But I'm A Cat Person - Discussion thread

[BigKwell]

New theory on Bennett: he's a Being under the control of another, ordered to make the right look bad so others look good. The reason he appears to be such a poorly stated Conservative is because he's someone elses take on a Conservative (his master being someone who doesn't like or understand what a Conservative is, of course). Like spring water filtered through sewage or a game of telephone. It'd certainly match the foreshadowing in the first chapter with the TV announcement.

Very interesting theory.

[Xuanwu]

Very interesting theory.

It was inspired by Erin's new series of bear cub drawings that are a Being we haven't seen yet. That cub being Bennett would make the most sense given what we know currently. So we have, theory wise:

1. Bennett is actually a great guy who gets maligned unfairly by Sparrow and others because they're afraid of people they disagree with. (Quite possible since we've never actually heard what Bennett says, only what Sparrow's biased opinion is.)
2. Bennett's actually a jerk and there's nothing more to it. (Unlikely, since that'd be too boring for something Erin writes.)
3. Bennett's a liberal pretending to be a Conservative, deliberately making the right look bad by mocking them. (Possible given Erin's love of Colbert, but less possible than #1 since Erin has said she's trying not to have Bennett = Colbert.)
4. Bennett is a Being whose Master is a liberal ordering him to be a pretend Conservative, complete with unrealistic levels of hate. (As equally possible as #1, if not more so given the new drawings we've seen.)

#4 also sets up interesting commentary, since you'd have a liberal saying that they're all about promoting tolerance and understanding while casting their Being as a "black face" type parody of Conservatives (that is, a parody not meant in good fun, but to demean and belittle - bad clown rather than good clown). Not to mention the use of force implied when you order a Being to do something like that. So the master would be an instant hypocrite. And it'd provide Bianca with the kind of authoritarian contrast needed. Then all we'd need is a proper Conservative analog (preferably one who's either Hispanic or Asian) and the comic would achieve its diversity quotient.

[SailorPtah]

while casting their Being as a "black face" type parody of Conservatives

Don't.

I'm willing to give most of your theorizing a pass, but this is one step away from Holocaust metaphors on the "inappropriate comparisons" scale. Even unjustified disagreement with conservatives is nothing like blackface. If you want to keep saying things like that, it's your choice, but don't say them in any forum I moderate.

[Xuanwu]

I'm willing to give most of your theorizing a pass, but this is one step away from Holocaust metaphors on the "inappropriate comparisons" scale. Even unjustified disagreement with conservatives is nothing like blackface. If you want to keep saying things like that, it's your choice, but don't say them in any forum I moderate.

[This comment has been removed by a moderator due to apologetics for an analogy that was flatly declared off-limits.]

[flyboy254]

*Snaps fingers* I've got it! Bennett is really just being used to make us all guess randomly as to what he really is!

[SailorPtah]

*Snaps fingers* I've got it! Bennett is really just being used to make us all guess randomly as to what he really is!

Oh, if only I could take that much credit. The man has only appeared in two panels! That's fewer than the random guy who tripped in the library! Why is nobody crafting multiparagraph theories about him, huh? Will nobody think of the poor library-tripper?

[flyboy254]

Because I'm sure that guy tripping in the library has no real bearing on anything happening in the future storylines. *Shifty eyes*

[Ledyprege]

nice!

[Xuanwu]

Alternate theory on the mystery cub Being: it's the Being that belongs to the "girl destined to save everyone." I think Erin's drawn her already, but we never saw her Being.

[Xuanwu]

Why is nobody crafting multiparagraph theories about him, huh? Will nobody think of the poor library-tripper?

I'm going to do this, just to show I can. But mainly because it's fun.

Theory 1: Random patron. (Uninteresting. Moving on.)

Theory 2: A library regular, perhaps someone from Bianca's past. We honestly don't know much about Bianca at this point beyond a couple of her hobbies, her profession, and that she's a consummate "nice person" approaching levels of Belldandy. Featuring someone who knows her other than Sparrow (Tim doesn't really know her) would open the door more to the main character. This splits into another theory...

Theory 2b: Library regular, but because he knows Bianca from college. We know she was involved in LGBQT stuff in college (I think that's how she and Sparrow met?), so maybe they met through that route? Her major was apparently library science, so maybe another person from that?

And consider if, under Theores 2a and 2b, what if the guy doesn't know she's a Drag King in her spare time? Many segments of the African-American community still have a significant amount of intolerance to alternative lifestyles (it's how Prop 8 passed in CA), so it'd be interesting to see her interact with this. Then again, she may not identify as an "African-American" if her parents are recent immigrants, so that may not have much bearing on her. This is another aspect of her background we don't know yet, but would be interesting to have revealed. And the mysterious stranger in the library can be the key!

Theory 3: Creepy stalker! Always fun to have one of those in the story. Bianca may or may not suspect something, but that guy always knows when she's on shift. He's always at the library at those hours. He knows where she lives, but because that's online. He's waiting for the right moment to bump into her on the street, all casual. Maybe save her from some tough guys. (Fun, but unlikely.)

I think it's more interesting to think of why he tripped. Was it just an accident? Or did Patrick cause it? It certainly seems that way. "Someone is talking to my master and making her not pay attention to me. ZAP! Bad luck curse!" I'm wondering how much of their powers is based on probability manipulation. It might be an indirect way for them to harm humans, as well as their method for keeping people from being harmed.

[SailorPtah]

As BICP is on the verge of its 100th page, I decided it was high time it got its very own forum.

While you're welcome to continue discussion here, you're encouraged to explore over there. Or do even what X has done, and copy your favorite posts from this thread into the new forum, for handy archiving and easy searching.