Out There: Difference between revisions

* [[Ethical Slut]]: Miriam's promiscuous past is strongly hinted at, and she seems to be constantly at odds with the question of continuing along that path, or abandoning it. Her trepidation with the Ethical Slut lifestyle seems to be based not on moral or societal grounds, but with the fact that she finds it ultimately unsatisfying.

* [[Fiery Redhead]]: Miriam

* [[Friends with Benefits]]: Most notably, Miriam and Steven, post-breakup. A few other pairings have taken place (or are implied to have taken place) as a part of the back story: [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20080423.html Sherry and Steven], [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20071204.html Miriam and Wally], and possibly even [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20081126.html Miriam] and [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20100526.html Sherry]; there is also a reference to a Friends With Benefits relationship between Miriam and a character named Carlos in one of the flashback stories in the third ''[[Out There]]'' book.

* [[Good Bad Girl]]: Miriam

'''John:''' Aw, she's '''really''' drunk.

'''[[Deadpan Snarker|Sherry]]:''' It's a bar, John. These things happen often. [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20090404.html\] }}

* [[I Have This Friend]]: Ari is at Sherry's bar, commiserating:

{{quote|'''Ari:''' I have a hypothetical question for you.

'''Sherry:''' Shoot.

'''Ari:''' ''[Incredibly detailed summary of her most recent character arc.]'' }}

* [[Incompatible Orientation]]: Rod and Araceli, Araceli and Sherry

* [[Incorruptible Pure Pureness]]: John. It tends to drive everyone else (especially Miriam) nuts, but at the same time he is respected by all for it.

* [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]]: To varying degrees, almost ''all'' of the major male characters (the exceptions being John and Chuck). James is selfish and abrasive, arrogant, constantly borrowing money without paying it back; {{spoiler|he also volunteers at a homeless shelter}}. Clayton is surly, has been known to steal alcohol from his favorite bar, and is constantly seen mooching off of others; {{spoiler|but he refused to take advantage of Miriam when she was drunk}}. Steven and Rod are unrepentant philanderers, but are generally loyal and respectful towards their ex-flame-cum-best-friends (Sherry and Araceli, respectively). Wally is a ''repentant'' (and ''former'') philanderer. Considering the fact the main character, Miriam, has enough flaws to fill a book (while remaining unerringly sympathetic) ''Out There'' seems to be a world where everyone is a ''little'' bad, but nobody is ''too'' bad (although the near-saintly John is an idiosyncratic exception).

* [[Lady Drunk]]: Martha (Miriam's mom)

** Wally's philandering ways began well [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20060913.html before] his marriage to Rebecca, and continued [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20070427.html after they were wed]; when he quit playing around, however, it seems he [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20100126.html quit for good].

* [[Last-Name Basis]]: The number of times Clayton's first name has been said can probably be counted on one hand. It's Craig.

* [[Lipstick Lesbian]]: Araceli

* [[Little Black Dress]]: A favorite of both [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20100828.html Miriam] and [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20081225.html Sherry].

* [[Love Dodecahedron]]: All of the major characters, with the notable exception of John, have at one time or another been infatuated with at least one of the other major characters. Miriam, as the main character, has dated, had flings with, or been otherwise at least temporarily fascinated with no less than 8 major characters: {{spoiler|'''John''' (unrequited love/lust), '''Wally''' (fling, as part of the back story), '''Chuck''' ("officially" dated), '''Clayton''' (aborted fling), '''Sherry''' (unconfirmed, but strongly implied, past fling and/or relationship), '''Rod''' (fling), '''Steven''' ("officially" dated), and '''Araceli''' (infatuation)}}; this doesn't even cover the list of characters (most of them minor or non-recurring characters) who have been at least temporarily captivated by ''her''. While Miriam holds the record in all love/lust categories, Sherry's list is almost as impressive (embarrassing?): {{spoiler|'''Steven''' (dated, as part of the back story), '''John''' (brief, and relatively mild, infatuation during a short period of essentially platonic dating), '''Chuck''' (big-time crush, finally culminating in an "official" relationship that is ongoing), '''Rod''' (brief interest until he "blew it"), '''Clayton''' (one-sided—he wants her, she's repulsed), '''Araceli''' (one-sided—Sherry is clueless about Ari's infatuation), and of course, '''Miriam''' (unconfirmed).}} ''Out There'' is unabashedly a soap opera.

