The sad part is he’s probably gaslit himself into actually believing his actions are for their benefit. That’s how he’s able to express honest surprise that he’s being called to the floor here.
“Well Mole, you could still learn to spell Jocelyn’s name correctly.”
Jocelyn Joscelin Josselyn Joscelin, Jolene and Josefina.
“so tell us everything.” 1st- JB writes NNS, and has done a good job overall. Nathan is right bout one thing to Jo-Celine- Can you just stop being a terrible person? This Debate Club arc is unusually comments-chatty. After the Westworld Lalapalooza story, this looks like a lack of forward momentum. Oh, well. I did hold back on posting that long answer, but if you insist.
Sorry for the long reply, but-
At this point, anything! She’s never punished, she never learns, it’s never her fault, and she’s never wrong. Not at school, or home, or with Ally. Jos started out as cooler than thou character, but now mostly is a fight trying to happen. She never stops swearing to everyone. The story structure always turns out so that no one but her can be right about anything. In a real school, the other students would be asking
“So, what teacher is she sleeping with? How many? Does Mulrony practice safe sex?” because even in America, she couldn’t get away with all of that, and everything else she’s implied to do. Is the real problem that JB just wants to write characters being horrible? With no villainous dirtbags remaining, has he dumped the wrong traits on the wrong characters?
Friction between characters is normal, can be a useful plot setup, but Josclyn has had a long slide from being the answer to being the trigger. She used to be used whenever something needed to be changed, but she’s rude and offensive to everyone, including random people for no reason.
This Debate Club arc looked like a good chance, a good change, for the background students to call her out on her noise. Why does she dress like she lost a fight in a mosh pit? Why does she have a name impossible to spell right? Why doesn’t anyone get angry at her for her increasingly sneering attitude? But no. The story structure has only Jos ever being right whenever it’s something about Joscelyn.
Her “tough exterior with a heart of gold” doesn’t fit her actions when she’s constantly on the offensive about things. I will always think that she just isn’t written properly until JB just stops the constant swearing. What is he going for with this? School-trapped teenagers may not have any real goals and motivations, but Joselyn’s got a head full of air, not goals. Sass is good, differences are good. The swearing is not, and the attempts to tear down everything around her are running out of steam.
One can’t be hung up on realism, but even in a reality-foundation series, the whole setup becomes a playground for the dirt as soon as they appear. It’s been strongly hinted that either JB has a thing for the punk girls, or that he’s ham-handed about writing them. Personally I think it’s both, but the swearing is still offputting and misplaced. Instead of admitting she’s wrong, it’s just more swearing at people for being sheep.
It looks like Nathan is going to be thrown away into a clothing related obsession, instead of “why don’t you just be a better person?” that he started as. Oh well, if he loses he loses, but Josclin’s repeated unerring ability to turn a room like a flock of birds is bordering on mind control.
Oh, and some of the other comments posters- stop whining that I’m “against” JB. This is only at the level of paying attention, not being overly critical. I’d like him to continue. I’m not in the publishing business, but any untrained eye should be able to see that the swearing is where he’s substituting aggression instead of talent. That could have been a one liner, instead of underwhelming.
Honor Tracy, witty and brilliant Irish author of The Straight and Narrow Path, was not too pleased with the looks of the English edition of her succeeding effort. She sent the London publisher a copy of the ever-so-much handsomer American edition of the book with a note reading, “As the cock said to
the hens when he showed them an ostrich egg, 1 am not disparaging; I am not criticizing. I merely bring to your attention what is being done elsewhere.'”
Well Mole, you could still learn to spell Jocelyn’s name correctly. You’ve done it once before, you can do it a second time, and a third, and so on, ad infinitum.
She really doesn’t need to learn anything, but go on. Clearly you know her better than the man who created her, so tell us everything.
Pffft, Steve. That reminds me of that old Catholic joke where Jesus says the line, a stone gets thrown from the back, and Jesus just says “You don’t count, MOM!”
