Bull-shirt

Today’s strip called for a post title so obligatory, TB himself would probably be disappointed if I didn’t use it. We can’t have that, can we?

As we learned back when Dirigibles Unnerving Ingrates Diversity University Ironton was trying to hire him to coach their football team, one of Bull’s few motivations in life is the prospect of free clothing. Bull was probably one of the first people to move to Chia Earth (17 internet points to all who get that reference).

Those of us who won’t have the opportunity to sit through Sarah Silverman and Jo Jo White’s presentation on how to incur obscene debt can still get our very own EMU t-shirts right here.

Also, daily Emu Emo Quote:

“I thought I was being followed by a paid assassin, but it turns out the guy’s a volunteer.”
– Emo Philips

Aaaaaack-ronym!

Today’s strip see’s the return of TB’s latest shot at a running gag, places of higher education whose acronyms have other meanings. For those of you weren’t around for the second week of my first round of guest authoring back in November, we had a whole week of strips built around saying Diversity University Ironton’s name and acronym as much as possible. What a coincidence!

To TB’s credit, the acronym gag does distract significantly from the general discordance of this strip. If the presentation by the EMU reps is on Bull’s calendar, why are they introducing themselves and their purpose? Why does Bull exclaim “absolutely!” when he was not asked a question? Wait… Bull teaches classes? I had to read the strip 5 times before I started asking these questions.

Since “emu” is but a line closing the u away from “emo”, I leave you with a relevant and humorous quote (something about all this ought to be humorous):

“My name is Emo, as opposed to an Emu. Which, as you all know, is an Australian bird–a tall, ugly, skinny creature with a big beak. No similarity there.”
– Emo Philips

Who’s tripping down the streets of self-pity?

Link to today’s strip.

Who’s popping in the door at Montoni’s
Moping about her lack of romance
Who’s being condescending to Holly
Everyone knows it’s Cindy

And Cindy has forlorn eyes
That drop as she now realize
-es that maybe she is no prize
For Mason Jarr
For Mason Jarr

Apologies to The Association.

Moon over Jarr-ma

Whoever wrote TB a year ago and asked to see Cindy mope in front of a vanity, you get your wish in today’s strip. Despite her disappointment in not receiving a shower of Valentines Day gifts and wishes from a man she has met once and said all of three words to, Cindy maintains her rather healthy level of self-esteem as she talks to her vanity mirror (and butter knife, fake mustache, and jar of mayonnaise).

Interesting choice of words in panel 2, as TB uses of one of last century’s definitions of “mooning”. The definition more commonly considered now might draw a bit more attention from Mason, certainly more than those bags under Cindy’s eyes.

Bleaky Friday

More of the black void that is a Westview winter night in today’s strip, where Mason is obligated to answer a telephone call from his agent. Mason’s agent, “Rip”, quickly remembers that Mason is out of town, possibly in one of those mysterious time zones out east where people are huddled next to their heaters and catching Letterman’s monologue while he’s still laying on the beach getting a tan. I like how Mason hums a little tune before telling Cindy “Sorry, it’s my agent…” I assume that’s what is happening, I mean, the two things share a dialogue box.

Mason’s punchline, such as it is, rings pretty hollow when you consider that “last century” ended all of 15 years ago. When the last (20th) century was the current century, references to the “last century” were typically idyllic and wholly unrealistic nostalgia about the Victorian era and the Gay Nineties. With the gazebo looming in the background, this seems to be what Mason’s line is going for. After all, the 20th century was when TB’s frame of mind for such references was formed.

Then again, perhaps Mason does indeed mean that Westview reminds him of the 20th century’s “Gay X-treme! Nineties”, what with the town’s continued interest in VCRs, Toyota Paseo “Batiukmobiles”, and unfounded comic book price speculation. I imagine he’ll be disappointed when he learns that everyone in town threw out their “Ross for Boss” buttons, Zubaz pants, and Pogs years ago… Or did they?