Jean AKA Jeannie AKA Jeanie is a film, book, and magazine reviewer for a national magazine. Most of Jean’s work is done through email, which means he doesn't have to go into the office.
On a trip to find a gift for his girlfriend, Jean found an empty Genie Bottle. Upon picking up this bottle, Jean became the bottle’s new genie-powered occupant. Not only was Jean turned into a genie, but the bottle turned him into what he believed a genie of the bottle should look like. Which, due to his fascination with a classic 60s TV show, turned him into a busty blonde woman.
A junior engineer working for a small engineering firm in Cocoa Beach. The firm focuses mostly on NASA projects.
Neil is Jean’s best friend. When Jean was turned into a genie, Neil became Jeanie’s master.
Robert, there was a TV show from 1978 to 1982 called, “WKRP in Cincinnati”. That’s what’s being referred to. It’s about the only thing that ever gets Cincinnati mentioned. 😉
Neil seems pretty strong for a “fat, out of shape nerd” if that sofa is at least average weight. It would take four of me to lift one of those.
Anyway, so it looks like we’ve jumped ahead to a couple of years ago when Jean and Neil, fresh out of college and now gainfully employed, moved to Cocoa Beach. It looks like we’ll have to wait a while to see what became of Rouyaa/Ms. Ray Eden’s and Andy’s relationship.
Idk about strong for the type, I’m probably more out of shape than him and I can lift a couch, it just depends how you grew up and some other factors (like genetics) really.
Hope we get to see a more happy result for Rouyaa and Andy’s relationship. Thinking on that wonder as to whatever happened to Jean and Neil (the ones we saw sneaking around the past several chapters ago.)
Actually, that particular piece looks more like a love seat, it only has two seats, not three. In any case, you’d be surprised what the overweight can do. I, myself am extremely obese, ever for a Wisconsinite, so that says something. I can lift half of a three seat couch easy. It’s having the stamina to keep it lifted is the issue.
Umm…a lot of couches aren’t really very heavy…at all. We have three couches(two different styles, and three seats, not even two like this one) that me and my sisters regularly move to sweep under. I can pretty much effortlessly pick up one end with one hand, I just use two so i can balance it easier. My 14 year old sister can easily pick up one end, and has been able to for years.
Sure, some couches can get super heavy(especially ones with fold-out beds or recliners in them) but a “normal” couch isn’t necessarily very heavy at all.
Every couch that I or my parents have ever owned has been upward of three hundred pounds and almost too wide to fit through the 28 inch doors of my parents’ house (and no, there are NO entrances to that house wider than 28 inches–no double doors, no patio doors, none).
I think this couch lifting issue is simply going to be a matter of building materials. Some couches are made of lighter, less-dense wood. Others are made of heavier, denser, more expensive materials. I’d imagine that couch weight correlates pretty well with wealth level.
I suspect that the “fat, out of shape nerd” only came to be after a few years spent flying a desk at the NASA contractor. Neil’s probably fresh out of college at this time. Particularly as Rouyaa, despite the grey hair, still looks younger than Mrs. Eden’s first appearance in JB #13. Meaning Jean could be as young as 18 or 19 at this point, depending.
Besides, Jean may have been exaggerating. Neil has never actually looked fat.
I had always thought that Jean had a bachelor’s degree in something, which would make him 21 in the current scene.
As for cheapness of sofas, the cheapest and crappiest AND heaviest material around is particle board, and EVERYTHING seems to be made of it–I can’t even go into a lot of stores nowadays and find furniture that is made of solid wood at all, not even plain old pine.
@ijuinkun:
Jean is a film, book and magazine reviewer. Which doesn’t require a degree of any kind. If indeed he has one, I can’t recall any mention of it… CD?
And as averse as Jean is to studying anything, I have trouble picturing him sitting in a classroom for four years just to get a piece of paper that he doesn’t need.
Probably there isn’t much to steal in Jean’s apartment, considering he’s only just moving in. But the thief might use the open outside door to get into another apartment, steal a valuable-looking antique bottle, then fence it at a second-hand store… whoops!
Of course, that would mean that Jean’s own negligence would ultimately be the cause of his getting genie-fied. Irony city!
Though, 15 hours in Y-Haul from Cincinnati to Cocoa Beach is quite a feat! It took a bit longer than that from just above D.C. to get to just above Panama City Beach in a car when I drove it!
And I don’t blame him for moving to Cocoa Beach to avoid the winters! They suck!
Now that would make for some great comedy there! Hopefully she would not be as hardcore as Ranma’s Mother! Or even worse, be one of those who really wanted a girl instead!
