Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for December 03, 2015

If Tiffany were her “Mid Eighties self”, maybe the song “It Must Be Obvious” by Pet Shop Boys would be playing on the “turntables of her mind”… – For Gunther, it’d probably be… a whole bunch of songs about being oblivious, dense and blind… and I guess mabye “I’m Not In Love” by 10CC…

New poll up: Should Tiff hook Gunthie up with Bernice?

Is Gunthie Guest-worthy?1) 18 votes – Christopher Guest level2) 15 votes – Other3) 14 votes – You’ll never guest level4) 8 votes – Unwanted guest level5) 6 votes – Uncle Bertie 3 weeks following Christmas levelOther: Gunth is more guest worthy than Piro; These choices are too obscure; My head hurts; Norman Bates guest level; bury the Welcome mat when you see him coming; Like totally furshure!; Guest no; Yes, and don’t call him Gunthie!!; I don’t even know what “guest-worthy” means; Nah. He’s just a ‘study-buddy’; He’ll use a level before attempting it; Tiff seems to think so; Yes! He always cleans up after himself!

How oblivious can you get?

Tiff’s variation on the “please don’t go” seduction. Let’s see how far she will go to keep Gunther in her web………….or, could she really be interested in him?

I know! Bring back Sun and Gunther can date her!

Tiffany is about to lose again and she can’t stand it!

Somebody needs to smack Gunther upside the head.

What about Piro? Doesn’t Bernice have a little thing for him?

“Two Divided By One”“A Hazy Shade Of Gunther” (♪)“N.V.S.”“No Traction For Your Distractions”“Just Say Notice”“A Speedbump On The Road To Your Heart”“There’s Never Any Rainchecks In Southern California”“Camera Obscura”“No Stops On The Train Of Thought”“The Things He Do For Love” (♫)“Oh, There Must Be Some Misunderstanding…” (♪)“You’re So Inane” (♫)“I Want You To Want Me” (♫)“Seems To Me, It’s Chemistry” (♪)

“Pretty Clouded For A Bright Guy” or“Tunnel Vision Of Love”

-Gunther and Bernice together is a snooze fest

Actually, right now, this couple could be funny. They’ve both changed since high school and not for the better. Gunther is now so self-absorbed he doesn’t listen to anyone, and he actually returned from Peru to for his own relationships but to prevent his mother from having one.

And Bernice is turning into a split personality who tries to enforce rules strongly on others but won’t live up to them herself.

I can actually imagine some big fights between these two, because they are both very self-centered at this point…

Tiffany’s not “tempting him with her body” because Gunther’s the only guy who sees past her appearance. That’s what makes him so special for her. (I’m still betting that her mother was one of a series of trophy wives, giving her a complex about appearance.) Gunther is oblivious because most young men don’t get women’s ways of hinting, “Hey, I’m interested in you!” And as for Bernice and Pirot, I don’t think she’s attracted to him; I think she felt sorry for him as a homeless guy she couldn’t bear to turn out into the streets.

I feel sorry for Tiffany. I think that she actually does enjoy spending time with Gunther- who doesn’t see her as dumb (she’s “soft focused” as he put it), or as nothing more than a sex object- and is interested in him.

It would be interesting to have her go to Luann for advice, thinking that she’s got the “perfect” relationship with Quill…

Compare Gunther now with Gunther as he used to be in Luann Againn right now…

Tiffany is used to people paying attention to her. Now she’s not the center of attention.

Gunth will go to Bernice’s and find Piro bedded down there.

Gunther’s expression is like he suddenly sees a chance to escape from Tiffany. She’s too much of a challenge. Too bad – Tiff tried. Too bad – they were gonna be my favorite couple…

@MinPinMom

Why? Gunther’s got his sh*t together – he’s not interested in vacuous or shallow, character appeals to him.BTW, nobody’s mentioned yet that a girl of Tiffany’s appearance has been ‘friendzoned’ by someone she’s apparently got the hots for.

