So Halloween Week begins with Rachel helpfully reminding the readers that the detested and largely-forgotten Cory is still in the army, toiling away in Afghanistan (which as you know is no place for a FW character to be). Meanwhile, the World’s Youngest Elderly Person crabbily takes a shot at Facebook (registered trademark, BTW), declaring it to be no more than mere child’s play. Although in this case I can’t say I really blame him, as if I was in his position I wouldn’t especially want to remember Cory either.
Perhaps Boy Lisa could use his technological skill set to create a Westviewians-only social network (SmirkBook??). There could be a “bemused” button instead of “like” and the “friends” list would become “people I grudgingly tolerate”. And instead of profile pics you’d post a scan of your medical history. It’d be the perfect place for posting pizza sales, obituaries, new arrivals at the Korner, Lisa videos, weather forecasts for charity runs and band contests and such. Don’t be afraid of the technology, Tom Funky… embrace it.
Son of Stuck Funky 
If there’s one thing Facebook isn’t, it’s a hip place for young people to hang out. Now, if this had been 2005 and Rachel had asked about MySpace, this strip would have made sense.
Wow, they sure drop-kicked Cory to the front lines in a hurry…did Batiuk decide one shell-shocked veteran wasn’t enough, or is he in a hurry to start killing off the younger generation?
(My primary reason for opening a Facebook account was so I could share pictures/news of our kids with out-of-town relatives. I’d say at least half the people on my friends’ list are my age or older. This isn’t a generational thing, Tommy boy, it’s you.)
I seem to recall Funky & Co contacting Cory via Skype during last year’s holiday, so this doesn’t make a lot of sense as a “technology is bad” way. With both Skype and Facebook, you use a computer to contact people. The difference is that Facebook is far better known and hence a bigger target I guess.
Speaking of poorly told jokes, why didn’t Batiuk replace the dialogue in panel three with a single balloon from Funky saying, “I’m an adult”? Because the word balloons were drawn months before any thought was put into filling them. That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it.
This joke might pass muster in a “kids today, huh?” kind of way, if the strip didn’t always seethe with contempt for anyone under the age of 48. As it is, it just sounds nasty.
Bullcrap. One of my Facebook friends is 60+ years old and isn’t so insecure that he’ll pass up an easy opportunity to contact old loved ones. Of course, not only is he a genuinely nice guy who’s been there for people from several generations, I think he’s 30 years younger than Funky.
I don’t use Facebook because it doesn’t appeal to me. What I don’t do is look down on people who enjoy different things than me.
“These kids today. Back in my day, we didn’t have time to fool around with Facebook, cell phones and YouTube. We were too busy figuring out how to keep hanging around all of our favorite high school haunts for the rest of our lives. Grow up, you imbeciles.”
Another week, another broken arc.
Just like in Crankshaft, the helicopter arc breaks and goes back to the Mary arc, which never should have broken before.
Just like in real life, out issues last but for a week and then go away.
I was hoping to see Crankshaft get locked up and then put under guardianship. Or sued by the air charter company.
Yeah, only kids want to stay in touch with each other and communicate! Bunch of punks.
“I’m not on Facebook. I have a rich, full, active life. Once a year I break into a shambling jog and collapse 5 minutes into it.”
I still don’t see how Corey Winkerbean communicates with his family. With him being part of the Taliban, I would imagine it would be difficult to get secured messages across to the United States. I mean, Corey would have to be fighting for the Taliban, right? He has to, because there is no effing way I believe that US intervention in Afghanistan would last that effiing long. That would be longer than Vietnam, for chrissakes!! Though as noted earlier, calendars the time is 2013, so the whole first and second acts must have been swallowed in some type of massive temporal anomaly.
The most interesting thing in this strip is that little ghost guy in the box. His expression goes from surprise to outright panic from panel 1 to 3. No wonder Funky’s not on facebook, not even the living dead want to be near him.
Although a lot of young people use Facebook, there is nothing about it that makes it inherently appeal to the younger generation over the older generation. That is how it was able to completely displace MySpace in such a short period of time. I am probably close to what Funky’s age is supposed to be (though you couldn’t tell it from looking at me), and I use facebook regularly and have friends that range in age from teenager (nieces/nephews) to high 70s. I guess this is some attempt at a joke, but more than usual, Batik is just coming off as an asshole.
This would have been funnier if Funky had referred to the site as “The Facebook” and went to explain that he keeps in touch with Cory through Western Union’s miraculous trans-Atlantic cable. With Crazy out of work, he can no longer use the registered mail.
Of course, this would be a significant departure from TB’s wheelhouse, where “jokes” involving the elderly are pretty much entirely instances of them contemplating their own mortality.
R: So how do you and Holly communicate with Cory while he is in Afghanistan? Do you employ or use the social network that is known as Facebook?
FW: No… I unfriended him on Facebook.
R: You unfriended him on Facebook?
FW: Yes… I got sick of him crossposting tweets about the horrors of war. Self-centered brat! What about my woes?
Just three days ago, we were still on the issues affecting teens in a serious matter (or whatever the blurb is, I can’t spare the effort to go check).
Now, pretty much with a lurch, we’re back to ‘one step away from pluggers’.
More and more, it feels like anything to do with teens is just a ‘tax’ the author pays, so he can keep using that description as his blurb.
I love the strips where BatHack gives us a clear indication of how HE feels about some current issue (today it’s Facebook) and we can once again celebrate what a jerk he is.
So how does Tom consider those who follow comic strips?
I don’t think there were ever any time-jumps. I think the town just passed through the tail of a comet which aged all of them. There’ve been too many “mistakes” for an actual passage of time and besides, I haven’t seen anyone use a jet-pack yet.
Les aged less than most, for the same reason Chekov aged less on that old Star Trek episode. He was filled with adrenaline from marathon smirking.
I am getting close to Funky and Les’ age (as of time-jump model sheets–46). Reading their dialog always makes me think i’m reading someone two decades older–in their 60’s, at least. Say, how old is Batiuk now?
“No…I’m an adult. I use Discus instead.”
Is Batiuk even aware that (according to Comics Kingdom) 786 people on FB “like” his little strip?
If memory serves he and Cory hated each other – and since Funky views any time not devoted to his needs to be a waste of time i’d rather suspect that he isn’t in contact with Cory at all. Also what’s the over under of this being really bad news for Cory – like home in body bag bad?
Um…all of my elderly loved ones adore Facebook.
Tom, does it hurt? Knowing that you’re completely out of touch with ALL age groups, including your own?