Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for November 04, 2011

Damage Control! Damage Control!

And more passing the buck.

I can’t help but love Brad’s huffy toddler pose in panel one. He looks like he’s literally grumbling and grr-ing. XD Love it! And TJ kinda has a point, it’s not like he made her do anything and he didn’t tell her what to say so it’s kind of petty to put it all on him.

It’s never TJ’s fault.

While TJ would normally never have the spine to admit to his involvement in a snafu like this one, he’s guaranteed to let it slip since Brad’s bound to be within earshot.

Back to the want-ads, Brad.

Would that be a pup tent?

With a friend like that…. who needs enemies? EVERY scheme that TJ comes up with leads to either disappointment or disaster. /// And again today we see him trying to deflect and duck from any of the shrapnel of his latest scheme being blown to smithereens. /// Meanwhile Brad is steaming and Toni is sobbing and TJ is trying to come across as Mr. Clean!

I still say Toni was out of line. If Brad did that to her boss she be MAD. I would be furious.

Hmm…TJ = “Teflon Joker”. Originally, I was thinking “Teflon Jerk”, but that seemed a little harsh at the time. Now, after witnessing this, I think it’s actually a little more appropriate.

Yeah, Toni.

Why on Earth did You let that grinning jackass talk you into this?

Oh yeah, thats right.

You did it because you are a two-dimensional cartoon character with NO control over your own destiny.

Welllll, I’m Glad we cleared THAT up.

Nitey-night all…..,

If Toni is stupid enough to listen to TJ, knowing how his schemes usually turn out, she not only has only herself to blame but Brad needs to dump her like a burning log of wood. He’d be far better off without her, as would this strip.

Ahhhh..everyone’s so harsh on TJ and Toni. They were only trying to help Brad. They really didn’t mean to hurt him. If the economy weren’t so bad, Brad would not be so upset over this.

Perhaps Brad’s luck will change and this will all be a thing of the past.

> I still say Toni was out of line. If Brad did that to her boss > she be MAD. I would be furious.

Not quite. If my boss would treat me that way, and then proceed to treat my wife the way Ann treated Toni, as far as I can see my wife is entitled to reduce my boss to something that doesn’t move for some time.

But then again, if I had a boss like that, I probably wouldn’t wait ‘till I got fired. As a matter of fact, I had a boss slightly like that. And, as a matter opf fact, my wife chased her down the street! That was a moment of splendour… (I don’t work there anymore). ;-)

Why do I see Dirk’s, evil hand in this? Of course TJ is Drk incoustoume!!

So, will Toni get fired for “Conduct unbecoming”, will Brad get his FF job back, or will they just split up?

Does Ann know that Toni is a firefighter? She knew that Brad was, but I don’t think she knows anything about Toni.

Greg, Brad needed to get out of that job. He was sacrificing his self-esteem one step at a time and was being reduced to a go for by Ann. He needs to calm down, apologize to Toni and take steps to rebuild his life. He is entitled to unemployment. He should qualify for a scholarship at the local junior college and he can start working towards a 2 year degree as an EMT or related profession as part of his plan for the future. Give us a positive role model, a character of substance and a young man, who can overcome the obstacles in his life and live a better life with a woman, who really cares about him. I am worried about this story line, because, quite frankly, some of your lines have been, shall we say weak, obvious and boring. About time to take the game up a notch.

Sheesh! Toni needs to say “Hey! Don’t you want to know what Ann did? She touched me! She caressed me and said ’don’t you worry your pretty face’ quite inappropriately.” She needs to get Brad to listen instead of whimpering that Brad is mad at her. She needs to tell Brad her going behind his back is not the real issue. AND she needs to ask Brad what errand did Ann send him on and then tell him that was also not appropriate – SHOW him that it is ANN who is in the wrong, not either of them. Stop whimpering, Toni. Go over and shake Brad up.

I can’t believe that TJ has not confessed that this was all his idea, yet. Any respect I had for him (already low) has gone right out the window.

No respect here for TJ; none. He has shown himself to be no more than a snarky, wise-cracking coward, the kind who claims it’s always someone else’s fault.Brad, if you’re going to be huffy and mad, at least direct your anger at the correct target (and that is not Toni).

