AWKWARD-d-d-d-d! Oxford seems to have no trouble communicating with Tiffany. Luann’s studied indifference and boredom appear to be major character turnoffs to me!
We’re probably coming in on their “date” after 10 minutes or so of Luann trying to think of something to say, and Ox answering in a word or two. They’re just waiting it out now. We’ve never seen them interact much, so this seems on target…and the wordlessness says it all.
After her doing an impromptu crazy dance with Nil, going into flirt mode with Jack, and getting turned off by Les going into flirt mode… yeah, I’d say this is the best case scenario for males interacting with Luann. At least she won’t be thrown into the nut house with Nil, be given a restraining order by Jack, or have to issue a restraining order to Les. With Ox they’re both just staring into space vacantly, they have so much in common!
Oh dear, I guess this means Gunther’s up next since Bernice mentioned she was including him in this experiment. He’s probably going to talk about his angsty feelings about Bets and the road trip. I guess we should prepare to go, "Yikes! ☉_☉ " Cause, that kind of raw emotional unloading would make the interaction with all the other dudes look like a jolly holiday by comparison.
Silence is golden but it looks like Oxford has no clue as to why he is sitting opposite of Luann on his shift break. I guess he does not know what to say; he may not want to ask about Quill but if I were Oxford perhaps an icebreaker would be what Jack was mentioning on Tuesday: why is Bern staring at us with laser focus and looks a bit angry??? Sadly, I agree with Rockabore, this is the best of the 4 encounters so far, which leaves us with sad, depressed Gunther who has finally emerged from the gulag. Hopefully tomorrow Luann can prod Gunther to open up about his adventures over the summer with Bets and Ruby…….
These kids had more energy and fun in elementary school, and high school. Now they have their butts glued to a chair, complain a lot, and bore everyone around them. Time for Tiffany to get back into the shower.
If ypu’tr bored with this strip run over to "Heart of the City where the author, Steenz, is taking the characters to a Drag Queen Story Time, and they’re loving it. The story started yesterday. I’m loving it.
It looks like there’s really nothing to say between Luann and Ox. It’s kinda sad, but I’m not surprised, Ox only shows interest in talking to Tiffany or with his old football player friends. This probably doesn’t even surprise Bernice. Tomorrow it will be Gunther’s turn, or at least it should, since he could already be talking to Tiffany. I would love to see Tiffany involved in the conversation and this one last longer than the other four. Or that Quill really will be there as a surprise guest on Saturday.
Some people think Tiffany should date Ox. He is so dull that he can’t think of anything to talk about to a female his own age. Tiffany deserves someone much more interesting than Ox. Being a “nice guy” is not enough for most women. He needs to have a personality.
Ox isn’t interested in Luann at all. As far as I’m concerned and aware, he only has eyes for Tiffany. Besides, he’s the strong, silent type of guy. Not really one to engage in a deep conversation right away.
And this is the guy that everyone thinks Tiffany should be paired with??
Let’s ask Bernice a question – what type of effect does it have on your “study” when two of the participants are being required to interact with the daughter of their employer? Hmm?
This isn’t believable, Ox is a nice guy, he would have started a conversation. Was this to illustrate that they don’t have any connection and that’s why they don’t interact throughout the strip?
Disappointing, but I get what GnK are getting across. No chemistry. However, they could at least be sociable and talk about the weather or jobs. If they were in a crowd, I could see not speaking, but sitting alone at a table and not speaking is ignorant. :-/
Once again showing that if Luann isn’t sexually attracted to a guy (or using his attraction to her to bolster her own ego) she wants nothing whatsoever to do with him. She can’t even be bothered to make polite conversation.
I am sure there was small talk. It is called reading between the lines. Greg is trying to convey they do not have anything special in common/to talk about. He has a small strip to summarize the general feeling of a conversation. They both seem at ease, just no spark, nothing major to discuss. The end.
I have no idea what data Bernice is collecting, but it has to be something she can quantify. Not something vague like how she thinks Luann relates to certain guys. It would be something like How many times Luann touches her face, or if she crosses her arms, or if she yawns. It has to be something that could be measured and everyone who observed it would agree.
I don’t know about anyone else here, but if I was asked to sit down for a chat with my boss’s daughter, while at work, while on my break, I would be wondering wtf.
