I really haven’t been caring for these last few strips. I feel as though Tip’s basically being portrayed as dumb eye-candy. And yes, the company he was keeping was rather intellectual, but it’s still honestly a bit insulting.
Hmm, I’m a Tipfan too, but other people rarely make an impression in his personal universe… this is almost turnabout. Extra points if it’s been carefully engineered by Artie for kidnapping-Dr-Lee purposes!
Here’s the problem: Tip if -very- smart. He has effortless sex-appeal, is a crack shot, fierce, brave, he’s a war hero, a highly trained professional, and looks great no matter what he’s wearing.
When he got kicked out of the military for wearing dresses, he wound up in a top secret paranormal task force. When he angsts, he does it between two naked coeds he just had a fling with.
Tip is not used to being… extranious. Two of his flings, two of the three flings he’s ever cared about, are getting along better together than they do with -him-.
Tip is coming in… SECOND PLACE.
This is not something Tip is equipped to deal with. And as we’ve seen with Tigerlilly, whenever Tip encounters even the slightest setback in not being the center of everyone’s universe, he goes into full funk mode.
That’s what we’ve been seeing. As Artie and Dr. Lee hit it off, Tip starts fumbling and, erm… tripping over himself before sulking off into a dramatic pity party.
I totally agree. Just one quick note: Tip wasn’t kicked out of the military, he was, I quote, “sent him home with an honorable discharge and a recommendation for C.I.A. training”.
This depends somewhat on how you read the strips. My thinking when Tip was bored during the latin exchange between Dr. Lee and Archie was not “Tip doesn’t speak latin” it was “Tip can’t take much more of the achingly unfunny quips and banal banter.”
Tip could well be very smart without knowing much about things like Latin or number theory. It’s pretty wearing being stuck with two people who insist on talking only about stuff you can’t join in on- whether it’s Special Relativity, cricket or the best cafes in Rome. (I speak from multiple experiences on the last one.)
Eh. For whatever reason I’m not inclined to read this so charitably. I really like Tip but there are times when it feels like he’s unduly infantilized and demeaned, which, given his presentation vis-a-vis gender and more recently sexuality, I find rife with unfortunate implications. But I respect that this opinion is not one held by others.
Mm. Honestly, I read these strips as “Tip is a man of limitless potential who chooses to be almost achingly shallow.”
It’s easy to be distracted by Tip’s ability and fashion sense, but we have to remember Tip is as much the “I have a new *book!*” bad-at-his-specific-chosen-profession person as he is the “I can kill six men backwards in heels” person. He’s always lacked depth in crucial ways, and he’s always had things come effortlessly to him.
When they *don’t* come effortlessly to him, Tip can’t cope. His self-image gets blown. And for Tip, self-image is *everything.*
Just for the record? Winners like saltines as well! n_n
That said, I’m wondering if Our Heroes are about to learn that the only thing worse than having to deal with an exultant Tip is having to deal with a despondent one. >_>
Of course he is calling himself a loser. He’s just been deeply insulted purposefully by two people he admires, and yes, it was on purpose: they said they were going to insult him in languages he didn’t speak. They were insufferably rude. Tip may be egocentric, but he’d have to be the Dalai Lama to be kind and understanding about being treated that way.
Okay, I realize these are likely to be nothing but mad science zombies rather than supernatural zombies, but…
According to a lot of zombie lore, salt is anathema to them. So, bearing that in mind, wouldn’t saltines be the LAST cracker they would have on hand?
Peaceful relations or no, there are always jerks in any group or organization.
Without Dr. Lee’s Brain-O-Mat up and running, some of the zombies will probably be hungry, and the aforementioned jerks in that group might see some of the more remote travelers from far-off as looking good with barbecue sauce (if I may overuse the euphemism).
The salt crackers are there for the guests’ use and protection just in case. More of genteel and discretely packaged Mace for use against muggers than a call to war.
Sorry; Lester’s on vacation… elsewhere. You can, however, substitute an orange-haired guy in a white lab coat with a propensity for exploding at the end of every episode. He’s not getting much work outside of Disneyland.
The saltines, BTW, are there to stuff in your shotgun. You know… in case.
mnem
So… has the Febreze in the fire extinguishers been approved? Cuz I’m like… all tooled up and ready to launch full-scale production.
I’ll have a cracker
Snack for late night,
Just a quick bite
From the hotel mini-bar …
I’ll have a cracker
Snack for late night,
Feeling sub-par!
I’m gonna stay up,
I’m not sleepy …
Watching TV,
“Storage Wars” for hours on end!
I’m gonna stay up,
Watching TV,
Don’t have one friend!
That stupid Artie is so brainy!
Really is a pain, he
Made me feel kind of left out!
I never knew, my dear Virginia,
There was cruelty in ya …
I’m gonna sit here and pout!
I’ll have a cracker
Snack for late night,
Just a quick bite,
With my curlers in my hair …
I’ll have a cracker
Snack for late night,
Life is unfair!
I really haven’t been caring for these last few strips. I feel as though Tip’s basically being portrayed as dumb eye-candy. And yes, the company he was keeping was rather intellectual, but it’s still honestly a bit insulting.
Hmm, I’m a Tipfan too, but other people rarely make an impression in his personal universe… this is almost turnabout. Extra points if it’s been carefully engineered by Artie for kidnapping-Dr-Lee purposes!
It’s how Tip is -feeling-, not how he is.
Here’s the problem: Tip if -very- smart. He has effortless sex-appeal, is a crack shot, fierce, brave, he’s a war hero, a highly trained professional, and looks great no matter what he’s wearing.
