Warren Blackwood – Scam Artist
Lynn Johnston surprised me again. In today’s For Better or For Worse, we learn that Warren Blackwood did not actually come to visit Liz in the middle of the night because he was in love with Liz, but in order to find a place to crash for a couple of nights. I have not run across these kinds of guys personally, but I have known women who have. They date the guy a couple of times and he suggests moving in with each other, only it’s to move into her place, and he contributes nothing to the rent, because he is between jobs. And by the way, these guys are usually quite good-looking. Then the women find things missing around the house, or find the guy has a drug habit, or find the guy has a girlfriend across town who is raising his kids, and on and on. I am amazed that very intelligent women I know have fallen for this stuff; however, I am even more amazed that Lynn Johnston has turned Warren Blackwood into one of these characters. He used to be a nice guy with baby pictures of his brother’s kids in his wallet.
Of course, I am sure this is all grounded in the reality of Lynn’s life. Back around this time last year, when Rod Johnston told Lynn he wanted a divorce because he was cheating on her, is it just a little bit possible that Rod might have suggested that he keep living in their house together, until he found a place for him and his new girlfriend?
Of course, I am sure this is all grounded in the reality of Lynn’s life. Back around this time last year, when Rod Johnston told Lynn he wanted a divorce because he was cheating on her, is it just a little bit possible that Rod might have suggested that he keep living in their house together, until he found a place for him and his new girlfriend?
posted by howard at 9:59 PM
16 Comments:
Why does every sleazeball have to be a reflection on Rod Johnston? From what I have been reading here, it seems to me that Warren was acting as a greasy jerk long before Lynn knew about her husband. In hindsight, I don’t think Warren was ever a nice guy--he just wasn’t portrayed as bad.
Paul, OTOH, seemed to be an interesting person and genuinely nice; I want to know what is going on with him. In fact, I’d much rather see his wedding than Liz’s.
Anon NYC
I feel kind of disappointed in this week. When it started, it seemed ripe for delicious snark. Now it's just taken a turn into crazypants. It's so far from any kind of consistency that it's not worth the effort to criticize.
It does seem obvious that Liz isn't smart enough to say no to the fool and that's an unnecessary complication tthe delays our gratification of snarking the Settlepocalypse. Anthony will no doubt misinterpret his unwelcome presence as a sign that Liz has tossed him aside for Warren again and he'll start dating Julia and Liz will end having to wait for her next rival's character to be assassinated after Warren's girlfriend catches up with him and what could have been a simple thing would become needlessly complex. I begin to wish that I was right when I said that "Let's go home" was the laast word on Lizthony.
Anon NYC,
Why does every sleazeball have to be a reflection on Rod Johnston?
I don't know about every sleazeball. I found very little of Howard Bunt in Rod Johnston. However, there are some obvious comparisons in other characters.
With Constable Paul Wright and Elizabeth, the choice to follow Elizabeth from Mtigwaki to Milborough was described by Lynn Johnston herself as an imitation of the same choice she made in moving from Lynn Lake to Corbeil, which makes Liz = Lynn and consequently Paul = Rod. Except of course, Rod chose to move with Lynn, while Paul chose not to.
As for Warren Blackwood, as a helicopter pilot flying in remote sections of Canada, his character seems to me, to be taken from the part of Rod that was the "flying dentist."
And as we all know by this point, Dr. John Patterson, dentist and model train enthusiast is modeled off of Dr. Rod Johnston, dentist and model train enthusiast.
Anthony Caine, particularly his romance with Elizabeth, has been taken almost directly from Lynn's own romance with Rod, including a first date at a wedding and the date where the couple made the list of attributes they want in a spouse.
Given the history of this strip, it is difficult to analyze any male character in this strip, without considering if he is a reflection on some aspect of Rod Johnston.
From what I have been reading here, it seems to me that Warren was acting as a greasy jerk long before Lynn knew about her husband.
Well, when exactly Lynn knew about her husband is difficult to say. We know when she and Rod filed for divorce, but Lynn said in one of her interviews that Rod's relationship with the other woman had been going on for some time. As for Warren Blackwood, in his very first appearance he helped out Liz with her bringing too much luggage on the bus. He also flew in for Liz's graduation. That seems fairly nice to me, although he could have been self-motivated in both instances.
