Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for August 22, 2022

Bernice NEEDS to go!

Luann’s look at Bernice in the 2nd panel says it all.

Where should Luann find a new BFF??

At a new job? Transfer to Moonie University?

One thing is certain… Bernice NEEDS to go!

still not helping Luann’s cause, Bernice

Keep that Overton Window moving, Bernice. ✨

Trying to recover from the dagger looks from your BFF? HA!

You have got to do better than that, Bernie. You’re in the danger zone!

Bernice, as Will Roger’s said, “When you are in a hole, stop digging”

Usually they say that when you’ve dug yourself into a hole in the ground to stop digging. But Bernice continues to shovel away.

This is a recapitulation of Saturday’s strip for those who mercifully missed last week so it’s not like Bernice has been laughing at Luann for 2 days. It just seems like it.

Wow, she didn’t care enough to even try the normal excuse of “okay, I may not be laughing with you, but I’m laughing for you” thing. Guess I better add another day to yesterday’s comment:

Luann’s best friend actually hates her, part #524 of an ongoing series.

Nil should see this.

Then, maybe he’d come to his senses about any continued involvement with Bernice.

There is a poster at ArcaMax who says Luann should ‘grow up’. I’ve tried to tell her that trauma is trauma, and is especially bad in teen years (teen suicide rates are high). That ‘growing up’ physically doesn’t mean you can outgrow emotional damage. But the poster doesn’t agree…

Bernice is laughing at the thought of Luann having such emotional turmoil over a boy who didn’t even know she existed.

Bernice find another place to live

Hey, Luann! Maybe you could ask Bernice whether, in her imagined future career as a psychologist, she plans to laugh at her clients to their faces (but “supportively”).

Will Aaron Hill ever make another appearance? Some characters move on- Knute & Delta, ex., and we never see them again.

Bernice shut up you are no friend.

Well, Bernice is being honest. The way Luann presented on the tape was funny to her. She just needs to ask Luann if it weren’t HER on the tape but BERNICE, how might she respond? Betcha Luann will start giggling too.

Bernice, all dressed for winter. Strip off that stuff and show some skin, or get Kip to help you. Stef is out of town.

This looks like the end of a not-so-beautiful friendship!!

As I said last week—it’s time for Bernice to find other living arrangements—even if Nancy objects.

Bernice is pointing to where her other foot goes.

Bernie is pointing to where Luann’s fist needs to go.

We’ve seen way too much of Boreneice lately – but today’s toon was kinda funny. It’s like you find yourself going the wrong way on a one-way street and can’t find a place to turn around.

Oh, yeah – greetings from Monterey, y’all! It is our anniversary, so we have towed the trailer down here to a nice camping area just in from the coast for a few days. Everyone be nice to each other while I am gone, LOL…

Luann is still a bit flaky and so is Bernice.

A different reaction than usual from Luann here. She’s actually feeling insulted by Bern’s snarkiness.

Just shut up, Bernice. Or, leave.

Comedy = Tragedy + Time

A good friend will always laugh at your stupidity.

I remember a few years back one prolific commenter continuously ask for the strip to bring back Bernice. Still struggling to figure out why.

That moment it dawns on you that you should end the friendship.

Bernice, when you’re in over your head, stop digging!

I see Bernice is back to button down shirts over high necked sweaters. Stiff neck!

Bernice needs to find another place to live.

You are not funny at all, Bernice! You are just an insensitive jerkface and a false friend! All you do is look down on Luann and put her down, just so you can feel superior to everyone else and she’s been nothing but there for you! And what do you do in return? All you do is mock and laugh at her! Shame on you, Bernice! That’s what I say! Shame on you!

Actually, it was a funny romance novel… back in the day! Greg collected them up in books. Now available in paperback.

Looks like Luann hasn’t dealt with her dramatic (Argythree would say traumatic) childhood issues yet.

Bernice; you’re supposed to be a conselor in training. Can’t you even FAKE being supportive?

Another in the long chain of why Bernice is a bad friend to Luann.

Time to rewind the tape and let Bernice know what you think of her.

“exhuming things better left alone…resurrecting memories of a love that’s dead and gone…” Randy Travis Diggin’ Up Bones

Kind of full of yourself, aren’t you.

Bern is actually right, Aaron was a vacuous empty character Luann had a unrealistic romantic crush on, he did not know Luann existed, and probably would not have cared if he did. It IS funny, even if Luann went through a considerable amount of misery over him. Bern meant no real harm. she can’t help herself. She is not horrible, just cluelessly unable to control her sarcastic impulses at silliness. She has to work on sensitivity that is for sure (even if she becomes a lawyer which makes more sense because of her intelligence and desire to get to the bottom of things), but to wish she was out of the strip is again missing the story, again in my humble opinion.