Can you imagine someone discovering the strip for the first time wondering what the joke was? This isn’t a criticism. We get it because we’re longtime readers. But I’m trying to imagine someone coming in cold and wondering what it was all about.
Obviously, Ox (short for Oxford) is the “strong, silent type”; Luann’s speechlessness certainly doesn’t help the awkwardness. That’s why she’s hand-signalling Bernie in panel 3….
lvlax about 1 year ago
Seriously? Ox can’t think of a single thing to say to Luann??
Sorta sad that Luann can’t think of anything to say, either.
.
Fingers crossed that Gunther can salvage this arc…
C about 1 year ago
Like watching paint dry
sallymargret about 1 year ago
What are they doing? I don’t get it.
J. Scarbrough about 1 year ago
.
beb01 about 1 year ago
I was wondering what Oxford and Luann could talk about. Couldn’t think of anything they had in common. And so they sit around saying nothing.
paulscon about 1 year ago
Poor Ox. I can relate to being like that when I was in high school.
Tyge about 1 year ago
AWKWARD-d-d-d-d! Oxford seems to have no trouble communicating with Tiffany. Luann’s studied indifference and boredom appear to be major character turnoffs to me!
Willow Mt Lyon about 1 year ago
Can’t they even think to talk about the weather or ask each other how their summer was?
Azul0858 about 1 year ago
We’re probably coming in on their “date” after 10 minutes or so of Luann trying to think of something to say, and Ox answering in a word or two. They’re just waiting it out now. We’ve never seen them interact much, so this seems on target…and the wordlessness says it all.
alasko about 1 year ago
If you can’t say something nice……
Ruth Brown about 1 year ago
Seems pretty realistic.
mnexplorer+ about 1 year ago
Yeah, well, that’s about it.
Enter.Name.Here about 1 year ago
That silent encounter speaks volumes.
Joe1962 about 1 year ago
This like a teacher fingernails scraping across the blackboard.
hermit48 about 1 year ago
Why is she checking her fingernails like a dude?
corpcookie about 1 year ago
Aw
Last Rose Of Summer Premium Member about 1 year ago
This is her best " date" yet. And Bern is staring at a blank page.
Rockabore about 1 year ago
After her doing an impromptu crazy dance with Nil, going into flirt mode with Jack, and getting turned off by Les going into flirt mode… yeah, I’d say this is the best case scenario for males interacting with Luann. At least she won’t be thrown into the nut house with Nil, be given a restraining order by Jack, or have to issue a restraining order to Les. With Ox they’re both just staring into space vacantly, they have so much in common!
Oh dear, I guess this means Gunther’s up next since Bernice mentioned she was including him in this experiment. He’s probably going to talk about his angsty feelings about Bets and the road trip. I guess we should prepare to go, "Yikes! ☉_☉ " Cause, that kind of raw emotional unloading would make the interaction with all the other dudes look like a jolly holiday by comparison.
snsurone76 about 1 year ago
Ox is the strong, silent type. I wonder if he’s thinking of Tiff.
TampaFanatic1 about 1 year ago
Silence is golden but it looks like Oxford has no clue as to why he is sitting opposite of Luann on his shift break. I guess he does not know what to say; he may not want to ask about Quill but if I were Oxford perhaps an icebreaker would be what Jack was mentioning on Tuesday: why is Bern staring at us with laser focus and looks a bit angry??? Sadly, I agree with Rockabore, this is the best of the 4 encounters so far, which leaves us with sad, depressed Gunther who has finally emerged from the gulag. Hopefully tomorrow Luann can prod Gunther to open up about his adventures over the summer with Bets and Ruby…….
Rhetorical_Question about 1 year ago
Two more strips to go and tomorrow’s guest should be Gunther?
Rhetorical_Question about 1 year ago
Ox is waiting for Luann to start the conversation. It looks like Luann is not curious about Ox. In the panel #3, Luann is being rude to Ox.
jeff_e about 1 year ago
Luann’s being pretty blasted rude. Unkind of her, given her own rampant insecurity.
Rhetorical_Question about 1 year ago
Maybe Luann Degroot is a boring personality that needs to be entertained?
daDoctah1 about 1 year ago
Unfortunately, TJ doesn’t seem to be in the cards for the final.
Rhetorical_Question about 1 year ago
Maybe Luann should drink coffee with Tara Starr?
j_m_kuehl about 1 year ago
the strong silent type
Sprarklin about 1 year ago
So they can’t talk about school, jobs, or friend gossip? I guess that is supposed to reveal their personalities?
