I kinda feel the same way, though. I mean, I eat a salad sometimes, much how a cat will eat grass, but otherwise I agree with Selkie; “Eating plants… this is the darkests of witchcrafts.”
I’m also not a bug fan of sweets, but must admit to loving to eat watermelon.
Yeah, watermelon, comes in an oval, one of Nature’s most perfect foods. Notice it comes in an oval, … like eggs, or rib eye steak, or even the hot iron platter that fajitas come on…
Gee. It’s almost as if forcing a kid to eat something that made her violently ill is kind of a d*ck move….like. Todd. You remember this. Why are you being so oblivious?
How do you expect her to wanna try this when she vomited from eating a grape? This feels like a punishment. Food shouldn’t be a punishment.
Nobody’s holding her mouth open and shoving it down her throat. Nobody’s threatening her with any negative connotations if she refuses the drink. Their family likes tea, and it’s their celebration for having a baby, and showing Selkie that not only can the adults drink it, but so can a kid, shows Selkie it is safe to eat.
Please don’t use the word “forcing” unless it’s earnestly meant for the sake of readers who actually have been physically forced or otherwise threatened. The “mmmmm so taaasty” approach has been used to encourage kids to try something since the dawn of time. It’s not coercive or harmful.
Yeah no. This is forcing. You can actually force someone to do something like this without being physical. Just eff off. You’re annoying as Heck. This is not a proper way of going about it. So screw you.
You should change your name to Lady Obnoxious. Like the unnecessary use of profanity on a family comic.
No one is forcing her to do anything, they are encouraging her and providing an opportunity for her. Its also the job of adults to help children get past prior bad experiences and ensure they are getting the proper nutrition.
Stop asserting your view is the only correct one, you do it often and obnoxiously.
Come on, now. Stooping to name-calling really isn’t really better. LadyObvious can be prickly, but I don’t think she is trying to troll or be hateful. And many times she says things that are pretty dead-on/cool, though I disagree with her here—and no—she has no business telling other people to get lost (no more than we do at least). 😉
There is nothing happening here other than:
1) showing Selkie, by example, that she can do something she’s not aware of, and
2) you sitting here being obnoxious and abusive.
I suggest you grow up, stop complaining about others, and behave appropriately in this forum before Dave kicks you out.
I do think it’s a wise move to show her that yes, she can eat certain plants. Just prepared in certain ways and with certain methods. It’s good to know what one can do. You need to learn something new every day or life is boring.
I could show her a few rubs for meat she would probably very much like. And I would certainly tenderize her steak in honey to give her a chance to try something new provided that honey is close enough to her wheelhouse and isn’t like a grape.
At best (or worst), the word you may be looking for is “coercing.” Todd and Pohl’s expressions on the previous page do make their potential intent seem to be less than wholesome, but without being able to read specific tone of voice through text, at most right now, we’re getting “compelling.” Nothing has been leveraged against Selkie’s refusal to drink tea other than a sense of conformity, and that’s not something which I believe either she or Todd put too much stock in. The real test will be to see if Todd is gracious when/if Selkie refuses.
Here’s the thing,she doesn’t look interested or okay with it. She has vomited in the past,don’t bring up Todd and Pohl’s conversation I’m talking about how a kid’s mind associates,so for her this can feel like force.
It is force. The term is peer PRESSURE. Does not matter whether it is friends and family ganging up and saying, “Try this tea. You’ll like it.”, or kids at school saying, “Try this cigarette/this beer/this joint. You’ll like it.” It’s still force.
And let’s recall the last time she let herself be coerced into eating plants – wanting to please her new grandmother – it made her sick as a dog.
I can also see her thinking back to the family dinner, where she overheard the aunt and uncle saying that Dad thought he was BETTER than meat-eaters. And here he is, trying to force her to eat plants. His first step in making her a vegetarian?
Whoa there, they just calmly stated their opinion that it isn’t forcing. I think you need to calm down before you tell someone to eff off because they don’t share your view. That’s really close minded and rude. Selkie is under the impression her species cannot eat plant matter in any form and they’re showing her that isn’t true. Suko is over there drinking it down no problems. No one said she had to drink it, but they are showing her she can drink it without vomit occurring. No one told her or forced her to drink it they are merely showing her in a vaguely smug or sarcastic way, that she’s wrong to assume she can’t drink it.
