Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for June 06, 2017

Gunther is pooping the party.

Hey Tiff… look at the neat stuff I can do with my tongue!

A cherry tart is a contradiction in terms.

Just how many cherries has he eaten?

You call yourself that rapscallion, Eddie Haskell, and you don’t know? This is the deepest and most adult double entendre that Greg has drawn so far, denoting a proficiency in oral sex, and Tiffany smiles at it, but Gunther, being Mr. Totally clueless, has no idea.

That’s obnoxious. From him, a crude and obvious sexual come-on. And disappointing that she seems to enjoy it. And Gunther… “doesn’t get it?” Whew. Beam me up, Scotty…

Are they going to address the fact that Leslie stole money from people?

Whoa GE no plausible comedic deniability here! The message that Les is giving to Tiffany cannot be more clear, and oral, and her smile is so significant, and adult I can hardly stand it (like Charlie Brown). Quite adult here, although among young adults hardly surprising, but of course poor fuddy duddy Gunther has no idea. Rosa we need you to give this young man, man lessons, and not just in sex. He has been smothered so long, he is not able to do, in a good way, the growing that he should be able to do. Very much a home run panel here to me, although some conservative people might not think so. A cherry too!! Whoa Nellie!!

Poor Gunther doesn’t “get it” on several levels! I understand his frustration, but he’s really being a brat right now. His whiny attitude is getting on my nerves. He should be happy Tiff is distracting Les and focus the conversation to Mr. Gray and his Mom. (How long till he’s calling Mr. Gray, Mr. Dad????)

Yowza! Major symbolism today as Gunther takes Mr. Gray’s position at the table, while wearing a gray suit, and also takes over Mr. Gray’s job of scowling at Leslie. He also doesn’t get Leslie’s cherry stem demonstration. What does it mean?:

1.Leslie is unable to separate the maraschino cherry from its stem without using his tongue.

2.Leslie prefers to eat the maraschino cherry before he eats his ice cream.

3.Leslie has noticed that Mr. Gray and Mrs. Berger are no longer sitting with them and speculates via maraschino cherry what they are doing together.

4.Leslie is likely to be able to remove the food between his teeth using his tongue, so maybe he does not need to floss.

5.The top definition from the Urban Dictionary indicates it mean Leslie is a virgin.

6.Greg Evans doesn’t seem to mind putting sexual innuendo in his family-oriented comic strip.

7.Gunther’s slow transformation into Mr. Gray is finally complete.

He boy yet.

This is the sexiest episode Greg has ever published, and it’s at the dinner table.

You guys never seen Twin Peaks?

Eeewwww. He’s still a creep.

If superficial tricks like that are what it takes to impress Tiffany, she is lost.

Looking at it again, Tiffany’s expression hasn’t changed much from panel 2 to panel 3. There’s still room to play this out.

@LUANN1212: You are constantly suggesting that the only reason Gunther is so immature, or doesn’t understand innuendo, is that he ‘s been mother-smothered. He was away from his mother during his trip to Peru; should that not have been sufficient time for him to begin to mature a bit? Instead, as soon as he found out about Mr. Gray, he headed for home. (To be fair, he also said that he realized that Rosa’s chosen path wasn’t his, but when he was riding around with all the retired lady tourists, the only thing he talked about was saving his mother from Mr. Gray.) Besides the fact that Gunther has been physically away from his mother in Peru, he also spends his days (supposedly) at college. Couldn’t he spare a few minutes to read some adult lit to find out what tying a cherry stem with your tongue is supposed to mean? Everything on earth is not Mommy’s fault…

He is just suggesting he is a good kisser…it’s not that bad

This reminds me of Carrie. Les and Tiff are just like the couple, Billy Nolan and Chris Hargensen. Les even looks like John Travolta and Tiff looks like Nancy Allen.

Maybe they’ll try to dump a bucket of pig blood on Luann.

Never thought I’d see something like that in this comic strip! And with Les of all people! Ewwwwww.

@WIZARDGOAT: And most of us thought Gunther was the outsider at the party. Then along comes an interpretation out of bizarro world…

I’m beginning to suspect that Tiffany is the sly one here who is conning Les. She will stage a little public display of affection for Gunther to make him look good, then take his arm and head off into the night, together.

Let’s hope so.

Now what on earth does Ma Berger think of Les coming on to her son’s girlfriend?

Seriously? You have an opportunity to have something along the lines of Brad/Toni (growth between two characters who build a long term relationship over the long term) and you seem ready to throw it away!

