Voicing Fears
it's actually shaving cream
Comments (60)
claire made a noisy point of taking the cubetown job to help liz. liz has been flailing and suffering for years now. is claire going to do anything to help her?
Claire isn't a mental health professional. She wanted to make sure that no-one else like Liz just fell through the cracks of a very weird system and that there was structure that could support and improve things for them. (We also know that Claire herself has been struggling with the immenseness of this task). But Liz needs professional help with the severe burnout and other mental health issues she's been experiencing. That isn't going to be from Claire. (She is also going to therapy, but this stuff takes time).
I suspect Emily will be THE ONE who will pull Liz out of her burnout
She's almost at nihilism. Once she believes everything will fuck her over, none of it matters, and she can just be cool about stuff, and let it start mattering in good ways again.
She's too young to notice this yet. (I say this as a guy who's older than Jeph.) As a "burnout", if she is that, there's more to contribute. So many scientific endeavors us geeks learn about--electronic TV, cracking Enigma, manned space launches (and safe reentries)--are collective efforts. Will she be the most brilliant ever? No. There can be only one, whoever that is. But we are talking about team endeavors. She can be the expreienced presence which is needed in any team. Brilliance and talent of incredible amounts still has to be knitted together between talented personalities who aren't always the most get-alongable. And if you're saying "Hey, ValdVin, that sounds like some team sports cliche", well, yes. Cliches exist for a reason.
Panel 4 Liz with a tiny dab of whipped cream on the tip of her nose :)
There's still a happy kid hiding in there somewhere.
Just remember, every silver lining has a cloud
I believe in Emily. She’s good for Liz. I wish I’d IRL equivalents of them to hang with my 20 year old. No more Liz hate; she needs to learn self love & grow. CubeTown needs to be vibing for Halloween …
Having tried to out-logic depressed friends, I can confirm that it's extremely hard because there's very little rational argument that can get past a tendency to twist everything into the worst possible scenario, regardless of whether or not it's likely or even plausible.
Liz has the disadvantage of being very smart, and her prodigious intellect is entirely focused on finding excuses for self loathing.
I'm told, Liz, by several persons whose opinions I respect, that I am an unusually patient man. If I am in awe of Marten's not loosing his cool, it is truly extraordinary. You are plumbing the depths of paternal patience. It's time for him to give you a supportive kick in the ass.
For Liz, every silver lining disappears the second the cloud shows up.
"Every cloud has a silver lining, but it's way up high, so when I look up and I see myself reflected in it, I look very small."
Liz, has it occurred to you that collaborating with Emily might respark your creativity?
No. she is too used to disaster and failure dogging her tracks. Making her a cynic would be a step up.
It seems like Liz has convinced herself that she's a burned out failure and refuses to accept any evidence to the contrary or offers for help.
Imposter syndrome is a hell of a thing. I remember being afraid to be around/talk to people smarter than me, because I worried that they would very quickly discover that I was actually an idiot and a fraud, and I'd be mocked and kicked out of college/job/friendships/etc. It took many, many years to get over that. I feel for Liz here.
What if I'm not good enough to have imposter syndrome?
Liz should take her arms off more often. She'd be SO disarming! Plus, an armless gremlin is probably less of a threat.
The Hitchhikers Guide to Gremlins describes Liz as "Mostly 'armless".
Whipped cream for the hot chocolate! Marten continues to add complexity to the Coffee of Mood. (or is it Mood Coffee?)
I’m predicting tomorrow, Emily will pop up behind a really comfy chair, surprise both Marten & Liz and then introduce Truth and Beauty to them both. Then Claire returns from shopping and cries out “so you’re the ones who took my librarian robes!” Then Marten wonders why didn’t he get librarian robes while a stunned Liz & Emily watch Claire chase after Truth & Beauty.
I'm hearing Yakety Sax for this scene.
Emily wants to sit on your face, Liz.
[citation needed]
as someone dealing with burnout and being hesitant to take on projects with friends, this hit like an arrow to the chest
HUGS
Obvious? More like ObLizious.
If my drink isn't 40% whipped cream, then what's even the fucking point
*Ayo holds out a cup* "One tall milky creamy boy for Green!"
Okay Liz, let's see if the data supports your hypothesis. According to my calculations Emily has stopped being friends with someone, for literally any reason at all, approximately... *counts on fingers* *taps on calculator* *runs detailed quantum-computer simulation* ... Zero. That has happened zero times. Ever.
Imma need to summon bookbeard to fact check this shit... Oh.
...be nice and clean. Shave every day and you'll always look keen.
Amazing how half the comments appear to be people riffing on the concept of that being a mug full of shaving cream. I'm apparently no better than them :p
Not just a riff; we are also riffing on the Benny Bell classic song Shaving Cream. It's a simple four line poem, the second line always ends with a word ending with it. The last line, should sound like you're going to say poop but just before you do you loudly sing the chorus.
🎶 Gloom despair and agony on me *groan* Deep dark depression excessive misery, *Moan* If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all *Wail* Gloom despair and agony on me.🎶
Not Hee Haw.
That's a very mean thing to say about Emily.
He gave the small gremlin a drink now; She's having a bit of a snit. She thinks any new friend will dump her, But she is just full of SHAVING CREAM BE NICE AND CLEAN SHAVE EVERY DAY AND YOU'LL ALWAYS LOOK KEEN.
Came here to sing that.
Imposter syndrome at it's finest.
As John Prine said...stop wishing for bad luck and knocking on wood
Huh! I guess that’s where my dad picked up that expression.
Typo in panel one: colleagues.
Unless that's weirdly the Canadian spelling?
Ok, Emily, Imma tell you what to do. You go grab the gremlin and ask her random questions, and then write a paper together. Got that? Good.
saying it out loud sometimes makes the solution obvious, but even if it doesn't at least you aren't totally alone with it anymore
🎵 So Liz was just self-deprecating Her self-esteem's taken a hit She voiced all her deep fears to Marten As she drank down a big mug of - shaving cream! Be nice and clean! Let it all out and you'll always feel keen!
Classic
Be nice and clean.
Shave everyday and you'll always look keen!
The dab of whipped cream on the gremlin's nose in panel 4 is adorable.
I missed that, and you're right.
Aww Liz is so cute when she’s showing her vulnerable side.
You know you don't have to read it if you don't like the character, right? You don't have to comment either.
There’s no cocoa in that mug; just whipped cream. It’s called a Leslie Knope.
I always felt such a kinship with her for that
Liz is self sabotaging again
No, that would require her to stop in the first place