I was calm just tired…well maybe a bit irritated but said person doesn’t need to tell me anything and their opinion got on my nerves.
Also making it special event can add a bit of “I’m going to be rude if I don’t drink something that I believe can make me sick because that’s all plants do to me” type of pressure.
You know, LadyObvious? The way you are reacting to this part of the story makes me wonder maybe someone did something like this to you but worse? If so, I’m very sorry.
Yeah. He’s my Mom’s ex now but he kinda made me and my younger brothers eat food we didn’t want,didn’t help that he couldn’t cook,or we’d be grounded and sent to bed without food. Or hit and sent to bed without food.
^ That is very true. Good parents can be and will be a bit oblivious at times. Unfortunate proof that they are indeed human and not the gods we children think they should be. Then we grow up, realize the truth become angry and yeah…the wonders of growing up.
Tea and Grapes are very different things though. Pohl stated previously that he also finds grapes revolting, due to the sweetness. Teas are more savory and aromatic in nature than fruits. Trying them should be a very different experience than when she had peaches and grapes.
It’s good to encourage anyone, adult or child, to rethink their preconceptions and try new things. She must unlearn what she has learned.
They did, through implicature, in panel 2. You can even see Selkie figure it out with her exclamation points, and again in the last panel when she acknowledges plant consumption as a thing that exists.
Yet…they implied that she was a hero by telling her that her mother changed sides and she got it right on the head.
Look, I can understand where you’re coming from, considering ive seen your other posts, but my parents did the same thing to me thats being done in this panel, when I had a bad experience with a food because it wasnt prepared properly, they prepared it properly and ate some, to show me that it was safe and I made the connection “Hey, this might not be bad”
Ate it, didnt like the taste but I didnt projectile vomit ten minutes later. Thanks to that, im willing to try new foods all the time. Its important that a child be shown that it can be safe.
Side note, Selkie is actually a very clever and smart individual, as evidenced by her getting the bully in serious trouble for his actions when he had the equivalent to diplomatic immunity. Subtly may not be her thing, but she is brighter than an L.E.D.
It makes sense to me. Looking at animals and what they react to, I can believe it. Grapes are actually highly toxic for some dogs, but they can eat other kinds of fruit/veggies. Some of my carnivorous pets (dogs and cats) hate berries but love carrots or spinach. For a water species that relies on meat and probably doesn’t get very much sugary stuff in their environment, I could see fruit being very offensive.
I’m really confused how you think they are forcing or even coercing her. They didn’t tell her she had to drink it. They aren’t even asking her to. They are offering tea and drinking in front of her to show they can tolerate it. There was a little teasing (Todd being the worst calling it “Doctor’s orders”), but it was pretty light. Sometimes parents need to give kids a gentle nudge to help them explore things they are scared to try.
Without that, kids can miss out on some amazing experiences. Now, if Selkie said “Forget it” and they kept pushing, that’s crossing a line. Mostly what is happening is she is shocked and disgusted at the idea, because she’s had such horrible experiences with other things (including her grandmother who *did* inappropriately push her to eat a grape).
I think Dave gets to decide whether Selkie thinks its good or not—not because he is god (in the sense I worship him…though I love his writing/art)…but well? He is actually “god” of this comic’s universe. So maybe she’ll hate it or maybe she’ll be surprised and like it. Who knows. No one, but Dave. 😉
But for the record? Kids can have a strong reaction one way one moment and change their minds the next. It’s normal and totally okay—especially for a kid who’s 7-9. I will gently nudge my kid to try something I think she’ll like. That’s not child abuse, and when she actually finds she likes something she was sure she’d hate she appreciates it. Likewise, I appreciate it when friends open my mind to trying new things I initially thought would be bad.
If forcing a child to eat something that is part of what can make them ill,or they believe they can since Selkie had a TON of tests done on her for this…but I never suggested it was abuse. So thanks for that.
They didn’t? Just that it was a bad plan? Also having something similar happen with a bad parent,obviously not Todd or Pohl,can really poison your outlook on anything.
But I never implied he was abusive. Just that it wasn’t the best move.
