Is Chris "getting better"?

[yasscat]

He's had a strange transition

I see what you did there.

 

[Chicken Dippers]

Chris is at an interesting stage in his life. Quite frankly, it's still a bit too early to say whether or not he's getting better. Sure, he's more social he's been for years - but he's still in his 30s, unemployed and living with his mother. Only time will tell if he's gonna stay like this for good - but it's still possible he'll fuck it all up.

 

[Batman VS Tony Danza]

No, he maced a guy and still thinks it should be excused because he was upset.

Chris may be a lot more social and confident but he still has the same selfishness and sense of entitlement he's always had. Those are two of the biggest road blocks to having any real friends or relationships. Confidence can help spur personal growth but it doesn't equate to it. Chris needs to actually be able to have a legit friendship with someone before I'd think he's actually improved. A friendship with no ulterior motives by either side and where Chris actually cares about someone and what's going on in THEIR life. Until he can do that he'll always be the eccentric guy at the club, convention, that you may bump into and exchange a few words with but never goes beyond that.

 

[Danger]

Chris has made several improvements lately, macing gamestop employees aside, I think him getting out more will be good for him. He'll always be a big old weirdo but I think he's weaseling his way into communities that'll tolerate him for the most part until he does something like macing a sonic cosplayer with blue arms.

I feel like trans folks and convention people probably put up with alot of weirdos to begin with and on the surface Chris doesn't seem dangerous maybe just really weird. Phil somehow gets people to put him up and manages to maintain that for a bit before his terribleness overwhelms them. Chris will either find people to socialize with or he'll get older and turn into Kengle, a sad old man posting boring nonsense on Facebook.

 

[Meowzers]

i think it's more of a matter of labels. it's so much more fun being a Transgender Lesbian than a Virgin with Rage. the LGBT community is so much more accepting than any other community Chris has been involved in. the LGBT community is weird enough, you have to be a serious screwup to stand out. he's happy with his new label and finally being accepted.

and i think Chris grown up considerably since Bob's death. it's not mommy and daddy and little Christian. barb's old and batty, chris has to be the adult in the situation. yeah, he's bumbling through it and burying himself even more in debt, but he's finally doing what he wanted to do from the beginning - get sonichu noticed and sell merch and get money, even if his main buyers are trolls n haterz. he's realized through trial and error that if you want shit done you have to do it yourself instead of waiting for nintendo to call and hand you a lucrative sonichu game and merchandise deal.

so he's growing up but does this mean he's normalizing? i don't think so. he'll probably never be anywhere close to what we'd consider 'normal,' even if you did take out the transgender lesbian thing and recent macing. whenever chris tries to be normal, it's automatically going to be abnormal because it's chris chan, no matter what gender he's identifying as (see: the convention pics vs. fridays after 5)

 

[DJAndyMD]

Chris, at this point, is somewhat improving. We have seen that by going to Impulse, he is becoming a bit more social, which is not a bad thing but there are still habits of his that takes him two steps backwards. This goes for other things we observed over the past few months. We have seen a big 180 about his views on the LGBTQ community and yet he still has a lot to learn about the community and the people in it before he can through around lesbian tidbits for the sake of reminding people that he is a lesbian. As I said, he is taking steps forward but he needs to learn not to go backwards. Mastering that will be big steps in fully improving.

 

[AP 297]

I am very new to Chris. Honestly, I had no idea who he was until this past December.

Looking at the Chris of today and the Chris of yesterday captured in the CWCki; I see extremely stark contrasts. I honestly don't think you guys see them because you are always here looking at the same thing constantly, but the person Chris is now is radically different from the Chris of 2009.

1. ) Chris now makes fun of us(his trolls). You guys don't realize it, but it seems to me he is less mad at us and more making fun of the idea that there are still people out there who expect him to put on a clown shirt, respond to Julay, and want to wear his dead dad's clothing. Chris is not the only one either. Other forums mock us for still seeing him as the same guy from 2009. There is an entire ED article ripping us. They make fun of everyone, but they are not the only ones.