I wonder how Mamma Gunther would feel about her little “Gunthie” ditching his “study buddy”…

Poor Tiffany [enter chorus of boos from Tiffany-haters here]! She finally finds a guy she likes who could actually turn out to be good for her, but instead he suddenly sees that he wants Bernice after all. Ugh! Bernie and Gunny are deadly dull together and will never get a real romance kindled. On the other hand, Gunther has done more in a little time with with Tiffany to elicit some real humanity from her than anyone else ever has. They would be a sweet, fun couple, with her aggressiveness bolstering his insecurities as they faced the world together….

I think she genuinely wants to date him, she just doesn’t know how. I think he is as blind as they come. One day maybe he will wake up. You don’t have to be twins to be compatible. I actually think they are very much alike. He’s super smart, she’s super pretty. They both have thier talents that are strengths at the same time they are weaknesses. They are both socially awkward. I don’t think I have ever seen Tiff exhibit social grace. LOL A match made in heaven if you ask me.

Tiffany: Guys don’t friendzone me, I friendzone guys!

Dag Nab-it, Gunther!

HOW Many TIMES Do I HAVE To TELL You??

Everybody, and I Mean EVERBODY Likes COFFEE!!!!

Alone again, naturally .

How long has Gunther known Bernice and he still wonders if she likes coffee? As far as we know, Gunther and Bernice haven’t spent time together since his return. It would be surprising if there weren’t some awkwardness—unless, Gunther is trying to get on safe ground again by going to an old friend. When you spend lots of time together comfortably, as Gunther and Tiffany have been doing, it is easy for a relationship to blossom. These two are in remedial romance and that is another reason they suite each other.Of course, maybe Gunther just got up to obey the curfew… Too rule obeying to see all the handkerchiefs that Tiffany is dropping for him.BTW,Ox likes Tiffany, too, and treats her kindly. Maybe Gunther needs to get a little jealous.

Gee, Tiff…now you’re in the “friend zone”.

Bet when he gets to her room, he finds Piro on her couch.

Wait. I thought Bernice just told Gunther and Tiff that it was after 10 and so, NO VISITORS. And now Gunther is going to go to Bernice’s room…for coffee? At what, 11pm?

Slammed! What is Tiffany going to do? Interesting.

Go and get her Gunther!! After all, Bernice and Piro have no chemistry.

Tiffany may be attractive but that is about it, there is nothing there there. Of course now Gunth is gonna be in competition with homeless guy.

To Tiffany’s credit, I was expecting shrillness… and possibly slapping.

My first post. Been reading for years and enjoy all your comments with my morning coffee. :) At the rate these plot lines move I’m not sure we’ll see it in our lifetimes, but I see LuAnn being jealous of Bernice’s relationship with Gunth, Quill will move on to further his theater career, and one day LuAnn and Gunth will be married and have a family. It may take 5-10 years…lol.

So, the greater question is, is Tiff responding to this because she really loves Gunther, or because she hates Bern and wants to thwart her?

Hmmmm…….. I’m leaning more towards the former. Partly because I guess I’d like to see Bern and Prio heat up a bit…

straight to the Friend zone!actually I wouldn’t say Gunth’s oblivious as he is convinced that Tiffany would never be interested in him. It’s trope, but it’s real life trope… I’ve known more than a few girls who found themselves in love with a geek who were completely overlooked because they seemed too pretty, too popular, too non-geeky

Why does Greg keep on pairing up odd couples? I don’t buy this business about Tiffany being romantically interested in Gunther all of a sudden.

An interesting turn in today’s strips. Also, the comments are equally interesting, if diverse in opinions. I am eager to see how this plays out. Personally, I think Tiff and Gunther would make an interesting couple but they appear to be good friends.

Great comments, Faith. Typical Gunther can only focus on one thing at a time. Can’t hear Tiffany as he’s determined to only think about Bernice right at the moment.

Gunther goes to see Bernice and just as things get interesting, Piro shows back up and asks Bernice out and she sends Gunther on his way back to Tiff feeling bad for himself and Tiff kisses him. All in less than a year of strips.

So, will Bernice decide to invite Gunther in for coffee instead of going out for it thus breaking the rules again? Or will she agree to a coffee date in the morning? Or decline? Will Tiff tackle Gunther before he reaches her door to keep him? Or, will Rosa come back from Peru? Have a good day!