When he got kicked out of the military for wearing dresses, he wound up in a top secret paranormal task force. When he angsts, he does it between two naked coeds he just had a fling with.
Tip is not used to being… extranious. Two of his flings, two of the three flings he’s ever cared about, are getting along better together than they do with -him-.
Tip is coming in… SECOND PLACE.
This is not something Tip is equipped to deal with. And as we’ve seen with Tigerlilly, whenever Tip encounters even the slightest setback in not being the center of everyone’s universe, he goes into full funk mode.
That’s what we’ve been seeing. As Artie and Dr. Lee hit it off, Tip starts fumbling and, erm… tripping over himself before sulking off into a dramatic pity party.
It’s why we love him.
I love your analysis of the situation. Very well put.
I totally agree. Just one quick note: Tip wasn’t kicked out of the military, he was, I quote, “sent him home with an honorable discharge and a recommendation for C.I.A. training”.
This depends somewhat on how you read the strips. My thinking when Tip was bored during the latin exchange between Dr. Lee and Archie was not “Tip doesn’t speak latin” it was “Tip can’t take much more of the achingly unfunny quips and banal banter.”
Tip could well be very smart without knowing much about things like Latin or number theory. It’s pretty wearing being stuck with two people who insist on talking only about stuff you can’t join in on- whether it’s Special Relativity, cricket or the best cafes in Rome. (I speak from multiple experiences on the last one.)
Right, but normally Tip is the one being witty and urbane to the exclusion of others. He’s not used to being the third wheel.
Eh. For whatever reason I’m not inclined to read this so charitably. I really like Tip but there are times when it feels like he’s unduly infantilized and demeaned, which, given his presentation vis-a-vis gender and more recently sexuality, I find rife with unfortunate implications. But I respect that this opinion is not one held by others.
Mm. Honestly, I read these strips as “Tip is a man of limitless potential who chooses to be almost achingly shallow.”
It’s easy to be distracted by Tip’s ability and fashion sense, but we have to remember Tip is as much the “I have a new *book!*” bad-at-his-specific-chosen-profession person as he is the “I can kill six men backwards in heels” person. He’s always lacked depth in crucial ways, and he’s always had things come effortlessly to him.
When they *don’t* come effortlessly to him, Tip can’t cope. His self-image gets blown. And for Tip, self-image is *everything.*
Just for the record? Winners like saltines as well! n_n
That said, I’m wondering if Our Heroes are about to learn that the only thing worse than having to deal with an exultant Tip is having to deal with a despondent one. >_>
Actually, winners prefer oyster crackers.
Poor despondent Tip! I wonder if he brought the curlers along for just such an occasion?
Since this is the saltine conversation thread, maybe Tip likes saltines and is indirectly calling himself a loser?
Of course he is calling himself a loser. He’s just been deeply insulted purposefully by two people he admires, and yes, it was on purpose: they said they were going to insult him in languages he didn’t speak. They were insufferably rude. Tip may be egocentric, but he’d have to be the Dalai Lama to be kind and understanding about being treated that way.
Okay, I realize these are likely to be nothing but mad science zombies rather than supernatural zombies, but…
According to a lot of zombie lore, salt is anathema to them. So, bearing that in mind, wouldn’t saltines be the LAST cracker they would have on hand?
Actually, you might have hit it on the head.
Peaceful relations or no, there are always jerks in any group or organization.
Without Dr. Lee’s Brain-O-Mat up and running, some of the zombies will probably be hungry, and the aforementioned jerks in that group might see some of the more remote travelers from far-off as looking good with barbecue sauce (if I may overuse the euphemism).
The salt crackers are there for the guests’ use and protection just in case. More of genteel and discretely packaged Mace for use against muggers than a call to war.
Tip, are you man enough for, THE SALTINE CHALLENGE?
Does this involve a man wearing a rat suit?
Sorry; Lester’s on vacation… elsewhere. You can, however, substitute an orange-haired guy in a white lab coat with a propensity for exploding at the end of every episode. He’s not getting much work outside of Disneyland.
The saltines, BTW, are there to stuff in your shotgun. You know… in case.
mnem
So… has the Febreze in the fire extinguishers been approved? Cuz I’m like… all tooled up and ready to launch full-scale production.
Okay, so that means this shouldn’t happen for 32 more storylines. Right? Right?
Also: How awesome is it that Tip came equipped with a Self Pity Funk outfit? It’s his second superpower.
At this point, with Virginia alone with Artie, i.e., unescorted, Skin Horse has already failed at their mission.
Yep. Stupid gerbil-man manipulatation powers…
How come no one has commented on the valet yet?
We had a perfect record up to your comment.
(TUNE: “Walking After Midnight”, Patsy Cline)
I’ll have a cracker
Snack for late night,
Just a quick bite
From the hotel mini-bar …
I’ll have a cracker
Snack for late night,
Feeling sub-par!
I’m gonna stay up,
I’m not sleepy …
Watching TV,
“Storage Wars” for hours on end!
I’m gonna stay up,
Watching TV,
Don’t have one friend!
That stupid Artie is so brainy!
Really is a pain, he
Made me feel kind of left out!
I never knew, my dear Virginia,
There was cruelty in ya …
I’m gonna sit here and pout!
I’ll have a cracker
Snack for late night,
Just a quick bite,
With my curlers in my hair …
I’ll have a cracker
Snack for late night,
Life is unfair!
Just wondering, is the bellboy in panel 1 a zombie…and how much do you tip a bellboy zombie?
The housecoat and curlers. Two different colors of curlers, even. Perfect.
How much do you tip a zombie? Just a lobe or two.
As a saltine lover I take offense.