Chapter 30: Discussion

[Eversist]

May this, in itself, is an act.

And I would guess that it's Bern that knows her "secret."

[Darque]

Is there a single aspect of this woman's character that isn't a lie?  -_-

[SAGG]

What, what, WHAAAT?    An "act"? Is Maytag serious? 

[Kiran]

If this is an act and it was such a big secret so why May revealed it like that in front of so many people?

And really in her previous suitless accidents she really looked genuine, and Bern too looked as a person who would not think that was an act.

So I bet that Bern doesn't know about it if it's true.

But more real for me is that what May doing now is an act itself to show others and herself she's confidant.

If not then really I wonder what May is really doing.

[Shazam]

My main issues (and I presume some will be mitigated by upcoming strips) are:

1. It isn't funny. Someone's costume dissolving, their being a bit uncomfy is funny in the classic "It is funny if it happens to someone else sort of way), especially if she rallied and started telling jokes about it. Talking about conditions, being sabotaged, and a tale of her background might get shock, pity, horror, sympathy, but it isn't setting the mood to be sidesplitting funny which is her goal. Why is she even having this monologue even if it is true? If she isn't affected she should have turned the event to benefit.

2. It is a let down, since others have pointed out there have been situations in the past where she either hadn't expected to interact with people outside her costume where the persona was consistent, and times where maintaining that persona was out and out dangerous, where here it would just be a bit awkward.

If she didn't want to risk the personal when people's health was in danger, why risk it now for a random impulse to have a show? And if you're going to, why engage a monologue that sets a very non-humor atmosphere. Comedy is about context and mood. That is why you have folk whose job it is to get the audience in the mood and receptive before main acts come on stage. She's a pro. Just seems pretty improbable that if her claim is true, she'd respond in this manner.

[Asyndeta]

Okay.

Now this has happened, the only way this comic will be salvageable is if this scene ends with May excusing herself to somewhere private after the show's over and immediately start freaking out through sheer panic - revealing that it was Shy!May all along and it took every last ounce of her fortitude to not fall apart on stage and refuse to give her saboteurs the satisfaction of victory.  I would love to see that.

What makes me think that this isn't a fake-out is...well, I did kinda call this eighteen months ago.  Maytag's 'shy' personality and 'jester' personality have been growing more and more similar almost since the beginning of Book One.  We've already seen her perfectly able to assume Jester May's personality without the suit.  Remember this scene with Fata Morgana?  That was 2009.

My problem - besides everything Shazam mentioned - is that if this isn't a fake-out, if May really has been pretending to have two personalities, then that is it for her as a character.  No weaknesses, no vulnerabilities, no flaws - nothing that she ever actually pays for, that gets in her way or affects her relationship with other characters for the worse.  She was already careering towards Mary Sue territory as it is but this is ridiculous.

[Brion Foulke]

No weaknesses, no vulnerabilities, no flaws - nothing that she ever actually pays for, that gets in her way or affects her relationship with other characters for the worse.

I'll just say this... in the next chapter, you'll quickly see that this statement is very wrong.

[Hans]

As already said before, how is she trying to win a comedy/jester contest with this story? There has to be a good punch line coming now.

[Abstract Vagabond]

Okay.

Now this has happened, the only way this comic will be salvageable is if this scene ends with May excusing herself to somewhere private after the show's over and immediately start freaking out through sheer panic - revealing that it was Shy!May all along and it took every last ounce of her fortitude to not fall apart on stage and refuse to give her saboteurs the satisfaction of victory.  I would love to see that.

What makes me think that this isn't a fake-out is...well, I did kinda call this eighteen months ago.  Maytag's 'shy' personality and 'jester' personality have been growing more and more similar almost since the beginning of Book One.  We've already seen her perfectly able to assume Jester May's personality without the suit.  Remember this scene with Fata Morgana?  That was 2009.

My problem - besides everything Shazam mentioned - is that if this isn't a fake-out, if May really has been pretending to have two personalities, then that is it for her as a character.  No weaknesses, no vulnerabilities, no flaws - nothing that she ever actually pays for, that gets in her way or affects her relationship with other characters for the worse.  She was already careering towards Mary Sue territory as it is but this is ridiculous.

And you don't consider playing friends for fools a flaw? If she's pretending to have two personalities, then who's the real Maytag? It's like she's become a complete stranger again and how well do you think that will go with Crest, Susperia and others? That she couldn't trust them enough to be honest with them?

