Girls with Slingshots/Headscratchers

• Hazel acts like she has absolutely no income after the Tribune shuts down, but wasn't she writing for a magazine and a blog, as well? They could at least mention that she got fired or downsized, or that those jobs don't supply enough income, but no, these jobs are never even mentioned again. What happened?
  • It's explained in the newer strips. She was freelancing for the magazine and they stopped calling, and there's nothing in the strip that said she was making money from the blog in the first place.
• Does anyone else feel this comic is sexist as hell? Every male character other than Zack, Darren or Jameson is presented in an unflattering light - Chris is "a noob" when it comes to sex, Tucker and Jim are stalkers (with Tucker resorting to blackmail to even get a date), and Tyler is a one-note "boobies" joke. Meanwhile, Maureen is apparently so turned off by Jameson's hair she hires someone to forcibly shave it (in an act reminiscent of rape), Candy tries to rape Chris, and Hazel tries to mess with Jameson's and Chris' dating life even though she actually does not feel anything romantic towards them--but none of them are called out on their behaviour or anything of the sort.
  • Okay, taking this one point at a time:
    - Why is Chris being a "noob" unflattering? He is portrayed in a sympathetic light, being overall well-intentioned and nice. This isn't a character flaw, and I don't think anyone's saying (or should say, if we apply your "called on their behavior" comment) that he's a bad person for not being good at sex.
    - Tucker is called on his behavior. If I recall correctly, so was Jim. And while it does make them creepy as fuck, it does not make them inherently bad people. Just misguided as to how to act on their intentions, and said intentions weren't violent or deranged. Neither of them came off as mentally damaged, "I'm-going-to-kill-you-because-The Catcher in The Rye-said-to"-type stalkers, and both stopped when told to knock it off. They are currently being taught how to talk to women without resorting to stalking.
    - Tyler rarely shows up these days. And in case you haven't noticed, everyone thinks he's a twisted little weirdo. I'd call that being "called on his behavior." To say nothing of the fact that he was roundly humiliated for his part in the batterypocolypse.
    - I think Jameson's reaction is what makes this a problem. He acts as though he's been violated and yet sticks with Maureen afterwards. I actually have nothing for this. Getting him shaved like that was a bitch move, sure--he could've just kept the bandana like he wanted--but I don't think it's a relationship-ender.(Later note: Maureen had very little to do with the forcible shave. That was mostly Clarice and Hazel. All Maureen knew is that they were going to talk to a professional barber)
    - I think the rape is retgone, but you're not alone, if that helps. It pissed the hell out of me that everyone kept playing nice with her afterwards, and reading the YMMV page it seems like a good amount of readers agree.
    - I think the implication was that Hazel was in denial about her affections for Jameson and Chris, and took for granted that they'd remain single and she wouldn't have to worry about it. Doesn't make it any less of a bitch move, but then it was supposed to be. Pretty sure she was called on that, too.
    -Overall, though, I don't know what you're expecting, and moreover how does this tie into sexism? Characters on both sides are equally flawed in fairly gender-neutral ways. The fact that their flaws are related to sexual and romantic relationships wouldn't make them any less flawed if the genders were switched.
  • The "called out on their behaviour" comment was about the women, not the men. My point was that nearly all characters are equally flawed in terms of relationship issues - but only the MEN are either punished for their mistakes or treated as comedy fuel, not the women.
    • No, Hazel has been getting a lot of flack lately for her behaviour. Thea got beaten up for making assumptions about her relationship with Angel, and got an STD from her as well. Erin peed her pants trying to hide her relationship with Jamie. So it's not just dudes who have to deal with the consequences of their actions. Also, Maureen never shaved Jameson's head, that was Hazel and Clarice.