Friendzoned, poor Tiffany.

Guys are oblivious, but girls kind of do it to themselves…if Tiff really likes Gunther she should just say so. Sure its a risk, but if she don’t risk, she won’t get anywhere.

Guys just don’t get obvious signs, they don’t read into things…they have to be told.

Jealous much, Tiffany?

I for one find this story arc interesting and am eager to see how it unfolds. Good job so far GE!

poor Tiffany, it seems she just can’t win

I was a lot like Gunther in school. The geeky little nerdy guy with no self confidence so I can relate to him. Gunther perceives Tiffany out of his league so she can be his friend but there is no way she would date him.

I’ve thought for a while that Bernice and Dez might end up being a “couple.”

Jethro Tull and “Thick as a Brick” come to mind in describing Gunther.

Tiffany isn’t “dropping her standards”, she’s just realizing that she doesn’t need a trophy husband, but does need someone who’s human, and cares about her. I think Tiffany is more complex than some people think, and she’s starting to grow up as well.

Hah! Tiffany has been “friend-zoned”

There have been a lot of negative comments about Tiffany but lets face it, by young persons standards (low they may be) she is smokin’ hot. Gunther is utterly clueless…

“Either that, or the batteries in Gunther’s hearing aids suddenly went dead.”^Bern had him at “rules”….after that, he became putty in her arms (or at least he at that point imagined running in a field of carefully planted flowers to her, all arranged in some type of “sciency order” by phylum, genus and species). Wonder if Bern “planned it” that way???

Gunthie is as clueless as ever, like he never went to Peru and “changed”.It’s like Luann going to Mrs Horner for advice and then doing all the same stupid stuff all over again.

HA! Tiff got friend zoned!

But this is what someone said: “And if all your going to do is complain about the comic please keep it to yourself or leave.”

No where in there, did they specify anyone in particular. It could have been anyone in general. But still, you responded:

(O..P:) “Sorry so long.”

(Imp.:) “Anyone can say what they want here, short or long, as long as it’s not insulting other posters.”

(O.P.:) “And if all your going to do is complain about the comic please keep it to yourself or leave.”

(Imp:) “Please do not insult posters by telling them to leave. Everyone here is allowed to post their opinions and not be silenced.” – The original poster was only expressing their own opinion on complainers, in general, and was also trying to defend their own post from any “potential attacks”. They didn’t single out a name, they didn’t use any insulting language. it could have been taken “with a grain of salt”. But, “in effect”, it would seem that you told the poster that they had no right to their opinion that they feel others shouldn’t bother with complaining, and should leave. But there was no attack, and no insult from them, in the first place.

Gunther… Dude.. Wake up and smell the pheromons.

I think Tiffany really likes Gunther because she talks to him on a human level and shares her secrets with him (things about her family etc.). She doesn’t seem to let anyone else in like that. And the fact that she doesn’t throw herself at him indicates she likes him for who he really is. I kind of feel sorry for Tiffany. I haven’t ever seen her date anyone as long as I’ve been reading the strip (since the 80’s).

Yo! Tiff! Strip! The Gunth-man don’t do subtle! You gotta hit him over the head with it.

(Of course, then you’ll have to show him what to do with it.)

This actually sort of makes me sad.

I think Tiffany is a lonely person and sees Gunther as her only real friend.

that is one clueless dude.

Implausible…. when you state:You just described someone dropping their standards. Her standard is the good-looking guy that everyone wants…Ooh never mind! She never dropped her standards, if she thinks Gunther can get another girl, he suddenly meets her standards…My take is something different. I personally think that the “football guy” statement was Tiffany’s “knee-jerk” reaction because that is how she had always behaved before. I think since that “football guy” panel, Tiffany has had time to think more and more about her feelings, and even though she did not admit it yet, her reaction today is showing IMO that she is realizing that a guy like Gunther is someone she DOES want. Now, maybe it should be a “nicer” Gunther…. one who is not so clueless about Tiffany’s feeling, and is not so prone to yelling and hollering that the “new improved” scruffy Gunther has become.