[Kiran]

Exactly.

Now as reader I learned that May I know from start was someone else, or rather like she said all was an act.
So from where we should know what was real in her behaviour and what not?
Do her behaviour around Bern is real or an act?
Did her act around Crest in beginning chapters were too just an act?

I'm kinda confused now to say the least, her jester side and her shy side are all just an act and in reality she's just a very confident person  by nature, so that mean her sexual behaviour is her genuine trait, or just crazy jester act?

Still I think her love for Bern is genuine, or at least I hope now that Bern is that only person who knows about true May, if not, then well Bern should just tie the knot with Polly and forget about May.

No weaknesses, no vulnerabilities, no flaws - nothing that she ever actually pays for, that gets in her way or affects her relationship with other characters for the worse.

I'll just say this... in the next chapter, you'll quickly see that this statement is very wrong.

I hope so that someone from this group will react to this somehow.
Still as others I can't understand the reason why May tells all this now to them all.

[Asyndeta]

I'll just say this... in the next chapter, you'll quickly see that this statement is very wrong.

Well, up to this point it's been entirely correct, but I really do hope things change.  I've been waiting for over a year to see Maytag actually face the consequences of her shortcomings and maybe even grow as a character.  You've been really kind of reluctant to let that happen so far and the comic has been suffering for it; the rest of the cast can only make up for so much.

And you don't consider playing friends for fools a flaw? If she's pretending to have two personalities, then who's the real Maytag? It's like she's become a complete stranger again and how well do you think that will go with Crest, Susperia and others? That she couldn't trust them enough to be honest with them?

It's only a true character flaw if she's facing real, quantifiable consequences for it.  If that's coming soon then I welcome it, but up until now?  There has never been a point in Book One where her negative traits and the consequences of having those traits have been fully explored.

[akashayi]

Wait. What? After all these years, is that true? o.O

[Brion Foulke]

Well, up to this point it's been entirely correct, but I really do hope things change.  I've been waiting for over a year to see Maytag actually face the consequences of her shortcomings and maybe even grow as a character.  You've been really kind of reluctant to let that happen so far and the comic has been suffering for it; the rest of the cast can only make up for so much.

Well for one thing, her shortcomings are not easily defined.  What is considered "growing" is a matter of opinion, but you can't say she hasn't changed since the beginning of the comic.

There has never been a point in Book One where her negative traits and the consequences of having those traits have been fully explored.

Fully exploring something takes time.

[Enkida]

Just stopping by to comment on Maytag's exposition.

While I, as a reader, find it great to hear her explain about her split personality issue, I cannot, for the life of me, imagine that she is holding the audience captive with this story.  No, really, they came there for standup comedy and they get an eyeful and her baring her soul.  Considering the audience I am wondering why nobody is catcalling "why don't you bare your boobs again instead of your soul" or such like that.

That being said, I find the storyline about Bernadette keeping secrets from Maytag to be very interesting.  I think she's going to get her proverbial ass kicked about it eventually when Maytag finds out, and am looking forward to that.  Don't get me wrong, I like Bernadette, she's my favourite character in this comic.  But she has been - and does need to do more - growing out of the downsides of her at times puritan paladin mentality.

... plus that spiky hair chick is hot.   

[Shay]

At the very least I don't think Bernadette knows either. Firstly, she probably isn't the 'one other person' May mentioned, because she isn't actually there and the ring probably isn't turned on.

Secondly, May and Bern have kept many secrets from each other before. And I can't imagine Maytag approaching Bern after a few years and going, "Hey Bern, by the way, my entire personality for the past few years has been an act. I've been lying to you and everyone else constantly. Yeah. You still love me, right?"

Thirdly, there's a moment in Book Zero where Bern tells May to not put on her suit before she goes out on the town. If Bern knew about May's act, that comment would have been pointless. (However, May could have told Bern later, like in the six month gap between Book Zero and Book One).

[Azure Priest]

I think Moss is the "one person" because his "Curse" forces him to see ALL a person's weaknesses. He even saw the entire "daddy love" that first girl he met went through.

