So, I guess this comic is just about how much I hate the way people argue online now... That wasn't the plan originally, but here we are! So much performative outrage for the home team, so little attempt to convince the other side.⁠
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So, the inclusion of the word 'mansplain' makes me feel the need to elaborate a little bit. When I first heard the term, I actually thought it was both really funny, and really accurate. Mansplaining is definitely a real thing that sucks and shouldn't happen... this is not in dispute. It's just that over time the internet did it's thing and overused the expression so much that the original meaning was kind of lost and now it's often [not always!] used to simply end a discussion by invalidating the speaker. I think much the same thing happened to 'gaslighting': it is definitely a real thing that definitely happens, but has become overused and is in danger of becoming meaningless. Like, not all disagreement is 'gaslighting,' and not every explanation offered by a man is 'mansplaining.' ⁠
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Actually, it just occurred to me... is Zoey gaslighting Jack in this one?