2. ) He gets out and has a social life and is slowly becoming his own person. I think as he does this more it will become more and more real. Some people lionize Bob, but I almost thing Bob's strong persona was a crippling factor for Chris. He never could leave the roost as long as the giant eagle was there to keep him trapped. Chris from what I can see was always trapped in his very confined life. Becoming weird and going out into the world to make real mistakes has made him more human. Bob and Barb planned out his entire life for him. HS then -> College then-> Wife then -> job. Chris's life was supposed to work like that and never deviate. Now that perfect plan has fallen apart and been completely derailed. Now Chris has to create a human being out of himself since his "life program" has been completely derailed. Will Chris fail again. God damn yes he will. It will happen quite a few times, but he was never prepared for anything else except what Bob programmed him for. His engineer is dead. Chris only has himself and the poor beleaguered white knights in his life. He also has his trolls/fans.

3. ) Chris's ego does not seem that severe to me. His facebook edicts resemble more of a person simply going along with what his "audience/fandom" expect. This does not seem to me like a person who actually feels it is that genuine. It is more like a person who is just going along with it because people are paying attention and he can sell some things. Chris's online presence at this point seems for only one group of people - his "fans/trolls".

4. ) Chris is optimistic. He has been depressed and has been in the gutter, but Chris still somehow believes there is some kind of happy ending out there for him. I have seen a number of cows here who are consistently pessimistic and it makes them worse for it. I would say that Marjan Siklic is more pathetic simply because despite having so many more pluses over Chris, he is in even worse shape than Chris. Pause on that. Chris cannot even control his bowels, yet he has more courage to face the next day than some of the overly pessimistic cows we cover here.

 

[Karen Riley]

I'm kind of split if he is 'getting better' or not... I mean in the years I've followed Chris I've seen this question asked over and over again only for Chris to later on do something incredibly stupid that proved Chris was, well still Chris. Then again on the flip side he's managed to turn Sonichu into a money maker, he has been conditioned to refuse any and all attempts to contact him unless he's certain you're honest about who you are and he's been getting out a lot more and managing to have a good time and not end up in any trouble. These are signs of improvement but because of who we're dealing with I have to say that I'm still skeptical...

I just can't rule out him doing something extremely stupid again and his happiness being undercut for that reason and us all saying how just when you think he's turned a corner he turns around and ruins it for himself so I'm really not sure.

Chris' biggest improvement in my eyes is that he's went to events at a lesbian bar and associated with a group of people who are more than tolerant of individuality than anybody he's ever been involved with before. And to think all of this would never have happened if some trolls hadn't taken him out for a Long Island iced tea and proved that all bars and drinking establishments aren't nasty and bad places...

 

[Tragi-Chan]

1. ) Chris now makes fun of us(his trolls). You guys don't realize it, but it seems to me he is less mad at us and more making fun of the idea that there are still people out there who expect him to put on a clown shirt, respond to Julay, and want to wear his dead dad's clothing. Chris is not the only one either. Other forums mock us for still seeing him as the same guy from 2009. There is an entire ED article ripping us. They make fun of everyone, but they are not the only ones.

I don't know, Chris has always yelled defiance at the trolls, and often been smug about it. There was the Calling Out saga, for instance.

2. ) He gets out and has a social life and is slowly becoming his own person. I think as he does this more it will become more and more real. Some people lionize Bob, but I almost thing Bob's strong persona was a crippling factor for Chris. He never could leave the roost as long as the giant eagle was there to keep him trapped. Chris from what I can see was always trapped in his very confined life. Becoming weird and going out into the world to make real mistakes has made him more human. Bob and Barb planned out his entire life for him. HS then -> College then-> Wife then -> job. Chris's life was supposed to work like that and never deviate. Now that perfect plan has fallen apart and been completely derailed. Now Chris has to create a human being out of himself since his "life program" has been completely derailed. Will Chris fail again. God damn yes he will. It will happen quite a few times, but he was never prepared for anything else except what Bob programmed him for. His engineer is dead. Chris only has himself and the poor beleaguered white knights in his life. He also has his trolls/fans.