You kept insisting that Selkie’s being forced into this, but she’s not. And Dave’s the only one who can say if she feels the way you’re claiming she is. Fact is, this is one of the most mildest ways to encourage Selkie to try something.
If it helps, check out her body language (very important to know if you want to work with kids or parent). Her shoulders are tense and she’s making exaggerated yucky faces (which strong-minded kids love to do if they are not sure about something), but her arms are uncrossed and she’s leaning toward the tea. If she was truly not receptive she’d be leaning away—even if she was forced to be there.
Good question… in the aquarium world alcohol is used to euthanize a sick fish, but that’s because they’re breathing it in. If it just went straight into their stomachs, would it be harmful or not?
just think how quickly a Sarnothi could get drunk on an alcoholic beverage, by the simple difference between drinking it or breathing it.
At least a Sarnothi never has to worry about choking or drowning on a drink.
I kinda have to side with Suko on this one. Chai is amazing, mostly for its aroma. I was glad to find chai-scented wax cubes, so my apartment can smell like chai without having to make it.
My cat, Spot, is also an obligate carnivore. He seems to like (or at least eat) tomatoes if they are part of a meat dish, or at least meat adjacent.
I mean, he probably can use very little of the nutrition in the tomatoes, and may or may not enjoy the taste of them, or even be able to taste them (they seem unable to taste most varieties of sweet, for example).
I wonder how Sarnothi taste buds differ from our human type taste buds as well now?
I also wonder if Selkie would come to enjoy meat sauce with tomatoes in it (as Spot seems to).
I just know my taste buds are quite happy when it comes to meat flavors (and salt flavors, too), but not so much when it comes to sweet.
One of the felines residing with me likes grapefruit, tomatoes, broccoli, peas, strawberries (including the leaves) and blueberries. And that’s only what he’s managed to get his fangs into. I don’t think he’s very aware of his obligate carnivore status.
Selkie must feel she’s in the “Twilight Zone” right about now.
When Sarnothi eat plants, you know it’s a sign of the apocalypse.
luckily they’re only drinking plant broth
so she’s safe from the apocalypse for another day.
You drink tea to stay up late with…
You drink tea to stay in touch with trends…
You drink tea to know when four o’clock is…
And pop the keg and find some better blends…
You drink tea to justify the tea tray…
And to keep away from other golden brews…
Yes the whole world drinks tea for something,
And you drink tea when coffee just won’t do…
I do like that Todd and Pohl and the rest are encouraging Selkie by giving their opinions and informing by demonstration rather than obligating to drink, perhaps a bit of light teasing involved to challenge her views. But overall, good parenting.
Well, she does have an extensive, hostile history to make her suspicious of plants.
Good faces Selkie, great work Dave!
I kinda feel the same way, though. I mean, I eat a salad sometimes, much how a cat will eat grass, but otherwise I agree with Selkie; “Eating plants… this is the darkests of witchcrafts.”
I’m also not a bug fan of sweets, but must admit to loving to eat watermelon.
Yeah, watermelon, comes in an oval, one of Nature’s most perfect foods. Notice it comes in an oval, … like eggs, or rib eye steak, or even the hot iron platter that fajitas come on…
Gee. It’s almost as if forcing a kid to eat something that made her violently ill is kind of a d*ck move….like. Todd. You remember this. Why are you being so oblivious?
How do you expect her to wanna try this when she vomited from eating a grape? This feels like a punishment. Food shouldn’t be a punishment.
Nobody’s holding her mouth open and shoving it down her throat. Nobody’s threatening her with any negative connotations if she refuses the drink. Their family likes tea, and it’s their celebration for having a baby, and showing Selkie that not only can the adults drink it, but so can a kid, shows Selkie it is safe to eat.
Please don’t use the word “forcing” unless it’s earnestly meant for the sake of readers who actually have been physically forced or otherwise threatened. The “mmmmm so taaasty” approach has been used to encourage kids to try something since the dawn of time. It’s not coercive or harmful.
Yeah no. This is forcing. You can actually force someone to do something like this without being physical. Just eff off. You’re annoying as Heck. This is not a proper way of going about it. So screw you.
You should change your name to Lady Obnoxious. Like the unnecessary use of profanity on a family comic.
