Saturday, February 09, 2008

Snow Business for Women

There have been a number of strips over the years in For Better or For Worse with kids in the snow, and one of the things that has always struck me is that when the kids are out playing in the snow, the adult women are not there. It is always the adult men out with the kids. Even today’s strip, Deanna dresses the children to send them out into the snow, but not to go out in the snow herself.

The only indication that I can think of which gives a clue to the way Lynn Johnston thinks about this is this strip from back in 2003, where the young April doesn’t want to go out and play in the snow because it is “so for kids” and then John Patterson goes out by himself. Taken this way, either the men are in the snow with the kids, because they are just kids themselves, or because they don’t mind the embarrassment of doing kid things. I would suppose it would be sort of like taking my daughter or son to see a kids’ movie in the theatres, which I would otherwise never have gone to see. I can take the shame and embarrassment of it, because I am doing my parental duty to my kids.

Another interesting perspective was that of Elly Patterson in this strip, where she remembers how John Patterson used to play in the snow with his kids and watching it made Elly fall into love with John all over again. John, of course, stops watching from the inside, and goes outside to play. That strip gave me the idea that going out with the kids in the snow is something that Elly would not do. Is there a maturity level that women reach that says, “I am too old to be playing in the snow"?

That’s too bad if there is. It’s fun to play in the snow with kids.

10 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, I always loved (and still do) playing in snow. Of course, part of that could simply be novelty; not much snowfall in North Texas as a rule.

Maybe in places where it snows all the time, the attitude is different. However, I really think that reflects Lynn's personal beliefs. That "mature" women don't do that kind of thing. Of course, she seldom has them actually playing with their children whether they are inside or out.

1:47 AM  
Blogger DreadedCandiru2 said...

However, I really think that reflects Lynn's personal beliefs. That "mature" women don't do that kind of thing.

You nailed it. A lot of people from that generation thought that women and being outside in the winter didn't really mix, that sensible ladies stayed inside where it was warm. That could be why she was all full of anger when she was chipping the ice off her ride last year: being out in the cold was "man's" work.

3:30 AM  
Blogger howard said...

DreadedCandiru2,

A lot of people from that generation thought that women and being outside in the winter didn't really mix, that sensible ladies stayed inside where it was warm.

I was brought up in the mountains of western North Carolina, and my mom is in her late 60s, so she is approximately the same generation as Lynn Johnston. However, my mom always got out in the snow with her kids. She just didn’t stay out there all day like we did.

Some of this may also have to do with class difference expectations. qnjones has pointed out in prior postings that a lot of the expectations of Elly as a mom and housewife were more indicative of upper middle class, than my mom’s lower middle class standing.

6:13 AM  
Blogger howard said...

debjyn,

I remember when I lived in the Dallas area that ice storms were much more frequent than snow storms. In Arizona, where I live now, neither is frequent. We've had snow 2 times in the last 9 years I have been here, and it lasted on the ground maybe an hour, before it melted. In Tucson, you have to jump on that snow when you get a chance.

6:15 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Today’ strip is charming. After a week of bickering, it’s nice to see Robin and Meredith getting along.

I’ve always loved walking with my husband up and down the streets of New York immediately after a snow blizzard. For a day or two the rhythm of the city changes. People of all stripes and colors socialize with one another as they plod through the snow-filled streets.

Still, when our kids needed supervision, my husband was the one who went out with them to play in the snow. While they were out I’d catch up on housework.

Anon NYC

6:45 AM  
Blogger DreadedCandiru2 said...

Yes... I forgot what a social climber Elly is sometimes. That could explain why she fears Mira who makes her feel inadequate. About the only thimng that keeps her from being a fullk-fledged Hyacinth Bucket wannabe is John's astonishingly low expectations with regard to what he eats. Luckily for her, he has Hamburger Helper tastes.

10:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interestingly, one of the few times I remember my mother playing with us was out in the snow. She didn't do it a lot, but probably once a year, she would help us make a snowman.

I do think this is Lynn's opinion of a "proper woman," though. We are supposed to think of Dee and Elly as models of womanhood, so they don't play in the snow. We do see Liz play in the snow somewhat regularly. I think this allowed only because we have been shown how wrong and strange she was not to get her butt at least engaged before age 24. Bet that would change if she ever married Anthony.

10:44 AM  
Blogger howard said...

Anon NYC

Still, when our kids needed supervision, my husband was the one who went out with them to play in the snow. While they were out I’d catch up on housework.

My wife of the same basic opinion but for a different reason. Being brought up in Texas, she hates even the slightest cold (less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit). Eventually she skipped on those kinds of activities often enough, where my kids starting complaining about "How Daddy always gets to have all the fun." Then she was forced to bundle up and go out. The peer pressure of cute children is a wonderful thing to behold.

6:46 PM  
Blogger howard said...

dreadedcandiru2,

About the only thimng that keeps her from being a fullk-fledged Hyacinth Bucket wannabe is John's astonishingly low expectations with regard to what he eats. Luckily for her, he has Hamburger Helper tastes.

And yet, the funny part is that Elly is supposed to be considered a fantastic cook.

6:46 PM  
Blogger howard said...

qnjones,

We do see Liz play in the snow somewhat regularly. I think this allowed only because we have been shown how wrong and strange she was not to get her butt at least engaged before age 24. Bet that would change if she ever married Anthony.

That would be an interesting test. I hope that Lynn shows at least one "Francie in the snow" strip before she calls things quits, so we can test out that theory.

6:47 PM  

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