When I was her age, I was almost painfully introverted, but I could still manage small talk. It was considered polite.
nightflight about 1 year ago
These kids had more energy and fun in elementary school, and high school. Now they have their butts glued to a chair, complain a lot, and bore everyone around them. Time for Tiffany to get back into the shower.
Wilkins068 about 1 year ago
Run silent run deep..
beb01 about 1 year ago
If ypu’tr bored with this strip run over to "Heart of the City where the author, Steenz, is taking the characters to a Drag Queen Story Time, and they’re loving it. The story started yesterday. I’m loving it.
OneTime59 about 1 year ago
So, Ox, how’s your drink?
French Persons Premium Member about 1 year ago
Exactly what we all expected. But no Bernice, lurking in the background?
Aladar30 Premium Member about 1 year ago
It looks like there’s really nothing to say between Luann and Ox. It’s kinda sad, but I’m not surprised, Ox only shows interest in talking to Tiffany or with his old football player friends. This probably doesn’t even surprise Bernice. Tomorrow it will be Gunther’s turn, or at least it should, since he could already be talking to Tiffany. I would love to see Tiffany involved in the conversation and this one last longer than the other four. Or that Quill really will be there as a surprise guest on Saturday.
TwilightFaze about 1 year ago
This makes sense. Ox is one of those “silence is golden” people. He enjoys people’s company.
bh05150 about 1 year ago
Riveting. Can we get someone else to start writing this comic please?
Mordock999 Premium Member about 1 year ago
Well now.
I think We can safely “deep-six” the idea of ever “shipping” Ox with Lu. Which is too bad because Ox is an A-Okay, Dude.
And for the record? If Tiffany had been sitting there, Ox would have been “Mr. Chatterbox.”
And Congrats to go out to Les Knox for being the only guy this week to REPELL Lu!
(And you KNOW that ain’t gonna change even when Lu meets the last guy this week) ;-)
elliel203 about 1 year ago
Funny that a wordless strip inspires so many words in our comments section.
Out of the Past about 1 year ago
His last expression is very well done. Comic art genius.
locake about 1 year ago
Some people think Tiffany should date Ox. He is so dull that he can’t think of anything to talk about to a female his own age. Tiffany deserves someone much more interesting than Ox. Being a “nice guy” is not enough for most women. He needs to have a personality.
Red_Gertz about 1 year ago
No dialogue…
mac04416 about 1 year ago
Woman don’t look at their nails that way, guys do.
Huckleberry Hiroshima about 1 year ago
lmao. Yep.
Ellis97 about 1 year ago
Ox isn’t interested in Luann at all. As far as I’m concerned and aware, he only has eyes for Tiffany. Besides, he’s the strong, silent type of guy. Not really one to engage in a deep conversation right away.
ACTIVIST1234 about 1 year ago
So, how the female acts is totally dependent on actions of male.
“Interesting”, Bern and I say, stroking our invisible goatees.
loubarra about 1 year ago
Well this is a thriller
DawnQuinn1 about 1 year ago
Gunn? He could not save his relationship. How can he save this arc?
Spence12 Premium Member about 1 year ago
He’s a man of few words. Doesn’t actually know many.
RonaldMcCalip about 1 year ago
… Ox don’t know… Ox only pawn, in game of life…
Call me Ishmael about 1 year ago
“We have so much in common it’s a phenomen-onnnn”
txmystic about 1 year ago
“That’s when you know you’ve found somebody special. When you can just shut the f*** up for a minute and comfortably share silence”…
—Mia, Pulp Fiction
comic reader 22 about 1 year ago
And this is the guy that everyone thinks Tiffany should be paired with??
Let’s ask Bernice a question – what type of effect does it have on your “study” when two of the participants are being required to interact with the daughter of their employer? Hmm?
BlitzMcD about 1 year ago
Interesting that Awks (sic) is similarly disinterested.
ridenslide65 about 1 year ago
Another trying story line…..
BuckarooDave about 1 year ago
who’s that peeking in the window??
nubianaries81 about 1 year ago
This isn’t believable, Ox is a nice guy, he would have started a conversation. Was this to illustrate that they don’t have any connection and that’s why they don’t interact throughout the strip?
calliarcale about 1 year ago
Ow.
fuzzmoz about 1 year ago
I’m sad for both.