No one is forcing her to do anything, they are encouraging her and providing an opportunity for her. Its also the job of adults to help children get past prior bad experiences and ensure they are getting the proper nutrition.
Stop asserting your view is the only correct one, you do it often and obnoxiously.
Maybe,just maybe,said person can back off along with you. Also so far I haven’t sworn. But whatever. Go with whatever makes you happy.
Come on, now. Stooping to name-calling really isn’t really better. LadyObvious can be prickly, but I don’t think she is trying to troll or be hateful. And many times she says things that are pretty dead-on/cool, though I disagree with her here—and no—she has no business telling other people to get lost (no more than we do at least). 😉
Sorry,I was being a bit overtly hostile. It was completely unnecessary and I’ll work on that in the future.
Thank you for your apology.
You’re welcome. 🙂
There is nothing happening here other than:
1) showing Selkie, by example, that she can do something she’s not aware of, and
2) you sitting here being obnoxious and abusive.
I suggest you grow up, stop complaining about others, and behave appropriately in this forum before Dave kicks you out.
I appreciate that disagreements around here can get a bit heated, but please don’t make threats on my behalf.
Sorry, i didn’t mean it that way.
I do think it’s a wise move to show her that yes, she can eat certain plants. Just prepared in certain ways and with certain methods. It’s good to know what one can do. You need to learn something new every day or life is boring.
I could show her a few rubs for meat she would probably very much like. And I would certainly tenderize her steak in honey to give her a chance to try something new provided that honey is close enough to her wheelhouse and isn’t like a grape.
At best (or worst), the word you may be looking for is “coercing.” Todd and Pohl’s expressions on the previous page do make their potential intent seem to be less than wholesome, but without being able to read specific tone of voice through text, at most right now, we’re getting “compelling.” Nothing has been leveraged against Selkie’s refusal to drink tea other than a sense of conformity, and that’s not something which I believe either she or Todd put too much stock in. The real test will be to see if Todd is gracious when/if Selkie refuses.
Here’s the thing,she doesn’t look interested or okay with it. She has vomited in the past,don’t bring up Todd and Pohl’s conversation I’m talking about how a kid’s mind associates,so for her this can feel like force.
It is force. The term is peer PRESSURE. Does not matter whether it is friends and family ganging up and saying, “Try this tea. You’ll like it.”, or kids at school saying, “Try this cigarette/this beer/this joint. You’ll like it.” It’s still force.
And let’s recall the last time she let herself be coerced into eating plants – wanting to please her new grandmother – it made her sick as a dog.
I can also see her thinking back to the family dinner, where she overheard the aunt and uncle saying that Dad thought he was BETTER than meat-eaters. And here he is, trying to force her to eat plants. His first step in making her a vegetarian?
In my opinion, this is a Bad Plan.
Whoa there, they just calmly stated their opinion that it isn’t forcing. I think you need to calm down before you tell someone to eff off because they don’t share your view. That’s really close minded and rude. Selkie is under the impression her species cannot eat plant matter in any form and they’re showing her that isn’t true. Suko is over there drinking it down no problems. No one said she had to drink it, but they are showing her she can drink it without vomit occurring. No one told her or forced her to drink it they are merely showing her in a vaguely smug or sarcastic way, that she’s wrong to assume she can’t drink it.
I was calm just tired…well maybe a bit irritated but said person doesn’t need to tell me anything and their opinion got on my nerves.
Also making it special event can add a bit of “I’m going to be rude if I don’t drink something that I believe can make me sick because that’s all plants do to me” type of pressure.
You know, LadyObvious? The way you are reacting to this part of the story makes me wonder maybe someone did something like this to you but worse? If so, I’m very sorry.
Yeah. He’s my Mom’s ex now but he kinda made me and my younger brothers eat food we didn’t want,didn’t help that he couldn’t cook,or we’d be grounded and sent to bed without food. Or hit and sent to bed without food.
Jesus, I’m glad that tool became an ex. Sorry you went through that.
It’s fine. I should try to keep this outta this though. Todd’s a good parent even if he can be a bit oblivious at times. Lots of good parents can be.
^ That is very true. Good parents can be and will be a bit oblivious at times. Unfortunate proof that they are indeed human and not the gods we children think they should be. Then we grow up, realize the truth become angry and yeah…the wonders of growing up.
