weak, and in all environments the strong pick on (and occasionally pick off) the weak. Gary would be the second category. He does mention them "playing mind games" with him, which is the activity of all alpha and beta members of any adolescent social group towards anybody their social inferior.

Incidentally, I was under the impression Canada actively discouraged religion. >.> But perhaps Gary moved there from somewhere else.

Actively discouraged religion? First I've heard of that. Religious tolerance seems to be the rule in Canada - the only places I hear otherwise are on issues of abortion rights (peaceful protestors tend to get arrested in front of abortion clinics, but then again a number of "peaceful" protesters have set bombs in those same clinics, so I'm kinda split on how I feel about that), and in issues of homosexuality (Catholic schools have been required to admit homosexual students). Religious tradition is generally given leniance in Canada as far as I've seen.

[midgetshrimp]

OK, I hadn't seen it that way... But if the problem was Gary's distorted perspective, he was just being too naive, and I don't think that he was doing anything but playing it straight (I am attracted to this girl, what to do about it?). My problem right now is what type of "game" he is talking about. Because we haven't even established if he has gone on dates or not.

The "games", as I see it, would be "pick on the sheltered geeky kid, talk about him just loud enough when he's in earshot, cast sideways glances to make him feel left out" general meanness. You know, everyday adolescent pre-to-post high school drama nonsense. Several diagrams of the situation:

8-) 8-) 8-) :arrow: :geek:
:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :arrow: :geek:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :arrow: :geek: =

[Gammasite]

So basically Gary didn't care about any of those other girls as people, only as what they could do for him carnally. And they rejected him so gosh golly they must be terrible people. What a cad. Hey, maybe they have feelings too! Maybe they weren't ready for a physical relationship! Let's blame it all on their religion. At least saying you want to wait until marriage weeds out most of the creeps who are only interested in your body. There are always some who think they can chaaaange you, that if they completely disrespect your wishes and beliefs you'll give in (and what, be happy about the fact they pressured you into something you weren't ready for?) Thank you, no. Hopefully those poor girls dealt with as little of that as possible and found boys who actually cared about them as people.

Gotta wonder where on EARTH you got all of that out of that strip. Methinks you're placing a bit of your own personal experience on Gary's shoulders where I highly doubt it belongs. I think Pneumonica pretty much hit the nail on the head with the whole Alpha-Beta-Inferior thing; Gary is the "nerd," the social lower class. But who knows, maybe I'm just putting personal experience on him as well, having been that person and experiencing those mindgames myself. Not all girls are those "poor girls" you describe. Some are cruel, manipulative people who will do things like asking you out as a joke because their friends bet them they wouldn't, then rejecting you and humiliating you in front of a crowd of people if you're foolish enough to try and accept their proposal. Hey, maybe he has feelings too! Maybe he ISN'T just a toy for the popular girls to mess with. Hopefully that poor guy learned to ignore it after a while and not get led on by their games and found a girl who actually cared about him as a perso- Oh wait, he didn't, did he.

[Kamino Neko]

Buddhism is the first religion that came to mind, but a lot of the Eastern religions have asceticism

Unless you're a monk, you're not expected to be ascetic in the most common forms of Buddhism.

Buddhism is no harsher on the laity than most forms of Christianity - the closest it comes to asceticism for an ordinary person is an admonishment against getting drunk. For the part that's germane to this discussion - sex is fine - 'sexual immorality'*, or dwelling on the desire for sex, is the problem.

* This is loosely - if at all - defined, in my experience, but basically comes down to 'don't screw anyone you shouldn't', which isn't defined as 'anyone but your spouse' unless you're married.

Incidentally, I was under the impression Canada actively discouraged religion. >.> But perhaps Gary moved there from somewhere else.

Whaaaaa...?

That's...an odd perception. Most provinces still have publicly funded Catholic schools, and those that don't combined the school systems for reasons of cost.

[MrBishop]

Gary's a Buddhist?

My first thought was Jehovah's Witness. There are quite a few of then here in my nack of the woods, and that description is spot on for how they operate. Has that sect made it into Canada yet? Don't actually know much about Buddhism, is that how they work as well?

We have 'temples' all over the place... and the odd knock on the door. I occasionally find copies of the mini-watchtower blown onto my front lawn from other people having tossed them out.

Yeah..you can say that we've got the JW folx around.

[MrBishop]

Incidentally, I was under the impression Canada actively discouraged religion. >.> But perhaps Gary moved there from somewhere else.

Discourage religion? Nope...we just don't take it quite as seriously as our Southern neighbours.

There's a saying in Montreal: "You can't throw a stone in Montreal without breaking a church window." -

granted, many pews are empty on Sundays, and several churches have been sold, but it still leaves a LOT of churches out there. :ugeek:

[MrBishop]

And I think Zii had the right expression the second time. The one where she wasn't all excited. But confused. Confused is the right expression there.

Not confused...borderline angry!

She seems to have been a bit of an outcast herself and now she's faced with someone who's been treated even worst than her... took the wind right out of her sails, didn't it?

SO...she was going to play with him, much like the girls that Gay's familiar with...but now she can't do that in good conscience. He thinks that she's the best, so she's going to have to start acting nicer to him, to prove him wrong about the 'fairer sex'. **Remeber that she 'was the last in her class to get breasts' - I'll bet that she got plenty of teasing from the popular girls, eh

She's definitely angry in that last shot - let's see where THAT takes her (and Gary).

CUE: New story arc - Zii to the rescue!! :ugeek:

**
BTW..is ti just me or does Gary look like a young Clark Kent - especially that fly-away hair and cowlick