Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for January 05, 2022

SHUT UP, BERNICE!

“Less Is More.” ✨

No notes necessary; just you out of the way.

Dueling psych majors.

Leave the room, Bernice! You being a bully.

“Yes! Could you take them out to the car?”

You go, Margo!!!

Hasn’t been asked to close the book behind her, but it could come at any minute.

Well, Luann.

It was your idea to invite “Ms. Chatty-Cathy” along.

Case Notes? Bernice is not a psychology practioner.

Bernice is proving she’s horrible at her job. She’s supposed to listen, not talk over someone.

Bern, search “active listening skills”

Being a good counselor first and foremost requires you to be a good listener.

Bernice shut up

I must admit Bern is aggravating, but then she is drawn that way; when she has the problem trying to diagnose Luann’s problem. I actually don’t she a misdirection play here, rather a direct pushback of Bernice with an epiphany by Bernice. Luann? Holding back right now, let’s see.

Time for Mrs. Horner to put the psychological hammer down. Tell Bernice that, if she is quiet and behaves herself, she may observe.

Well lunchtime is over.

Bernice Buttinski.

Should be “Aren’t you studying to be a teacher” not “Weren’t you going to be a teacher”. BTW, wasn’t Phogarty going to be a guidance counselor? Wasn’t Bernice going to be a friend?

Bern is in the middle of a breakdown folks. That isn’t normal.

Bern you having a breakdown.

Bernice, here is a thought…Maybe instead of pretending to be a therapist you should be a human first…

Time to send Bernice off to get a left – handed screwdriver.

What Lu needs is a real friend.

It was have been interesting to see Luann accompanied by her other BFF Tara instead of Bernice. I think Tara would keep quiet most of the time – but with an occasional actually interesting question or comment.

Too bad Bernice lives with you, Luann. I would want to close the door on our friendship and not look back.

This is one of those age-old gags that never gets old, however, I think my personal favorite examples of such were the occasions on M*A*S*H when Frank Burns would bring forth complaints to Henry Blake, while Margaret Houlihan did all the talking for him, which resulted in some pretty hilarious responses from Henry. “It’s amazing Frank, I never saw you move your lips once.” “Now you watch your language Frank, or I’ll have to punch her in the mouth.”

The “Luann Again” arc is pretty funny.

Bernice…make like a tree and LEAVE!

Bernice needsto find out she is the one not suited to her dreams. In fact, pun intended, Bernice is the psychologist of your nightmares!

Where did the desk sign go?

I just now realized Margo must’ve married Mr. Fogarty. Or did that happen in-strip and I missed it?

Bernice, be a friend, not the practicum student. You might learn a few things from Mrs Fogarty. I know she was your old high school counselor who offered you nothing useful – remember you were a teenager and teenagers are poor listeners. Now you are older and in a different role where you and Mrs Fogarty are concerned. Open up your mind and listen.

I sense that this arc is really about Bernice, not Luann at all! Mrs Fogarty is on to Bern, and will skillfully, in her old muddled way, guide this session!

There is a reason that Bernice is not living under her own families roof.

Anyone have a roll of duct tape to seal Bernice’s big mouth??

My mother was like Bernice—always answering questions aimed at me!!

Shut up and leave the room, Bernice. You don’t belong here

Jumping the gun, Bernice…

Love the way Margo and Luann are looking at Bernice in the last panel. She’s so unable to read the room and so full of herself… Margo really needs to have a chat with her ASAP.

Bernice, leave the office and shut the door.

Good call yesterday from those who predicted Mrs. Fogarty would ask Bernice to leave the room.

Mrs. Fogarty is being far too nice. She should just tell Bernice to be quiet or leave and not be diplomatic about it.

Bernice, yesterday I gave you the benefit of the doubt that you were just giving your friend a hard time and didn’t realize this was neither helpful nor funny.

Today however you’ve crossed a huge line. I had hoped that Luann would tell you off, but you are so far up your own “ego” you likely still wouldn’t see how you are in the wrong here if she did.

I’m not even sure Margo giving you a dose of wakeup medicine would help you right now. You are so sure what you are doing is helpful that if anyone tells you otherwise, you’ll likely get offended.

Look, I’m all glad that recent story arches have helped develop your character as an adult, but you are well on your way to having some rather very toxic character traits.

All your recent “boy trouble” that you’ve been having seems VERY similar to boy trouble that Luann went through back when you two were kids. You though refuse to talk to her about it and treat her like she’s the sort that engages in all the bad sorts of behavior that you attribute to her.