That’s terrible! I’m so glad he’s not in your life any more. So sorry!
My mom had a thing for angry, weird men (dad, BFs, stepdad). Certain things really set me off, and it’s hard to be aware of sometimes.
Thank you and I’m sorry that happened to you.
Phol and Todd already discussed the grape a few panels back. They just trying to show Selkie that not all plant things will make her sick.
Yes they did. Was Selkie around to hear it? Nope. Does that mean she’s going to understand this? Nope.
Hence why two members of her species are consuming it right in front of her and not getting violently ill. They’re putting Selkie at ease.
Not really. That doesn’t look like ease to me.
It does look like she’s suspicious. I will grant you that. But suspicion can give way to intrigue, which is what I think they’re trying to stoke.
Tea and Grapes are very different things though. Pohl stated previously that he also finds grapes revolting, due to the sweetness. Teas are more savory and aromatic in nature than fruits. Trying them should be a very different experience than when she had peaches and grapes.
It’s good to encourage anyone, adult or child, to rethink their preconceptions and try new things. She must unlearn what she has learned.
Try telling that to Selkie.
They did, through implicature, in panel 2. You can even see Selkie figure it out with her exclamation points, and again in the last panel when she acknowledges plant consumption as a thing that exists.
Implying doesn’t work with kids though? Being blunt does. Especially with Selkie. Cuz subtly isn’t her thing.
Yet…they implied that she was a hero by telling her that her mother changed sides and she got it right on the head.
Look, I can understand where you’re coming from, considering ive seen your other posts, but my parents did the same thing to me thats being done in this panel, when I had a bad experience with a food because it wasnt prepared properly, they prepared it properly and ate some, to show me that it was safe and I made the connection “Hey, this might not be bad”
Ate it, didnt like the taste but I didnt projectile vomit ten minutes later. Thanks to that, im willing to try new foods all the time. Its important that a child be shown that it can be safe.
Side note, Selkie is actually a very clever and smart individual, as evidenced by her getting the bully in serious trouble for his actions when he had the equivalent to diplomatic immunity. Subtly may not be her thing, but she is brighter than an L.E.D.
….yes because saying she doesn’t get subtlety means she’s stupid. Thank you so much for this. -___-
Being bright doesn’t always mean you get certain things.
It makes sense to me. Looking at animals and what they react to, I can believe it. Grapes are actually highly toxic for some dogs, but they can eat other kinds of fruit/veggies. Some of my carnivorous pets (dogs and cats) hate berries but love carrots or spinach. For a water species that relies on meat and probably doesn’t get very much sugary stuff in their environment, I could see fruit being very offensive.
I’m really confused how you think they are forcing or even coercing her. They didn’t tell her she had to drink it. They aren’t even asking her to. They are offering tea and drinking in front of her to show they can tolerate it. There was a little teasing (Todd being the worst calling it “Doctor’s orders”), but it was pretty light. Sometimes parents need to give kids a gentle nudge to help them explore things they are scared to try.
Without that, kids can miss out on some amazing experiences. Now, if Selkie said “Forget it” and they kept pushing, that’s crossing a line. Mostly what is happening is she is shocked and disgusted at the idea, because she’s had such horrible experiences with other things (including her grandmother who *did* inappropriately push her to eat a grape).
Considering this is a special occasion and Selkie thinks plants will hurt her? She isn’t going to view this as good. And she isn’t.
For her this looks like their saying she has to,like Todd’s joke implied. But whatever.
I think Dave gets to decide whether Selkie thinks its good or not—not because he is god (in the sense I worship him…though I love his writing/art)…but well? He is actually “god” of this comic’s universe. So maybe she’ll hate it or maybe she’ll be surprised and like it. Who knows. No one, but Dave. 😉
But for the record? Kids can have a strong reaction one way one moment and change their minds the next. It’s normal and totally okay—especially for a kid who’s 7-9. I will gently nudge my kid to try something I think she’ll like. That’s not child abuse, and when she actually finds she likes something she was sure she’d hate she appreciates it. Likewise, I appreciate it when friends open my mind to trying new things I initially thought would be bad.
