Deanna and Mike Know. Liz Learns About the Dress.
First off, a note to our commenter Mrs. Polly from yesterday’s Blog comments that she can see today’s strip does not include April teasing Liz back but, as I predicted, shows an entirely different venue. Lynn Johnston’s stories about Liz insulting April are nothing, if not predictable and almost always one-sided.
Speaking of predictable, in the presence of Mike and Deanna, Lynn Johnston is not messing around. In one For Better or For Worse strip we get:
a. Michael complimenting the ring
b. Liz’s introduction to, her wearing of, and asking permission of Grandma Marian to wear her wedding dress.
c. The dress fits Liz perfectly.
Lynn Johnston is not even waiting to draw the characters having any kind of small talk, before getting to this point. “Here’s the Grandma Marian dress. Try it on! Faster! Faster!” Not only that, but the dress doesn’t look the same as last February, especially the sleeves and the neckline. Lynn Johnston, slow down!!! We know where things were going the moment Deanna found that dress, but the characters need some motivations to make it believable. If you are going to jump straight to the final conclusion, you might was well just write Liz getting married in tomorrow’s strip.
Here are a few examples of things which need explanation:
1. Deanna found the dress, cleaned the dress, and put it in a nice box with a window. Why did she do that? She didn’t know in advance Liz was going to need a wedding dress. Lynn Johnston may have known, but Deanna did not. There should have at least been some conversation with Elly about what Deanna found and then Elly giving permission for her to keep the dress, store the dress or display the dress assuming that Deanna has an obsession with antique clothing or something to explain this behaviour of hers.
2. Likewise, Liz did not know about Grandma Marians’ dress either. She had to have some idea in her head about getting to choose a dress for her wedding, like Deanna did, and might feel some resentment that Deanna and Michael are pushing this thing on her. After all, she didn’t get to pick her engagement ring. However, there is not a word about this. Instead, she worries about offending Grandma Marian, of all things. Who knew Liz had a fear of the retribution of the dead? Not me. Where does this fear come from?
3. Mike appears to be there for the whole clothes-changing process. My sister would have made me leave the room and yet Mike is there before and after. Why is this?
Without these little details, the wedding story will seem like a race to the finish, with Lynn Johnston checking things off her checklist as she goes.
Speaking of predictable, in the presence of Mike and Deanna, Lynn Johnston is not messing around. In one For Better or For Worse strip we get:
a. Michael complimenting the ring
b. Liz’s introduction to, her wearing of, and asking permission of Grandma Marian to wear her wedding dress.
c. The dress fits Liz perfectly.
Lynn Johnston is not even waiting to draw the characters having any kind of small talk, before getting to this point. “Here’s the Grandma Marian dress. Try it on! Faster! Faster!” Not only that, but the dress doesn’t look the same as last February, especially the sleeves and the neckline. Lynn Johnston, slow down!!! We know where things were going the moment Deanna found that dress, but the characters need some motivations to make it believable. If you are going to jump straight to the final conclusion, you might was well just write Liz getting married in tomorrow’s strip.
Here are a few examples of things which need explanation:
1. Deanna found the dress, cleaned the dress, and put it in a nice box with a window. Why did she do that? She didn’t know in advance Liz was going to need a wedding dress. Lynn Johnston may have known, but Deanna did not. There should have at least been some conversation with Elly about what Deanna found and then Elly giving permission for her to keep the dress, store the dress or display the dress assuming that Deanna has an obsession with antique clothing or something to explain this behaviour of hers.
2. Likewise, Liz did not know about Grandma Marians’ dress either. She had to have some idea in her head about getting to choose a dress for her wedding, like Deanna did, and might feel some resentment that Deanna and Michael are pushing this thing on her. After all, she didn’t get to pick her engagement ring. However, there is not a word about this. Instead, she worries about offending Grandma Marian, of all things. Who knew Liz had a fear of the retribution of the dead? Not me. Where does this fear come from?
3. Mike appears to be there for the whole clothes-changing process. My sister would have made me leave the room and yet Mike is there before and after. Why is this?
Without these little details, the wedding story will seem like a race to the finish, with Lynn Johnston checking things off her checklist as she goes.
posted by howard at 12:15 AM
31 Comments:
Why/why not (insert details)? Because we have definitely now entered Lynn's Dream Fantasy Realm....
howtheduck:
What bothers me the most about her apologizing to her grandmother is that the only person whose opinion she cares about is dead. Heck, she doesn't even care about herself too much. If she actually liked the person in the mirror, she wouldn't marry the first guy who asked to avoid dying alone.