I don't believe Borb ever had any plans for Chris' life beyond, "mainstream our retarded son, bat off all opposition, hope to God he grows up normal, oh well fuckit put him on welfare." To which Barb would have added, "and make sure he NEVER LEAVES, NOT LIKE THAT AWFUL COLE." If Chris is spreading his wings now, it's because Barb has less influence.

4. ) Chris is optimistic. He has been depressed and has been in the gutter, but Chris still somehow believes there is some kind of happy ending out there for him. I have seen a number of cows here who are consistently pessimistic and it makes them worse for it. I would say that Marjan Siklic is more pathetic simply because despite having so many more pluses over Chris, he is in even worse shape than Chris. Pause on that. Chris cannot even control his bowels, yet he has more courage to face the next day than some of the overly pessimistic cows we cover here.

Eh, it goes both ways. The optimism that stops him from realising how shitty his situation is (most of the time) is also what makes him gullible enough to fall for trolling schemes even to this day. I would argue that it was also a major influence towards his do-nothing lifestyle, the expectation that he could just sit there and everything would ultimately work itself out.

 

[timtommy]

One question which underlines this is: How much of a Lolcow would Chris be if there were just more iterations of his recent state?

As I see it, the only thing that is really independently noteworthy is is weird gender issues. He is the only person I can think of who dresses so ridiculously so unintentionally. And his understanding of gender issues and sexuality is pretty unique.

Other than that he is fairly close to be a run-of-the-mill awkward weirdo.

 

[Tragi-Chan]

One question which underlines this is: How much of a Lolcow would Chris be if there were just more iterations of his recent state?

As I see it, the only thing that is really independently noteworthy is is weird gender issues. He is the only person I can think of who dresses so ridiculously so unintentionally. And his understanding of gender issues and sexuality is pretty unique.

Other than that he is fairly close to be a run-of-the-mill awkward weirdo.

... awaiting sentencing for macing a guy over a hedgehog's arms.

 

[Marvin]

. ) He gets out and has a social life and is slowly becoming his own person. I think as he does this more it will become more and more real. Some people lionize Bob, but I almost thing Bob's strong persona was a crippling factor for Chris. He never could leave the roost as long as the giant eagle was there to keep him trapped. Chris from what I can see was always trapped in his very confined life. Becoming weird and going out into the world to make real mistakes has made him more human. Bob and Barb planned out his entire life for him. HS then -> College then-> Wife then -> job. Chris's life was supposed to work like that and never deviate. Now that perfect plan has fallen apart and been completely derailed. Now Chris has to create a human being out of himself since his "life program" has been completely derailed. Will Chris fail again. God damn yes he will. It will happen quite a few times, but he was never prepared for anything else except what Bob programmed him for. His engineer is dead. Chris only has himself and the poor beleaguered white knights in his life. He also has his trolls/fans.

Barb was way worse than Bob. Bob's attitude towards Chris was basically, "do what you want, so long as you fulfill your obligations" . (Obligations like chores and stuff.)

Barb, on the other hand, really strangled Chris as far as freedom goes. For example, things like spending their nights cuddling and watching movies together on the couch. Or how he's frequently has to check in with Barb on the phone when he's running errands. Like, that's required or Barb would get pissy. And if Barb doesn't pick up the phone, Chris will freak out and have a panic attack. She's got him really whipped in a way that Bob never approached.

Basically what @Tragi-Chan said.

4. ) Chris is optimistic. He has been depressed and has been in the gutter, but Chris still somehow believes there is some kind of happy ending out there for him. I have seen a number of cows here who are consistently pessimistic and it makes them worse for it. I would say that Marjan Siklic is more pathetic simply because despite having so many more pluses over Chris, he is in even worse shape than Chris. Pause on that. Chris cannot even control his bowels, yet he has more courage to face the next day than some of the overly pessimistic cows we cover here.

Oh, definitely. Chris' optimism is one of his best features.