Yeah, I don't think this performance is about giggles anymore. I think it's about shaming her mentors, and "poisoning the well" for all future auditioners. (Who incidentally are prime suspects for sabotaging her act.) She will never go so low as to sabotage another person's act, but that won't stop her from "ruining the atmosphere." Comedy is an exercise in futility if the audience is depressed and emotionally scarred.

[SAGG]

You know, concerning the 10/31 comic, for a second there, it looked as if Maytag had briefly bitten her microphone, or whatever it's called... 

[Brekkjern]

I can't really remember the competition being about standup comedy or jesters. If I remember correctly, it was about the best entertainer. And an entertainer is many things and I know there are many serious, entertaining radio shows around.

Just going to throw that out there.

[Kiran]

So for who else May become a total stranger?

I will hold waiting for next page to see May big reasons behind this.

If Bern doesn't know about this, then personally it's even worse than all this cheating May did behind Bern back.

I could see May doing it specially for Bern so she as a knight person would have a shy May to protect...
But that would be low.

[Brillig]

@Brekkjern

You make a good point, and have helped me see what she's doing in a better light =)

As to May becoming a stranger, I don't think she has changed at all. She has simply revealed that she is both personalities she has been putting on. Just because they are acts doesn't mean they aren't a part of who she is. I still have no reason as to why she would do this, but I'm sure it will become clear soon. Have faith in our master lobster friend!  ;-D

[Azure Priest]

It's... IT'S HIM! The guy who exploded the "pactio" neckband! Shepperd was it?

[Kiran]

"I want to be liked!"

A bit anticlimatic?

So she's a person who choose different personality for different people so they would care for her/like her?

So maybe she's faking it for Bern to so Bern would have a girl to protect?

Still as in many posts before, I have no idea why she thought this was a good moment to share this info with.

[Abstract Vagabond]

"I want to be liked!"

A bit anticlimatic?

So she's a person who choose different personality for different people so they would care for her/like her?

So maybe she's faking it for Bern to so Bern would have a girl to protect?

Still as in many posts before, I have no idea why she thought this was a good moment to share this info with.

My guess is that by knowing why her costume was sabotage, she likely knew who did it. Not wanting to give them any satisfaction in their deed, she used what was likely her only remaining card left to retaliate with. Had the sabotage happened before she went on stage like the attempt was planned to go, she may have not used it and probably had time to conjure up another idea.

[Enkida]

After seeing the big secret, I tend to agree with Asyndeta.

I still think the comic has great art and is fun to read because of the large cast of "minor" characters who are very well written.  But Maytag is becoming a part of the comic I sigh at and suffer through until I can learn about what happens to everyone else.

To be fair, professional Japanese mangaka do this sort of thing with their main characters all the time, too.  I just don't like reading it in licensed manga either, though.   

[Andrea]

She's definitely not skilled as an entertainer

[ducky_worshiper]

Yeah... I have to admit that "I have been portraying 2 completely different personalities, whether or not it made sense or was dangerous for myself or others at the time, for several years cuz OHMIGAWSH I WANT PEOPLE TO LIKE ME" is stretching it a bit far for me =/

May's becoming less and less interesting, which is sad to me because originally she and Bern (and their relationship) was why I started reading this comic years ago because I was interested to see how the nuances of their personalities would be handled.  

Edit - Also wanted to say that either way I'm holding out hope because, to be fair, there were other points in the story that frustrated me but ultimately came to ok conclusions, so I keep hoping that Brion will salvage this in a way that I have yet to think of.

[Brion Foulke]

Yeah... I have to admit that "I have been portraying 2 completely different personalities, whether or not it made sense or was dangerous for myself or others at the time,

When was it ever dangerous to others?

[Andrea]

Well the main character doesn't need to be liked as they aren't usually.
Who likes Goku for example? Or who likes Seya? Or who likes Ken from HNK?

Go go Suspiria! <3

[Enkida]

When was it ever dangerous to others?

I would say chapter 2 page 43 and onwards.  Although it would be more interesting if she didn't take initiative without her costume because she really didn't care about Crest getting punched and Orransong getting stabbed.  But that doesn't seem in character for what we've learned of Maytag, the girl who can rescue anybody from any situation at the mere cost of her own health, either.

[Azure Priest]

Still... waiting... for ... other .... shoe... to... drop.

Oh wait, May's no longer wearing shoes!

Guess she won't be winning that show, and she won't be getting one either unless her mentors realize what dicks they were.

HAHAHAA! NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.