It’s all the opposite. She’s complaining that now that she blasted to the top she’s no longer servicing. She’s unhappy. Handing Virginia some water may be the first service she has done to anyone in a long time.
Poor Bubbles is living a bizzaro version of the Peter Principle: she was so good at helping people that she rocketed all the way to the top – where she can’t do anything at all for anyone.
That’s exactly what the Peter Principle is. She was so good at every job below that she’s been raised to the level where she no longer has the required skills to advance further. In her case, it’s the top job.
That doesn’t really seem to fit to me. There not being anywhere higher to go has nothing to do with her skills. It seems more like the normal plight of any scientist or engineer promoted to management, they are no longer doing science or engineering.
Suddenly I’m wondering whether anybody actually does understand what she’s saying, or if they just interpret what she says according to their own inclinations.
(Imagine the film Being There with Bubbles in the Chance the Gardener role.)
Government bureaucracy: you never get assigned the jobs you really want to do. Probably this is the first time Bubbles served water to anyone since Skin Horse broke up. (Probably they don’t know she’s a drone, either…where is her water cooler body?)
Just for the silliness of it, I like the idea that Mr Green (who used the Violet drone) was Bubbles (who now inhabits the Violet drone) the whole time. As far as nonsensical plot twists go, can’t get much better than that.
Today’s strip is so adorable I can barely think straight (not that that’s easy at the best of times).
But … am I the only one wondering how Bubbles and Sweetdaddy Jupiter Velvet would react if they bumped into each other while Bubbles was in android form?
For a depressing moment I was afraid that the only reason she’d excelled was because with everybody’s reality filter in place they were always hearing only what they wanted/expected from her. Then I remembered that everybody’s still at least working in shadow-gov, so it’s probably just that Bubbles kicks so much ass.
@jdreyfuss: Oh, she has the skills to advance – it’s just that she no longer has any…well, JOY in her position. She doesn’t WANT to advance – or even be at the level she’s at – but she’s TOO competent NOT to be.
The Peter Principle is “promoted to the level of incompetence”; the Bizzaro Peter Principle in play here is “promoted beyond the level of happiness BECAUSE of sheer competence”.
(And this was in my mind before seeing the current strip, I’ll note – which proves exactly my point.)
Interesting, that when she does the words out of order she has to use separate boxes. Or, well, does use separate boxes. (“Does” and “must” are different concepts, after all, and one does not necessarily imply the other.)
Ginny, she’s trying to tell you that she’s not getting any. The poor dear probably works 24 hours a day.
It’s all the opposite. She’s complaining that now that she blasted to the top she’s no longer servicing. She’s unhappy. Handing Virginia some water may be the first service she has done to anyone in a long time.
I got the same impression. She seems frustrated with the direction her life has taken.
Well said, Higgins
I love bubbles, she’s so cute… <3
ooh! since ive got a scanner now ill draw bubbles, violet and android!nick together!
yayyyy skin horse!
Is she saying that being in charge (as opposed to fulfilling other’s needs) is as annoying to her as the situations the rest of ex-SH are in?
Yup! That’s how it looks to me.
Now that she is a top executive, she hardly gets to serve water to anyone! It’s a hard life at the top.
Huh. Five out of six. What about Gavotte, then?
“What does this hive have to say about Colony Collapse Disorder?”
I think Brita Bubbles wants to go home! :>)
Poor Bubbles is living a bizzaro version of the Peter Principle: she was so good at helping people that she rocketed all the way to the top – where she can’t do anything at all for anyone.
That’s exactly what the Peter Principle is. She was so good at every job below that she’s been raised to the level where she no longer has the required skills to advance further. In her case, it’s the top job.
That doesn’t really seem to fit to me. There not being anywhere higher to go has nothing to do with her skills. It seems more like the normal plight of any scientist or engineer promoted to management, they are no longer doing science or engineering.
Suddenly I’m wondering whether anybody actually does understand what she’s saying, or if they just interpret what she says according to their own inclinations.
(Imagine the film Being There with Bubbles in the Chance the Gardener role.)
I’m sure Mustachio as a fellow machine understands her correctly, but you may be right about other people.
Isn’t that what we all do with everyone?
Huge hare rite; commune vacation bang fought wit con fusion!
A big bunny ceremony will do that to you.
Government bureaucracy: you never get assigned the jobs you really want to do. Probably this is the first time Bubbles served water to anyone since Skin Horse broke up. (Probably they don’t know she’s a drone, either…where is her water cooler body?)
I’m not sure she’s still in government, I was under the impression they had all gotten shuffled off to various public and private organizations.
(TUNE: “Tea For Two”, Youmans & Caesar)
Service is my only joy!
My only joy is service, boy!
I live to serve!
I serve, unswerv-
Ingly!
When other folks serve me,
Their actions unnerve me!
The gal at reception
Excels at protection!
Her phone application
Performs extirpation
On Lee!
My underlings won’t let me go!
I try to serve; they just say, “No!”
So here you go,
Some H2O
From me!
I don’t like to be the boss!
But for the words, I’m at a loss!
Vocabular-
Y’s rather spare,
You see!
Lovely Ed, as Usual!
Nothing wrong with *your* vocabulary, Brah!
Bubbles makes some solid points here.
Ice?
Yah, Bubbles is totally not feeling the joy in the last panel 🙁
I love that she’s still staying true to her water-dispensing roots.
For one moment last night I was afraid she had been the big boss all along, and under cover. But clearly not…
Just for the silliness of it, I like the idea that Mr Green (who used the Violet drone) was Bubbles (who now inhabits the Violet drone) the whole time. As far as nonsensical plot twists go, can’t get much better than that.
Today’s strip is so adorable I can barely think straight (not that that’s easy at the best of times).
But … am I the only one wondering how Bubbles and Sweetdaddy Jupiter Velvet would react if they bumped into each other while Bubbles was in android form?
For a depressing moment I was afraid that the only reason she’d excelled was because with everybody’s reality filter in place they were always hearing only what they wanted/expected from her. Then I remembered that everybody’s still at least working in shadow-gov, so it’s probably just that Bubbles kicks so much ass.
Of course she does 🙂
@jdreyfuss: Oh, she has the skills to advance – it’s just that she no longer has any…well, JOY in her position. She doesn’t WANT to advance – or even be at the level she’s at – but she’s TOO competent NOT to be.
The Peter Principle is “promoted to the level of incompetence”; the Bizzaro Peter Principle in play here is “promoted beyond the level of happiness BECAUSE of sheer competence”.
(And this was in my mind before seeing the current strip, I’ll note – which proves exactly my point.)
Interesting, that when she does the words out of order she has to use separate boxes. Or, well, does use separate boxes. (“Does” and “must” are different concepts, after all, and one does not necessarily imply the other.)