Comics I Don’t Understand

Hey, Bud, Let’s Party!

Cidu Bill on May 31st 2009

“I hope ‘buds’ means ‘buddies’”????

Filed in Arlo and Janis, Bill Bickel, CIDU, Jimmy Johnson, comic strips, comics, humor | 33 responses so far

33 Responses to “Hey, Bud, Let’s Party!”

buzz May 31st 2009 at 01:27 am 1

Marijuana reference.
Annie Benson May 31st 2009 at 01:31 am 2

“Buddies” as opposed to “Budwiesers”, I suppose. But what I don’t get is Janis’s reaction to the the very concept of texting. I mean, the message is that he’s relaxing at the beach with some friends of his after taking exams. Not that he’s about to hit a strip club looking for hookers and blow. So she seems angry about the act of texting itself.

Maybe this only makes sense to people that actually follow the strip. Since my paper doesn’t carry it and I only see it here, the whole premise behind this installment in a giant CIDU to me.
Kamino Neko May 31st 2009 at 01:45 am 3

I’m with Buzz (appropriate name, here)…buddies as opposed to, marijuana buds.

As to Janis’s reaction…is she old enough to be (peri)menopausal, yet? A lot of women go kind of nuts when that hits.

… Oooh, maybe this whole thing is a setup for a Janis’s menopause arc.
Dova May 31st 2009 at 01:50 am 4

Kid’s a pothead.
PeterW May 31st 2009 at 01:52 am 5

He’s in college, so “Budweisers” is something he’d plausibly admit to his parents and maybe (if he’s thoughtless) expect to not get reprisal on.
Kedamono May 31st 2009 at 02:08 am 6

She’s angry at him for not calling her. She wants to hear his voice and have a conversation. Which is the last thing Gene wants to have right now.
Cornbread May 31st 2009 at 02:58 am 7

I’ve never heard the word “bud” used in relation to marijuana; however, I’ve frequently heard it used to refer to Budweiser. Due to the context of the sentence, I think it’s pretty obvious Gene means “buddies,” and I think Arlo is just making an offhand remark about the remote possibility that he’s drinking.

Janis, however… her behavior is simply bewildering.
Singapore Bill May 31st 2009 at 03:06 am 8

Cornbread, are you not familiar with the concpet of Arlo? The strip exists solely to get juicy references past the censors. Never, ever take the innocent answer when you’re dealing with an Arlo.

As for mari-hoo-ha and “buds”, I remember it from my younger days (now long behind) and I understand it is still current.
Scarlettb May 31st 2009 at 04:15 am 9

…I have never heard anyone refer to pot as “buds.” Never. I mean…maybe that was the lingo in the old days, but nobody calls it that now. Not that the writer would necessarily know that.

My real question is about the last Arlo strip, with the rubbing…are they REALLY that uptight about the idea that their college-aged son might be (GASP) getting to third base? Are Arlo and Janis Mormon?
DH May 31st 2009 at 05:18 am 10

Perhaps he just has a thing for people named Bud
Hal Horn May 31st 2009 at 06:09 am 11

In the politest way possible, Scarlettb: bullshit! I’m currently attending University and, while I’m not at all a fan of pot, ‘bud’ is most certainly in current usage.

As for the text-message, don’t you know that it’s a proven fact that text-messaging is a gateway form of communication? First texting, then twittering, and soon enough her little baby boy is lurking on IRC at three in the morning; if it keeps going, she may one day find him posting on an obscure comics-related website!
yellojkt May 31st 2009 at 07:43 am 12

Could be beer or pot. As in “I got some fresh buds, wanna party?”

And Gene is way past third base. He stole home a while ago.
Powers May 31st 2009 at 07:47 am 13

I got Arlo’s sentence, but I still can’t figure out why Janis is so angry.
UXO May 31st 2009 at 08:26 am 14

“Buds” absolutely CAN mean pot, and not just in English. Remember “Hotel California”, “sweet smell of colitas rising up in the air”? “Colitas” is Spanish slang for “little buds”.

I read it as a pot reference.
Susan T-O May 31st 2009 at 08:54 am 15

Uxo, according to Wikipedia, “colitas” is buckwheat: “Eriogonum jamesii is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name James’ buckwheat and Antelope sage. It is native to southwestern North America (Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico).

It may also be called a Colita, such as in one of The Eagles’ most famous songs, Hotel California, where it is depicted as being on a highway heading into California.”

But as for the CIDU, I too am perplexed as to why Janis is so ticked off. I mean, phones work both ways–if she wants a conversation, why doesn’t she call him instead of waiting for him to call her?
furrykef May 31st 2009 at 09:10 am 16

I’m familiar with “bud” as a mass noun to refer to marijuana — like “weed”, or indeed “marijuana” itself — but I haven’t heard it being used in the plural. That is, from what I’ve heard, you wouldn’t “smoke some buds” any more than you would “smoke some weeds”.

But slang is often a very regional thing, so things people say in one region might simply not be said in other regions, and vice versa.

- Kef
Frosted Donut May 31st 2009 at 10:12 am 17

It helps to know the context for this strip to understand why Janice is so angry. The last week, they’ve been talking about whether Gene will take a break from college to work at the beach motel owned by young single mom (and past Gene “girlfriend”) Mary Lou.