“Twin Peaks” Reference.

reminds me of the one where the woman performs a vasectomi that way.

Tiff will fall for Les, get pregnant and then realize how shallow she is and what a jewel Gunther is. Gunther may or may not marry her.

:-O

Twin Peaks reference?AWESOME!

Gunther, You’re missing a “Teachable Moment,” Here. Look Hard, and Listen Well: It is ALWAYS going to be this Way, Whenever You Introduce…, I’m Sorry, EXPOSE This Young Woman to a “Guy.” ANY Guy! THAT is Why many of Us Have been Saying You should have Only Been a “Friend” to Tiffany, WITH BENEFITS and NOT-GET-SERIOUS with Her! Gaw, Knows this Degenerate, Low-Life You’ve just Stupidly handed those “Benefits” over to on a Silver Platter, is NOT going to take Her Seriously, after He’s (A-HEM) “Validated Her Parking Ticket.” And I personally can’t wait until She takes “Thug-Life” here, Home to “Daddy.”

So BUCK Up, and be of Good Cheer! Your Bone-Headed Mistake will save You Hundreds of Thousands of dollars in the Long Run. And Remember, when Your Clueless Mom INSISTS that You Bring Tiff to Each and EVERY Dinner, as She’s Sure to do? Also Invite Ox. Got That? INVITE-OX!!

PS: One MORE Thing, Gunth. I’ve been wanting to Say this for a long, long time. That business awhile back about You feeling Guilty because You thought that YOU were the Reason Your Father abandoned the family? That’s NOT Your Fault.

It was Greg’s……,

Maraschino machismo? LuAnn has definitely left the Family Strip genre. This is an “overt” entendre.

P.S. I’m fed up with Gunther being portrayed as “Mr. Clueless.” I just doesn’t fit with his life experiences in this strip.

Jeez Gunther, you’ve never watched Twin Peaks. What kind of nerd are you?

Wow, we get it. Les is obviously more “experienced” than Gunther and Tiffany is attracted to that. Let her and Les hook up and let’s move on.

Today’s strip is an “Arlo Award” nominee.

1989 called and wants its sexual innuendo back.

I wish they would write Less out of the strip—or send him to prison.

Wrong…too far….Don’t think I care for this strip anymore. Unfinished arcs…convoluted storylines….no balance in characters…

Back off, guys………I somehow feel that Tiffany is in control here, and Gunther is her pal.

It doesn’t matter who’s in control. It stinks.

JayBluE isn’t here yet, but I have a few “titles” to share:

“Tongue-Tied”

“You Knotty Boy, You!”

“Ta-Da! For Now”

Congratulations to Jay for getting the closest in his prediction! He had wondered if Gunther might become perplexed wondering if there was a secret slang meaning in some food comment like “please, pass the potato salad”. No one else suggested Gunther being perplexed over an imagined or real communication involving food. So, prediction congratulations to Jay!

Gunther, my boy … if you don’t ‘get it’ soon, you won’t ‘get it’ at all! Les’ display wasn’t for you. Hope Tiff doesn’t go for Les, though.

Tiff & Les were made for and deserve eachother.

I can do that.

There are 5 people at this dinner. (A) Why do three of them sit at the same side of the table, and (B) how big is this table, for that even to be possible? Where are Mr. Gray and Mom Berger sitting? Also, it would be interesting to see what their reaction is to Les’s little trick. Are they winking at each other knowingly, with fond memories of their evenings together?

An agile tongue is a wondrous thing and doesn’t risk unwanted pregnancies.

I don’t have a taste for it, but it is good for Leslie.

Wow pretty risque` for Luann.

How many people also think that Gunther will blow up tomorrow?

4

Les is (as would be expected) being crass and suggestive to Tiffany. Tiffany’s sly “grin” of sorts back at Les for making the stem into a knot…. well…. IMO, I am more convinced than I was last week that Tiffany was well aware of and recalls how creepy Les was in high school. I remain even more convinced than last week that Tiffany is acting at pandering to Les’ crass displays with some sort of plan to “rescue” her friend, Gunther.

Now…. it is unfortunate that Gunther needs “saving”. But, if this all falls into place as I suspect it will, we will all be looking at Tiffany as a real, true, and important friend for Gunther. She is, IMO, helping Gunther to grow.

I have always found the “tying a cherry stem into a knot” a crass and coarse euphemism… one that I do not particularly care for…. but it seems pretty damn appropriate for Les to have done this, I must admit.

