Super Teddy
There are few things I remember about For Better or For Worse in its early days, but I do remember I hated Super Teddy. I wish I had a collection in front of me to review all the Super Teddy strips to see if my hatred is justified in the light of modern day, but based on this single appearance in today’s strip, I can’t see it not being justified. My recollection is that Super Teddy wreaked havoc around the Patterson household with little to no punishment issued to the Super Teddy-hurling boy.
The more amusing part was that I had pegged Michael’s relationship with Elizabeth as the theme for this week of strips and the lead-in line continues relentlessly along that path, even with Elizabeth nowhere to be seen in the strip. With the lead-in line, “Elizabeth seemed to get all of the attention—but I had something she didn’t have…” it appears that Michael Patterson is justifying Super Teddy, by saying he only did it to get attention from his mother. This implies, Super Teddy into the dishwater, was not an accident but on purpose. That certainly brings a new tenor to the Super Teddy strips. Now, instead of simply being a disobedient boy, young Michael is telling a story about the extremes to which he went to get attention from his mother. Super Teddy was just a cry for help. That is so weird. I never got that idea when I read the strips in the past.
The more amusing part was that I had pegged Michael’s relationship with Elizabeth as the theme for this week of strips and the lead-in line continues relentlessly along that path, even with Elizabeth nowhere to be seen in the strip. With the lead-in line, “Elizabeth seemed to get all of the attention—but I had something she didn’t have…” it appears that Michael Patterson is justifying Super Teddy, by saying he only did it to get attention from his mother. This implies, Super Teddy into the dishwater, was not an accident but on purpose. That certainly brings a new tenor to the Super Teddy strips. Now, instead of simply being a disobedient boy, young Michael is telling a story about the extremes to which he went to get attention from his mother. Super Teddy was just a cry for help. That is so weird. I never got that idea when I read the strips in the past.
posted by howard at 10:36 PM
11 Comments:
Now, instead of simply being a disobedient boy, young Michael is telling a story about the extremes to which he went to get attention from his mother.
It does make sense that in recalling his childhood behavior the adult Michael is now able to understand the reasons he did those things.
Anon NYC
howtheduck, having read those collections fairly recently, I think it's likely that you'd still dislike Super Teddy. Especially when he'd hurl it at the back of Liz's head.
Understanding why he did all the inane, destructive and hurtful things he did is one thing. Realizing that they're wrong is quite another. If this sequence ends with him advising Meredith not to make the mistakes he made because of the damage he has yet to undo, I'd be willing to forgive Mike his stroll down Memory Lane.
Now, instead of simply being a disobedient boy, young Michael is telling a story about the extremes to which he went to get attention from his mother. Super Teddy was just a cry for help. That is so weird. I never got that idea when I read the strips in the past.
I believe this might be the definition of "ret-conning", yes?
I kind of feel bad for being, apparently, the only one that hates this stupid ... rewriting ... hybrid, BS. : ( It's not needed, it makes no sense. It's insulting. Stupid ... Get me a thesaurus, I can find new ways of describing the stupid : /
Adrianne
Anon NYC,
Although it would make sense for Michael to understand why he did things, I got the impression that this was just a side effect from trying to relate this strip to the overall theme. I agree with the DreadedCandiru2, that so far Michael has been showing off his old bad behaviour to his daughter, and it would be very interesting if he winds it up by saying, “Don’t do this” to Meredith. However, I would be surprised if he does.
aprilp_katje
I am encouraged to know my memory is still good. However, I hope we don’t see Super Teddy again.
Adrianne,
I agree it is kind of like a ret-con, although Lynn is not changing what happened, but changing the interpretation.
As for the hybrid, I am pretty sure you are not the only one who hates the hybrid. A quick look at the FOOBiverse’s Journal entries on the first day of the hybrid showed plenty of people who agree with your position.
I like www.thesaurus.com
I honestly doubt that we might get any conclusion to this, come to think of it. Lynn seems to have forgotten that stories come to a conclusion instead of just petering out. This arc might simply be Mike giving Meredith a highly distorted version of the family history. Odds are that by Friday, she'll be told April killed Farley.
DreadedCandiru2,
Family history? If this is a family history week, that would be very strange. My guess is that we are going to stay firmly in the 1979 - 1981 time frame.
Not to go all psychobabble on you, but what Mike is doing would seem plausible. Whenever anyone recounts the past he is now viewing it not as it actually happened, but based on experiences/perspective of a 30/40/50 or whatever age they are when they reflect on it. If a person tells a story ten years later, there will be a slightly different story--even though the person might swear he is still telling events exactly as they happened. Memory is extremely fluid; that's why most reputable therapists are EXTREMELY careful with "repressed memories".
DJ
If a person tells a story ten years later, there will be a slightly different story
I completely agree with DJ. In fact, I read in the New York Times (now you know it has to be true!) that each time we think about an event in our life the picture changes a little. So, if two people to experienced the same event but only one of them was thinking about it in the intervening years, the one who did not think about it would be more likely to remember it as it happened. Seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it!
Anon NYC
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