You know, the fact that the Ranma anime managed to play his parents’ child abuse off for laughs is a real testament to the writing in that manga. I mean, his dad intentionally tortured him at age 6 using feral cats and fish sausage, and his mother showed every intention of forcing him to commit suicide for failing to live up to her standards of masculinity. That is some hilarious horrific parenting.
I agree, it was an awesome manga. The writing was incredible. Takahashi Rumiko is one of my favorite authors. She has such a great way with creating characters and weaving relationships between them.
And the abuse he received from his parents was funny because it wasn’t from hate, but from their own character flaws. You could tell they both really loved him, in their own ways. They both thought they were doing what was best for him. Well, except for when Genma was just looking out for himself!
And that Cat-fu arc was great! And I loved how devoted to protecting their honor Nodoka was, that she took Genma at his word when he said they would commit seppuku that she carried that sword around with her at all times, and refused to believe that he would go back on his word. I guess she really didn’t know him very well then!
I could imagine what sorts of trouble someone would have in hiding the fact that they are now a female genie from their parents! And what kind of catastrophe it would be if they found out that his master was his best friend. That nice polite young man, with the steady job and huge paycheck!
She also took Ranma at his word which was putting handrpints all over the contract. Good story that one and I was amused that Nodoka seemed to view appropriate male behaviour as a mix between honorouable samurai and peeping tom. I did like that she had no problems whatsoever with a modern girl (pants, fighting, tomboy, etc) even though she still wore Kimono’s.
Hmmm… If there’s a party, they should invite ALL the characters – including Samantha & Darrick, the Duke girls boys, the Greek fishing captain, Melvin, Kazom, Belle, Agent Anderson – everyone!
If she is Miss Eden it about 15 to 20 years or more from the last post, because that last post was in the later 1980 possibly or early 1990 and now it 2015 or 2016. Or we could be talking about 25 to 30 years here.
@Senko: Unless she outlived him… Andy was born somewhere in the 1920’s, so was getting up there even in the mid-1980’s. Whereas Rouyaa only started aging after about 1980 or so.
She still could have a 25 to 30 year old daughter or son, who moved away because of a job opportunities and Andy would have been in his 60 to 70 year old. In 1980 she would be in her late 30 or early 40 years in human years. It still possible and could have happened too. If this Eden is our Rauyaa then in human years, she would be in her fifties of sixties now.
If CD RUDD want to back story it later, he can do that or he can leave blank for the time being and surprise us later.
Hmm, and now she is listed in the who’s who as “Ms Eden” instead of Rouya.
Also, she’s noticeable shorter again, though I don’t think *quite* as short as she used to be.
Hmmm, suggesting a thief steals the original bottle, and then sells it online, where it gets to Jean.
But yet… wouldn’t that result in the thief getting turned into a genie? Oh wait, not if he never popped the top.
A bit of a shame, because THAT would make quite a hilarious storyline of the thief suddenly turning into a genie. Maybe he has a friend who has the sense to say “Well I can’t wish to undo the wish because its a time paradox, but I can still wish to turn you back into a human.”
When Jean found the bottle it didn’t have a stopper. Araceli created that. If the bottle had been in the shop for some time, many people might have handled it, but perhaps none of them were thinking of the genie from I Dream of Jeannie when they were holding it.
Now, Boss Hogg wasn’t thinking of IDOJ or even a genie at all, but he had to unstopper the bottle, and Jean definitely wanted out.
So maybe that’s how the burglar didn’t get genie-fied?
Actually time travel and changing history did happen in IDOJ, but it’s probably not part of the Jeanie Bottle universe because if it was, wouldn’t Rouyaa have gone back to save her sister? (And incidentally put her boyfriend in a looney bin?)
On the subject of Cincinatti, I am no expert but I have spent a little time there, and I won’t really be satisfied until I see Jean reference one or both of the truly important Cincinatti topics:
does this mean they are fans of a certain radio station
you read my mind
I’m out of the loop here… To which radio station are you referring?
Robert, there was a TV show from 1978 to 1982 called, “WKRP in Cincinnati”. That’s what’s being referred to. It’s about the only thing that ever gets Cincinnati mentioned. 😉
“Baby, if you’ve ever wondered
Wondered whatever became of me
I’m living on the air in Cincinnati
Cincinnati, WKRP…”
Neil seems pretty strong for a “fat, out of shape nerd” if that sofa is at least average weight. It would take four of me to lift one of those.
Anyway, so it looks like we’ve jumped ahead to a couple of years ago when Jean and Neil, fresh out of college and now gainfully employed, moved to Cocoa Beach. It looks like we’ll have to wait a while to see what became of Rouyaa/Ms. Ray Eden’s and Andy’s relationship.
Idk about strong for the type, I’m probably more out of shape than him and I can lift a couch, it just depends how you grew up and some other factors (like genetics) really.
