Language Barrier?

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Buster
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Language Barrier?

Post by Buster »

Someone's probably brought up a theory like this before, but whatever.

I've been rereading the comic and noticed something... Save for one instance around Sasha, Any time Daisy is on screen, she always has really forced looking smiles, like "I'm smiling because they expect me to but I don't want to be" levels of forced. They never look genuine in the slightest. Between that and her characteristic verbal tick she reminds of an aunt I have who only speaks Japanese, and when confronted with other languages just repeats generic greetings because that's all she can say.

But if that's the case, what language could she be fluent in?
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by RemonyRavine »

As fun of a theory as that is, it's been explicitly stated by Mr. Slinkydoodle Rick Griffin himself that Daisy's only meant to be a one-note character, and that one note of hers is a reference to this.

Althought the notion on her constantly stroked-looking smiles is interesting. The poor thing just looks utterly broken.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, the only time Daisy has ever looked relatively normal was way back when.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Buster »

RemonyRavine wrote:As fun of a theory as that is, it's been explicitly stated by Mr. Slinkydoodle Rick Griffin himself that Daisy's only meant to be a one-note character
Oh. Well that's a disappointingly bland explanation...
It's a lot more fun when a character has a reason to be quirky other than 'author said so'.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Douglas Collier »

I'm holding to the theory that she's an alien with a broken translator. :P
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Buster »

"It troo. Dat darn Dayshee stole ma spacechip!"
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Douglas Collier »

Buster wrote:"It troo. Dat darn Dayshee stole ma spacechip!"
Calvin and Hobbes FTW! :D
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

I quite like the fact that she repeats her name over and over again. Its how I annoyed my younger siblings.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by RandomGeekNamedBrent »

my theory is that she gets nervous easily.
let's look at the times she's said her trademark greeting
meeting Fido: the neighborhood idolizes him, he's more or less a local celebrity. she'd have reason to be nervous
giving a gift to a raccoon: maybe she's uncomfortable around ferals?
on stage in front of everyone: no extra explanation needed
talking to a new dog who happens to be drunk: maybe she just doesn't want that hug, or maybe she thinks he's cute and is trying to flirt
getting caught up in tinsel: she probably didn't want to get in trouble for messing up the decorations.
then there's her "happy new year" valentine's card, so I guess she's actually just kinda airheaded
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I do not actually believe any of what I'm saying.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

You know, I never really thought of it like that until now!
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by 1071-CCN »

RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:my theory is that she gets nervous easily.
let's look at the times she's said her trademark greeting
meeting Fido: the neighborhood idolizes him, he's more or less a local celebrity. she'd have reason to be nervous
giving a gift to a raccoon: maybe she's uncomfortable around ferals?
on stage in front of everyone: no extra explanation needed
talking to a new dog who happens to be drunk: maybe she just doesn't want that hug, or maybe she thinks he's cute and is trying to flirt
getting caught up in tinsel: she probably didn't want to get in trouble for messing up the decorations.
then there's her "happy new year" valentine's card, so I guess she's actually just kinda airheaded
Possible. Who knows, maybe she's a genius but has serious communication problems.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by SnuggleKing »

1071-CCN wrote:Possible. Who knows, maybe she's a genius but has serious communication problems.
I think it's more like a combination of extreme air-headedness and social anxiety.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by 1071-CCN »

Or maybe the author is correct and she's actually just an idiot.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Buster »

1071-CCN wrote:Or maybe the author is correct
i still think that explanation is too boring.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Maybe she was dropped on her head as a puppy.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Sleet »

I just assume she's not very smart. Also perpetually cheery.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Which could be symptoms of head trauma as a puppy.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by 1071-CCN »

Buster wrote:
1071-CCN wrote:Or maybe the author is correct
i still think that explanation is too boring.
You do have a good point, there.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Foxstar »