Hey, the dress neither resembles what we saw last month NOR what Lynn established the dress to look like. Ha, busted! ;)
Anonymous,
Because we have definitely now entered Lynn's Dream Fantasy Realm....
Interesting idea, although I cannot remember Lynn ever doing dream sequences before. Maybe she’s watched a few episodes of Gilligan’s Island recently.
DreadedCandiru2,
If she actually liked the person in the mirror, she wouldn't marry the first guy who asked to avoid dying alone.
Anthony may be the first to ask, but if Liz had stayed put in Mtigwaki, he wouldn’t have been. Constable Paul Wright was moving to be closer to her, and men do not make that kind of move for a woman, unless they are very serious about her. Not only that but he wanted to introduce her to his parents, a move that Anthony Caine has yet to make. Paul was on the path to proposing. To me Liz and Anthony is more like an obsessive love story, where the couple wrecks other peoples’ lives with their obsession to be together.
In my paper this morning, in the last panel, it looks like Liz is asking Heart of the City for permission to wear the dress. I can only hope that in some other paper, she's asking Get Fuzzy.
Amazing, isn't it, that Liz is exactly the same size as her grandmother.
And at the rate things are going, I'm expecting that tomorrow, Gordo's Ever-Expanding Auto Empire will volunteer one of its showrooms for free for the reception. They'll even cater the cinnamon buns.
I swear, more effort and strip time was spent setting up the party for the Delicate Genius' miraculous book sale.
aprilp_katje,
Hey, the dress neither resembles what we saw last month NOR what Lynn established the dress to look like. Ha, busted! ;)
Good picture. From what collection? As far as the dress we got today is concerned, I have this feeling that one again, Lynn is not bothering to figure out how she wants things until the last minute. There is no reason that the February dress shouldn’t have matched the March dress. Now if it had matched Grandma Marian’s actual dress, which looks to me much more like a dress would have looked in the 1940s, then I would have been impressed Lynn had taken the time to look it up.
dlauthor,
I swear, more effort and strip time was spent setting up the party for the Delicate Genius' miraculous book sale.
Lynn doesn’t have much time, if she’s going to get Liz married by September and yet still have time for some hybrid reprints too. It will be interesting to see if Lynn spends more or less time on Liz’s wedding day than she spent on Shawna-Marie Verano’s wedding day. I may have to keep a running count.
howtheduck:
To me Liz and Anthony is more like an obsessive love story, where the couple wrecks other peoples’ lives with their obsession to be together.
What's worse is that her parents are caught up in the same obsessive mindset. Why else would they tear down all the people that got in the way of this dreary fantasy to build up the tedious twosome enacting it unless they were in the grip of some mania?
Just checking in to say that the new dress is WAY TOO MODERN. No bride in the 1940s would have gone to church in a dress that was either sleeveless or had only flimsy gossamer sleeves (can't really tell which it is supposed to be from the bad drawings). Even today, many churches require brides to wear sleeves out of respect for the religious institution. Also, take a look at pictures of wedding dresses from the 1940s--sleeveless dresses do not appear. I guess when Dee took it in to be cleaned, she had the dress torn apart and totally resewn in a more modern style.
Although I have to say, that the picture of Marian as a bride that April/Katje linked to is hideous. Leave it to Lynn to depict her in "schoolmarm gets married" style: a dress more at home in the 1840s than the 1940s, glasses, and a bun! Are the women in this family preternaturally incapable of styling themselves in any manner other than "prim"? Yikes.
qnjones:
Are the women in this family preternaturally incapable of styling themselves in any manner other than "prim"?
Given Lynn's background, I'd say that they weren't. I know that for a fact because I'm what Lynn would call her kind. As an English Canadian, I have a bit more insight into how Lynn thinks than most people. It doesn't surprise me that they'd be frumpy looking because that's how things used to be.
Michael fawning over the ring in panel 1 is more proof that he's gay (which wouldn't be a problem if he didn't have a wife and two kids).
http://www.fborfw.com/strip_fix/archives/003010.php
Well, I can see the similarity in last month's dress. Look closely at the sheer sleeves - the same sheer sleeves that were popular in the 1970s. But in the 1940s? I think not. Hm...
qnjones,
Just checking in to say that the new dress is WAY TOO MODERN. No bride in the 1940s would have gone to church in a dress that was either sleeveless or had only flimsy gossamer sleeves
A quick internet search on 1940s wedding dresses confirms what you say. Too bad Lynn doesn’t know how to use the internet to research things.
