tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post2911768480273539909..comments2024-03-22T12:11:58.453-06:00Comments on Michael Offutt: The female pac-man figure in Catana comics acts like an infant most of the time and it bothers me.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-52416152617451343672023-05-11T17:03:18.491-06:002023-05-11T17:03:18.491-06:00This is so refreshing, everyime I see that comic I...This is so refreshing, everyime I see that comic I feel secondhand embarrassment and people seem to eat it up. Frankiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16704964733940406025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-45521324280122338602020-03-04T16:04:17.291-07:002020-03-04T16:04:17.291-07:00You make a lot of good points. The Catana comic is...You make a lot of good points. The Catana comic is following the "relatable meme" trend that encourages people to take pride in their laziness, their unhealthy diets, their lack of hygiene, and a general avoidance of participating in adult society. Ironically, the people who make these comics are often best selling authors who go on worldwide book tours and speak at conventions. So they are promoting an unhealthy lifestyle that they don't even follow themselves. You don't get to Catana's level of success without some drive. So selling herself as a helpless baby is disingenuous and downright irresponsible given her young, impressionable audiences. Khloe Knievelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01667198381129549310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-31025653160115805842020-03-04T13:02:26.775-07:002020-03-04T13:02:26.775-07:00I agree with everything you've said here. The ...I agree with everything you've said here. The fun thing about disliking something is you learn a bit more about yourself: you discover what is incompatible and are better able to point out exactly why. With regard to these Catana comics, people who adore them may struggle with narcissism. They may have a low self-worth which has given them a personality disorder wherein they could only feel "valued" if another person validates their existence in every possible way. There's a need for this when people are infants. But in adults, I think the behavior is odd and toxic on many levels. However, we live in a time where even the word "adult" is problematic. I'm convinced that fewer people of advanced physical age have actually matured emotionally and intellectually. There seems to be a pervasive continuation of childhood well into the forties for many people, and I find it unsettling. I think perpetual childhood dooms a person to unhappiness, because they never obtain the ability to empower themselves because another person is always rescuing them. They never learn to problem solve. And so they wallow in depression brought about by helplessness and learn to fear the world because they just can't deal with it unless someone else is there to hold their hand.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-9411209378540230562020-03-04T09:17:02.555-07:002020-03-04T09:17:02.555-07:00I know this is an old article but I'm dying to...I know this is an old article but I'm dying to discuss how much I hate these comics. They are extremely repetitive and the "humor" is so saccharine that they make Cathy Guisewite look like R. Crumb. But I understand that's a matter of taste. <br /><br />My real issue is that it give an extremely unrealistic view of relationships. I think adults can recognize this but the comics seem to have a lot of young fans that view Catana's relationship as "goals". Every time these pop up on Reddit, I see tons of comment like "I wish someone loved me this much." It makes them fell inferior for being single or for having parents that fight or for having a boyfriend who doesn't cater to every mood or whim. It glamorizes needy, co-dependent behavior as "cute" and refuses to acknowledge that even the best relationships have occasional moments of strife. <br /><br />In my experience, people who are this publicly effusive about how they are SO IN LOVE and their partner is just SO PERFECT ALL THE TIME usually have a lot of darkness behind the scenes. It's those who are able to admit that love (and life) isn't always perfect who exactly end up in the healthiest relationships. <br /><br />Khloe Knievelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01667198381129549310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-47621592916538655882018-07-16T10:04:03.383-06:002018-07-16T10:04:03.383-06:00No, none of the other panels reverse what you are ...No, none of the other panels reverse what you are seeing. Also, the comic artist is a young woman. "Catana" is named after her (the main character). So this is apparently a view of her real life relationship.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-71588367931760698082018-07-15T22:59:06.214-06:002018-07-15T22:59:06.214-06:00You've made some very astute observations here...You've made some very astute observations here, Mike. A couple of the panel struck me as okay, but if they continue in this vein then the "little woman" (remember that condescending phrase?) is being a very much a child. Do any of the panels reverse some of these situation, like making the man the puppy in the relationship? If not, then they've got a problem indeed.Helenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14967821142796562697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-56814208206478760792018-07-12T18:27:15.634-06:002018-07-12T18:27:15.634-06:00You did not insult me. Nor did I feel attacked per...You did not insult me. Nor did I feel attacked personally. I didn't think I'd react so negatively to the comics. You were right, the female character in the comics did act like a child. And perhaps that's what people do like about them. I have no problems with your observations, just the comics themselves.Liz A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16531953467834426316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-65291354799360779282018-07-12T09:40:17.119-06:002018-07-12T09:40:17.119-06:00Thanks for replying, Liz. There's a lot to unp...Thanks for replying, Liz. There's a lot to unpack here. My feelings toward Catana comics are strongly in the negative. However, I didn't mean to insult you with any of my observations. Rather, I am trying to process what is going on here in these comic strips and why. But your observations regarding sick men acting like babies is valid. Thanks for pointing it out.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-42222671172637167232018-07-11T21:18:11.126-06:002018-07-11T21:18:11.126-06:00I agree we act like babies when sick.I agree we act like babies when sick.PT Dillowayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09394481476862013009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-41644444634332154262018-07-11T19:05:33.286-06:002018-07-11T19:05:33.286-06:00I've never seen these before. Perhaps it was y...I've never seen these before. Perhaps it was your intro, but I found the comics very insulting. Girlfriend as puppy? Wow, that's awful. If I was seeing a guy and he was writing these, he would no longer be welcome in my world. <br /><br />I do have to take issue with your reply to Pat. Men do act like babies at times. When they get sick is one prime example. Watch any sitcom, and the male character plays stupid, especially to get out of doing things. It's not all the time, of course, but that exists in this culture.<br /><br />As for women acting like children... I don't see that as cute. That whole helpless routine makes me downright angry. Perhaps there are places where that is seen as cute, but that's not my reality. Stupid women get taken advantage of. It's not a pretty existence.Liz A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16531953467834426316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-37689878291434244612018-07-11T07:51:37.709-06:002018-07-11T07:51:37.709-06:00I wonder if there’s some strange sexism at play to...I wonder if there’s some strange sexism at play too that I never noticed. Men, once adulthood is reached, are no longer “cute” when they act like babies or infants. The behavior is condemned and those men will end up homeless if their behavior doesn’t change (or labeled mentally ill). Women, especially those who are considered attractive, can act like infants far into adulthood and it doesn’t seem to be condemned in the same way. Rather, it can be seen as “cute,” which is shocking to me. Anyway, my whole observations regarding this have kind of fascinated me more than they should. And there’s always the possibility that my observations are incorrect as my sample size is too small.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-28788878450019103592018-07-11T05:29:08.080-06:002018-07-11T05:29:08.080-06:00Reminds me of the book I finished yesterday. The ...Reminds me of the book I finished yesterday. The 33 year old girl basically curled into the fetal position if left alone. It was pretty lame.PT Dillowayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09394481476862013009noreply@blogger.com