Something Negative

[daibhidc]

I started reading the webcomic Something Positive, a few years ago. And I was kind of amused at Randy Milholland's comments about getting e-mails asking why the characters were suddenly so nasty, because a quick check of the archives confirmed that there had been a very high level of nastiness in the first strip, which had been maintained ever since.

I think I get it now, though. It's not that the strip was actually getting nastier, it's that the readers' tolerence was dropping. Something Positive is like lead; the toxicity stays in your system and builds up over successive exposure. And I think the recent storyline about two sociopaths encouraging their adopted daughter to beat up weaker children, with the collusion of an adoption agency case worker who "hates babies" has exceeded my tolerence levels. I'm out.

Edit: Re-reading this, it sounds quite accusatory, and it's not really meant to - I'm clearly not the target audience, which is fine. I was just surprised after all this time to suddenly realise I wasn't the target audience.

Comments

[rhiannon-s.livejournal.com]

I think it's more like the nastiness has become less subtle and more spelled out. Strip one had the nastiness implied, it made you stop and wonder for a moment as your processed what you saw and then passed the realisation onto your frontal lobes for an ohhhhhh, snerk, shit-thats-cruel.

Now it is, here is a shitty thing. Just laugh dammit and we can get it over with. There isn't that moment of horrified realisation tht actually makes it funny.

[ssirienna.livejournal.com]

Hmmm I know what you mean. I've been reading S*P for probably about the same time and have noticed that my initial chuckle of "phew that's a little close to the bone" has become a faint "meh" ... I have noticed that I've been culling other web comics for the same reason.

So I am fairly sure that this one will go the same way - thanks for helping me to focus on what I was feeling.

BTW - have you found Questionable Content as a far better but still sometimes a sharp intake of breath comic? Or Wapsi Sqauare? Or Girls with slingshots? All of whom I discovered recently and am reading happily and with great enjoyment :-))

[ssirienna.livejournal.com]

Yep - good way to put it :(

[daibhid-c.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I read QC. I'll check the others out, thanks!