# I don't quite get today's "Questionable Content" strip **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-strips\ **Created:** [April 13, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967 "2010-04-13T17:48:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 79
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1561 "2014-11-19T04:01:37Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Well, yeah, but unless you’re going to be sleeping with Marten or Claire, that doesn’t affect you. Again, they’re not real. Nothing they “do” affects me. Nothing I wonder about or talk about affects them. There’s no level of “acceptable” or “unacceptable” to be found here. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1562 "2014-11-19T05:24:04Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > You’d be surprised at how many completely straight guys don’t mind a dick on their girlfriend. I know I’d be surprised, given the preponderance of rather nice-looking transgender women I know who are still very painfully and sadly single. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1563 "2014-11-19T06:57:23Z")
Una: what do you think of Miller’s description of someone dating a trans person: > [@](#): > > If you’re going to date a transperson, you just have to accept that you’re basically in a Schroedinger’s Crotch situation. You don’t know what you’re going to find until you get to third base, the wave-form collapses (I’ve deleted his addition of “and you find out if there’s a pussy or not.” since that implies “pussy” is the most desirable outcome.) Are the sexual politics really like that? Obviously meeting someone at the bar, chatting with them a bit, then blurting out: “so, hey, you got a dick?” is beyond boorish. But are there any in-between stages there, something before Miller’s scenario of making out one day and something, um pops up? (sorry.) Can the couple really not just discuss this judiciously? ---
**Author:** ![ozaline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc29f/32.png) [@ozaline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ozaline)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1564 "2014-11-19T07:46:30Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Una: what do you think of Miller’s description of someone dating a trans person: > (I’ve deleted his addition of “and you find out if there’s a pussy or not.” since that implies “pussy” is the most desirable outcome.) > > Are the sexual politics really like that? Obviously meeting someone at the bar, chatting with them a bit, then blurting out: “so, hey, you got a dick?” is beyond boorish. But are there any in-between stages there, something before Miller’s scenario of making out one day and something, um pops up? (sorry.) Can the couple really not just discuss this judiciously? Actually I didn’t think that Miller was saying it was most desirable… just going for the Schrodinger’s cat pun, which as a Trans Woman I thought was kinda cute. Anyway I think bottom line is it’s gotta be at the trans person’s discretion (as is, even revealing trans status in the first place)… It doesn’t necessarily have to be right before sex, but it’s really up to that person when they want to make the call to discuss it… and certainly if you’re not expecting to see them naked any time soon, it’s probably not the best idea to bring it up. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1565 "2014-11-19T11:39:54Z")
Have we commented before on how tall Marten’s mother is? Assuming Marten’s of average height, she’s well over 6 foot tall, maybe around 6’6". ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1566 "2014-11-19T15:07:15Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Have we commented before on how tall Marten’s mother is? Assuming Marten’s of average height, she’s well over 6 foot tall, maybe around 6’6". No she’s about the same height as her bakery store boyfriend and, presumably, given her current or past occupational choice she probably wears quite high heels. Marten is a touch below average male height. He looks bigger because most of the time he is next to women. I peg his height at about 5’ 8". Plus he slumps. He’s a congenital slumper. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1567 "2014-11-19T15:43:25Z")
There’s no Word of God on specific heights of his characters, but Jeph had this to say about the issue: > [@Jeph's Tumblr](#): > > Q: How tall is Emily? better yet what is the height of the rest of the cast? > > Q: I think in terms of height relationships instead of actual fixed heights. Emily is taller than Marten but shorter than Sven. Faye is shorter than Marten but taller than Marigold. Marigold is a little shorter than Faye but taller than Claire. Jeph is also notoriously inconsistent at drawing even relative heights, which can change even within a single daily strip. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1568 "2014-11-19T16:02:25Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > As someone who’s dated a few transsexuals, that’s pretty much how it goes. Asking a transperson what they’ve got in their pants is just about the surest way to guarantee you’ll never find out. As someone who never has dated a transsexual (and very likely never will since I’m married), I find that interesting and even a little surprising. But then, that’s why I’d have a curiosity to see this explored in the comic for reasons other than “hur hur, is Marten gonna find a dong?” Reading the comic though, my assumption would be that Claire has fully transitioned. Both by her saying that she “started transitioning” years ago and because in a world of sentient androids, holograms, casually visited space stations and a brother with a robot hand, I assume that cost and technology isn’t a barrier for her. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1569 "2014-11-19T16:23:37Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I’m not saying the strip doesn’t make jokes about sex, nor am I saying the strip won’t ever make sex jokes involving Claire. I’m saying that the specific mechanics of what the characters do in bed is generally not something the comic goes into much detail about, and whether Claire has a penis or a vagina is exactly that kind of specific mechanic. I’m sure at some point we’ll have a comic with Martin and Claire\* in bed together, under the covers, either pre- or post-coital, with some punch line related to the fact that either just had or are about to have sex. I don’t see any particular necessity to know the status of Claire’s junk for that joke to happen. > \*Twice now, I’ve mistyped that as “Martin in Claire.” Freudian much? Of course it isn’t “necessary”. The issue is whether it would be “funny” or “advance the drama”. Here we have Martin ‘owning’ a robot with apparently no disrection or tact to speak of, who is obsessed with sex. It exists for crude, explicit sexual humour. Martin, owner of said robot, is dating Claire. We are to believe that, suddenly, said robot is going to grow a sense of tact and maturity about their bedroom behaviour - this being the same robot who, when Martin broke up with his last partner, taped a pic of an ass to itself and wagged it in Martin’s face? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1570 "2014-11-19T16:27:46Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Well, yeah, but unless you’re going to be sleeping with Marten or Claire, that doesn’t affect you. I strongly suspect that’s the point Jeph is making by not talking about it - that if you happen to know someone who’s trans, then their genitalia is none of your business unless they choose to make it so. To my recollection, we don’t know the genital configuration of any of the characters, so talking about Claire’s would be a break from tradition, and would support the idea that discussing trans people’s bits in a way you wouldn’t with cis people’s is acceptable. Uh … not true: we have had a “clitoral hood piercing” story arc. So obviously, genital configuration discussions are _not_ verboten for other characters. [http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1247](http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1247) [http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1248](http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1248) [http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1249](http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1249) “My girlfiend is cooing over my bosses’ vulva like it was a newborn kitten” ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1571 "2014-11-19T16:39:08Z")
Also, we know Martin has balls because Faye first puked on them, then head butted them. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1572 "2014-11-19T17:00:27Z")
And Marten once told Dora’s father “Your daughter has put my penis in her mouth.” ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1573 "2014-11-19T17:57:42Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Una: what do you think of Miller’s description of someone dating a trans person: > (I’ve deleted his addition of “and you find out if there’s a pussy or not.” since that implies “pussy” is the most desirable outcome.) > > Are the sexual politics really like that? Obviously meeting someone at the bar, chatting with them a bit, then blurting out: “so, hey, you got a dick?” is beyond boorish. But are there any in-between stages there, something before Miller’s scenario of making out one day and something, um pops up? (sorry.) Can the couple really not just discuss this judiciously? What I’ve been hearing (this was actually the subject of a big ol roundtable discussion I was in last month) is that more and more frequently younger transwomen will tell a date on the first date. This is for two reasons - first, the (chronologically) young ones are getting bolder, braver, less subjected to discrimination and therefore more likely to expect a non-violent outcome. Also, most people do not have much investment by the first date, so even a man who is really turned off is unlikely to start beating you up if the most you’ve done is hold hands. Others tell a few more dates into the process. We older ones are much more secretive about it, and sometimes never tell until directly asked, or until it’s “3rd base” time. But for those over 30, it seems to be related to fear and our expectation of trouble, how “out” we are, and just how brave we are. It can be awkward and terrifying, and lead to nasty unilateral break-ups from either side, fights, physical abuse, or worse. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1574 "2014-11-19T18:06:40Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > And Marten once told Dora’s father “Your daughter has put my penis in her mouth.” So maybe soon he can tell Claire’s mother “Your daughter has put her penis in my mouth.” (Seriously, I’m more inclined to **Jophiel** ’s theory.) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1575 "2014-11-19T18:19:07Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > What I’ve been hearing (this was actually the subject of a big ol roundtable discussion I was in last month) is that more and more frequently younger transwomen will tell a date on the first date. This is for two reasons - first, the (chronologically) young ones are getting bolder, braver, less subjected to discrimination and therefore more likely to expect a non-violent outcome. Also, most people do not have much investment by the first date, so even a man who is really turned off is unlikely to start beating you up if the most you’ve done is hold hands. Others tell a few more dates into the process. > > We older ones are much more secretive about it, and sometimes never tell until directly asked, or until it’s “3rd base” time. > > But for those over 30, it seems to be related to fear and our expectation of trouble, how “out” we are, and just how brave we are. It can be awkward and terrifying, and lead to nasty unilateral break-ups from either side, fights, physical abuse, or worse. **Una** , to clarify - are you talking about at what point people come out as trans, or at what point people talk about how much genital surgery they’ve had? In the comic under discussion, Claire came out as trans to her boyfriend before they started dating. The question in this thread is, would they necessarily discuss the state of her genitals before they have sex? ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1576 "2014-11-19T18:39:16Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > You’d be surprised at how many completely straight guys don’t mind a dick on their girlfriend. You’d be surprised at how many people would argue that if you don’t mind a dick you’re not completely straight. I even know a few unreconstructed bigots who would cavil at the notion of someone with a dick being a girlfriend, may perdition attend them. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1577 "2014-11-19T18:49:27Z")
> [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](#): > > You’d be surprised at how many people would argue that if you don’t mind a dick you’re not completely straight. Yes, I’m sure we’ve that argument even on these boards, which I thought tedious and silly, but there’s people who say that if you don’t mind the dick, you’re obviously 100% gay, case closed. Which is ridiculous. I subscribe to the notion that someone’s sexual orientation is whatever they say it is. It seems like basic manners to me. Which can lead to silly responses like “what about a man who says he’s a lesbian?” which is a bit obnoxious. But fine, dude, you’re a lesbian. Go away. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1578 "2014-11-19T18:49:37Z")
> [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](#): > > You’d be surprised at how many people would argue that if you don’t mind a dick you’re not completely straight. I don’t think I would be, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1579 "2014-11-19T21:32:46Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Yes, I’m sure we’ve that argument even on these boards, which I thought tedious and silly, but there’s people who say that if you don’t mind the dick, you’re obviously 100% gay, case closed. Which is ridiculous. > > I subscribe to the notion that someone’s sexual orientation is whatever they say it is. It seems like basic manners to me. Which can lead to silly responses like “what about a man who says he’s a lesbian?” which is a bit obnoxious. But fine, dude, you’re a lesbian. Go away. You’re probably much more enlightened than I am, and I’m sure it’s to your credit, but I incline to the view that if you’re even going to bother having words to describe sexual orientation, then they should be as objective as any other, and the notion of a man self-identifying as “100% straight, but I actually really like sucking dick” is a patent absurdity. If you want to say “Who I have sex with, and what we do, is my business and theirs, and none of yours” then I’m entirely cool with that. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967/1580 "2014-11-19T22:18:47Z")
> [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](#): > > You’re probably much more enlightened than I am, and I’m sure it’s to your credit, but I incline to the view that if you’re even going to bother having words to describe sexual orientation, then they should be as objective as any other, and the notion of a man self-identifying as “100% straight, but I actually really like sucking dick” is a patent absurdity. > > If you want to say “Who I have sex with, and what we do, is my business and theirs, and none of yours” then I’m entirely cool with that. 🆒 I’m not sure what you’re using “objective” to mean here, but depending on your context, anywhere from “a huge number of” to “all” words are not objective. In particular, words like “homosexual” and “heterosexual” are very broad categories invented to describe an extremely variegated phenomenon. They’re best understood as being at least slightly fuzzy. Insisting on the narrowest possible definitions of these terms generally reduces their utility. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967.md?page=78) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967.md?page=80)