I guess when Dee took it in to be cleaned, she had the dress torn apart and totally resewn in a more modern style.
This is the only thing that will make sense, and yet I fully expect that no one will mention this in the strip, not even Grandpa Jim who will probably have a memory of Marian wearing the exact same dress, sleeves and all. Lynn is treading dangerous ground here. A good number of her faithful audience is older women, and they will recognize the difference.
DreadedCandiru2,
What's worse is that her parents are caught up in the same obsessive mindset.
Her parents. Her brother and sister-in-law. Gordon and Tracey Mayes. There is a whole gang of people obsessed with this idea, but really only one person. As Lynn Johnston says, “She pretends she is each character, and this means that everyone shares her obsession, and no one is the voice of reason.”
As an English Canadian, I have a bit more insight into how Lynn thinks than most people. It doesn't surprise me that they'd be frumpy looking because that's how things used to be.
Are you saying that if Lynn were from a French Canadian background, Grandma Marian would be less frumpy?
James,
Michael fawning over the ring in panel 1 is more proof that he's gay (which wouldn't be a problem if he didn't have a wife and two kids).
It is odd that of all the characters in the strip, the first one to fawn over the ring is Michael. I remember during my engagement, discovering how astonishingly well-informed young ladies were on evaluating each others’ engagement rings.
Barb G-C
Look closely at the sheer sleeves - the same sheer sleeves that were popular in the 1970s. But in the 1940s? I think not. Hm...
I agree. It almost makes me wonder if Lynn is confused about when Grandma Marian got married. The story has been they married just after WWII; but maybe Lynn is thinking of some time Grandma Marian and Grandpa Jim renewed their vows in the 1970s. Certainly, no one familiar with dress styles in the 1940s is going to mistake this dress from that time period.
howtheduck, the strip featuring Marian in her wedding dress appears in Family Business.
Whoop! Yesterday I facetiously posted on Foobiverse that Liz would tell Mike, Dee would whip out the "spruced up" 60 year old dress, it would fit Liz PERFECTLY and everyone would oooh and aaahhh!
Lynn has finally descended to the lowest possible story-telling I could imagine! I'm proud of her.
I so agree about what you said on the Paul/engagement possibility--I couldn't believe how CLOSE Lynn actually got to developing a real romance, a totally unexpected development, and to actually have a Patterson commit to an outsider of a different race. But no; it's as though she got cold feet and retreated back to her long-predicted and predictable Liz-and-Anthony-meant-to-be-no-matter-what garbage.
Good thing Lynn didn't try to do Lawrence's coming out now; he probably would suddenly have said "oh, no, I just realized I'm not really gay--I really do like girls!"
Lynn should not have opened the door to an interracial romance for a main character if she was not going to go through it. That reeks of a subliminal racism and the subsequent attitude of Liz appears very condescending and "helping the poor downtrodden" was just a lark.
I think someone at FOOB Central realized that a modern bride would not be caught dead in that frumptastic 1840s nightmare depicted in April/Katje's link. I think they may even have realized that real 1940s styles, with the long sleeves and lots of lace, are not popular today because brides are usually determined to wear something sleeveless. I guess they couldn't bear to really frump Liz up for her wedding. Although it would make me laugh my ass off if Liz styled herself like the Marian bride from Family Business, with her glasses and her hair bunned up, in the Prairie Schoolmarm Special wedding dress.
howtheduck:
Are you saying that if Lynn were from a French Canadian background, Grandma Marian would be less frumpy?
Probably. And if I'm off base, all that would change would be the ethnicity of the drab obsessives. At any rate, I understand the reason she got upset that Mike pronounced the word 'stupid' like an American. Y'see, there are still some people in Canada who like to trumpet our connection to Britain and talking like the "Yankee to the South of us who South of us must remain", as Elly showed us, is not greeted with the shrug it deserves. Lynn would have Elly wash his mouth out with soap for talking like an American if she thought it would fly in the States.
dreadedcandiru2, I think I might have asked you about this before, but do the majority of Canadians say "styoo-pid" for "stupid"?
debjyn,
Lynn has finally descended to the lowest possible story-telling I could imagine! I'm proud of her.
