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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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In this comic, [[White Hat]], [[Cueball]], and [[Ponytail]] can be seen having a conversation about relationships. White Hat expresses the opinion that "relationships aren't easy". The others accept this advice, which is generally accepted as a reasonable view: two people are always going to have at least some difference in opinions, desires and needs that need to be communicated, negotiated and worked out. This requires mutual effort and some level of compromise in any healthy and successful relationship.  
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{{incomplete|Created by a RELATIONSHIP WITH A JOB IN FINE ARTS - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
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In this comic, [[White Hat]], [[Cueball]], and [[Ponytail]] can be seen having a conversation about relationships. In the second frame, [[White Hat]] is saying that relationships are a job in of itself and need constant work. An off-frame voice expresses wary and unsure news. In the third frame, [[White Hat]] is saying that relationships are “a challenge that feels overwhelming” and create a crushing burden. Again, [[Cueball]] voices confusion and disagreement. Finally, in the last frame, he says that relationships are “a gruelling ordeal”. Hearing all of this “relationship advice”, [[Cueball]] and [[Ponytail]] ask who he’s trying to convince and if he’s ok. [[White Hat]] manically yells out that he’s ok, making his point moot, as his behaviour is clearly NOT ok. The joke is that even though [[White Hat]] is giving relationship advice, his advice is actually negative and isn’t helping the couple feel better. There’s also a possibility that [[White Hat]] is aromantic, meaning that he doesn’t experience love and may have a negative outlook on romance. Seeing Randall’s negative thoughts on Valentine’s Day, it may not be a coincidence that this comic was released only 9 days before the holiday.  
  
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In the subsequent frames, however, White Hat continues to push the matter, describing relationships in increasingly unpleasant terms, starting with calling them "constant work" and ultimately calling it a "grueling ordeal". Cueball and Ponytail correspondingly agree with him less, and instead {{w|The lady doth protest too much, methinks|begin to worry about him}}.  
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When someone is in an abusive relationship, they may struggle to see that the relationship is abusive. There are various reasons this may occur (e.g. {{w| Traumatic Bonding}}) but does not change the fact that the relationship is abusive. If someone is in a situation like this, they may need help from friends or professional counselors to see the situation they are in.
  
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White Hat's views on what is necessary and appropriate in relationships appear to go to unhealthy extremes. While his initial comments about relationships requiring efforts are reasonable, the notion that relationships consist of endless, overwhelming effort is not, for most people, though for some people who experience significant asociality this can be how most relationships feel. However, Cueball and Ponytail appear to suspect that White Hat may be describing a relationship that he's currently in or that has severed, and trying to rationalize an unhealthy situation by telling himself that "this is normal".
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==Transcript==
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{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
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When someone is in an abusive relationship, they may struggle to see that the relationship is abusive, often confusing genuinely destructive behavior with normal relationship troubles. There are various reasons this may occur. Some people experience {{w|traumatic bonding}}, some have spent so much time in or around unhealthy relationships that they've come to seem 'normal', and some experience various forms of {{w|Codependency|codependence}}. For people in such situations, help from friends and/or professional counselors is often necessary to allow them to even identify the situation they're in, and particularly to separate themselves from the situation.
 
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Seeing Randall’s often negative thoughts on [[223: Valentine's Day|Valentine’s Day]] and the [[1016: Valentine Dilemma|problems it produces]], it may not be a coincidence that this comic was released only nine days before the event.  
 
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The title text explains that advice which focuses on remaining upbeat in a bad situation (like a "pep talk"), should give others pause. There's a good chance that the person giving such advice is trying to {{w|Reaction formation|convince themselves that their situation is alright}}, rather than providing useful guidance for others. In this comic, this sentiment is seemingly applied to White Hat, whose "relationship advice" may be much more personal than such advice should reasonably be, and the reader is thus warned to take advice like this with a grain of salt. This is similar to [[449: Things Fall Apart]] where Cueball tells Megan "I love you" repeatedly and Megan points out he's only saying it to reassure ''himself'' rather than express it to her.
 
  
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This comic's title is reminiscent of [[Randall|Randall's]] [[:Category:Tips|Tips]] comics. Here, though, there turns out to be no actual advice or tip, and thus not part of the tip category.
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:[White Hat, Cueball and Ponytail are walking]
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==Transcript==
 
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:[White Hat, Cueball and Ponytail are walking. White Hat has his palm out.]
 
 
:White Hat: What you have to remember is, relationships aren't easy.
 
:White Hat: What you have to remember is, relationships aren't easy.
 
:Ponytail: Yeah, fair.
 
:Ponytail: Yeah, fair.
  
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:[Close-up of White Hat with his finger raised.]  
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:[Close-up of White Hat who has his finger raised]  
 
:White Hat: They're hard. They require constant work.
 
:White Hat: They're hard. They require constant work.
 
:White Hat: A relationship is a job.
 
:White Hat: A relationship is a job.
 
:Off-panel voice: I guess...
 
:Off-panel voice: I guess...
  
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:[White Hat has stopped walking and is facing Cueball and Ponytail standing a bit further away.]
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:[White Hat has stopped walking and is facing Cueball and Ponytail standing a bit further away]
 
:White Hat: It's a challenge that feels overwhelming. It's a crushing burden.
 
:White Hat: It's a challenge that feels overwhelming. It's a crushing burden.
 
:Cueball: Umm.
 
:Cueball: Umm.
  
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:[White Hat has his arms raised while still facing Cueball and Ponytail.]
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:[White Hat has his arms spread out]
 
:White Hat: A relationship is a grueling ordeal.
 
:White Hat: A relationship is a grueling ordeal.
 
:Cueball: ...Who are you trying to convince, exactly?
 
:Cueball: ...Who are you trying to convince, exactly?
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[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
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[[Category:Social interactions]]
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[[Category:Romance]]

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