Eh, it goes both ways. The optimism that stops him from realising how shitty his situation is (most of the time) is also what makes him gullible enough to fall for trolling schemes even to this day. I would argue that it was also a major influence towards his do-nothing lifestyle, the expectation that he could just sit there and everything would ultimately work itself out.

The problem is, is that Chris is really far on the "his life is shit" end of the spectrum. If he was just a bit more aware, he'd be severely depressed about how shitty his life is. To get Chris to a decently comfortable life, by normal standards, you'd pretty much have to replace Barb and spends years fixing Chris.

If Chris suddenly got just a bit smarter, those years of work ahead of him would be horribly depressing.

 

[SnergenFlergen]

Spoiler

No.

 

[TaterBot]

No.

EDIT: Snergen wins this round.

 

[Reddit Avenger]

When you say "getting better" are we talking Chris standards or normal people standards?

If we're talking Chris standards than definitely, more social, happier, way less gullible and overall less likely to be found dead hanging from a gas station bathroom.

If we're talking normal standards then honestly still yeah. I mean don't get me wrong, he's not "normal" by any stretch and never will be in all likelihood, but unlike a few years ago he's finally put most of his high school shit behind him (even if it took a fuckton to do it), he's socializing kinda and has actually crafted a legitimate support network for himself, even if it is a hugbox.

He's sure as hell not perfect (don't call anybody, etc.) but he's certainly made some progress towards something vaguely resembling a not-completely-terrible life. Even if it's in baby termite steps.

 

[Lysistrata]

-Jace-tier conspiracy theory about some old guy and his grandson breeding and releasing a snake to the Hoard in an attempt to assassinate the Chandlers

Wait, what? When did that happen?

 

[AP 297]

I don't know, Chris has always yelled defiance at the trolls, and often been smug about it. There was the Calling Out saga, for instance.

I can concede that, but Chris's joke towards Cat about his breast size was rather funny and self effacing. That seems different from the vids where Chris was making fun of Clyde.

I don't believe Borb ever had any plans for Chris' life beyond, "mainstream our retarded son, bat off all opposition, hope to God he grows up normal, oh well fuckit put him on welfare." To which Barb would have added, "and make sure he NEVER LEAVES, NOT LIKE THAT AWFUL COLE." If Chris is spreading his wings now, it's because Barb has less influence.

Barb was way worse than Bob. Bob's attitude towards Chris was basically, "do what you want, so long as you fulfill your obligations" . (Obligations like chores and stuff.)

Barb, on the other hand, really strangled Chris as far as freedom goes. For example, things like spending their nights cuddling and watching movies together on the couch. Or how he's frequently has to check in with Barb on the phone when he's running errands. Like, that's required or Barb would get pissy. And if Barb doesn't pick up the phone, Chris will freak out and have a panic attack. She's got him really whipped in a way that Bob never approached.

Basically what @Tragi-Chan said.

I dunno Chris that well. The stuff I remember about Bob was the "we're cutting it down", and the articles about him deciding Chris's path through school. Maybe Barb is domineering, but my only impressions of her at this point is Snorlax. She is the woman who only sleeps. I can't see her really do much else. As for Bob, my instincts tell me that he was not as lax as everyone thinks. Chris's brokenness reads to me of a dominating male figure that made him submissive. I really have no evidence, though.

Chris always seemed programmed to me. To me the Chris of the past seems like a programmed robot who can only complete his school at PVCC. Who only lived at High School. A person who could only hang out at the local mall or the Game Place. He was a total bot. A person without any identity and who was perfectly programmed to follow a script. The script is now gone and there is nothing really left to tell him what to do, except now as you both point out - Snorlax.

Eh, it goes both ways. The optimism that stops him from realising how shitty his situation is (most of the time) is also what makes him gullible enough to fall for trolling schemes even to this day. I would argue that it was also a major influence towards his do-nothing lifestyle, the expectation that he could just sit there and everything would ultimately work itself out.

Oh, definitely. Chris' optimism is one of his best features.