I hope Gunther does not ask Tiffany to explain it on the ride home. That would be an awkward conversation.

Maybe tomorrow Les will ask Tiffany for her cherry. It is still on her dessert. I hope Gunther doesn’t ask for it.

I’m sure Tiffany lost her cherry long ago…

Les is applying for the position of Tiffany’s Boyfriend

I bet Pru would have appreciated that talent!

Sorry, Les, but you’re no match for Sherilyn Fenn on that little trick.

A slut is a slut is a slut.

Lotsa prudes here today

I don’t like what’s happening to LuAnn as a “comic…”

Tiff is a tease, not a sleaze. Give her a chance guys.

Many claim my beloved Tiffany can not act. She let Gunther know she meant to make poor Leslie feel better by paying him attention. Then she did it. She made him feel good about himself and acted fascinated by paying him attention. She even fooled many of you, even Gunther — unless he is good at acting too.

WHATAGURL!

I’m sure Tiff has dealt with his kind before.

Okay, i just had a thought: what if Gunther gets competitive with Les but swallows a cherry whole? We had a day in the ER decades ago due to someone doing that with too large a piece of meat. It made it past the branch to the trachea but lodged in the esophagus above the stomach and caused a complete blockage, so it was necessary for a gastroenterologist to invasively push it into the stomach.

Can you imagine Tiffany’s level of concern for Gunther? Her insistence on riding in the ambulence w Mrs B? The dirty look Mr G woukd be giving Les?

There may be enough days in the week for the plot to turn this way.

Not this time. Les won’t take her “NO” for an answer.

Another thing i was wondering was what if Tiffany startles Gunther by kissing him good night at the dorm? (Obviously, not part of an imagined hospital thread) so flummoxed Gunther sits down on a bench next to another student w a similar expression who turns out to be Piro, and decides to ask him if he has ever been surprised by a kiss.

Tiffany thinks that was so hot that her ice cream melted…

For what it’s worth: I’m 65 and, until today, had never heard of tying a cherry stem in one’s mouth – let alone the connotations you guys have since given it. And I’m sure, some smart aleck out there is going to say (based on my past submissions), “no wonder his high school and dating days were miserable.” I’m sure many of you will call me a “prude,” but frankly, today’s strip and comments have given a new dimension to TMI!

Having never seen Twin Peaks I do not get the references. I had hoped this story arch was to be about Gunther and Tiffany getting closer, learning more about one another and showing how they have both matured since high school. Instead we see both going backward. Gunther is insecure, Tiffany is flirtatious and Leslie is just a jerk, as always. I’ve noticed at in this strip Brad and Toni seem to be the only ones who had grown as people. Everyone else, while physically maturing seem to remain juvenile mentally and emotionally.

To me the center two panels look in background coloration like Les is thinking, “I’m so cool” followed by ""I’m so hot".

I think Tiff can tie hers in a “double Windsor” !

Re: table manners, It’s hard not to notice Gunther uses his spoon like a shovel while Tiffany holds silverware in the European style.

Totally Twin Peaks (though still with much innuendo). Check out this video link: https://youtu.be/7rFWZCEYxyU

I guess Leslie thinks he’s hot stuff.

I suspect Tiff has seen Twin Peaks (I have not, but I did look at the video to which Christopher [just above] linked), thus satisfactorily accounting for her knowing expression without needing to make any prurient assumptions about what she has done in the past or might do in the near future, especially with a greasy sleazeball like Leslie Knox….

I think Tiff may get the innuendo, but may not be sexually active at all. We have no reason to believe that she is – except for Aaron Hill, who has she been involved with? if you saw the movie American Beauty (Kevin Spacey/Mena Suvari), it can be that kind of thing for Tiff.

Drop Mic, walk away…

Assuming Les leaves with Mr. Gray, and Tiffany leaves with Gunther, it would be a great moment for the Tiffany character to tell Gunth sweetly that she knows how he feels – but he needs to work on it to get through life. Then maybe a few moments of intimacy…

This has been a great arc for drawing out so many opinions and points of view. I guess the main division among the readers is (1) Sympathetic: Gunther is a nice kid but with a social disorder – he deserves a break; or (2) Not sympathetic: Gunther is a spoiled little brat that deserves the misery he’s experiencing and is destined to be a recluse. So…..will we find out how Greg & Karen feel – or will we suddenly be reading a new arc…

SPOILER ALERT:

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Sukie will be disappointed…