How Brad Might Explain This To His Parents
Cidu Bill on Apr 18th 2009
Offhand, I’d say he could go with “I’m an adult with an adult job” — if in fact his parents would actually demand an explanation.
Filed in Bill Bickel, Luann, comic strips, comics, humor | 18 responses so far
Charlene Apr 18th 2009 at 01:21 am 1
His parents actually stepped in and prevented him from moving in with her before. Yes, despite him being an adult with an adult job.
Cidu Bill Apr 18th 2009 at 01:25 am 2
I know. And I do wonder at what point the strip will stop infantilizing him.
Lihtox Apr 18th 2009 at 01:37 am 3
I wouldn’t say the strip infantilizes Brad; he’s grown up a lot, and no doubt he’s going to keep growing up. You don’t become an adult all at once, even with an adult job.
And I think TJ’s point is that Brad won’t tell his parents, not out of fear, but out of embarrassment– their opinion matters to him. And not just because they won’t approve of his living with his girlfriend, but also maybe because he’s threatening to kick TJ out after his family has gotten to know and like him.
Keera Apr 18th 2009 at 04:15 am 4
Although some Americans are not hung up about a couple living as married without the marriage, some are (we in Europe get the impression that most are). I’m thinking Brad’s parents may be in the get-married-first category.
This guy I know Apr 18th 2009 at 05:53 am 5
It has been a while since I have read this strip regularly, but I believe the house Brad is living in is owned by his parents, and he is renting it from them.
Assuming for the moment that I am right about that, then as landlords, they would have a say as to who moves into the house. So not only does he have to notify his parents that he is “shacking up” with some girl, but that conversation is simultaneously notifying his landlords that he is altering the rental agreement.
Or maybe I am not correctly remembering my history?
Mitch4 Apr 18th 2009 at 08:33 am 6
Guy #5 — you’re quite right about the renting. Even further,the boys owe the parents some measure of guilt still … they burned the house down last time.
Lihtox #3 — Yeah, it’s striking how much the family has sort of “adopted” TJ. Including the recent rather embarrassing episodes (which were touched on here at CIDU) where the mom is displacing her oedipal flirting onto TJ.
Update! In Saturday’s strip she of course declines, saying she needs her privacy. After all, with the guys hovering all the time, how could she get ready for her dates with the older, richer guys and higher-ups in the FD who chase after her? (Some of that has been left unsaid of course…)
yellojkt Apr 18th 2009 at 08:34 am 7
Or they could all move in together and form a whacky 70s sitcom where everybody pretends nobody is having sex with anyone else.
Amberosia Apr 18th 2009 at 10:04 am 8
I loved that show! Especially the one where Jack overheard part of a conversation and then there was a big misunderstanding.
Rebecca Apr 18th 2009 at 10:25 am 9
Oh Brad just do Toni already! Please!
Kamino Neko Apr 18th 2009 at 10:50 am 10
Man, TJ is just so…creepy looking, to me. Does anyone else get a weird vibe from him?
Kate C Apr 18th 2009 at 10:54 am 11
Brad’s parents own the house, which makes his insistence that TJ leave even more rude–TJ has a contract with Brad’s parents, not him, and likely couldn’t be kicked out just so someone else could move it.
Dan Apr 18th 2009 at 11:03 am 12
Rebecca - or vice versa! I get the strong, strong, unshakable impression that Brad is a virgin, whereas I bet Toni is not.
Charlene Apr 18th 2009 at 12:05 pm 13
I have the strong, unshakable impression that Brad’s parents would rather he be with TJ than with Toni.
Yams Apr 18th 2009 at 12:35 pm 14
This is my first exposure to this strip, and I don’t think I’ll come back to it.
buzz Apr 18th 2009 at 10:20 pm 15
Yeah, what does Toni think will happen? TJ walking in on her while she’s taking a bubble bath or something?
Brian Apr 19th 2009 at 12:11 am 16
Look: Excepting Brad (& Luann’s friends), everyone in this strip is having LOTS of sex. Over these last weeks, Luann has had sex with Elwood, T.J., & Gunther. T.J. has also had sex with Mrs. DeGroot. Mr. & Mrs. DeGroot have, of course, had sex. Gunther & his mother have an Oedipal thing going on, too. And we KNOW that Toni has an active sex life. Why do you think that she drops out of the strips for weeks on end?
Brad, on the other hand, is concluding his first quarter-century of wanking with few prospects that the next quarter-century will be any different. For example, He invited Toni to breakfast, then discovered that he couldn’t make the promised crepes. T.J. did the cooking AND the cleaning. Need the strip make this any clearer? Brad cannot perform.
Mitch4 Apr 19th 2009 at 02:26 pm 17
I wonder about Tiffany. She’s partly portrayed as a slut, but maybe just future-slut. And even if not completely virgin, I suspect she is mostly a tease.
starfall42 Apr 19th 2009 at 03:51 pm 18
Perhaps it wasn’t intentional, but am I the only one to see the strip on the 16th as an Arlo page strip? “You’ll have to come to find out,” not “You’ll have to come over to find out.”