Paul, OTOH, seemed to be an interesting person and genuinely nice; I want to know what is going on with him. In fact, I’d much rather see his wedding than Liz’s.
I agree. A properly-researched and properly-drawn, tradition Ojibway wedding would be a delight to read about. And I would agree about the nice part with Paul Wright, since he did not blow up at Liz on two occasions, where he had every right to be furious with her, i.e. skipping out on visiting his parents and jumping into the helicopter with Warren, and skipping out of Mtigwaki just as he got a transfer to live up there.
Ellie,
When it started, it seemed ripe for delicious snark. Now it's just taken a turn into crazypants. It's so far from any kind of consistency that it's not worth the effort to criticize.
I will have to disagree with you here. The crazier it gets, the better the snark, in my opinion. I would take the the craziness of this week over the sheer boredom of the last 4 weeks.
DreadedCandiru2
Anthony will no doubt misinterpret his unwelcome presence as a sign that Liz has tossed him aside for Warren again and he'll start dating Julia and Liz will end having to wait for her next rival's character to be assassinated after Warren's girlfriend catches up with him and what could have been a simple thing would become needlessly complex.
Oh I hope you're right. I would love to see Julia again and have her say, "What are you doing dating me again, Anthony? You're a great guy. Why don't you go and have a fist fight with this Warren guy and prove that you're the man. You can do it. Fight for your woman. Fight! Fight! Fight! "
I begin to wish that I was right when I said that "Let's go home" was the laast word on Lizthony.
I do understand this perspective. With the arrival of Warren, we might have to endure some more of Lynn Johnston's tortured romance writing. However, it would be worth it for a fist fight between Warren and Anthony.
howtheduck:
The only thing that stops me from enjoying a fist fight between Anthony and Warren is what they're fighting over. It seems a bit of a waste of time for them to duke it out for the hand of Liz Patterson, given how she's a Grade A idiot bitch with the warmth of a girder and depth of a raindrop.
dreadedcandiru2,
It’s not the prize. It’s the journey. Imagine the ear-tweaking, the Indian burns, the noogies which will be handed out in this epic battle of titans.
howtheduck:
I can imagine that quite well. I can also imagine the gushing posts on Coffee Talk from citizens of Kool-Aid Nation who find the battle as impressive as the silly bitch being fought over.
Poor Warren. I guess I should be grateful that Paul got off with just a mild cheating episode. This is truly not the guy Liz knew in college; every guy since she graduated has turned out horrible. Including Granthony, with his adulturous attitude (IMO, the worst possible behavior, more than anything Warren or Paul has done).
Yes, I too so wanted an Ojibway wedding--how great that would have been. Instead, we get to see the Lizard in the moldy wedding dress hooking up with her moldy oldy and the insta-child.
Looking EXACTLY like Elly and John.
debjyn,
Instead, we get to see the Lizard in the moldy wedding dress hooking up with her moldy oldy and the insta-child. Looking EXACTLY like Elly and John.
Not to worry. The ringbearer of Robin and the flower girl of Meredith, will liven things up with some fighting.
dreadedcandiru2,
I can also imagine the gushing posts on Coffee Talk from citizens of Kool-Aid Nation who find the battle as impressive as the silly bitch being fought over.
I don’t know about this one. They usually seem to be conflict-adverse.
howtheduck:
Yes, that is true. They'd rather see Liz talk her way out of this than see Warren and Anthony star in the movie 'Slap Fight Club'.
dreadedcandiru2,
Whereas for me, there's nothing I would like better than to see Warren and Anthony star in the movie 'Slap Fight Club'.
The first rule of Slap Fight Club is that nobody talks about Slap Fight Club.
Funny you should mention that. My first 'steady' BF Ryan was that type. He even lived @ our house for 2 months. Gave this sob story that his uncle was dying of cancer (did not even HAVE an uncle it turns out) and that his Mom was so busy running errands and paying bills so he could he please stay for awhile.
You are absolutely right that he was hot, and that none of his skills translated to the workforce. He was also a liar, and an angry drunk. The only bright side was that I finally wised up and learned to respect myself better. Also my Dad literally threw him out when he refused to leave. My Dad = Pure Awesome.
I would hate to see Warren turn into one of those jerkwads but I fear that's exactly where this is going.
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