Motivational tape?

[isobel]

So it looks like Stan was just honest-to-God confused that this siren of his hadn't used her wiles on guys before. And now the question is: is he trying to do something sweet and romantic for her, or is he being a kind of motivational coach? I hope he's really going a little sappy over this, because lord knows Michelle could do with a little affection, even if it's not from a long-term boyfriend.

Also, what do we think of Rich in this? Is she not over him and "settling" for Stan (or maybe using him for revenge), or is he just the exception to the "any guy" rule?

[Freemage]

Heh. In any case, this is certainly better than the 'worst-case' scenarios some folks were interpreting in Stan's behavior (although it doesn't really speak well of Michelle).

[Papuasblya]

You know, this is more evidence that Stan's a great guy. Let's review:

1 ) He ran a clean campaign. Yes, he ran an aggressive and bombastic campaign, but did he try to smear his opponents personally? NO -- Duane went negative on HIM, and he took the accusation as a compliment. He did not respond in kind.

2 ) He magnanimously withdrew. Sure, he has ulterior motives, but did he harm anyone in doing so?

3 ) He is promiscuous -- with women who appear to have no misconceptions about his desires. Brandi and he have clear and mutually accepted rules. He thought the same about Michelle, so he's a bit dopey for making the mistake, but then again, maybe she is into it only for the nookie -- remember she has been warned by Brandi not to fall in love and she has proceeded straight to Stan with that advice in her pocket.

4 ) He appears to be a very sensitive and generous lover. Note that when he practically brags that his women are satisfied, we see Brandi nodding and we have never seen any woman say anything bad along the lines of "he used me" or "he was lousy." Note that although he clearly has had a number of women, we never see him bragging.

5 ) He doesn't run around behind friends' backs. Even though Rich clearly did not care a bit, and even though Stan himself thought it a bit foolish that he should clear it with Rich first, he did that because Rich's relationship is important to him too.

6 ) He is not above using charisma to get what he wants, but he's pretty straightforward about what he wants and we haven't seen one person say "oh he promised to do X but he instead did Y."

7 ) He doesn't talk against people. He teased Rich about Penny, and he has mentioned that Duane is a bit boring and over-intellectual and that Aggie is a stuffed-shirt about her global politics, but the first is buddies talking to each other and the other is pretty much the truth.

8 ) He is obviously completely color-blind -- his competition with Duane had nothing at all to do with race and Brandi clearly demonstrates that he has no prejudices against black women.

9 ) He's genuinely nice to Michelle. The fact that they have had intercourse is no strike against him -- she chose him, she was at least as seductive as he was, she made the first real move, and he does not appear to "notch his bedpost." I really think he intends to be helpful to her with this talk he is leading up to.

10 ) He rarely loses his cool. Watch him take care of Jack when Jack gets drunk. He is obviously well trusted by his friends, since Jack, who is drunk and belligerent, allows himself to be led away to the bathroom by Stan without fighting back.

11 ) He is genuine. Stan as candidate was pretty much Stan the Man. Look at his face when he deflowers Michelle -- no anger, no self-satisfaction, just shock and awe. Now look at him comfort her. He may or may not be or fall in love with her, but he will be a great friend to her.

[ria]

I had little solid opinion on Stan before, but this is making me like him (granted he shows a little sympathy rather than turning an abortive attempt at sex into a lecture).

[ria]

Also, I don't see anything to condemn in Michelle. If anything, she seems a little broken inside. She hasn't hurt anyone because of it. She just needs to be shown a little love (including the love that comes from friendship) and try to gain some self confidence. It would be a great start for her.

[Kitsuiko]

You know, this is more evidence that Stan's a great guy. Let's review:

1 ) He ran a clean campaign. Yes, he ran an aggressive and bombastic campaign, but did he try to smear his opponents personally? NO -- Duane went negative on HIM, and he took the accusation as a compliment. He did not respond in kind.

2 ) He magnanimously withdrew. Sure, he has ulterior motives, but did he harm anyone in doing so?

3 ) He is promiscuous -- with women who appear to have no misconceptions about his desires. Brandi and he have clear and mutually accepted rules. He thought the same about Michelle, so he's a bit dopey for making the mistake, but then again, maybe she is into it only for the nookie -- remember she has been warned by Brandi not to fall in love and she has proceeded straight to Stan with that advice in her pocket.

4 ) He appears to be a very sensitive and generous lover. Note that when he practically brags that his women are satisfied, we see Brandi nodding and we have never seen any woman say anything bad along the lines of "he used me" or "he was lousy." Note that although he clearly has had a number of women, we never see him bragging.

5 ) He doesn't run around behind friends' backs. Even though Rich clearly did not care a bit, and even though Stan himself thought it a bit foolish that he should clear it with Rich first, he did that because Rich's relationship is important to him too.