OK this is a start and G&K didn’t just begin a new arc when clearly these two need to talk. I’m hopeful that Luann will finally tell Bern that her sharp comments come all the time and they hurt.

Just keep diggin’ that hole Bern. One day you might get it deep enough!

“Okay, REALLY I’m just mocking you and getting laughs from your suffering.”

Luann should laugh about how funny it was when Bernice had no place to live and called her crying. Ha Ha!

What a heifer! Bernice needs to go, and fast.

Stop while you are behind Bernice.

People bashing on Bernice, but my best friend of 20+ years is like this too. He annoys me to no end sometimes, but he’s someone I couldn’t be more grateful to have in my corner rest of the time.

Luann should laugh at the hilarious scene when Bernice was hiding behind the trash cans because she was too scared to face her brother and Bernice thought he was walking towards her. I’m sure Bernice would find that funny.

Luann is a glutton for punishment!

Luann is always the brunt of everyone’s jokes. None of it is ever affectionate “friendly joking”. They all make fun of her and have a good time doing it. But Bernice is right on this one. It is funny to hear the story being told, and Luann doesn’t have any business being all over-sensitive about it. She should take her tape recorder and go sulk somewhere else.

Shoving both feet in mouth. Wondering how to get them out. Did someone say that it would be fun and Bernice warned that it wouldn’t be? (and of course the mob went after Bernice).

We’ll know that Luann has finally grown up when she can not only look back at her Aaron angst and enjoy a good laugh, but also “dine out” on stories about her Aaron angst.

Epic fail, Bernice.

See? LuAnn is STILL an insecure airhead.

This made me think of a cousin back in grade school days. Every time we all got together her family made fun of her – at the dinner table, playing games, all the time. It’s interesting, and I wonder why it is that some people just always get to be the goat.

Another week of Bernice mocking Luann. Great.

Okay, I took the time to check out what Evans did with facial expressions. Panel 1, Luann rolling her eyes, looking off to the side, mouth curved slightly up to the direction she’s gazing, arms crossed in defensive position; Panel 2, eyes wide open, with pinpoint pupils piercing Bernice, mouth flat and small, panel 3, her eyes half open, representing slight squinting at he Bernice’s rationalization, mouth barely there. It seems to me, Evans must have thought out the looks, rolling eyes, piercing eyes, squinting eyes before her created each reaction. Wonderful how such little nuances create the scene.

Folks, Aaron is gone and not coming back.

Delta is gone and not coming back.

Bernice is here to stay.

Get used to it.

Right now, the look on Luann’s face seems to be saying “Why am I still friends with her?”

Bernice is having a moment of self realization. Hopefully to be followed by a moment of self reflection. Followed by self improvement.

Yeah, Bern is definitely therapist material. Lacks zero compassion and is always in a state if perpetual judgement towards others. She the one character who I detest in this strip. She’s a frigid little twerp who loves to make fun of others.

Bernice should quit while she’s behind

I find it seriously hard to believe that someone who acts like Bernice would have any friends.

Bernice’s only (very small) saving grace here, is that she seems to realize that she crossed a bright red line.

I can’t help but think if you have a "best friend " who continually bashes you, including behind your back with others including your parents, it’s just not much of a friend at all. I have friends that I can joke with and who will give me a hard time but they also support me when I need it. I have not seen that trait in Bernice in a very long time. A constant snark is not funny.

In Luann time how long since Aaron left? It seems like she should be ready by now to appreciate how ridiculous she acted in regards to him when she was younger. While Bernice is handling this poorly, it is another example of how disturbingly arrested Luann’s character growth has been. So many other characters in this strip have undergone such meaningful growth…Tiffany, Gunther, Brad come to mind first and there are others. It’s kind of sad the character who headlines the strip name is endlessly trapped in the mindset of a early teenager.

“I am happy you have put that phase of your life behind you.”

I find myself in agreement with Bernice. This is FUNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!! Maybe she should make a podcast of it.

Bernice seems to have forgotten her own high school obsession with Zane. Anyone else remember him?

Sunshine friends agree with you and build you up whereas winter friends will not lie to you. Some want the yes friend who will leave when things aren’t good.

Bernice, apologize and stop acting like an idiot, if that’s possible.

Luann is not a-muse-d.

A Psychology Today article that explains the origin of Bernice’s insensitivity: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201908/what-makes-some-people-so-insensitive.

Bernice is my favorite character.

Keep pointing and showing your teeth while you still have some, Bern! You wouldn’t if you were acting like that in front of me. :-D

Let’s bring up Zane to step the insane cackling