It just doesn’t seem to be her night. This is just one more time in this strip where the person in question would only need to be honest for a moment, yet it never seems to happen.
Not only has Lucas moved on, but the strip is funnier when Mona is the butt of the joke.
As for the Hawaii vacation, Mona lost her luggage (including Smokey). She had nothing she could call her own, so she had to make do with the local shops and whatever she could borrow from Donna, slowly losing her identity in the process. If she hadn’t lost her stuff, she wouldn’t have changed her personality in the middle of the vacation, therefore she probably wouldn’t have met and connected with Ryan.
A proposition:’If you DISLIKE Mona the way she is, you will want to see that she must change in order to find happiness; i.e. she must become what she is not, such as Hawaii Mona.Corollary:If she does not change, you do not wish her to find happiness.But:If you LIKE Mona the way she is (i.e. the way she has been portrayed for 9 years, disregarding flashbacks), you will want to see her attain happiness on her own uncompromising terms. Small changes, but not such that she is no longer cynical, existential, chain-smoking, transplanted-Parisienne Mona Montrois,
1) Becoming a better person is not an either/or situation. It’s a gradual process that we’re already seeing. I’m sure we’ll get to the point where you will be complaining about the strip because they changed your beloved Mona so much if Mona x Smokey doesn’t come to fruition.2) Her flashbacks are a part of her. Basically, high school still haunts her and she suffers because of it.3) Lucas only sees Mona as a friend because of Mona. Mona does not believe this and still thinks he holds a torch for her, which means she has learned nothing about her past actions having consequences.4) Donna is the reason you have the fictional character you want to be whipped by on their foot fetish website. If Donna finds out that Mona absolutely hates her, Smokey will be the only one she’s got left. That would be rock bottom, which would make the change you fear necessary to have some semblance of a social life.
Not only has Lucas moved on, but the strip is funnier when Mona is the butt of the joke.
I’ll stipulate to the second half of that, but not the first.
If she hadn’t lost her stuff, she wouldn’t have changed her personality in the middle of the vacation, therefore she probably wouldn’t have met and connected with Ryan.
Correct. “Hawaii Mona” was not Mona. When Ryan came to Los Angeles, he met the REAL Mona, and liked her anyway. CIgarettes, spiky hair and all. The child issue was a dealbreaker, but the rest is evidence that Mona need not abandon her personality in order to be loved.
1) Becoming a better person is not an either/or situation. It’s a gradual process that we’re already seeing. I’m sure we’ll get to the point where you will be complaining about the strip because they changed your beloved Mona so much if Mona x Smokey doesn’t come to fruition.
(I assume you mean “Mona x Lucas” and not “Mona x Smokey”; if I’m mistaken, elaborate.) “Better” by whose standards? “More comfortable in her own skin,” yes. She’s got an anger management problem, true, but other than that I wouldn’t see a “softening” as much of an improvement. But don’t be too “sure” about what I’ll complain about. Mona’s future is in Jennifer Babcock’s hands, not yours or mine. It may develop the way you foresee it, it may develop the way I foresee it, or it may surprise us both. I still fully expect Mona and Lucas to hook up eventually, and if that DOES happen, will YOU be the one complaining?
2) Her flashbacks are a part of her. Basically, high school still haunts her and she suffers because of it.
The pre-High School flashbacks are part of her, as well. As I said yesterday, she was already a child who cut her dolls’ heads off with a guillotine.
3) Lucas only sees Mona as a friend because of Mona. Mona does not believe this and still thinks he holds a torch for her, which means she has learned nothing about her past actions having consequences.
I disagree, as you know. My sense of this is in line with Nabuq’s, as given above. Lucas is blind to the signs Mona is currently giving not because of lack of interest, but because he’s (A) been slapped back several times before, and (B) generally clueless. If he were seeing what WE’RE seeing, I’d imagine he’d be shocked, but still receptive (of course, if Lucas responded, Mona would likely reverse herself again, but that’s how the dance goes). Some day, maybe sooner, maybe later, they will find themselves in synch.
4) If Donna finds out that Mona absolutely hates her, Smokey will be the only one she’s got left. That would be rock bottom, which would make the change you fear necessary to have some semblance of a social life.
I dispute that Mona hates Donna at all, let alone “absolutely.” Mona is at times frustrated by Donna, annoyed by Donna, and bewildered by Donna, but Donna is “family.” (Mona is at times frustrated by Pierre, annoyed by Pierre, and bewildered by Pierre, but do you imagine Mona absolutely hates Pierre?)
Lucas now works in a bookstore rather than an animal costume. Does that mean he’s given up his dream of being an actor? He may not be going to auditions, and perhaps there’s a role out there right now that he’s missing out on. But if somebody OFFERED him a juicy part in a play, do you imagine he’d turn it down? Or has he simply “moved on”?
I did take the time last year and enjoyed every minute of the week it took me to get through it. Hence the reference to the date of the Hawaii trip with Donna as I knew where to look for it.I love this strip on very many levels, but I tend to get annoyed with verbose pontifications without the author’s input available
The missing M. Smokey over 12 years ago
You’re special to me….
Ida No over 12 years ago
Yes you can…
Peabody-Martini over 12 years ago
It just doesn’t seem to be her night. This is just one more time in this strip where the person in question would only need to be honest for a moment, yet it never seems to happen.
razorback2824 over 12 years ago
Not only has Lucas moved on, but the strip is funnier when Mona is the butt of the joke.