Obvious, if suggesting a child do a thing they might like is abuse, then jails and orphanages alike would be overful.
If forcing a child to eat something that is part of what can make them ill,or they believe they can since Selkie had a TON of tests done on her for this…but I never suggested it was abuse. So thanks for that.
your comments imply you think it is.
They didn’t? Just that it was a bad plan? Also having something similar happen with a bad parent,obviously not Todd or Pohl,can really poison your outlook on anything.
But I never implied he was abusive. Just that it wasn’t the best move.
You kept insisting that Selkie’s being forced into this, but she’s not. And Dave’s the only one who can say if she feels the way you’re claiming she is. Fact is, this is one of the most mildest ways to encourage Selkie to try something.
Yeah thanks. I wasn’t insisting abuse but that it felt like force. But whatever. I have stopped insisting as such but thanks.
If it helps, check out her body language (very important to know if you want to work with kids or parent). Her shoulders are tense and she’s making exaggerated yucky faces (which strong-minded kids love to do if they are not sure about something), but her arms are uncrossed and she’s leaning toward the tea. If she was truly not receptive she’d be leaning away—even if she was forced to be there.
If two year old toddler Suko can drink it–so can you Selkie!
がんばって (Do your best!)
Yes, Selkie can’t in good conscience chicken out of something that a two-year-old can do.
“Eatings plants… This is the darkests of witchcrafts.”
With me it was alcohol…discovered during church communion, no less…
Try saying “darkests of witchcrafts” ten times real fast. You’re going to get spit all over your keyboard.
Now that *is* dark witchcraft! How did you spit all over my keyboard from across the internet???
Sorries!
Apparently Sarnothi can tolerate caffeine. Now I’m wondering if they can drink alcohol, too.
Good question… in the aquarium world alcohol is used to euthanize a sick fish, but that’s because they’re breathing it in. If it just went straight into their stomachs, would it be harmful or not?
just think how quickly a Sarnothi could get drunk on an alcoholic beverage, by the simple difference between drinking it or breathing it.
At least a Sarnothi never has to worry about choking or drowning on a drink.
considering Selkie’s mad scientist angle, wouldn’t “Darkest of witchcrafts” be appealing?
Magic and Science are two completely different fields of study
But as they say: Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from technology.
I kinda have to side with Suko on this one. Chai is amazing, mostly for its aroma. I was glad to find chai-scented wax cubes, so my apartment can smell like chai without having to make it.
My cat, Spot, is also an obligate carnivore. He seems to like (or at least eat) tomatoes if they are part of a meat dish, or at least meat adjacent.
I mean, he probably can use very little of the nutrition in the tomatoes, and may or may not enjoy the taste of them, or even be able to taste them (they seem unable to taste most varieties of sweet, for example).
I wonder how Sarnothi taste buds differ from our human type taste buds as well now?
I also wonder if Selkie would come to enjoy meat sauce with tomatoes in it (as Spot seems to).
I just know my taste buds are quite happy when it comes to meat flavors (and salt flavors, too), but not so much when it comes to sweet.
One of the felines residing with me likes grapefruit, tomatoes, broccoli, peas, strawberries (including the leaves) and blueberries. And that’s only what he’s managed to get his fangs into. I don’t think he’s very aware of his obligate carnivore status.
Selkie must feel she’s in the “Twilight Zone” right about now.
When Sarnothi eat plants, you know it’s a sign of the apocalypse.
luckily they’re only drinking plant broth
so she’s safe from the apocalypse for another day.
You drink tea to stay up late with…
You drink tea to stay in touch with trends…
You drink tea to know when four o’clock is…
And pop the keg and find some better blends…
You drink tea to justify the tea tray…
And to keep away from other golden brews…
Yes the whole world drinks tea for something,
And you drink tea when coffee just won’t do…
—from “You Need Feet,” various.
I often quote Hannibal Lecter: “I’m sure your mother has told you, as my mother told me, that we should always be willing to try new things.”
I do like that Todd and Pohl and the rest are encouraging Selkie by giving their opinions and informing by demonstration rather than obligating to drink, perhaps a bit of light teasing involved to challenge her views. But overall, good parenting.
The closest thing to compelling was Todd’s “Doctor’s orders” in the previous strip.