@Implausible

Implausible…. you have a lot of interesting takes on today’s comic. For some of the ideas you state, I have some additional comments and opinions:Tiffany is not romantically interested in Gunther; if she was she’d be tempting him with her body instead of coffee or math problems.I would tend to disagree with you on this one. I DO think Tiffany is interested in Gunther and is interested romantically. I see her current behavior more as a transformative change in Tiffany. She (IMO) previously used her looks and her mannerisms to try to “catch” a guy, almost as a type of conquest. To me, Tiffany now is being more adult in her actions and she is growing and realizing more about what a real relationship is.They really do have nothing in common; Tiffany is borderline mentally challenged (“bees in a pod”, junior high math) and clearly offers Gunther no mental stimulation.I would say that they do both have a great deal in common… especially a) they are growing into their adult selves, and will see life in a broader, deeper fashion than the did in high school, and b) they both can identify with not really fully “fitting in” (Tiffany may have done all the “popular girl” things, but they were very frequently not successful.).Also, in regards to her being “mentally challenged”…. I think that is not a real way to look at things. As a college professor myself, I can attest that a very high percentage of students (including the majority of non-science focused students) never take any math beyond what their degree requires… and for many this IS algebra….. yes the same sort of algebra that many students learn (or attempt to learn) in high school.Why can’t Gunther meet a new character instead of rehashing these failed romances over and over?In the above statement…. I tend to agree with you that it would be very interesting and nice to see Gunther date someone else outside of the original group. But, I also think it would be interesting and nice to see a Gunther and Tiffany couple…. mostly because I think there is so much potential for each character to help the other grow and develop.

Gunther isn’t a bashful nerd—-he’s the idiot who won’t leave her room! even though it’s after 10 PM. Does he want to get Bernice in trouble with her supervisor? (I am being sarcastic.)

I’ve never thought Gunther was a Nice Guy Who Should Get the Girl. Just awkward. And asexual. That doesn’t automatically make you nice…it doesn’t even automatically make you one of those brainy nerds you hear so much about.

Really? Gunth and Tiff are not an obvious couple, and that’s why Tiff-unther would be a compelling ship.

Today’s strip points up emphatically the vast difference between “intelligent” and “smart.”

I said this before, and I am saying it again. Gunther go for Tiffany. It will not be a mistake. I was you through out grade school, high school, and college. My wife was the popular cheerleader, in the spotlight student. We married after college and that was forty-two years ago. She is a wonderful mother, grandmother, and now great grandmother. I would be nothing without her.

Um no. Bernice + Pyro and Tiff + Gunth.

Implausible just talks about the comics. Why not stop addressing him completely, as he suggests.

Implausible…. I agree with you about Tiffany being portrayed as more positive. I like that new portrayal a lot. It really “humanizes” her character and it makes her character much more nuanced, IMO. Unfortunately, Gunther newer portrayal has been IMO more of a bifurcated effort. On the one hand, he has gotten “cooler” by dressing better, having the silly scruff on his face (instead of being clean shave or better yet, wearing a real beard and mostache) and being a bit more casual in interactions with people. But, the other side of his development is he has also gotten more biting and mean in his comments and actions when upset, and he apparently is becoming somewhat oblivious to the feelings of others. So, to me, the net growth in Gunther has me saying “meh” about his character.

In real life the nerd never gets the hot chick…..or maybe should say the hot chick is NEVER interested in the nerd. But this is a comic strip……(look at Brad & Toni for instance, NEVER happen).

Faith is a genuine fan and I like that.

Tiffany and Gunther are just on totally different wavelengths. Their orbits have circumstantially overlapped at univ as they both had not made friends. Tiffany needed lots of help w/ school work and Gunther didn’t have anyone else to be with and so the friendship has worked. Neither has any obligation to date the other and that has been established. When Tiffany makes nasty cynical remarks about others or acts clueless and helpless, people just figure that’s just Tiffany. But when Gunther looks out for his own skin or acts cynical folks remark how mean and uncaring he is. Today, once again, Tiffany is just being Tiffany. She doesn’t have any other relationships of her own, besides Gunther. Now that he feels like reaching out to someone else and doesn’t try to hide that desire, she’s jealous and I believe she will try to sabotage his effort…. just like she’s been jealous of Luann and Quill and has tried to sabotage that relationship.