Hope we get to see a more happy result for Rouyaa and Andy’s relationship. Thinking on that wonder as to whatever happened to Jean and Neil (the ones we saw sneaking around the past several chapters ago.)
Actually, that particular piece looks more like a love seat, it only has two seats, not three. In any case, you’d be surprised what the overweight can do. I, myself am extremely obese, ever for a Wisconsinite, so that says something. I can lift half of a three seat couch easy. It’s having the stamina to keep it lifted is the issue.
Umm…a lot of couches aren’t really very heavy…at all. We have three couches(two different styles, and three seats, not even two like this one) that me and my sisters regularly move to sweep under. I can pretty much effortlessly pick up one end with one hand, I just use two so i can balance it easier. My 14 year old sister can easily pick up one end, and has been able to for years.
Sure, some couches can get super heavy(especially ones with fold-out beds or recliners in them) but a “normal” couch isn’t necessarily very heavy at all.
Every couch that I or my parents have ever owned has been upward of three hundred pounds and almost too wide to fit through the 28 inch doors of my parents’ house (and no, there are NO entrances to that house wider than 28 inches–no double doors, no patio doors, none).
I think this couch lifting issue is simply going to be a matter of building materials. Some couches are made of lighter, less-dense wood. Others are made of heavier, denser, more expensive materials. I’d imagine that couch weight correlates pretty well with wealth level.
I suspect that the “fat, out of shape nerd” only came to be after a few years spent flying a desk at the NASA contractor. Neil’s probably fresh out of college at this time. Particularly as Rouyaa, despite the grey hair, still looks younger than Mrs. Eden’s first appearance in JB #13. Meaning Jean could be as young as 18 or 19 at this point, depending.
Besides, Jean may have been exaggerating. Neil has never actually looked fat.
I had always thought that Jean had a bachelor’s degree in something, which would make him 21 in the current scene.
As for cheapness of sofas, the cheapest and crappiest AND heaviest material around is particle board, and EVERYTHING seems to be made of it–I can’t even go into a lot of stores nowadays and find furniture that is made of solid wood at all, not even plain old pine.
@ijuinkun:
Jean is a film, book and magazine reviewer. Which doesn’t require a degree of any kind. If indeed he has one, I can’t recall any mention of it… CD?
And as averse as Jean is to studying anything, I have trouble picturing him sitting in a classroom for four years just to get a piece of paper that he doesn’t need.
“A rash of thefts in Cocoa Beach nearby.” is that how they came across Rouyaa’s bottle, and how Jean turned into Jeannie/Jeanie?
It could be. By the law of Chekov’s gun it would make sense. There has to be a reason for that sketchy looking guy at the door, as they say that.
Probably there isn’t much to steal in Jean’s apartment, considering he’s only just moving in. But the thief might use the open outside door to get into another apartment, steal a valuable-looking antique bottle, then fence it at a second-hand store… whoops!
Of course, that would mean that Jean’s own negligence would ultimately be the cause of his getting genie-fied. Irony city!
@Kattgirl: Hah, I never thought of that! Very good point. 🙂
Though, 15 hours in Y-Haul from Cincinnati to Cocoa Beach is quite a feat! It took a bit longer than that from just above D.C. to get to just above Panama City Beach in a car when I drove it!
And I don’t blame him for moving to Cocoa Beach to avoid the winters! They suck!
That’s a pretty long way to go to pick up used cheap furniture…
I think it means, Jean is from Cincinnati
So this is why Jean’s parents aren’t around much.
I’m still looking for the stupid scheme comedy that arises from her hiding from his mother.
Now that would make for some great comedy there! Hopefully she would not be as hardcore as Ranma’s Mother! Or even worse, be one of those who really wanted a girl instead!
You know, the fact that the Ranma anime managed to play his parents’ child abuse off for laughs is a real testament to the writing in that manga. I mean, his dad intentionally tortured him at age 6 using feral cats and fish sausage, and his mother showed every intention of forcing him to commit suicide for failing to live up to her standards of masculinity. That is some hilarious horrific parenting.
I agree, it was an awesome manga. The writing was incredible. Takahashi Rumiko is one of my favorite authors. She has such a great way with creating characters and weaving relationships between them.
And the abuse he received from his parents was funny because it wasn’t from hate, but from their own character flaws. You could tell they both really loved him, in their own ways. They both thought they were doing what was best for him. Well, except for when Genma was just looking out for himself!
And that Cat-fu arc was great! And I loved how devoted to protecting their honor Nodoka was, that she took Genma at his word when he said they would commit seppuku that she carried that sword around with her at all times, and refused to believe that he would go back on his word. I guess she really didn’t know him very well then!