Buster wrote:
1071-CCN wrote:Or maybe the author is correct
i still think that explanation is too boring.
It may be boring to you, but it's pretty much canon at this point. Take note, not all of Housepets characters are fleshed out creatures, some are simply there to play a part of a joke. And Daisy wouldn't be the first dog who wasn't too bright.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Buster »

...You are really good at sucking the fun out of a bit of pointless speculation, you know that?
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Foxstar »

It's what I do. Better at it then Diss.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Buster »

1071-CCN wrote:Possible. Who knows, maybe she's a genius but has serious communication problems.
you know i completely forgot about this thread. funny how ccn of all people was the one to guess right.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

I've went from thinking that she had some head trauma and was smart and showed flickers of it to now deciding she is a savant.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by NHWestoN »

Might well be she's just a riotous introvert ("extremely shy") and this eccentricity allowed her to engage in limited interactions without self-disclosure. She has appeared - when she's appeared at all - at parties, receptions, and the Good Ol' Dogs Club, so Daisy's not a total recluse. She even donates trashbags of stuff to ferals at Christmas.

Nonetheless, when Mungo and Fox start to interrogate her about the vanished Sasha, she did try to repeat her trademark "Hi, I'm Daisy" when Fox cuts her off sharply. And that's when Daisy opens up and reveals she and Sasha are serious pals. She also displays a pretty astute understanding of psychology, surprising us that she's a fairly insightful critter and that Sasha has a psychology (so to speak). Interestingly, while her vocabulary is quite elevated, her sentences are rather elliptical and a bit opaque. It's as if she still wants to be a little personally elusive, even though she's forcing herself to become a bit more vulnerable to her friend.

I've stated before I'd like to see more of the "new-and-improved" Daisy, including her becoming Fox's gal-pal or see her and Sasha in an arc together. Since I don't do Facebook or Twitter, I don't know if Rick has given further consideration to taking Daisy beyond "The Dumber (than Sasha) Dog" he labeled her all the way back in Book One. Housepets is Rick's world so he can do what he likes with his critters, but I'd hate to see Daisy slip back to being a mere one-joke waLk-on or just disappear like Jasper. She has such possibilities. But it's his world....

Or so thinks me.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Thinking about it, I do have to say that it would be cool if Sasha and Daisy have secret meetings where they have deep conversations. XD
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by NHWestoN »

Given their verbal loop-de-loops, the conversations between Sasha and Daisy could be seriously comic... ;)
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Or if they aren't secretly geniuses, cause IQ's to drop down fast.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by CyberDragon »

Amazee Dayzee wrote:Thinking about it, I do have to say that it would be cool if Sasha and Daisy have secret meetings where they have deep conversations. XD
I thought this was pretty much confirmed here:

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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Buster »

AD was away for almost a year, being a touch out of the loop is to be expected.
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Every time a DMPC or NPC fixes something a payer couldn't i'm diminishing and undermining that player's contribution.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

I was thinking about that but I didn't remember her speaking so eloquently at the time when it came out. I thought she just gave a normal short answer with a few details.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by furrygamer793 »

Now I wonder if Daisy is going to have any thing where she isn't just there to say that her name is Daisy in this arc
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Sadly I think her saying something other than the Mario Kart: Double Dash quote from Princess Daisy was just a one time thing.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by NHWestoN »

Well, since CyberDragon was kind enough to post the first of the two strips when Daisy drops her facade, it's pretty much obvious Rick's taken her to a new development level. We learn a bunch of new stuff about "the Dumber Dog" - starting with she's pretty NOT dumb.

Along with a number of possible arcs already mentioned for Daisy is "why the mask of being a dummy?"

So, I like the "new" Daisy. Rick could do a lot with her - comic, slice of life, a new role besides "dumb dog" (there are several already), personality growth, foil to Sasha or another character, gal pal for Fox; it's his call. Maybe she'll get some eventual stage time. :)

Hope so. Regards.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

I really hope I'm wrong but it does really feel like that was a one time thing.
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Re: Language Barrier?

Post by NHWestoN »

Well, a boy can hope, eh? ;)
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