6 ) He is not above using charisma to get what he wants, but he's pretty straightforward about what he wants and we haven't seen one person say "oh he promised to do X but he instead did Y."

7 ) He doesn't talk against people. He teased Rich about Penny, and he has mentioned that Duane is a bit boring and over-intellectual and that Aggie is a stuffed-shirt about her global politics, but the first is buddies talking to each other and the other is pretty much the truth.

8 ) He is obviously completely color-blind -- his competition with Duane had nothing at all to do with race and Brandi clearly demonstrates that he has no prejudices against black women.

9 ) He's genuinely nice to Michelle. The fact that they have had intercourse is no strike against him -- she chose him, she was at least as seductive as he was, she made the first real move, and he does not appear to "notch his bedpost." I really think he intends to be helpful to her with this talk he is leading up to.

10 ) He rarely loses his cool. Watch him take care of Jack when Jack gets drunk. He is obviously well trusted by his friends, since Jack, who is drunk and belligerent, allows himself to be led away to the bathroom by Stan without fighting back.

11 ) He is genuine. Stan as candidate was pretty much Stan the Man. Look at his face when he deflowers Michelle -- no anger, no self-satisfaction, just shock and awe. Now look at him comfort her. He may or may not be or fall in love with her, but he will be a great friend to her.

With all of the Stan-dislike that happened before, I'm kind of glad to see that most people aren't trying to find a way to make him evil here too. I think Stan's a pretty good guy that people want to be a bad guy, because he went against Aggie.

Which is kind of like kicking a puppy on the forum. Even if the puppy had rabies and was going for your leg.

[CaRinn]

i am really curious about what he is gonna do

[Sebastian]

You know, this is more evidence that Stan's a great guy. Let's review:

1 ) He ran a clean campaign. Yes, he ran an aggressive and bombastic campaign, but did he try to smear his opponents personally? NO -- Duane went negative on HIM, and he took the accusation as a compliment. He did not respond in kind.

Well, more thn clean I'd say "empty" he lied, he make promise that he knew he could not mantain and generally was everything a politician should not be.

[Papuasblya]

You know, this is more evidence that Stan's a great guy. Let's review:

1 ) He ran a clean campaign. Yes, he ran an aggressive and bombastic campaign, but did he try to smear his opponents personally? NO -- Duane went negative on HIM, and he took the accusation as a compliment. He did not respond in kind.

Well, more thn clean I'd say "empty" he lied, he make promise that he knew he could not mantain and generally was everything a politician should not be.

Empty promises are the stuff of modern democracy. The candidate who tells the truth is the candidate who makes the concession speech.

[StarKruzr]

This is going to be incredibly, incredibly sweet.

[Papuasblya]

With all of the Stan-dislike that happened before, I'm kind of glad to see that most people aren't trying to find a way to make him evil here too. I think Stan's a pretty good guy that people want to be a bad guy, because he went against Aggie.

You raise an interesting point. What does it say about us as readers if our primary reason for disliking someone is simply that he competed against someone we liked in a contest? Or that he used different, but apparently equally acceptable rules, in that contest?

[willow_41z]

Just wanted to put my two cents in and say that I liked the artistic detail of Michelle's mascara running as she cries!

[Papuasblya]

Have you guys noticed that he's sweet-talking her AFTER she's put out, instead of before? Note to the authors -- PLEASE don't yank us back to Aggie listening to Charisma talk about Little Nicky or Marshall turning the cold water on Karen or a graphic exposition of The Night Penny And Rich Did Not Have Sex -- Stan and Michelle are a good arc to stay with. First of all, I want to see Stan's motivational routine, and second, well, Michelle (even if strategically covered) is a sweet treat in the sheets.

[Kuroinu]

Stan's never really come across to me as a "bad-guy," per say. I don't think there really are any "bad people" in this comic (well, maybe Meg, but we don't have enough on her yet). Everyone is just a teenager, and just doing what most people there age do.

In Nick and Charisma's case, they are adults doing adulty things, and they can do that.

Stan always came across to me as just a guy with alot of charisma and confidence. Even in school I could never look down on guys that acted JUST LIKE him, but rather I'd look at them in slight admiration. They at least knew what they wanted, and were pretty confident they would get it. Stan's just a confident goofball (who appears to have a slight inferiority complex to Rich).

I like today's comic alot simply because he's showing a side that alot of the readers didn't think he had. I must admit, it made me super-giddy. Him begging Michelle to stop crying, and then his motivational tape suggestion just prove (to me at least) that he's not a jackass.

[Eyeless Blond]

With all of the Stan-dislike that happened before, I'm kind of glad to see that most people aren't trying to find a way to make him evil here too. I think Stan's a pretty good guy that people want to be a bad guy, because he went against Aggie.