Personally I think she can go lower yet, and this wedding will provide so many opportunities. For example, I knew Liz would end up in the Marian dress, but I never imagined Deanna would just be like: “Here’s your grandmother’s dress. Put it on! Now!!”
I so agree about what you said on the Paul/engagement possibility--I couldn't believe how CLOSE Lynn actually got to developing a real romance, a totally unexpected development, and to actually have a Patterson commit to an outsider of a different race.
At the time the romance with Paul was going on, there were little signs like the arrow pointing to “Mr. Wright” indicating “Mr. Right” that threw me off. I thought a heavy-handed pun like that was Lynn trying to give us an indication where things were going. Plus, his move to be near Liz was what I had supposed to be Liz’s majour complaint with Warren, Eric and Anthony. When Liz went to Nipissing, she told Anthony that she wasn’t that far away and he could visit her, which he did not do. She expected Warren to fly his helicopter into Mtigwaki to visit her, and he didn’t. Then with Eric Chamberlain, she expected him to travel with her to family events, and he didn’t. And here is Paul who is traveling to be with her, so I took it as a sign that she had finally found a guy who would meet this unusual requirement. It was a great red herring.
However, if I view the story of Liz and Anthony as one of obsessive love, then the story of Liz and Paul takes on a tragic air. Liz trashed not only a giving boyfriend willing to commit to her, but she trashed a job she loved and a community which adored her. Most readers view Liz in Mtigwaki as Liz at her best, which has been laid low by this obsession she has with Anthony Caine.
qnjones,
I think they may even have realized that real 1940s styles, with the long sleeves and lots of lace, are not popular today because brides are usually determined to wear something sleeveless. I guess they couldn't bear to really frump Liz up for her wedding.
Very likely. Even the “Liz on the staircase” image from 1930s Hollywood has her in a strapless number for her wedding dress, and a Busby Berkeley dancer would not be wearing strapless. It’s too bad they are going this way, not only because it is ridiculous, but because a good artist could take the frumptastic 1840s nightmare and make Liz look good in it in a very classic sense. As it is, all appearances are that Laura Piché will end up drawing the final wedding strips, and she will be doing good just to keep the dress looking the same from March to August, considering the dress changed from February to March.
DreadedCandiru2,
At any rate, I understand the reason she got upset that Mike pronounced the word 'stupid' like an American.
How is “stupid” pronounced?
aprilp_katje:
We usually pronounce it like you do. It's only show-offs like Lynn and Elly who ape the Brits. As for the notion that we rhyme "about" and "a boot", if you listen carefully. you'll notice that the vowel in 'about' is sort of a muted "ow" instead of an "oo".
howtheduck:
How is 'stupid' pronounced, you ask? The way Elly didn't think it was supposed to be. The overweening need Lynn has to police language is also why slang terms are "always" "placed" in "quotes", not to mention the bane of cookie77's existence, the dreaded "an'".
dreadedcandiru2, I went to summer camp in Ottawa, Ontario when I was 13. When my parents picked me up at the end of the summer, my dad asked me something about whether the Canadian campers went "oot and aboot." When I gave him a "what the heck is that" sort of response, he insisted to me that this is how Canadians say "out and about."
I said, "No they don't." Then I gave my best approximation of how I'd actually heard it pronounced by my Canadian peers--a bit like "oat and aboat" but not exactly, as the Wiki article notes. My dad dismissively told me that when he was in high school, he knew a Canadian girl who definitely said, "oot and aboot." Yeah, right. Dad has a poor ear for language, that's all. ;)
This comment has been removed by the author.
aprilp_katje:
A lot of people are like your dad. They expect to hear "oot" so that's what they hear. It's like how Lynn is convinced that the woman she based Shannon on talks slowly. She ex...pects...her to...talk....like...this, so...that's...what...she's...go...ing...to...hear even though we all know that she talks just as fast as Lynn does only the RHYthm isN'T the SAME.
"And here is Paul who is traveling to be with her, so I took it as a sign that she had finally found a guy who would meet this unusual requirement. It was a great red herring."
And additionally, the trip back to Milbo. Paul drove Liz "all the way" (as she stated) just to take Liz back, and meet her parents.
My gosh, there is no way Lynn can justify why Liz would treat such a guy the way she did---your conclusion of an obsessive love is totally the only way to interpret what is going on.
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