@Talker123In case you forgot, Brad is already an EMT. That is where he met Toni. That was the first part of training to become a firefighter. My state has now implemented in order to be an EMT, it takes a two year associates degree. But Brad has already been certified, or grandfathered if you will. He just needs to keep up his training hours to maintain his status. He has not been out of the fire station that long to have a cause for concern. I still don’t know why there are no private ambulance services where he lives. He could make some good money with them.

Eiffel deserved to be B itch$lapped form the get go.

Dumping it on her, eh?

Why am I expecting this to end with Brad returning his uniform to be told Eiffel got the boot?

TJ is actually in the right here. Toni crossed a line when threatening to punch Ann.

TJ is short for “trouble-jack”, exactly as Luann has oft stated.

and why is he still wearing the uniform???

Typical TJ passing the buck…..he needs to “Man-up” and tell Brad that it’s his fault and not to blame Toni!!!

It ill work out.

I think TJ has a valid point – Toni did come on too aggressively to Ann, as several posters pointed out when those strips aired.

T.J goes into “Shuck & Jive” Mode! Gosh, what a surprise! (Dang! Where’s a ‘Sarcasm Smilie’ when you need one?)

Plenty of blame to go round. TJ was being TJ and Toni listened to him!

Brad was being sexually harassed and acted like a wimp around his boss. But then he Hangs Up on Toni? That’s cruel and cold, not hot- certainly not cool. Out of character. What if her were a woman? Would the message be- keep the job no matter what, because you “need this job?” Frankly, Toni should be pissed at the wuss. This storyline is more aggravating than entertaining. All the characters come off badly.

Why isn’t Toni explaining what happened better? I

In order to make amends, ease her feelings of guilt and prove her love for Brad, Toni will quit her job in order for Brad to be rehired by the fire department. Toni is decisive and a woman of action.

YOU are Welcome.

Here, have some COFFEE….,

Brad put up with too much being made of a fool of,just to keep that job and was too dumb to realize it. Toni did him a favor.

Compared to me, Brad is pretty cool and reasoned in this circumstance. I go ballistic if someone tidies up and “organizes” my desk. If someone, no matter how well meaning and correct, tidied up and organized my life without my consent there would be hell to pay. That tends to be part of the shock that many people experience when entering a personal relationship. So, if Brad wants Toni in his life long term, he had better get used to women messing with it. Didn’t stop when he moved out from Mother.

Toni was right to confront Eiffel. This story isn’t even half over. Manipulating Brad to pick up her laundry was just the beginning. Good to nip that in the bud now. No matter how mad Brad might be at Toni, he has a good head on his shoulders when he really thinks about what was going on.T.J. had a good idea that was clumsily carried out.

Good point, less than an hour has happened since the incident.

see what happens when you don’t communicate specifics?? the truth is…………….. TJ’s fault for not being specific, and not thinking possible consequences…….. Toni’s fault for not thinking consequences and being driven by her desire to really peg down Ann…………. Ann’s fault for deciding to “play not just Brad, but also with his feelings for friends and GF” and partly Brad’s fault, he was misguided in allowing Ann to abuse him at work, but that is his business……. but he was allowing her to disrespect Toni

Doctor11, Both very good points. Let’s talk grievances…Revenge is a dish best served cold…..

Having been the bud who delivers the thumps for the aggrieved and oppressed…yup…it’s tough to realize that the 1)beat-up woman 2) little kid on the playground 3) small country in the hands of a dictator, etc…ya da ya da…doesn’t always appreciate freedom…the Lone Ranger sometimes has to get out of town pretty quick.

I’d like to be Toni’s NEXT, Brad can go s*** a W…

TJ may be hot, but you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. This time, TJ has gone TOO far.

so much drama!

Losing a job is a pain. Lots of guys tie their self worth into their jobs – if they don’t have one, they feel like they’re worth nothing. But it was a bad situation for Brad and he should calm down and realize it. In the end, it will all work out – just hope he’s not stupid enough to go back there to beg Ann for that job back.

Toni should not have butted in – but she had Brad’s best interests at heart (and her own selfish reasons, too). Brad needs to calm down and realize that. Toni also needs to realize that if she truly cares enough about Brad THAT much to go and fight for him; that she should finally make the big commitment.