* [[Mile-High Club]]: Implied, subtly, [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20070608.html here]

* [[Motor Mouth]]: Miriam

* [[Ms. Fanservice]]: Miriam, most obviously, who is often seen in states of [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20100323.html undress] or [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20100325.html semi-dress]; even when she's "fully" clothed she usually [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20100305.html shows a lot of curves and/or skin]. [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20090403.html Sherry], [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20090324.html Araceli], and [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20100501.html Rebecca] also have their showoff-y moments but not with the same frequency or intensity.

'''Chuck:''' I don't think we can. The supplies are usually on back order. [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20080321.html\] }}

** Some or all of these "Noodle Incidents" could also be examples of [[Comic Sutra]].

* [[One Dialogue, Two Conversations]]: A rather subtle example (keep in mind that Clayton's serious, and Sherry's just bantering):

{{quote|'''Clayton:''' I can't believe someone as unconfident as you won't at least '''consider''' giving someone as unchallenging as ''me'' a shot.

* [[The Philosopher]]: The whole cast occasionally takes turns playing this role.

* [[Really Gets Around]]: Miriam, Steven, Rod

* [[Ship Sinking]]: Martha, echoing a large part of the audience, thought that Sherry and Miriam [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20110913.html had been sleeping together in their younger years]; Sherry [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20110914.html shoots the idea down flat], apparently genuinely surprised Martha thought so—although Martha herself [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20110916.html still isn't convinced].

* [[Shrug of God]]: Since sex is never actually depicted in ''Out There'', Monroe states in his blog that it's up to the reader to decide how far things go.

{{quote|What I’ve tried to do with ''Out There'' is have it both ways. Whichever way you think it oughta be, you win. If you think that Miriam and Chuck should have had sex, and Araceli and Rod should have had sex, and Sherry and Steven ''must'' have had sex, then okay—they had sex. Everyone who you think should have had sex with whoever they should have had sex with, ''did''. You just didn’t see it. If, on the other hand, it makes you happier to think that Miriam and Chuck made out a lot but stopped before things got too out of hand, then that’s cool too—there’s nothing in the strip that proves otherwise. Winners everywhere.}}

* [[Sorry, I'm Gay]]: It's ''very'' strongly suggested Araceli only started identifying as fully lesbian to escape Rod's advances.

* [[Spicy Latina]]: Araceli is an aversion to this trope. She's more shy and vulnerable than the other two (white) female leads, and usually dresses more conservatively. Less of a tomboy as well. And a lesbian, if that means anything.

** Sherry actually fits the trope reasonably well, notwithstanding the fact that she's not a Latina.

* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: ''Out There'' is something of a [[World of Snark]], so many of the close friendships therein follow Type 2 (Miriam and Sherry, Sherry and Steven, Araceli and Rod, James and Chuck), and a few of the relationships seem to embody Type 1 (Miriam and James, Sherry and Clayton, Miriam and Clayton). The schizophrenic nature of these relationships is well represented [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20100222.html here]; Miriam and Sherry's volatile friendship borders on a parody of this trope at times; when they're not sniping at each other, they're often ''caressing'' each other.

* [[What Did I Do Last Night?]] / [[Did They or Didn't They?]]: This trope is established early in the strip's run. On the first night they meet, Miriam and John end up spending the night in a hotel together after she ties one on {{spoiler|(nothing happens, except a [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20060710.html REALLY good dream])}}. In another arc about a year later, Miriam and Sherry go out drinking and the next day Miriam's memory of the night is so spotty that she can't remember {{spoiler|[http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20070707.html if she cut her own hair] (she didn't; Sherry cut it [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20070630.html while she was sleeping])}}. Another time, a hung-over Miriam thinks she remembers Sherry sabotaging her one-night stand, and assumes she must be remembering wrong {{spoiler|([http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20081105.html she isn’t])}}. Not long after, Miriam and {{spoiler|[http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20090131.html Clayton]}} end up in bed together, and Miriam needs a [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20090202.html recap the next day] to find out what happened. Later, while touring with Steven's band, Miriam gets drunk at a party and and is later surprised to find {{spoiler|[http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20090911.html a phone number written on her belly] in [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20090912.html indelible ink].}} Still later, Miriam wakes up on Araceli's couch and has trouble remembering what they did the night before, but she [http://outthere.keenspot.com/d/20100325.html figures it out on her own], confirming (in her own mind) that she doesn't have a drinking problem, after all.

* [[World of Snark]]: Almost all of the characters can be categorized, at least occasionally, as [[Deadpan Snarker|DeadpanSnarkers]].