Things that rub me the wrong way: The Ex Protection Program, Page 2

PANEL 1

A woman in a dramatic pose shields herself while another person gestures.

RACHEL (narrating): "Maybe they were traumatized?"

PERSON: "My friend Claire—"

WOMAN: "Don't say that name!"

PANEL 2

Two people, including Rachel, discuss the issue.

RACHEL (narrating): "Sometimes it's misleading."

PERSON: "My other ex, now they were into tennis."

RACHEL: "Other ex? How many do you have?"

PANEL 3

A man lists names while counting on his fingers, looking uncertain.

MAN: "Christie, Jenny, Erica, Janice, Donna, Alphonse—"

RACHEL: "Alphonse?!"

PANEL 4

A couple is shown together, the woman looking thoughtful.

RACHEL (narrating): "It could even be seen as deceitful."

WOMAN: "If I don't tell him I used to date John, my boyfriend won't get nervous if I hang out with him..."

PANEL 5

An ominous depiction of a ghost rising from a summoning circle.

RACHEL (narrating): "Some cultures believe that saying the name of a dead person will call them to you."

PANEL 6

A woman with her arms crossed looks annoyed while a spooky ghost figure lurks behind her.

RACHEL (narrating): "And who wants to be haunted by an ex?"

THE END

“The pronoun game,” as it was called in Kevin Smith’s Chasing Amy: when you use the gender neutral plural pronouns to disguise the sex of your new squeeze.

I used to enjoy drawing these “Things that rub me the wrong way” comics because I got to draw so many different people in different outfits and settings. What fun!

Comments (Archived)

  1. Lauren

    I always have to use last names when talking about my “exes.” I dated three guys with the same first name. :O

    The only “ex” I ever had trouble talking about was the one who tried to kill me. >_< (In that case, I guess the above "traumatized" excuse works!). Everyone else: No problems. Maybe because I was never "serious" with any of them? Keeping it "friends first" led to no regrets/shame/embarrassment down the road and, therefore, nothing I felt like I needed to hide.

    Such is not so for some of my other friends…which leads to some very confusing conversations! lol. I've had many an incident like on page one of this comic where I'm like "Wait…which she/he are we talking about now??" It's like everyone's ex is Voldemort!

  2. Lindsey

    My significant other was married and divorced before we met, and for the longest time I didn’t even know his ex-wife’s name! I finally got annoyed and had to come out and ask him in the middle of a story about her, heh. And yet still to this day, she’s “my ex-wife,” or if he’s talking about his kids, “her/his/their mother.” >.< 'Tis a mystery.

    • Rachel the Great

      I have a similar deal with my hubby. He was married twice before we got married, so sometimes it’s hard to know which ex (wife or girlfriend!) he is talking about!

  3. Cat

    I actually go by singular they as my personal pronoun (I’m non-binary) so my partner must get a fair few strange looks when she talks about me to people…