Seems to me that the primary problem – with the cartoon characters & with most of us critics – is a lack of perspective. We have forgotten what was driving us when we made some foolish mistakes, and the heat of the moment prevented us from considering the circumstances of rash actions..Tj has been hearing Brad grouse about Ann’s treatment of him & HE has the solution – get Toni to set things right. Problem was that he didn’t consider Brad’s feelings, Toni’s interpretation, Ann’s reaction – he just wants resolution..Toni heard TJ and put it together with how she feels being treated by Ann and put off by Brad and she reacted uncharacteristically by confrontation with Ann. She didn’t strike her – just intimated corporate punishment and physical attack if she didn’t stop. Problem: she didn’t anticipate the consequences..Brad is smarting from dismissal from the fire department, and is concerned about money. He looks for an immediate solution and selects something familiar that is likely to provide a short-term answer. Sure, he should have looked around, but he’s blinded by need and makes the easy choice. Then he’s concerned about losing THAT job so he doesn’t want anything to rock the boat. He asks Toni to play it cool & he reluctantly agrees to anything (we suppose) that the Boss Lady wants. He does what he thinks is the best thing and is now reacting to the unfairness of it all by lashing out at Toni. See, no simple “it’s all his/her fault.” Greg is showing us the human condition when we’re under stress and have bad things happen to us.

LOL, they are made for each other!

I do think, tho, that Brad was so wrapped up in the idea that he could “handle” Ann that even if Toni used flash cards, a whiteboard and a Powerpoint presentation showing all other options, he still wouldn’t have walked from WW, especially with a promise of promotion being dangled in front of him. He would have seen it as quitting on a good opportunity and not weighed all the warnings he’d received.

Going for short money reallly never pays off, there’s always some nasty hidden fee you didn’t count on.

Everyone keeps talking about how Toni “went behind Brad’s back.” But how did Toni know Brad wasn’t going to be there? Was she hanging around outside WW waiting for Ann to send Brad out on a dry cleaning run before she went in? If Ann hadn’t chosen that moment to tell Brad to “fetch” he would have been there when Toni walked in, yes?

Some friend TJ is. :p

Better hope you never send your comic car to a garage that would hire Brad!

He was working on his car “all the time” because he was so bad at it he couldn"t get it running. Toni’s the real mechanic here, she stepped in and fixed it for him.

Not going the way I thought it would. Guess will have to wait and see what happens next. Thought for sure TJ was recording it.

Or maybe she could just distract him with something shiny? ;D

Brad, will you wake up and smell the coffee? Toni meant well, albeit T.J. talked her into it.

I have an intern position at my video company, but Brad would have to move to Denver…….

I was thinking that Brad must miss the good ole’ days of hanging out fixing his car. He usually worked out his anger and frustration that way. Get the wrench Brad.

As a firefighter I find it kinda insulting he was working at weenie world to begin with. The last job a fireifghter would take would be a job at a place that is called weenie world! He likes to work on cars, why isn’t he at least working at a gas station? One would think Mr Evans dislikes the Fire Service.

I’m starting an I LOVE TONI club cuz love is blind and she’s my favorite. No trolls or Annies allowed.

Remember: “wrench” is spelt with an “r”.

Let’s get one thing out of the way. Toni and TJ were both sick of seeing Brad get bullied and abused. So their hearts might have been in the right place. Problem is their brains weren’t.

No matter what anyone on these boards says, it was Brad’s problem. If he wanted to be a wuss, it was his choice. He could have said something. He didn’t. He could have quit. He didn’t. So as long as he did nothing, he had to face the consequences. But they were his consequences, not TJ’s and not Toni’s.

The problem I have with this whole situation is that TJ told Toni to “man up” and face Eiffel herself. And she agreed to that. Obviously, she never stopped to think how she’d feel if her boss was bullying her, and Brad decided to face the man himself. She also never stopped to think that if someone is having trouble at work, you NEVER jump into it yourself. To give her credit, Brad didn’t realize this either (“I asked you not to say anything” versus “Don’t you dare say anything!”). But she’s a smart enough lady. She should have figured it out on her own.