Bernice, it feels like you stopped actually being Luann’s friend sometime back and more the person you hang out with so you can feel better about yourself. Please stop exaggerating the faults of your “friend”, and please stop projecting them onto her as well.

And lastly, please try to acknowledge all the positive character growth that your “friend” has had over the years that you’ve known her.

That’s right, Mrs. Phelps! Shut Bernice up!

“Or leave. You could do THAT, Bernice.”

No case notes needed. Just get on your broom and leave.

How about just taking a hike?

Better yet, leave the room so they can talk in private.

It seems Bernice has given all this quite a lot of thought. She knows Luann is struggling and wants to help, she just isn’t very diplomatic about it. Combine that with her own serious ego problem and we get to see a perfect depiction of habitual imabitchyitis. Perhaps Mrs. Fogarty will diagnose it for her?

I prescribe a dirty sock shoved into Bernice’s pie-hole..

It’s Luann’s fault for dragging Bernice along.

Stop being such a geek, Bernice!

I don’t like it when someone finishes my….

Actually Bernice, I want you to leave.

Go home Bernice.

Mrs Fogarty needs to tell Bernice that she would like to talk to Luann in private. Bernice pretending to be a counselor reminds me of Christopher Lloyd character “Henry” in the “Dream Team” where he pretends to be a doctor throughout that hilarious flick.

“No, I want you to LEAVE!”

I think Bernice needs a refresher on patient confidentiality.

Ah, Bernice is about to learn one of the most essential parts of being a psychologist or therapist - shutting up and listening. ;)

Bernice will probably get a phd in psychology and teach at the college level. She’d do better teaching than having to deal with people.

Bernice is getting to be an insufferable scold. What are they now, sophomores? And she thinks she’s Karl effing Jung. Just stuff it, B.

While Bernice is over the top it’s not to over the top for some first year students who want to show off what they know (scary and yes, seen it with a psych major, not as bad as Berncie but going that direction). The real question is if Ms. Fogarty redirects Bernice to another profession where her “determined relentlessness” is better focused or provides her with the attitude adjustment to be a counselor. Till then I just wish Bernice would enjoy a nice hot cup of StFU.

No, Bernice, she wants you to mind your own business.

Bern is about to learn: Psychology isn’t for her.

Uh-huh… And what exactly are you doing with your life there, Ms. Halper?

Bernice, I’d like to introduce you to Sheldon Cooper. You two should get along like a maison en feu.

Control freak disguised as a “friend.”

Luann would make a much better school counselor than Bernice and it would still enable her to work with children. She actually listens when people tell her their problems and many time give fairly sound advice. She just needs a little help to be more assertive. That’s where I would like to see this arc go – Luann becoming the psych/counseling major and Bernice being told to seek another path.

I have an idea. Bernice, why don’t you get everyone some coffee and don’t forget to lock and close the door on your way out.

Shut up stupid

Again, shut up!

Ya know, it probably would have been much better for Bernice if she wasn’t raised an only child.

No, we would like for you to get out of here, NOW!

I’ve just noticed something kind of odd: Over the years, almost all the characters here used to be ‘toons, but have changed into actual humans. Poor Puddles the dog, and now Miss Phelps, missed the bus on that one. They’re still ’toons. Is this fair?

i’m a teacher and i think Luann can still be a teacher…Luann cares about kids…Luann made a mistake with Tara one that was a glaring error in judgment but that wouldn’t disqualify her in the future from being a teacher. she hasn’t even taken teacher training courses at JC. I still think that Tara meant well with the archery stuff…I think she screwed Luann making her leave after getting reprimanded. Luann is questioning things because she lost the thing driving her towards teaching and was asked to replace it with something that she sees as less than ideal (tutoring). All that said, Luann can still be a teacher if Luann wants to be a teacher. Nothing that’s happened so far disqualifies her from that career path.

A narcissist for a counselor? Get some help, Bernice!!!

G&K – Good job drawing Luann’s expressions.

I thought this was a “workshop” and others would be together in a space, not a private session. Being a private session, maybe Bernice shouldn’t be in the room at all. BUT, she may learn a thing or two if she listens and stops interfering.

Sadly, aspiring headshrinkers are not required to do their own head work until they hit graduate school. Some programs do not even require it, which is a damned shame.

IMO, all psych majors should have to receive psychotherapy. The field draws people who try to resolve their issues with bibliotherapy. It’s a good start, but really, if you plan to help others, you have to get that darned log out of your eye before you go after their splinters.

