Predictions

When it comes to predicting For Better or For Worse plotlines, there is always an element of it, where you think to yourself, “The most ridiculous way this story could go is this, and it so ridiculous, Lynn Johnston would never do it, simply out of self-respect.” As Michael Patterson launches into a publicity tour which would cause best-selling authors to feel envy, I feel embarrassed. As often as I have written as the Michael Patterson character in April’s Real Blog, where he would mouth off about becoming a best-selling author and having his novel declared to be the great Canadian novel, it is a lot less funny to see Lynn Johnston actually doing it. It hammers home the idea that the once great Canadian cartoonist, has lost it. She might as well have Michael be bitten by a radioactive spider and turned into Spider-Mike, with this kind of plotting.

For my enjoyment, I have instead turned to the background characters of today’s strip. I note that Deanna Patterson never says anything to Mike throughout the strip, and continues on dusting, even replacing the bowl and canister on top of the television set after she has dusted it as evidenced in the final panel. The woman could care less about Mike and his publicity tour, and is not making any effort to disguise her disinterest.

The children’s interactions are also interesting. While Merrie is sharp enough to pick out of Mike’s list of publicity areas, that he is going to be on television. Robin is too stupid to realize that Mike doesn’t have to be in a television set to be on television.