Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for November 24, 2023

The smug face on Bets in the middle panel tells it all. She hasn’t changed a bit.

Steff is actually showing some insight here. She popped Bet’s ballon of ego, and Bet’s knows it.

She may be trying to convince herself. Internet/social media addiction is tough to break.

Stefi doesn’t buy it! Bets expression could be taken either way. She is chagrined that Stefi doesn’t believe her OR she suspects Stefi is right! Maybe time will tell.

Sarcastic Stefi Bird, the bête noire, about to be flipped the bird, or a flipped Bird, by Bets, is my bet.

I don’t particularly like Stef as a character but my goodness, she has got Bets nailed. These last few strips have been really interesting in terms of developments.

Bets – You can’t get there from here…

Stef is a nasty piece of work. Bet needs to put her money where her mouth is. Walk away and get on with her life. Real life, not pretend internet life.

I am disliking Stef all the more, but all stories need a villian. Once she is 25 years old, she will be looking for an encore while Bets will be sure of herself and working on a successful career. By deleting her social media blog, she no longer has the attention of strangers, and she doesn’t care.

At this point, I don’t know which is worse: Fox News, Taylor Swift, or Stef.

Two things:

1) Bets? You SHOULD have just PUNCHED Stef when you had the chance.

2) Stef? “Titles” don’t last forever. Just ask Tiffany, er Sheraton St. Louis who USED to be _Miss Chamber of Commerce.

And if getting severely injured one day, or Tiffany ends up TAKING your “squeeze,” Ms Yams, then what do you have left?

Stef reminds me of one of my favorite Bud vs. Kelly quotes: “Boy, when your looks go, you’re dead.”

Stef is being childish. She thinks she is better than Bets because she is a cheerleader and Miss Yam. She will still think she is better than Bets when she is no longer either, but better because she was. Meanwhile, Bets will be continuing on with her life. Like gossip, Stef’s opinion of her will be all around her but not able to touch her because Bets won’t care.

I really don’t find either of these characters that likable.

It’s mystifying why Bets would wake up Stef to tell her she doesn’t care what she thinks. Why would Stef be interested in Bets’ ambition to be the girlfriend Gunther deserves? She barely knows him and wasn’t close to Bets. Time for Stef to close the door and put her sleep mask back on…

Yeah, Stef is just annoying now. Only one more strip for the week to go! (please don’t continue this conversation for another week)

Stephanie, do you want to be kicked out?

I can really hear Stef in a Mandy (Totally Spies) tone of voice. She’s that annoying.

I’m not a fan of Stef, But she has Bets sized up really well.

They are both very annoying and self centered!

Do I detect the subtle hint of sarcasm?

(He asked sarcastically.)

Yep. I don’t believe her either. And she knows she’s just giving lip service to try to validate her behavior. That she’ve realized she did an injustice to Gunther and wants to be a better person for Gunther. No, Bets. You have to want to be a better person for yourself first. And if you don’t to that first, you’ll just fall back t your old ways and your relationship with Gunther will stay the same. You’ll go back to social media and get use him as a prop again. You gotta break up with him and work on yourself, Bets. And I think Gunther needs to do the same too. Getting hack together will accomplish nothing.

… and when Strephi can no longer “cheer” or maintain her appearance, what will she have?

Nice eyebrow punctuation. Arc: Bets merely starts by defending herself, brushing off criticism and even leaving herself vulnerable. Classic silent mid-strip frame. But Stef is really asking for it with her puerile sarcasm. In the next strip, Bets will give it to her straight. I need to see Stef’’s reaction if SHE has any arc to her bark. Or if she shows what a bark-word individual she is. Is she human? Is she person? A person now? Or perhaps later? The choice is binary. A person now. Or B-person. What is it? What choice? Is she an A? Or a B. Right now she just looks like a B.

It’s possible that Bets may yet provide what Ralph Kramben (played by Jackie Gleason) often said: “Pow. Right in the kisser!”

Steff is about to get her clock cleaned.

What is Bets waiting for to turn off the lights on that airhead?

god, I hate these two.

Bets Malone, Thespian or Girlfriend?

Panel #3 , did Stefani Bird miss the point of the performance?

This is getting super boring

Deck her, Betts!

4th panel:

“Click.”

As Stef gets locked out.

It’s interesting watching these “adults in training” as they grow….

Stef has been looking good lately. I fear that the art team will find it necessary to take her down, like Greg has always done to Tiffany. Maybe a bloody nose, or a black eye, compliments of Bets?

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!!

I know many viewers want this arc to end, but I’d like it to continue next week. It’d be fascinating to see the two currently most negative characters reveal truths about each other that neither even suspected.

Might result in a couple of major attitude changes.

Meanwhile th sun is rising. Is Gunter still at th party with Luann?