Don’t let others dissuade you man, I enjoy this story arc. Long as you keep making art, I’ll keep on coming back!
You all realize we have 8 more years of the comic, right? Of course there’ll be plenty of time for the main 6 to get character development! We’re still early in its’ run!
@Mole: Considering Jos is unfazed by suspension and knows not to cross the line so far as to get outright expelled, there’s not exactly a lot that the characters can do that’ll stick that won’t get them hauled off to jail/the looney bin.
Pichu-82- The short answer- At this point, anything! She’s gotten more aggressive with her flaws, and this is a good story point to call her out on them. Careful, there’s a long answer.
JB- hmm, Joscelin as a explosive catalyst, again? This all seems to be coming out of nowhere for Nathan. Oh, and Josselyn’s lines in the 1st panel are better than Vanessa’s entire second panel. I wonder what she could have been getting “slightly muddled”.
@MegaJar: You’d be surprised and probably horrified at how many cases of sexual harassment go unreported. Mostly because so many people in positions of authority automatically assume girls are lying about stuff like this 😕 Jocelyn standing up first and publicly outing Nathan’s shitty behavior is what gave the rest of these girls the confidence to report him too.
I’m curious, though: why didn’t any of these girls report Nathan’s actions to the principal immediately? I have no doubt that trying to forcibly pull off a girl’s shirt would’ve gotten him suspended at the very least, if not outright expelled. He’s clearly been pulling this kind of shitty behavior for quite a while, so why has nobody said anything until now?
It’s good that this isn’t all about Jocelyn. It’s good to flesh out the other characters. It’s bad that everything is about tearing down anyone who opposes Jocelyn. Nathan’s got no defense for anything, and the backstory keeps on burying him. After they tear down Nathan enough, Jos will just stroll away and nothing will be learned by her.
The sad part is he’s probably gaslit himself into actually believing his actions are for their benefit. That’s how he’s able to express honest surprise that he’s being called to the floor here.
“Well Mole, you could still learn to spell Jocelyn’s name correctly.”
Jocelyn Joscelin Josselyn Joscelin, Jolene and Josefina.
“so tell us everything.” 1st- JB writes NNS, and has done a good job overall. Nathan is right bout one thing to Jo-Celine- Can you just stop being a terrible person? This Debate Club arc is unusually comments-chatty. After the Westworld Lalapalooza story, this looks like a lack of forward momentum. Oh, well. I did hold back on posting that long answer, but if you insist.
Sorry for the long reply, but-
At this point, anything! She’s never punished, she never learns, it’s never her fault, and she’s never wrong. Not at school, or home, or with Ally. Jos started out as cooler than thou character, but now mostly is a fight trying to happen. She never stops swearing to everyone. The story structure always turns out so that no one but her can be right about anything. In a real school, the other students would be asking
“So, what teacher is she sleeping with? How many? Does Mulrony practice safe sex?” because even in America, she couldn’t get away with all of that, and everything else she’s implied to do. Is the real problem that JB just wants to write characters being horrible? With no villainous dirtbags remaining, has he dumped the wrong traits on the wrong characters?
Friction between characters is normal, can be a useful plot setup, but Josclyn has had a long slide from being the answer to being the trigger. She used to be used whenever something needed to be changed, but she’s rude and offensive to everyone, including random people for no reason.
This Debate Club arc looked like a good chance, a good change, for the background students to call her out on her noise. Why does she dress like she lost a fight in a mosh pit? Why does she have a name impossible to spell right? Why doesn’t anyone get angry at her for her increasingly sneering attitude? But no. The story structure has only Jos ever being right whenever it’s something about Joscelyn.
Her “tough exterior with a heart of gold” doesn’t fit her actions when she’s constantly on the offensive about things. I will always think that she just isn’t written properly until JB just stops the constant swearing. What is he going for with this? School-trapped teenagers may not have any real goals and motivations, but Joselyn’s got a head full of air, not goals. Sass is good, differences are good. The swearing is not, and the attempts to tear down everything around her are running out of steam.
