Letting It All Come Out

Really enjoying the coloring in panel 4

"Oily Boys brand lubricants"

John Ridley

Bubbles gets cuter everyday.

I think it's a common perception that growing up rich means you're sheltered from the harsh realities of life when you're young, and you learn about them more abstractly as a teenager/adult and therefore have less motivation to take them seriously. People who grow up poor come with a difference set of ignorances. I'm not justifying Bubbles having that perception, merely identifying the root of the stereotype.

Alejandro Enriquez

I understand Bubbles' feelings, yet am also slightly disappointed with her adding the unnecessary qualifier "for rich people's children". First of all we do not know whether Evie is indeed a rich kid, but more importantly it implies that somehow being stupid/ignorant/oblivious is the domain of rich people alone, which is obviously far from true.

One time I googled crumpets because I'm not British and had no idea what they were.

I admire Bubbles more every month.

Maurice Kessler

Now I kind of want Faye and Bubbles to go for fancy tea at the Horrible Revelation...

Somebody Else

A ++ Communication, bubs! It's important to talk about stuff when you are angry. I love this whole arc.

I need to scan and post the drawing I got from Jeph at GenCon '16. Bubbles blushing saying "Faye said I'm cute" from like, before this storyline got going. It'll be worth MILLIONS someday!

Jason Borneman

I think I have felt at times exactly how Bubbles has felt. It's very awful to feel your existence is just a thing to debate for someone else who doesn't have any stake in it, who treats the whole thing like it is a really interesting cryptic crossword or something. Sometimes even very nice people do this infuriating thing, and it is horrible. Anyway, BUBBLES I FEEL YOU, ugggggh, let's go punch some concrete blocks or something now that we've shared our feelings.

Anton

She's definitely needin' some huggin'. Some warm, mushy cushiony Faye-style huggin'. ^___^

Churchill (formerly TeaBear)

Is it wrong that I want to give Bubbles a hug?

Nikki

Also, her blush in the last frame is more pronounced than usual. Hmm.

Will Weaver

Despite being upset about how humans can be stupid sometimes, this was a very human-like response from Bubbles here, and she seems satisfied that she was able to vent rather than just punch something. She has definitely shown a great deal of character growth in a short time here.

Will Weaver

Or at the very least that priest Melon met that one time

Will Weaver

Humans really ARE so stupid sometimes. I love you Bubbles 'n' Faye <3

She's definitely not wrong.

LJ

To add to all of the thoughtful discussion about humans studying their own society and culture: We do it because we don't really understand how our minds work, and we have a lot of trouble relating to each other. Who's to say that AI wouldn't implicitly understand themselves at a different level than we do? There's a whole larger meta-level of assumption where humans might be trying to pick apart the AI experience in a way that seems crude or unnecessary to AI.

Sarah Manx

Next time on Questionable Content - Bubbles punches the Pope

Xaphania

Couple things: first, infuriating or not, sociological distance from social constructs is extremely useful to sentient beings, because within a society every part of it feels inevitable and therefore unchangable, but sometimes changes are a necessity [coughgunculturecough]. Second, is it possible that Evie fell for Amanda partly because she was looking for someone more oblivious than herself, so she could feel wise? Not that she would do this consciously, or that her wisdom is invalidated, but I’ve seen this kind of dynamic in other relationships.

Holly Nelson

Wow, this is the first time you've caved like this? You have nerves of steel!

Abhayakara

I know several sociologists and Bubbles is right, they are damned infuriating. There are times when everything doesn't have to be looked at and discussed from a purely sociological perspective. When you've just broken up with your boyfriend /girlfriend, that is not the time to be discussing the historical relevance of early Victorian relationship mores.

Denise Webber

And Bubbles IS right, humans can be so stupid sometimes.

Cleo Schmitz

But seeing as they are in America one assumes they would be more likely to discuss such matters over donuts/muffins and coffee

Autistic Observer

In a robotics repair shop? Yes.

Ben Russell-Gough

That's because everything is better with tea and crumpets. British guy here; we KNOW these things.

Ben Russell-Gough

Are your boys oily? ;)

Brad Knowles

And she starts off with "Couple things" and then names three. ;)

Brad Knowles

Dunno... UK has nuclear weapons, so Tea and Crumpet seems just about right.

Bagge

Masterful de-escalation from Faye. Recognition, affirmation and a light ribbing.