The problem is, is that Chris is really far on the "his life is shit" end of the spectrum. If he was just a bit more aware, he'd be severely depressed about how shitty his life is. To get Chris to a decently comfortable life, by normal standards, you'd pretty much have to replace Barb and spends years fixing Chris.

If Chris suddenly got just a bit smarter, those years of work ahead of him would be horribly depressing.

I very strongly disagree with this. I have seen very smart people lose battles they could win and vice versa because of the state of their attitude. Often the people I have known who have had successful businesses tell me that if they knew what they knew after succeeding when they were starting, they likely never would have started.

I don't think optimism makes you vulnerable, it makes you bold and capable of at least making an attempt. There are times that lunging forwards into the abyss is a bad idea, but the thing to remember is that if you never try - you will always lose.

I have seen optimism be the deciding factor when everything else should have pushed a circumstance into the failure category. Optimism creates options and alternative choices. Pessimism leaves only a narrow path to failure.

 

[Marvin]

I dunno Chris that well. The stuff I remember about Bob was the "we're cutting it down", and the articles about him deciding Chris's path through school. Maybe Barb is domineering, but my only impressions of her at this point is Snorlax. She is the woman who only sleeps. I can't see her really do much else. As for Bob, my instincts tell me that he was not as lax as everyone thinks. Chris's brokenness reads to me of a dominating male figure that made him submissive. I really have no evidence, though.

Nah, he was pretty lax compared to Barb. Like, Chris' primary gripe with him was that he made him do chores and things like that. And he didn't really control Chris' path through school that much. He just suggested, not forced, Chris switch his major to CADD, which was pretty reasonable, considering Chris picked marketing randomly.

Barb's abusive to Chris. Like, to give an example, if Chris tried to disobey her on a bad day, she'd, hypothetically, flip shit and wreck things. Smash his phone, wreck his room, things like that. I don't believe she's ever struck Chris, necessarily, but she's not against using physical intimidation with Chris.

She usually doesn't need to get physical, however, because she's got other ways to coerce Chris into doing what she wants. Her usual routes are emotional manipulation and threats, like telling Chris she thinks he's going to murder her. Or she'll threaten to murder him. Or she'll threaten suicide. And of course, she threatens to kick him out and change the locks sometimes.

 

[Trans Fat 41g]

I'd say Chris had been more willing to work against his sedentary ways but any other improvements still need reinforcement.

In other words by a margin he's improved, but the nuts and bolts are still unreliable.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Somewhat yes, somewhat no. Leaning towards the latter.

I say "yes" because for once he actually seems to have found some social groups that tolerate him enough to replace his constant yearning for his high school "gal pals" - the fact he knows they were bribed by the school to put up with him having not bothered him a bit - and so in some sense a big part of life he never could get back now seems within grasp. Also, that belly dancing class - even a little bit of exercise beyond the norm probably did him some good.

I say "no" because he's not flying off the handle like before simply because he's pretty optimistic right now. But shades of his old self are breaking through all the same - that recent FB post about the Blake Amibos not selling was surprisingly hostile compared to his current normal behavior. We previously thought OPL was on the up-and-up last year...up until out of nowhere he maces a guy, belligerently ignores the fact he was banned from a gamestop, and provided clear evidence he was at GS to begin with all in order to continue his idiotic plan of vandalizing Sonic Boom game cases over blue fucking arms.

Actually, let me focus on that last thing a bit - when the blue arms was still registering as a big problem for Chris, he was giving regular updates about his crusade all over C-ville and slipping in his fake game case covers into the Sonic Boom cases - before the macing incident he'd hit like, five Gamestops IIRC. I also recall he might have gotten in trouble in one minor case during that time after he found the games at a Target were behind a glass case and he couldn't vandalize them, which made him angry.

So, in general, Chris's behavior when he generally gets his way as he is now has improved rather modestly - which says a lot considering who we're talking about here. But in the now rare cases where he loses control, he really goes off. In a sense, he's still a ticking time bomb, but the timer is only set to blow when reality decides it's time to play Kick the Autistic once again.

Really, the first sign of him truly improving? Getting a fucking job.