YorkGirl Premium Member about 1 year ago
Disappointing, but I get what GnK are getting across. No chemistry. However, they could at least be sociable and talk about the weather or jobs. If they were in a crowd, I could see not speaking, but sitting alone at a table and not speaking is ignorant. :-/
Angry Indeed Premium Member about 1 year ago
Ox and Luann are messaging subliminally. Let’s see if Bernice catches on!
mindjob about 1 year ago
At least she’s not checking her phone
The Wolf In Your Midst about 1 year ago
Well, we can’t all be scintillating conversationalists.
procentrum about 1 year ago
That is the most intelligent conversation depicted in this cartoon in the last 2 years
jerdog_jcl about 1 year ago
Just another absolute arc failure by Karen. Did she ever do a class assignment?
preacherman Premium Member about 1 year ago
Ox isn’t into conversation. And he does seem to be more interested in Bernice, nearby.
BJShipley1 about 1 year ago
Once again showing that if Luann isn’t sexually attracted to a guy (or using his attraction to her to bolster her own ego) she wants nothing whatsoever to do with him. She can’t even be bothered to make polite conversation.
MuddyUSA Premium Member about 1 year ago
The Ox is silent…….Luann is even more silent……..
sid w about 1 year ago
It will be interesting what conclusions Bernise gets from all this. Certainly each interaction is totally different.
markwillman4 about 1 year ago
A match made in Heaven. :)
jojo318 about 1 year ago
Who did Greg and Karen pay to write this moronic arc?
David Huie Green LoveJoyAndPeace about 1 year ago
The excitement is overwhelming!!
aimeeelinn about 1 year ago
I am sure there was small talk. It is called reading between the lines. Greg is trying to convey they do not have anything special in common/to talk about. He has a small strip to summarize the general feeling of a conversation. They both seem at ease, just no spark, nothing major to discuss. The end.
johnaapc about 1 year ago
this is an ARC?
Medtech4 about 1 year ago
Companionable silence shows a comfortable relationship.
raybarb44 about 1 year ago
This surprises me. They usually converse very well…..
locake about 1 year ago
I have no idea what data Bernice is collecting, but it has to be something she can quantify. Not something vague like how she thinks Luann relates to certain guys. It would be something like How many times Luann touches her face, or if she crosses her arms, or if she yawns. It has to be something that could be measured and everyone who observed it would agree.
comic reader 22 about 1 year ago
I don’t know about anyone else here, but if I was asked to sit down for a chat with my boss’s daughter, while at work, while on my break, I would be wondering wtf.
beachlvr Premium Member about 1 year ago
Why do they make Luann so unlikeable? She is more boring and obsequeous than Tara, Tiff, or practically everyone else, even Bern and Gunth.
Gen.Flashman about 1 year ago
Always thought it was implied Ox was not the sharpest knife in the drawer and had Down’s Syndrome/Autistic which would explain his behavior here.
The Quiet One about 1 year ago
Okay, that one is a wash.
[Unnamed Reader - 14b4ce] about 1 year ago
Tomorrow, Marcel Marceau….
BradFilippone about 1 year ago
Can you imagine someone discovering the strip for the first time wondering what the joke was? This isn’t a criticism. We get it because we’re longtime readers. But I’m trying to imagine someone coming in cold and wondering what it was all about.
reedkomicks Premium Member about 1 year ago
They don’t want to give away their secret, hot love affair. Thus their silence.
GaryCooper about 1 year ago
Ox is a man of few words.
Susan123 about 1 year ago
This is going well
tutibug5 about 1 year ago
The panels to the left (that you cannot see) -they were talking about the weather. Now they are done and waiting for Bernice to bring in Gunther.
Lady Bri about 1 year ago
Nothing to say to each other, but if it were Tiffany, I’ll bet he’d have a lot to say. ;)
mrsdonaldson about 1 year ago
Ox is so sweet. Surely, they can find something to discuss!
Lord Hearteater about 1 year ago
Well, we saw this coming too. G-man to the rescue.
Sisyphos about 1 year ago
Obviously, Ox (short for Oxford) is the “strong, silent type”; Luann’s speechlessness certainly doesn’t help the awkwardness. That’s why she’s hand-signalling Bernie in panel 3….
BuckarooDave about 1 year ago
You gotta wonder if G&K didn’t properly anticipate the negative reaction to Luann’s behavior here.