Stef is an equal opportunity jerk!

Come on Bets…beat the selfish arrogant twit at her own game. You and Gunth are so much better than her egotistical bum

Social media and fame can really corrupt a person, especially if it’s your only source of income.

Deaf ears, Bets. In Stef’s world, you are REQUIRED to have the validation of others to be happy. It is mandatory to Stef that you are approved by others to be happy. She’s a narcissist. At least you learn and grow. You make mistakes, but you accept them and move on and adapt. That’s a concept Stef will never understand.

Stef switches to (fake) cheerleader mode.

Well, comparatively, yes.

The writers are really giving some depth to the Stef character in this weeks story. Bets will not quit her social media platform. She will just change the narrative.

You have nothing to prove to Steph, Bets, why are you wasting your breath on her!

Well, it looks like our catty lovers are back in character. The shock of their character change was almost too much for me.

please please please let saturday be betts putting her fist right in the middle of steff’s face.

Next panel, if there was one, “Right turn Clyde”.

“What, were you expecting, a cookie?” Is the sanctimonious expression showing that subconsciously Bets is still seeking validation?

Both are attractive women.

I admire Bets’ ability to stay calm. It really seems like Stef is provoking her to be hit. Maybe to accuse Bets of assault and have her kicked out of the dorm, or maybe simply because she’s so dumb that doesn’t realize what nuisance she is. I think Bets is sincere, she just needs to get used to a different life, where she will take social media (and fame) less seriously.

Just slap her

Punch her, go ahead and punch her or give her slap across the face. Stef deserves it!

NOW it’s time for that haymaker.

Clash of the Titans

Woo Hoo! A Patented WWA❤️ED™ moment! ❤️ it! Stunning❤️Stef Claps Back (get it?) with Snark, Cynicism and Snide at Smug Spoiled Selfish Bets the B-Witch! Good on you, Sultry❤️Stef! Bets the Entitled B-Witch needs taken down a peg or two. Fearless Leader Ann❤️Eiffel would be proud. I know our Be❤️ed Count is and The Count is sure all you lowly unworthies are, too, boy howdy. And…Dumpster Deserves Better than that car thief. Berniece/Bernephew is still available, Brah. Gopher it! The❤️Count ❤️s it when an Ann❤️Eiffel Plot, The Count means, Plan comes together. Simmering❤️Steph Rocks! With that… The❤️Count, ❤️Countess and Lulu❤️ (named after Louise❤️Brooks) the WonderCat Who Came in from the Cold and Stayed and of course Dearest Ann❤️Eiffel wish you all a Joyous Black❤️Friday! Deck the Malls with Fools A’Folly! TTFN, lowly unworthies… Until Tomorrow… Count…OUT!

I never thought I’d like anything that came out of Stef’s mouth, but . . . .

Dumb and dumber.

I looked at the first panel and thought Stef had a spider on her eye, now I cannot un-see it.

just walk away Bets, she’s not worth your time… don’t forget to slam the door on her lying toes. :J

Maybe she hasn’t, and neither has Stef. Both self-centered.

Both sides of the same coin

Bets now needs validation from others of her not needing validation from anyone.

You’ll have to pardon Stef – this is a foreign concept to her…

I agree. Bets has always been full of herself. An unlikeable character, really.

Bets gets a zinger in with verbiage that some would call “pick me,” making Stef have a reflective moment on being a better girlfriend, before reiterating her essential disdain for Bets. Gun’s gal still appears to be vulnerable to the projections of others, whereas Gun has always had a bit of that “honey badger don’t give a --” attitude about the opinions of others vis a vis himself by comparison. It’s that last part that makes him attractive to other women; G-man is his own man, in that way. As he becomes more of his own man in other ways, Bets will see competition.

More set-up for Stef to lose Kip, it would seem. Karma must get hers here. Hope it’s coming quickly, like Stef-alone-at-Christmas quick. Kip & Tiff kissing on NYE at midnight would fit perfectly. Bets & Gun appear to be headed for a valiant effort at redefinition. How long before it wrecks…or becomes a 20-to-life thing (i.e. parenthood)?

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Bets is realizing that she gave up her self validating, money earning website to declare her love for Gunther, the stay at home mama’s boy.

she got rid of one, does she still have her other one? (the one before Gun) it is how she earns her money.

A lot of people think Bets in being smug in Panel two. She is, but she is justified. She realizes her relationship is more important than her addiction to this social media platform and that is something she should be proud of. Also, I think she’s is implicitly mocking Steph’s relationship with the hunky QB, Kip. Of course Steph mocks her back raising the possibility that Bets pops her. I doubt it, first given the strip’s misdirection expository style, but I doubt it. After all, Bets agreed to room with Steph for the upcoming semester, and I’m about as sure as I am with any prediction about the strip, that Bets will be drawn attending Moony U., this semester.