It’s not a matter of cutting off Brad’s uhhmmm that. It’s a matter of jumping into something that was, in fact, NOT her concern.

Another point I keep reading from some posters is that he should have found another job. Okay, then. Tell us why he chose to work at Wienie World. Why didn’t he find work somewhere else? Ooh! Ooh! I know! Maybe this was the only place that would hire him. Maybe he wasn’t qualified to work somewhere that pays more. Maybe no one wanted to hire someone who’s gonna bail the instant his firefighting job opens up again. Who knows? All that matters is that this is all he found.

What I wonder about is what Toni plans to do the next time she doesn’t agree with one of Brad’s decisions. Is she going to take over again and deal with it for him? What about the next time? And the next time? What about if they’ve been married for 20 years or so and she just makes all the decisions because they’ve gotten into that habit?

It’s the early choices that set up the dynamics of a relationship. They creep in without anyone realizing it. And I can tell you personally that choices that don’t seem important at the time become a living hell after 25 years.

What Toni needs do is to really apologize instead of making excuses. Unfortunately, she’s too busy right now trying to justify her actions to see that she was completely wrong. The problem isn’t that she threatened to hit Eiffel. It’s that she showed up and started giving the woman a piece of her mind. I would have been surprised if Brad still had a job no matter what Toni said.

When Brad wasn’t there, Toni would have done better to answer Ann’s “greeting” with something like: “Yes sweetie, I was planning on ordering [insert most expensive meal], but since you’re so obliging, I’ll just have a soda. ..what kind of errand could Brad possibly be sent on? It sounds rather disorganized here?”

It was time that Brad manned up. If he had, Toni wouldn’t have had to grow a pair to defend him.

She would have fired Brad whether or not Toni threatened physical violence. This is just a technicality!

How cool would it be for TJ’s family to be the Weenies in Weenie-world? Then TJ could fire Ann and make Brad the manager.

Go back to school and get your paramedic, Brad. Be a bigger asset to the fire service.

I really didn’t have a problem with TJ encouraging Toni to stand up for her rights as a patron. Problem is Ann touched Toni on the face, probably purposely elliciting a response. Brad should have asked Ann why was he fired.

P.S. If Brad steps to TJ, TJ should just tell Brad that, yes, I encouraged Toni to stand up for HER rights as a consumer since she didn’t nothin wrong to justify banning. Two, TJ could emphasize that it is not like Toni to threaten without reason. Three, TJ could remind Brad he can pay the rent by himself so Brad didnt really NEED that job at WW either. Lastly, TJ could remind Brad that he should be grateful that Toni is not only willing to stand by him, but fight for him as well.

Brad is going to lose the high ground when Toni and TJ ask wasn’t Brad there. He will get slapped.

I think Toni did him a favor. Brad was allowing abusive behavior to go unchecked. Toni had Brad’s help to get over/away from Dirk, and she has just done the same for Brad.

technically ann touched toni before the toni threatened her. brad needs to decide whose pants he wants to get into because this storyline is just a downer. life is hard enough without having the comics depress us even more.

So, since Anne impulsively fired Brad, will she now have to put on an apron or uniform and fill in for him until she can hire another flunky? And will someone from Corporate walk in and see this and wonder why?

Some good analyses in here – a few additional points:1) Toni was completely in control of herself when she confronted Ann Eiffel. Her actions can in no way be construed as T.J.’s fault. He may have encouraged her to confront Ann, but it was completely her choice.

2) T.J. had little knowledge of the extent of Ann Eiffel’s manipulative personality, so it was reasonable for him as a friend to think that the answer is for someone to confront her. It is common for friends to want to step in when they see a friend being abused (even if the way they choose to confront the abuser isn’t always the best approach and sometimes lacks some common sense).

3) Toni’s threat didn’t come until after she was physically harrassed by Ann Eiffel. Very important point. It might have been rash for her to think any good could come out of a confrontation with Ann Eiffel, but I think it makes sense that someone from Toni’s firefighting background would want to deal with a problem directly rather than just letting it sit. She isn’t into passive behavior (at least not these days).

