I want to say one word to you. Just one word. Arlo.
Cidu Bill on Apr 18th 2010
I just want to express my surprise that nobody made any comment about Tiffany’s plastic boyfriend.
Filed in Bill Bickel, Greg Evans, Luann, comic strips, comics, humor | 34 responses so far
Kamino Neko Apr 18th 2010 at 05:04 pm 1
Me too…the only reason I didn’t send this in was I was sure a dozen people had sent it first.
3 of which were Nicole.
David A. Rooney Apr 18th 2010 at 05:40 pm 2
Given Tiffany’s shallowness, I predict that in the coming years she will become mostly ‘plastic’ herself. Starting, no doubt, with her chest.
yellojkt Apr 18th 2010 at 06:59 pm 3
If she had said “battery-operated one” that would have been Arlo territory for sure.
Igelino Apr 18th 2010 at 07:16 pm 4
L.O.L.
Kamino Neko Apr 18th 2010 at 07:17 pm 5
Aaand now, I have Coin Operated Boy stuck in my head.
Tullia Apr 18th 2010 at 09:47 pm 6
I was really surprised when the Comics Curmudgeon (www.joshreads.com) didn’t pick up on the plastic aspect. When I saw the strip, all I could think of was Tiffany cackling while she humped a mannequin.
David N Apr 18th 2010 at 10:12 pm 7
Ha ha, maybe she meant plastic as in personality.
Yeah, I don’t think so either.
Taigan Apr 18th 2010 at 10:17 pm 8
Wow. Can’t believe I didn’t pick up on that.
WhitneyD Apr 18th 2010 at 10:20 pm 9
See, I went for ‘plastic’ in the sense that it was used in Mean Girls. Which is odd. I usually look for the Arlo.
NoAlias Apr 18th 2010 at 11:23 pm 10
I thought she was insinuating that Gunther had a plastic girlfriend.
Esteban Apr 18th 2010 at 11:28 pm 11
Like Kamino, I thought this was such an obvious Arlo that I didn’t even bother to send it in.
Charlene Apr 18th 2010 at 11:33 pm 12
The dialogue is just so bad…has anyone in the history of humanity had a conversation even remotely similar to this one?
And yeah, where’s Nicole anyway?
Matt Apr 19th 2010 at 02:04 am 13
I had the Arlo thought too, but it has a pretty innocous explanation - she means “plastic” as in fake. “Have you had any real boyfriends?” “What, as opposed to fake ones?”
bAT L. Apr 19th 2010 at 02:40 am 14
I thought she was just saying something inane, which is why she was laughing. For example, she could have said “imaginary” or “wooden” to the same effect. Then again, from what little I know about her personality, the Arlo explanation is probably the best.
Chuck Apr 19th 2010 at 05:08 am 15
I was thinking a Ken doll.
Nicole Apr 19th 2010 at 09:12 am 16
I was over at the Crock comic … LOL
I think Tiffany’s response is easily read as either Arlo material or very innocuous. Obviously I prefer the former to the latter. Upon further reflection — I think definitely Arlo. If it was innoucuous, I think her response would have been rather derisive, but that fact that she is all giggles leads me to believe that she is talking about a Plastic Fantastic Lover — with kudos to Jefferson Airplane
Molly J Apr 19th 2010 at 09:46 am 17
She has the blank, unnatural face of a blowup doll herself, especially in the first panel. Are we sure her animation isn’t just a product of Gunther’s imagination?
Molly J Apr 19th 2010 at 09:48 am 18
…with Kudos to The Police for Be My Girl/Sally…by way of Kudos to Nicole…oh, what the hell. Kudos to everyone!
AMC Apr 19th 2010 at 11:01 am 19
Tiff likes to catch a buzz.
Pinny Apr 19th 2010 at 11:46 am 20
“Plastic” = “Credit Card”
The term “boyfriend” in this phrase is figurative.
Pinny Apr 19th 2010 at 11:52 am 21
Truthfully, I believe that she is using “plastic” as a synonym of “fake”. She was trying to avoid the question while at the same time imply that he was ridiculous for implying that she either did not have a boyfriend or may have meant something other than a “real” one. “Plastic” is being used here as an off-the-top-of-her-head example of a nonexistent possible alternative to “real”.
HnrSpk Apr 19th 2010 at 01:14 pm 22
As Rumpole of the Bailey once said: “A filthy mind is a perpetual feast.” I never would have considered this Arlo material until I read some of the comments. I agree with “Pinny,” that she’s just using “plastic” as a synonym for “fake.”
Nicole Apr 19th 2010 at 01:37 pm 23
HnrSpk #22
Of course she’s just using “plastic” as a synonym for “fake.” But where is the fun in that ?????
I just refuse to join overeaters anonymous.
HnrSpk Apr 19th 2010 at 01:53 pm 24
OK Nicole; you got me there. Of all the words I could use to describe “Luann” cartoons, “fun” would never be one of them.
Kamino Neko Apr 19th 2010 at 03:18 pm 25
Of course, it’s not impossible that it’s both - Tiff may be just saying ‘what other kind of boyfriend could I have, one made of plastic?’ completely innocently, without thinking of the implications of a ‘plastic boyfriend’…that doesn’t mean Greg wasn’t thinking of them when he wrote the line.
turquoise cow Apr 19th 2010 at 05:11 pm 26
It seems to me as though Tiffany is trying to insult Gunther (implying that he has only ever had plastic girlfriends) but really ends up insulting herself (implying that she has only ever had plastic boyfriends). The meaning of the word “plastic” could be “fake,” or it could imply something far more…um…Arlo-ish.
The word plastic as a synonym for fake seems awkward to me. If she meant fake why didn’t she say fake? The deliberate use of “plastic” implies something far more Arlo-ish is going on…that either she or Gunther has had plastic boy or girl friends in the past.
Nicole Apr 19th 2010 at 06:46 pm 27
I tend to agree with turquoise cow 2 26 … I think the use of the word plastic was very deliberate for its double entendre value. The use of the word fake would have been much more natural response to the question. The opposite of real is fake or imitation (which also has some double entendre value) Yet Tiffany went with “plastic” will lots of giggle added.
Lord Jubjub Apr 19th 2010 at 07:12 pm 28
I think Tiffany was deliberately trying to insult Gunther with the double entendre (and meant it as a double entendre). Gunther simply throws it back at her with the more Arlo-like take. Which is why she was rather more sober in the final panel. Gunther had hit very close to home.
patty leidy Apr 19th 2010 at 07:41 pm 29
I was holding back, for sure! The first naughty thing that came to mind when I saw that in the paper the other morning was……………. well u know..
BWahahaha
mitch4 Apr 19th 2010 at 07:48 pm 30
I think KN at #25 has put it just right.
Jordan Apr 19th 2010 at 10:02 pm 31
I’m more disturbed by Tiffany’s wicked witch of the west cackle, to be honest.
With that hair, those half-lidded eyes, and those beak-shaped lips, that just makes her resemble Magica DeSpell even more, wouldn’t you agree?
jjmcgaffey Apr 21st 2010 at 02:24 am 32
Huh. And my instant thought was Ken doll.
Nicole Apr 21st 2010 at 05:52 am 33
jjmcgaffey #32 … I have no doubt that some plastic lovers are called Ken
todd Apr 22nd 2010 at 04:00 pm 34
I worked with a woman who called hers Casper.