It’s her look in the 3rd panel that worries me more that she hasn’t changed

I wonder what caused Bets to have a complete personality change? She has never shown much concern for what is best for Gunther before this. I wonder if she hit her head when she was out on the road and has some brain injury.

How long is Halloween this year?

Stef is actually being supportive in the last panel. The same way she is being supportive of her team when she cheers for them, kind of fake, but it is the best Stef can do. It just took her a second to realize that Bets was waiting for validation.

I say these two are equal ground at this point; both have done selfish things. I like Bets a lot but she was about to take all of Gun’s emotions regarding separation and reunion, display them (for public consumption) on social media for the sake of $$. Steffie shot a hole in that. I agree w/ Catchup… interesting developments here.

Bets did nothing wrong so there was no reason for her to change. Gunther is a safe and boring mama’s boy, but for some reason she likes him. That’s what they should explore, what she sees in him in the first place.

Two flawed women trying to be the less flawed.

I’ll take Bets over Steff any day. Arrogant ignorance is the worst.

The ladies completely missed Thanksgiving dinner due to the Halloween party running over – maybe they’ll be finished in time for leftovers :)

If she gets any more shallow they’ll think the tide is out.

Clappa Clappa.

Thanksgiving is over and it’s still Halloween night, lol

Just say goodbye Bets, and take Gunther with you. Stef can stay to see Kip and Tiffany test drive their mutual attraction. Stef will go on the prowl to find a new love interest to bestow her favors on.

Bets sounds like she’s trying to convince herself. And Stef is not impressed.

Steph is an annoying twit.

Kip needs to see her for what she really is and get past the sex.

If she believes her own statement in panel 1, she should have left and gone back to Gunther. Her staying, arms folded, just invited what she denies she needs, affirmation.

Wow. Never thought I could like Steff.

Squeeze vs. girlfriend. Note the difference.

Bets is wondering how many women in the world today are known only as “Mrs. Husband”, and if that will be enough for her….I don’t think so.

Time to introduce that new character, the handsome outgoing boy she met on the road, the one who loved her gypsy nature, and followed her back to Pitts.

I didn’t think Stef was capable of sarcasm.

You are on a rocky road and you really didn’t start off too well. Can you really change or is this just a temporary detour off of that road…..

I find it surprising that so many people here are lost in admiration for Stef showing “depth” and “insightfulness.”

I guess some people are just really poor judges of character. Even a comic strip character’s character.

Thanksgiving has come and gone. We’re now in the Christmas season. Watch “Die Hard” and it’s the season when Hans Gruber falls from the Nakatomi tower. Anyway, when discussing the FBI situation Hans perfectly captures our correct reaction to these two women , “Who cares?”

So, her entire persona is going to be “I’m Gunther’s girl”.

If you don’t need validation then WHY are you knocking on Steph’s door in the middle of the night? Steph has a point. Bets needs to go find another way of paying her bills if she’s really going to pretend she doesn’t need external validation. Steph knows she is never going to be good enough for Bets “nerd” culture and she isn’t going to waist her time trying if it isn’t her strength. If Bets wants to be Gunther’s GF, (& why she would want that is beyond me, he doesn’t seem like much of a prize) she should be talking with Gunther not Steph. A quick word to the nerd defense league on here, brains don’t last any longer then beauty. Both are depreciating assets. Steph just knows more about competition, ambition, measurement and playing to ones strengths than Bets.

Don’t waste your time explaining something to Stef Bet’s. She’s too shallow to understand it.

Unfortunately, I still don’t like Bets as a character

They are both self-centered, high-maintenance women who will make any partner miserable.

Time for Stef to get defenestrated.

And that’s the last thing I remember before I woke up, said Stef!!

Betts is sounding so 50’s stereotypical soap opera heroine here. “I gave it all up for my man. I hope I’m worthy of him!” There has to me some middle ground where Betts can do her social media, and, Gunther does whatever he does.

I bet Betts slugs her in the face in the next panel!

“Clap on, clap off — the Clappa!”

Steph missed it. That was her cue to close the door and disappear.

Snarky

Why is Bets turning into Mrs. Housewife? This isn’t the 1950s. I didn’t like her fixation with sharing her entire private relationship with a bunch of strangers, but I also don’t like her turning into Mrs. Cleaver. Isn’t there some kind of compromise, Greg, where a woman can be in love with a man, but still be a person in her own right?

I was really hoping these two characters would have a giant battle and both self-destruct. Bets has always seemed self-centered and manipulative, while Stef is simply unpleasant. The strip would have benefited from each of them exiting stage left. Perhaps, to use Skakespeare’s famous stage direction, at least one could “exit, pursued by a bear”.

Stef should leave well enough alone; but, no, she has to do something to get under Bets’ skin….