4) And Brad isn’t to blame either – in a bad economy, people are willing to take some hits to their pride for a sufficiently decent income. And having his friends stepping over that right would be annoying.

So I pretty much agree with imbaldeagle and some of the other previous posters….

Once Brad calms down, he’d better come to the conclusion that this is all for the best and not go crawling back to Ann for his job. Hopefully, Toni learned two lessons 1) Not to butt in when she’s asked not to 2) Realize that she loves Brad enough to get off the fence and commit.

TJ is TJ and will never change.

Finally, why am I analyzing a comic strip?

You mean this isn’t a graphic novelization of a cable network reality show?

TJ cought off guard without a backup plan? I never thought I would see the day!

Maybe Toni will resign so Brad can have the spot at her firehouse. Would be a lot easier for an attractive blonde to find another job as well, as unfair as that may be.

In other new, I can’t believe I’m commenting on a comic strip.

I’m glad to see this storyline finally starting to seem to head toward an end, whatever that may be. I couldn’t stand anyone’s behavior in it—not Brad the human doormat, not Toni the human wrecking ball, not TJ the… TJ.

Frankly, if my spouse tried to intervene with a work problem and wound up threatening my boss with physical violence, I’d be pretty darn sulky too… to put it mildly. Sure, Ann was wrong for touching Toni like that, but that was a “call management/report on inappropriate contact” touch, not a threat of immediate attack. Threatening to punch her wasn’t any more appropriate than the touch itself, and Toni’s supposed to be more mature and less controlling than Ann; she should be held to higher standards.

If a boyfriend/girlfriend who wasn’t even willing to commit to marriage tried to control my life “for my own good” like that, they’d be out the door so fast they would wish they just had Ann Eiffel to deal with. Was Brad right in staying there and letting Ann treat Toni that way? Of course not! He should have been at least looking for a better, less obnoxious job. It’s still not Toni’s place to step in instead of continuing to deal with it through Brad, especially when she’s not willing to become a permanent part of Brad’s life yet. If Brad’s unwillingness to confront Ann was a dealbreaker, at least he’d still have his job and Toni would know to look for greener, less insecure pastures elsewhere.

More Luann in Luann!

Fire safety business? Snicker-snicker. Who would pay for something like that? Who would want it? Schools already have programs in place, and other information can be obtained free from or through the local fire department. Brad would actually have a better chance by mowing lawns. “Make work?” Yeah, sure.

Ann would have fired Brad even if Toni had not said a word. The fact that Toni came back to Weenie World after Ann ordered Brad to keep her away would have been more than enough “reason” for Ann.As for Brad trusting Toni—-what about Toni being able to trust Brad? As so many other people have already pointed out, he didn’t hesitate to “throw Toni under the bus” when it suited his purpose.

> Toni- just put on something low-cut and come on over. He’ll get over it!

All is forgiven.

If Ann’s abuse had only involved Brad, he’d have a valid right to be angry if someone interfered with his decision to stay there, since it would only affect him and no one else. But since Ann extended her manipulation to Toni, there’s more than just Brad’s life involved. Do you think he had any right to ask her to back off and never darken the doors of Weinie World again? Because my take is that his “telling her not to” protest about how she was being treated by both his boss – and by him – is pretty damn selfish.

Times are hard? There’s a “Depression” on? (btw, that’s debatable, see me after school). I call BS on that – there’s always some sort of crisis, hardshiip or distress going on in people’s lives. It’s how we behave when we’re knocked on our butts that defines us.

Some will sell their parent’s kidneys and traffic their children to get what they want. Others will refuse to compromise their personal ethics and choose to take care of those they love over everything else because they consider those things to be more important than making their current rent or car payment – oddly enough, they’ll move to someplace that’s cheaper or take on another roommate or sell the car rather than throw their nearest and dearest under the bus. They sure as hell won’t choose to hold onto a job that includes a boss that thinks abusing their loved ones is not only part of her job description, but her right.

I think we know what defines Brad at this point. “Can he trust her again?” you ask.

I think you have your genders turned around.

Look for Brad to dump Toni VERY SOON over this I bet.