As for the Hawaii vacation, Mona lost her luggage (including Smokey). She had nothing she could call her own, so she had to make do with the local shops and whatever she could borrow from Donna, slowly losing her identity in the process. If she hadn’t lost her stuff, she wouldn’t have changed her personality in the middle of the vacation, therefore she probably wouldn’t have met and connected with Ryan.
A proposition:’If you DISLIKE Mona the way she is, you will want to see that she must change in order to find happiness; i.e. she must become what she is not, such as Hawaii Mona.Corollary:If she does not change, you do not wish her to find happiness.But:If you LIKE Mona the way she is (i.e. the way she has been portrayed for 9 years, disregarding flashbacks), you will want to see her attain happiness on her own uncompromising terms. Small changes, but not such that she is no longer cynical, existential, chain-smoking, transplanted-Parisienne Mona Montrois,
1) Becoming a better person is not an either/or situation. It’s a gradual process that we’re already seeing. I’m sure we’ll get to the point where you will be complaining about the strip because they changed your beloved Mona so much if Mona x Smokey doesn’t come to fruition.2) Her flashbacks are a part of her. Basically, high school still haunts her and she suffers because of it.3) Lucas only sees Mona as a friend because of Mona. Mona does not believe this and still thinks he holds a torch for her, which means she has learned nothing about her past actions having consequences.4) Donna is the reason you have the fictional character you want to be whipped by on their foot fetish website. If Donna finds out that Mona absolutely hates her, Smokey will be the only one she’s got left. That would be rock bottom, which would make the change you fear necessary to have some semblance of a social life.
Sisyphos over 12 years ago
Mona, Mona, Mona. You must have imbibed a bit too liberally while out with Lucas…. Get over it, ’cause he is.
fritzoid Premium Member over 12 years ago
Not only has Lucas moved on, but the strip is funnier when Mona is the butt of the joke.
I’ll stipulate to the second half of that, but not the first.
If she hadn’t lost her stuff, she wouldn’t have changed her personality in the middle of the vacation, therefore she probably wouldn’t have met and connected with Ryan.
Correct. “Hawaii Mona” was not Mona. When Ryan came to Los Angeles, he met the REAL Mona, and liked her anyway. CIgarettes, spiky hair and all. The child issue was a dealbreaker, but the rest is evidence that Mona need not abandon her personality in order to be loved.
1) Becoming a better person is not an either/or situation. It’s a gradual process that we’re already seeing. I’m sure we’ll get to the point where you will be complaining about the strip because they changed your beloved Mona so much if Mona x Smokey doesn’t come to fruition.
(I assume you mean “Mona x Lucas” and not “Mona x Smokey”; if I’m mistaken, elaborate.) “Better” by whose standards? “More comfortable in her own skin,” yes. She’s got an anger management problem, true, but other than that I wouldn’t see a “softening” as much of an improvement. But don’t be too “sure” about what I’ll complain about. Mona’s future is in Jennifer Babcock’s hands, not yours or mine. It may develop the way you foresee it, it may develop the way I foresee it, or it may surprise us both. I still fully expect Mona and Lucas to hook up eventually, and if that DOES happen, will YOU be the one complaining?
2) Her flashbacks are a part of her. Basically, high school still haunts her and she suffers because of it.
The pre-High School flashbacks are part of her, as well. As I said yesterday, she was already a child who cut her dolls’ heads off with a guillotine.
3) Lucas only sees Mona as a friend because of Mona. Mona does not believe this and still thinks he holds a torch for her, which means she has learned nothing about her past actions having consequences.
I disagree, as you know. My sense of this is in line with Nabuq’s, as given above. Lucas is blind to the signs Mona is currently giving not because of lack of interest, but because he’s (A) been slapped back several times before, and (B) generally clueless. If he were seeing what WE’RE seeing, I’d imagine he’d be shocked, but still receptive (of course, if Lucas responded, Mona would likely reverse herself again, but that’s how the dance goes). Some day, maybe sooner, maybe later, they will find themselves in synch.
4) If Donna finds out that Mona absolutely hates her, Smokey will be the only one she’s got left. That would be rock bottom, which would make the change you fear necessary to have some semblance of a social life.
I dispute that Mona hates Donna at all, let alone “absolutely.” Mona is at times frustrated by Donna, annoyed by Donna, and bewildered by Donna, but Donna is “family.” (Mona is at times frustrated by Pierre, annoyed by Pierre, and bewildered by Pierre, but do you imagine Mona absolutely hates Pierre?)
fritzoid Premium Member over 12 years ago
For purposes of comparison:
Lucas now works in a bookstore rather than an animal costume. Does that mean he’s given up his dream of being an actor? He may not be going to auditions, and perhaps there’s a role out there right now that he’s missing out on. But if somebody OFFERED him a juicy part in a play, do you imagine he’d turn it down? Or has he simply “moved on”?
razorback2824 over 12 years ago
Assuming again, I see. Mona’s rejected Lucas for so long, he knows it’s hopeless to pursue anything romantic with her.
The missing M. Smokey over 12 years ago
Mona needs a relationship? Hmmpf. Another insult.
The missing M. Smokey over 12 years ago
But it’s times like that, when you’re in the nut house, that you most need the advice of your bunny.
Plods with ...™ over 12 years ago
@Peabody-Martini
I did take the time last year and enjoyed every minute of the week it took me to get through it. Hence the reference to the date of the Hawaii trip with Donna as I knew where to look for it.I love this strip on very many levels, but I tend to get annoyed with verbose pontifications without the author’s input available
RonBerg13 Premium Member over 12 years ago
I give up…