I could imagine what sorts of trouble someone would have in hiding the fact that they are now a female genie from their parents! And what kind of catastrophe it would be if they found out that his master was his best friend. That nice polite young man, with the steady job and huge paycheck!
She also took Ranma at his word which was putting handrpints all over the contract. Good story that one and I was amused that Nodoka seemed to view appropriate male behaviour as a mix between honorouable samurai and peeping tom. I did like that she had no problems whatsoever with a modern girl (pants, fighting, tomboy, etc) even though she still wore Kimono’s.
Considering that she married a student of Happosai, it’s not all that surprising that she approves of such behavior . . .
Nice tie-in with the beginning of the comic.
https://jeaniebottle.com/?comic=06272009
https://jeaniebottle.com/?comic=07012009
You know, this is actually only the THIRD comic where we have seen Jean as a male. Out of 398.
By the way, CD – 398! That’s quite the achievement. Will JB#400 have some kind of anniversary celebration?
#400 will represent a milestone beyond just the comic number. And a party is involved, now that I think about it…
Totally cool! Thank you, Robert!
Hmmm… If there’s a party, they should invite ALL the characters – including Samantha & Darrick, the Duke
girlsboys, the Greek fishing captain, Melvin, Kazom, Belle, Agent Anderson – everyone!400 episodes is quite the feat! A party would be in order. With all these genie I guess it would be a byob!
So Ray was Ma.Eden all along?
If she is Miss Eden it about 15 to 20 years or more from the last post, because that last post was in the later 1980 possibly or early 1990 and now it 2015 or 2016. Or we could be talking about 25 to 30 years here.
Sadly if she’s still Miss Eden she never got together with Andy sniffle.
@Senko: Unless she outlived him… Andy was born somewhere in the 1920’s, so was getting up there even in the mid-1980’s. Whereas Rouyaa only started aging after about 1980 or so.
She still could have a 25 to 30 year old daughter or son, who moved away because of a job opportunities and Andy would have been in his 60 to 70 year old. In 1980 she would be in her late 30 or early 40 years in human years. It still possible and could have happened too. If this Eden is our Rauyaa then in human years, she would be in her fifties of sixties now.
If CD RUDD want to back story it later, he can do that or he can leave blank for the time being and surprise us later.
Hmm, and now she is listed in the who’s who as “Ms Eden” instead of Rouya.
Also, she’s noticeable shorter again, though I don’t think *quite* as short as she used to be.
Hmmm, suggesting a thief steals the original bottle, and then sells it online, where it gets to Jean.
But yet… wouldn’t that result in the thief getting turned into a genie? Oh wait, not if he never popped the top.
A bit of a shame, because THAT would make quite a hilarious storyline of the thief suddenly turning into a genie. Maybe he has a friend who has the sense to say “Well I can’t wish to undo the wish because its a time paradox, but I can still wish to turn you back into a human.”
That an interesting Idea, have some one that burglar your apartment turn into a Genie and have them waiting there for you when you get back home.
I think I read a fanfic once with that plot.
When Jean found the bottle it didn’t have a stopper. Araceli created that. If the bottle had been in the shop for some time, many people might have handled it, but perhaps none of them were thinking of the genie from I Dream of Jeannie when they were holding it.
Now, Boss Hogg wasn’t thinking of IDOJ or even a genie at all, but he had to unstopper the bottle, and Jean definitely wanted out.
So maybe that’s how the burglar didn’t get genie-fied?
On another note, the brief appearance of Jean and Neal in #383 might not be meant as actual time travel but a magical simulation, part of a spell cast by Jean after Rodge wonders about all the coincidences between their recent lives and the IDOJ series he’s just binge watched? (#369). Since the next page after this one shows nothing but static and a faint message, perhaps the couch potatoes have been drawn into the screen?
Actually time travel and changing history did happen in IDOJ, but it’s probably not part of the Jeanie Bottle universe because if it was, wouldn’t Rouyaa have gone back to save her sister? (And incidentally put her boyfriend in a looney bin?)
On the subject of Cincinatti, I am no expert but I have spent a little time there, and I won’t really be satisfied until I see Jean reference one or both of the truly important Cincinatti topics:
(1) Pony Kegs
(2) Hudepohl beer
(3) White Castle
None of these things seem to be found in Florida.
In the 70’s there was a comedy show created by Mel Brooks, based loosely on Robin Hood, called When Things Were Rotten.
My family watched it and our favorite gag: at one point someone had a wooden trailer being pulled by a horse, and the trailer said “Ye-Haul” on it.
The “Y-Haul” gag on this page reminded me of that, and the fact that it’s a 70’s comedy TV show made me think that I should mention it.
When Things Were Rotten on Wikipedia