One can’t be hung up on realism, but even in a reality-foundation series, the whole setup becomes a playground for the dirt as soon as they appear. It’s been strongly hinted that either JB has a thing for the punk girls, or that he’s ham-handed about writing them. Personally I think it’s both, but the swearing is still offputting and misplaced. Instead of admitting she’s wrong, it’s just more swearing at people for being sheep.
It looks like Nathan is going to be thrown away into a clothing related obsession, instead of “why don’t you just be a better person?” that he started as. Oh well, if he loses he loses, but Josclin’s repeated unerring ability to turn a room like a flock of birds is bordering on mind control.
Oh, and some of the other comments posters- stop whining that I’m “against” JB. This is only at the level of paying attention, not being overly critical. I’d like him to continue. I’m not in the publishing business, but any untrained eye should be able to see that the swearing is where he’s substituting aggression instead of talent. That could have been a one liner, instead of underwhelming.
Honor Tracy, witty and brilliant Irish author of The Straight and Narrow Path, was not too pleased with the looks of the English edition of her succeeding effort. She sent the London publisher a copy of the ever-so-much handsomer American edition of the book with a note reading, “As the cock said to
the hens when he showed them an ostrich egg, 1 am not disparaging; I am not criticizing. I merely bring to your attention what is being done elsewhere.'”
Well Mole, you could still learn to spell Jocelyn’s name correctly. You’ve done it once before, you can do it a second time, and a third, and so on, ad infinitum.
She really doesn’t need to learn anything, but go on. Clearly you know her better than the man who created her, so tell us everything.
@Zach Kenny: THANK. YOU.
Pffft, Steve. That reminds me of that old Catholic joke where Jesus says the line, a stone gets thrown from the back, and Jesus just says “You don’t count, MOM!”
Don’t let others dissuade you man, I enjoy this story arc. Long as you keep making art, I’ll keep on coming back!
You all realize we have 8 more years of the comic, right? Of course there’ll be plenty of time for the main 6 to get character development! We’re still early in its’ run!
@Mole: Considering Jos is unfazed by suspension and knows not to cross the line so far as to get outright expelled, there’s not exactly a lot that the characters can do that’ll stick that won’t get them hauled off to jail/the looney bin.
I hate to say it, but Mole’s actually onto something. I think some character development could do wonders for Joel and the gang.
Pichu-82- The short answer- At this point, anything! She’s gotten more aggressive with her flaws, and this is a good story point to call her out on them. Careful, there’s a long answer.
JB- hmm, Joscelin as a explosive catalyst, again? This all seems to be coming out of nowhere for Nathan. Oh, and Josselyn’s lines in the 1st panel are better than Vanessa’s entire second panel. I wonder what she could have been getting “slightly muddled”.
@MegaJar: You’d be surprised and probably horrified at how many cases of sexual harassment go unreported. Mostly because so many people in positions of authority automatically assume girls are lying about stuff like this 😕 Jocelyn standing up first and publicly outing Nathan’s shitty behavior is what gave the rest of these girls the confidence to report him too.
I’m curious, though: why didn’t any of these girls report Nathan’s actions to the principal immediately? I have no doubt that trying to forcibly pull off a girl’s shirt would’ve gotten him suspended at the very least, if not outright expelled. He’s clearly been pulling this kind of shitty behavior for quite a while, so why has nobody said anything until now?
Steve came prepared i see
What does she need to learn, Mole?
Nathan, son, the “without sin” line is a pretty good indicator you’re losing.
It’s good that this isn’t all about Jocelyn. It’s good to flesh out the other characters. It’s bad that everything is about tearing down anyone who opposes Jocelyn. Nathan’s got no defense for anything, and the backstory keeps on burying him. After they tear down Nathan enough, Jos will just stroll away and nothing will be learned by her.
Ooooh, I’d be careful with that bible verse if I were you, Nathan-boy… for let’s just say you’ll be getting quite the rock-hard gift!
Poor choice of words in the last panel Nathan. You are oh so screwed.
I got dibs on three.