Gunther can’t help his animal magnetism ~ or cluelessness.

Maybe I shouldn’t say this, since there is so much dissent being expressed … but I get as much out of the negative comments and complaints as I do the positive comments, character analysis, etc.

Bottom line for me is that this week has been interesting. Ideally. in my mind, Tiffany should block Gunther from the door, put her arms around him, and say, “Stay, Gunther. I want you to stay.”

I guess this is a set-up to see if Bernice will turn Gunther away because it’s after 10.

I used to think G-man and Bern would be the perfect pair— intellectual, quiet, curly hair. But now I think while they may go for coffee they are TOO similar to be a couple. Bern, at least, likes wilder men. Bet G-man comes back to Tiff.

“Now if this gets me sent into posting Purgatory then all I can say is “Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here.”*Sheriff, just for the record, as I remember from high school that was Inferno, not Purgatory.

I think Tiffany just realized that Gunther means something more than just a study buddy to her.

yesss… and then he will have thoughts (again) of Machu Picchu and its spiritual power… and of Rosa……..

NO GUNTHER NO!! TIFFANY NOT BERNICE!!

Thank you. May all your plots be happy ones.

Surprisingly, Tiff DOES want Gunther.

@implausible @IamJayBluE @BuckarooDave3 @theAirman @pointspread @otherposterswhoreadcomments

I see many reply’s to my comment, thank you for those :). The Airman, thank you for calling me a fan. I can still remember about a year ago when I found out this gocomics website and I thought it was so cool that you could see all the comics without having to open up and sort all the newspapers. I love this website.

So Implausible, I am sorry that I made you insulted and unwelcome. That was not my intent. I wasn’t thinking of you or trying to single you out if you felt like I was. There are all kinds of people that complain about comics and as pointspread says, people live to complain and sometimes it can sound depressing. And as iamjayblue said I was also trying to protect my post and avoid getting into disagreements, ironically.

So again Implausible, I had no clue that my comment was insulting, and yes everybody has a right to their own opinion so please forgive me for putting that out and upsetting you. That comment was not addressed to you. Sorry for the misunderstanding. :))

Maybe she likes him too much which is why she does not tempt him with her body.

I don’t know what is in store here, GE has such a talent for comic strip drama. I do know one thing: my heart goes out for Tiffany more and more. She really needs someone who understands her and cares for her. None of the other characters are anywhere near as sad internally as she clearly is, hope something good comes out of this somehow.

So far the only ways in which Tiffany has sought friendship with a guy is by (1) offering herself up physically and sexually or (2) asking for help. She has never tried to develop a relationship based on shared interests (non-physical). Her interactions with women (girls) have been mostly tactical in nature.

Somebody…SOMEBODY!Should smack this dude on the side of his head with a brick!The silver platter beckons.

Ok Tiff, time to fight for your man! You speak your mind any other time! Geez Girl!

Firerand1:I don’t see Gunth moving forward.He has a girl who idolizes him, & doesn’t want her body it seems (close, tho), so he just walks away from her. She loses everything…book help, friendship, maybe a future.He needs help from a doctor. Now, he gains nothing, and all he gained with Tiff, is lost.I think Tiff needs a new decent friend, to help her in school, & find someone that sees her like we do..an upperclass “Quill”.That high school stuff was a sham, I think!Some thing to bring them together,,,a dead battery, etc.Gunth isn’t the only smart knife in the drawer!Time marches on, & proms are coming up.Happy Holidays.

SPOILER ALERT

A whole day of debating over whether TIff is in anguish over Gunther’s seeming abandonment of her, and, presto! Another opportunity appears!

This was not what I anticipated at all. Bravo to the Evanses!

Spoiler Alert III: CSNY: If you can’t be with the one you love, honey, …

I’m 66, and still don’t seem to be accepting all of ’em. (But try telling that to my arthritic back…)