This arc reminds me of TV soaps, where nobody behaves in the least like a real person, but is manipulated to behaving the way the author thinks would be entertaining to people, so they would come back for more. I have been following this strip faithfully, all along, and if this goes no much longer, I’m outta here! It’s ridiculous to discus motives for what these characters are doing! It’s whatever Greg thinks we’ll like. Well, fui!

as mordock999 said, they are all “two-dimensional cartoon characters with NO control over their own destinies”

I think people give TJ too much crap. Yes, he is impulsive, irrational, way to care free, and doesnt take responsibility for his actions, but this could just be immaturity, not him being a jerk. He honestly seems caring and genuine.I think that he should definetly be a man and own up to his hand in this. But Toni also did not have to listen to him. Each human needs to be responsible for their own actions

For some reason I am waiting for mama and papa Degroot to enter into the scene. Brad, Toni, and TJ may be adults, but still have a lot to learn. I know that even though I am 30, I still value the wisdom that my parents are willing to share, if I am willing to listen. They don’t tell me what to do, but they do provide valuable insights in situations.

“Toni knew not to come”? What is she, a dog? Since this is America, she has a right to go just about anywhere, which appears to be something only you, Brad and Ann fail to cmprehend. The last two are fictitious, so that fact that they’re actively in violation of a couple of laws gives them an excuse.

Brad already amply demonstrated that he not only wouldn’t stand up for himself, he wouldn’ t stand up for her either – if you insist that trust has to come from “both” – then who breached that trust first?

Ann had no right to treat Toni in an illegal manner, and Brad had no right to ask her to roll over and accept that injustice. Toni went to stand up for herself – and if Brad had done the right thing from the start, she wouldn’t have had to do that.

“16% real unemployment” doesn’t count for anything but Dennis Lockhart’s opinion -and he’s trying to factor in people who would “like” a job “but have stopped looking”. Take a statistics course – you’d be surprised what you can do with nebulous and undocumented categories like that to tweak a figure to reflect what you want it to.

Officially, unemployment hasn’t gotten above 9.2% in the past 6 months, but even if you want to cling to 16%, if you think that’s a “Depression”, you have no idea what the 1930’s were like, when unemployment was over 25%, and was combined with massive bank failures, a complete collapse of the credit structure so no one could meet payroll or pensions, crop failure with prices so far below 60% it wasn’t worth harvesting them, no topsoil to grow any more and no unemployment, social security or welfare.

Yes, trust SHOULD come from both, and Brad betrayed Toni’s trust big time. Toni should dump Brad. She deserves someone who really cares about her and her feelings, and won’t turn on her on the orders of an abusive boss.

Yes, Baldeagle and peterhuppertz made the best comments today. I have nothing to add (worked at a hot dog place right after my divorce, because I could walk there and my youngest was 1/2 day in kindergarten, then a place I could ride a bike to (drafting) and started learning more- always put more effort than needed into my jobs, so the business appreciated my efforts. If I had not moved across the country, I could still be employed- but I hated the weather and it is beautiful here in AZ. If I were a decade or 2 younger, I would start again. I suggested a gourmet food truck to youngest son (he’s also suffering the lack of construction trend – as a licenced surveyor). I could prep all the food from home and we have great (mostly Cuban) recipes.

So many people harp on how Toni didn’t respect/listen/back Brad. But seriously, the senario where he told her to leave because Ann told him to? I would be pissed if he did that to me. Toni wasn’t dispruptive, rude, or unbecoming. Greg never showed why she was there, so the statement people made in the past are pure speculation. She could have very well been there to get a meal, not just chat. Brad’s an adult , not a teen. I’m sure he would have stood around chatting. I just know to say (pretty much) “ummmm, you have to leave, cuz it makes my boss mad to have you here” is disrespectful to his significant Toni, and doesn’t show any backbone as a man. She is allowed to be there as a patron.

Sorry, typing on my phone. Looks like parts of the text were left out…

Brad should consider what if the shoe was on the other foot but he’s not a person yet just a teenager that’s pouting and feeling sorry for himself.

I think that this whole scenerio is stupid..Toni should be smater than that and TJ being slick and having her go behind Brad’s back was dumb…but I predict tghat even still everything will work out. Ms. Boss Lady will be fired and Brad will be made the manager at Weiner World..