You raise an interesting point. What does it say about us as readers if our primary reason for disliking someone is simply that he competed against someone we liked in a contest? Or that he used different, but apparently equally acceptable rules, in that contest?

Well, I think the problem is that the way Stan ran his campaign wasn't "acceptable". It was effective, sure, because it focused on image and flash over substance, the same way most real-life elections do today. Most people in these forums are probably just as annoyed at this real-life trend as they were about the election in P&A, so I don't find the dislike for Stan surprising or unwarranted at all.

[bokonondeemax]

Stan must use some industrial strength hair products. All that sweaty exercise and not a hair outta place (unlike the fair wench .

[Nekodromeda]

You know, with all the Stan-hating/loving flying around...I've just got to say. My first reaction to this latest strip? "Oh god....he even has motivational tapes. ::headdesk::".

That said, Stan does seem pretty nice, if very driven and ambitious.

[iRobot]

Empty promises are the stuff of modern democracy.

It doesn't make it right nor laudable. It's still slimey.

[sopdetly]

Have you guys noticed that he's sweet-talking her AFTER she's put out, instead of before?

Actually, I saw this strip as an immediate follow-up to Monday's, as though Stan cries out, "Why???" and rolls off her right away. I could be wrong, though.

Anyone else still a bit put off by the implication that a hot girl must not value her virginity, be willing to sleep with "any" guy, and seems to be expected to do so? Now, I realise that in this situation, Michelle is essentially doing just that as much as she thinks she can...but Stan doesn't know that. I'm not going to go into generalizing what is "typical" for a guy, because the only guy that matters now is Stan, but to me that's just holding me back from thinking he's a completely awesome guy. I do appreciate that her confession was enough to draw him up short and realise that Something Wasn't Right, even if I don't like his reasons for coming to that conclusion.

[atristain]

Why is everybody mentioning Charisma and Stan together? Does he goes to the same gym as Marshall and Karen? Doesn't she knows he is underage?

I can't wait to see Michelle's face when she finds out that Stan's tape starts with this song:

1,2,3,4

I love myself
I want you to love me
When I feel down
I want you above me
I search myself
I want you to find me
I forget myself
I want you to remind me

I don't want
Anybody else
When I think about you
I touch myself
Ohhhh, I don't want
Anybody else
Oh no, oh no, oh no

[iRobot]

Have you guys noticed that he's sweet-talking her AFTER she's put out, instead of before?

Actually, I saw this strip as an immediate follow-up to Monday's, as though Stan cries out, "Why???" and rolls off her right away. I could be wrong, though.

I'm getting a similar impression.

Anyone else still a bit put off by the implication that a hot girl must not value her virginity, be willing to sleep with "any" guy, and seems to be expected to do so?

I don't see it that way. Stan is making the assumption that Rich, being Stan's idol of sorts, could land any girl, and given Michelle's disirability that he would have gotten into her knickers when they had their short-term fling. Stan's thinking "How did that not happen?"

[isobel]

Augh, I hope it's going to be something good. The part of my brain that makes nightmares is dreading a cam of some kind, either that will be turned on or has been turned on ("See? All these guys on the internet want you!"). I don't think Stan would-- he's not Robespierre or his horrible friend-- but bleagh. The idea crossed my mind and now it won't go away. T_T

[El Durazno Muerte]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

There are two things I'd like to say about today's strip:

1) Stan's trying to make Michelle feel better. Whatever he says now, he still could have cried "Why??" for any of the reasons that you guys brought up before. Still and all, I'm glad his heart's in the right place.

2) I'm not entirely certain a "motivational tape," or even an earnest heart-to-heart, is what Stan has in mind. Do you ask someone to close their eyes before you say something nice to them? But whatever happens, I'm sure Stan will get to perform some stirring, er, oration.
Uh... yeah.
I bring this up because, if that's the case, then this would be the perfect time to cut away, and I gather a few people would be kind of irritated by that.

Great. My first post and it's about oral sex. Oh, well, that's the internet for you!

[S. Edmund]

I think that today's strip is continued on from monday's without any free space. it didn't seem to me they would keep going at all. moment ruined, and there wasn't much of a moment to begin with.

I'm thinkin' the next strip in their arc is going to be around the lines of what El Durano suggested, with a prelude of praiseblahblahblah. or, it'll be karoke to that christinia agulria. 'beautiful' or whatever.

[rcmonroe]

I love myself
I want you to love me
When I feel down
I want you above me
I search myself
I want you to find me
I forget myself
I want you to remind me

I don't want
Anybody else
When I think about you
I touch myself
Ohhhh, I don't want
Anybody else
Oh no, oh no, oh no

That was the Divinyls, not the Bangles.