Janice has been opposed to it and Arlo is vaguely in favor of it. She’s worried that he’ll work there during the summer and not return to school.

I took it that she’s upset because they’ve been working overtime worrying about him and his future (although he doesn’t know it) and all he can do is send a text message?
Morris Keesan May 31st 2009 at 10:44 am 18

I wonder how much of a generational difference there is in the interpretation of this. Having gone to college in the 1970s, I immediately saw “buds” as a reference to marijuana buds (which are much richer in THC than the sticks and stems), and only reading the comments here did I realize that it could also be read as “Buds”, short for “Budweiser”
AaronB May 31st 2009 at 10:52 am 19

I instantly recognized it as a marijuana reference. I grew up in California in the ’80s, and went to Humboldt State University, so though I was never one myself, I have a considerable bit of experience with pothead culture. The kids I knew talked about “buds” all the time, as in “scoring buds”, “smoking buds”, etc. There was plenty of other slang too, but my point is that “buds” is very common slang for weed. (In fact, the term is used to distinguish a “higher quality” product; the cheap stuff has a lot of seeds and stems.)

On the other hand, I very rarely hear anyone refer to Budweisers as “buds” except in TV commercials. In fact, I rarely hear ANY beers other than certain microbrews being referred to by name; it’s always something generic like “beers”, “brews”, “brewskis”, etc. I suppose that could be a regional thing, however.
eeyore19 May 31st 2009 at 11:04 am 20

It’s definitely a marijuana joke. Urban Dictionary says “the buds of the marijuana plant. sold for recreational drug use.” http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=buds And I remember seeing T-shirts that said “Got bud?” with a picture of a marijuana leaf on the front. (Do a Google image search for the term “got bud.”)
Lost in A**2 May 31st 2009 at 11:38 am 21

Yeah, she is concerned about his visiting Mary Lou,*and*
not owning up to it to her in a way that allows feedback.

There is no evidence that Gene and Mary Lou have ‘done the
dirty,’ so to speak. The child is most definitely *not*
his.
Tiffany May 31st 2009 at 04:50 pm 22

For the record, “bud” is still a common word for marijuana. Not that I regularly partake in such things.
DanV May 31st 2009 at 06:17 pm 23

And Janis is very concerned that Gene will hitch up with Mary Lou - she definitely doesn’t approve, hence the extreme reaction. She knows he’s been evasive about his relationship with ML in the past, and doesn’t want him anywhere near the beach.
Liggo May 31st 2009 at 10:20 pm 24

Buds = Budweisers.
Annie Benson Jun 1st 2009 at 12:03 am 25

Ok, the slang word “Bud” can obviously mean either pot or beer. But which is more likely for this strip? Is it at all likely that Arlo thinks that Gene would send a text saying that he is enjoying a some marijuana at the beach rather than some beer? As pointed out above, a young man having a few beers at the beach is hardly a major scandal, but the revelation might upset his obviously tightly wound mother.
Hunt Jun 1st 2009 at 08:39 am 26

Janis is mad because this is the first they’ve heard about what he’s doing after exams, and it’s only a text message. As for what “buds” means, it’s clear that Gene means buddies. Arlo must be what, about 50? He could mean either Budweiser or weed, I guess.
Jeff in Ann Arbor Jun 1st 2009 at 09:26 am 27

As Hunt wrote, not only is this the first they’ve heard from Gene after exams, he adds insult to injury (in Janis’ mind) by only sending a text. She hasn’t seen him since the holidays, and she was hoping he’d come home. Instead, he’s gone to the beach with friends.

Her baby is growing up and becoming more independent, and she is having trouble accepting it.

Of course, Gene could have been more considerate, but that would be an exceptional 20 year old. I sure wasn’t one.
Todd Jun 1st 2009 at 02:41 pm 28

I was initially thinking the reference was Budweiser, but upon further consideration, I don’t think Arlo would begrudge Gene a few beers after exams, even if Gene isn’t quite 21. Certainly wouldn’t be any worse than my sister serving her under-21 daughter and her daughter’s under-21 friends booze.
Lessa Jun 1st 2009 at 05:42 pm 29

#27 Jeff has it. Janis needs to cut the cord and let her little boy grow up.
ctd Jun 2nd 2009 at 10:28 am 30

Agreed. It’s not _what_ he’s doing, it’s _how_ he told her.
bookworm Jun 2nd 2009 at 02:20 pm 31

Shows how out-of-touch I am — I thought buds meant immature boobs.
Mitch4 Jun 2nd 2009 at 03:34 pm 32

I haveta say it’s both (what he’s doing and how he’s communicating it). Yes, Janis is miffed that he texted. But also “beach” means Mary Lou.
Zbicyclist Jun 2nd 2009 at 08:31 pm 33

My college-age daughter has been out of the country on a 10 day trip, and if all we get when she gets back is a TEXT MESSAGE both her mother and I are going to be pretty steamed.

Plus the fact that Gene is texting about being near Mary Lou — something he knows Mom would grill him about.