Getting a bit high-school there, Todd.
↓ Transcript
Todd: So, what did you like best about our visit today?
Selkie: Whats DIDN'TS I like?!
Selkie: I likeds watching the dancings best, I thinks.
Todd: I enjoyed that too.
Selkie: Ands I had a goods talk with Mister Gien.
Todd: That's right. What did you talk about, anyway?
Selkie: I tolds him how I thinks Jin'Sorai shoulds move to the surface, because the others already dids that, ands we don's wants to be lefts behinds.
Todd: Sweetie, I think you accidentally engaged in tribalism.
Selkie: What's tribalism?
Todd: ...I'm not going to know if saying that was a bad idea until your adult years, am I?
Selkie: Whats DIDN'TS I like?!
Selkie: I likeds watching the dancings best, I thinks.
Todd: I enjoyed that too.
Selkie: Ands I had a goods talk with Mister Gien.
Todd: That's right. What did you talk about, anyway?
Selkie: I tolds him how I thinks Jin'Sorai shoulds move to the surface, because the others already dids that, ands we don's wants to be lefts behinds.
Todd: Sweetie, I think you accidentally engaged in tribalism.
Selkie: What's tribalism?
Todd: ...I'm not going to know if saying that was a bad idea until your adult years, am I?
If the tribalism joke creates argumentive comments, God help me I WILL turn this comic into a Dragon Ball Z ripoff.
Heheh… it’s over 9000!
You mean 8000. :p
(I say this in the most joking manner I possible can with the internet denying me my snarky tones and face that can’t hide laughter)
The “aw crap” look on his face is priceless… PRICELEEEEESS!!!
No, Todd. This is exactly the age to bring up such topics—especially when your child will be
(already is) a potential victim and participant of tribalism. I hope more parents begin to approach this uncomfortable topic with their kids from this point forward in RL as well. Seems like the US have could avoided many of the worst current events if we had these conversations with kids about 20-50 years ago.
Now I want a DBZ tipoff.
‘Tribalism’ is a *homo sapiens sapiens* concept, Todd. Don’t assume that another species has the same mental wiring as ours simply because they’re so remarkably similar in outward appearance to us. Are the sarnothi clans even fully interfertile with each other? I don’t remember.
(Note: this could in fact be tribalism. But Todd is still making assumptions.)
Morality is a cultural thing that’s pretty dependent on majority opinion. Having said that there sentient and Selkie kinda proves there as adaptive as human babies so I’m going to say this. Slavery was considered a god given right And morally correct supported by culture. The systematic mutilaton of the female body with foot binding in China and the removal of other bits was considered morally good. Being culturally relevant is not the same as being good and push back on social norms is a constant process. That’s how a culture develops. Also the doctors family is bi racial and the whole Scar backstory is he could be the dad so yeah they can have kids together.
The De’Madiea family is Tel’Dora, not biracial. (Pohl explicitly says this on page 401, panel 6.) To the best of my knowledge, Selkie is the only known hybrid, ever — which suggests just how taboo it is!
“To the best of my knowledge, Selkie is the only known hybrid, ever — which suggests just how taboo it is!”
This is, mostly, the case. Inter-Clan relationships are highly uncommon in Sarnoth proper. Although, in this smaller village-style setting where there’s more community between Clan members… well, time will tell.
Tell that to chimpanzees.
Kames
Hames
HAAAAAAAAAAAS!
Eh… this feels more like when Andi used some reverse psychology on Amanda to get her to try a new hair style, then freaked out internally because of how Andi’s mom would treat her. Andi was doing it to help Amanda grow, Andi’s mom was tearing Andi down.
Selkie has a clear motive to help her people out without tearing others down. Like ‘If they can do that new, so can we!’ instead of ‘They’re doing that new thing, let’s stop them right now!’
I also feel as if there is a difference between encouraging someone to try something new and forcing someone to try something new. Like say a child is scared of swimming. Forcing them to swim to get over their fears probably isn’t the best way. Acknowledging their fears and offering productive ways to deal with them, while also knowing when to back off is probably the best.
In general, I think all parents use some form of manipulation to some extent on their kids, whether bribery or guilt tripping or reverse psychology. You don’t really need it when you are older, but young kids you can’t really have a rational conversation with why they have to do something or shouldn’t do something sometimes, especially if there isn’t time for that debate.
I do agree with Tannen that the extent of manipulation and how it is used matters.
Oh and also Andi was totally willing to acknowledge that she was stuck in her ways and changed her own hairstyle because amanda called her out
This comic proves why America, the good old USA, is the best country in the world. ALL the others are horrible, have you seen the taxes they pay? And they all dress weird and wear funny looking Hats.
(Sorry Dave, the pressure got to be too much, I’ve been waiting for Selkie to go Super Saien for years now. It is inevitable! Give in, Luke. It is your destiny!)