Bagge

(And then I want her to hug Bubs, obviously)

Fart Captor

:( Poor Bubbles! I wish I could give her a hug! Though I doubt she'd be up for that. :( Hopefully Evie learns to be more considerate of those sorts of issues.

Littleshiro-kun

Yuuuup. Figured it was this. Sociologists can be incredibly aggravating

Waffliesinyoface

I want to hug Faye so much for this

Fart Captor

To be fair, I think sociology treats people like puzzles too and tries to imagine other beings as puzzle boxes that crash into other puzzle boxes and make a more magical puzzle called society.

JPMK! {verb}

I became a member so I could see this strip because I could NOT WAIT another day to find out the next bit. Genius.

So did I. To be fair I'm British and tea and crumpets are also the perfect thing to have while talking about what Faye and Bubbs are talking about, so it made sense to me.

Chris Crowther

Yeah, really nice touch changing up the colors on the fourth panel to show the anger she’s barely holding back.

Populuxe

It seems that Bubbles’ anger in the 4th frame is inflaming everything... 😳

I read too fast, I thought Faye was offering them to Bubbles =o

Minzoku Bokumetsu

The entire frame changed color, following Bubbles' emotions.

Arcanemagus

That was the most "normal" "human" speech pattern we've ever seen Bubbles use, by a significant margin.

Jeph, the Oily Boys poster... Is it SUPPOSED to be changing color? If so, cool, I can dig it. :) (Oh GOD my age is showing...)

4. Hug!!!!!

Andrew

I'll be honest, I didn't think about her color, but I thought her sexual orientation. So certainly the combo of the two? Either way, hey, don't speak to people in "other"ing language Evie!

Boter Bug

This is the exact thing I WISHED people understood, as a trans person, and the exact thing I FAIL to understand cause I am white and middle class. It's not that debate is bad or wrong. But, it's like being fetishized. Instead of sexually, as a research specimen. It's not about dignity, respect, or help the way she presented it. She brought up triggering stuff, expected the other one's existence to be for her informational consumption, and yet totally disregarded the idea that this is something that impacts Bubbles in a way it CAN'T impact her. It just, can't. People saying "oh she's black, she should get it," no. Black folks aren't a hive mind, and to assume every individual has the same resources, education, understandings and opinions (that last two matter especially in this case) is lumping every black person together. But it DOES bug me because One, she picks up on Faye and Bubbles feelings for each other. That implies she has some insight. And two, THOSE WERE LEGITIMATELY INTERESTING QUESTIONS. So I should be on bubbles side, but I totally missed it. And if I look back on Bubble's Trauma, I would probably see the cues I missed in how some of those questions would be like "wait do you still have a dick?" Or some other bullshit that I get, due to my completely different context on understanding this same drama. Good strip, Jeph. You have grown as an artist, and a person. This is some real shit to have in your strip .

Stoodmuffin

And that's how the crumpocalypse came about. The End.

Gary Walker

Now... Kiss...

And that's how the crumpocalypse came about. The End.

Gary Walker

I love the style on the fourth panel

Ms DOS

Really. Nuclear weapons are to be discussed over cucumber sandwiches at the LEAST, salmon and cream cheese rounds are preferred. No wonder civilization's dying.

Sleepy John

me too, i think Bubbles is my current favourite character

JD

Where is this wondrous place you speak of?

Kiterie Aine

I have been, and am, bobth sides of what Bubbles is talking about. I MAYJORED in soci, for fuck sucks.

Stoodmuffin

I don't think it was the study that bothered Bubbles so much as the insensitivity in discussing it so callously without thought of feelings.

i bloody knew it! god dammit, Evie! i sort of expected her to have more social awareness given that she's black...she seemed so flippant towards Bubbles' existence and sentience. i want to give Bubbles a hug <3

JD

I don't really agree with Bubbles here. Humans study human psychology all the time. By doing so, it allows us to understand humanity better and help people who have mental health issues.

JD

The actual social dynamics of AIs integrating into existing human society are such a captivating part of QC as a comic. Bubbles is totally justified in her frustration, even if Evie is at least partially correct in that human-AI relations are an important subject to study. You'd think that she would be a little less callous in her language, but that at least helps round out her character.

PBManning

Bubbles is wonderful

Seconded

Count of hands wanting an "Oily Boys" T-shirt. #handUp

Tom Carlson

There’s a crumpet place here in Seattle. They’re delicious! Dry good to be eating when you have thorny philosophical questions to unravel.

snafuv

I love this character growth.

Adam Daw