I think Bernice’s only purpose as Luann’s “best friend” is to increase engagement in the strips comments. 204 and counting today. It’s working.

Bernice is rather full of herself, as usual.

ALONE if you don’t mind……

Bernice doesn’t fart. She doesn’t keep her mouth shut long enough to build up air pressure.

“I want you to go wait outside, Bernice.”

Bernice, you don’t have your degree yet…plus, wasn’t it not long ago, you had a good Bernice/bad Bernice conversation with yourself? Maybe you need a Psychologist…

“Thank you, Bernice. You have done a plenty. Please leave.”

And here she is,Miss Know-it-all!!

And she’s not someone we hope you’ll really like!!

I’ve been away for a month.

Has anybody murdered “Scarlett O’Short Skirt” yet?

I’ve been reading Luann for 30+ years, and am hopeful her character won’t revert to the ditzier, insecure and decidedly less intelligent version. The version who would be quick to believe the assessment from her best friend that she’s “not academic”.

On a completely different note, I just noticed that Ms. Fogarty nee Phelps is about the only character whose drawing style hasn’t really changed since the days of Luann Againn.

Sounds more like Bernice is trying to justify her education.

Ms Phelp: “Remember one time we all thought you died from brain surgery? haha!” (see today’s LuAnn Againn.)

“No, I want you to get out of this room, and go get us a Star bucks for both of us. The one on the other side of town if possible.”

“With a QUACK-QUACK here, and a QUACK-QUACK there…”

I want to put Bernice in the same room as Caulfield from “Frazz” and just let them pedant, snark, and bore each other to death with their own airs of self-importance.

I once saw a therapist like Bernice. She diagnosed me with co-dependence half an hour in. (Maybe I was co-dependent, but that would’ve been the mere surface of my issues.) I did not go back.

261 comments and counting. I think this is one of the most commented on comic strips in the feed. O<|]:o)

The only ‘case’ around here is Bernice.

A note to GNK: Might I suggest that you’ve now jumped the shark RE Bernice. And that is not a question.

Bern, the best frienemy there can be for LuAnn.

It looks like this arc is going to be about Bernice. Which sucks. Cause Luann REALLY needs the help to grow up & train for a financially lucrative job, not some pile of teacher-y, half volunteer, martyrdom driven, social services type “career”.

“…No, I would like you to just step away for a little while if you don’t mind…”

Bernice doesn’t seem to be very popular with readers today.

Bernice is such a smarty-pants.

Time for silence Bernice.

Geez, she’s almost making me wish Shannon would show up and say something obnoxious. Almost.

Yeah Bernice is a B, yada yada, Why does Phelps/Fogarty know about Luann’s teacher plans, Did Luann ever tell her? When? I know it definitely doesn’t matter, but I’m curious. And I’m willing to bet Luann told Phogarty nothing anyway, because that would be pointless, that “counselor” has always been mostly comic relief which is sad. Did Luann Tell Her and When.

Bern is insufferable. She needs to be told that she is ill-suited to be any kind of counselor. Bern doesn’t listen. She doesn’t even wait for a pause in the conversation – she just pounces. I hope Margo tells Bern to let her and Luann have a private discussion. Buh-bye, Bern.

Even better, wait outside.

Bernice is trying to practice psychology without a license. She’s an example, par excellence of the phrase A little knowledge can be dangerous !

Bernie the Buttinski and full-time Know-It-All needs to be shown out the door! —Or, bound and gagged, if that’s more your style….

I like the way Bernice uses the word “prescribe” as if she’s a doctor prescribing medication to a patient. Counselors don’t prescribe; they listen and maybe they make a few suggestions.

“No, I’d like you to just take cyanide.”

The late Rick James once sang of the Super Freak. If he were still with us, he could update that single, make it about Bernice and call it Control Freak.

Goodness. Bernice makes Lucy Van Pelt look like Dr. Bob Hartley in comparison.

Bernice is why Ethics is a first year course in our Seminary program. Before they think they know it all, they are taught when to keep their opinions to themselves.

Bernice, take a vow of silence!

Bernice is beyond annoying….again. Sucks the fun right out of the strip. She needs to go visit Delta, wherever she wound up.

Finally, someone who told that know-it-all, keep quiet!

Bernice? Let me say this in the most loving way: SHUT UP! Thank you. (Sister Mary Elephant, anyone?)