Dr. Ted McCaulay / McCauley
Today’s For Better or For Worse marks the first appearance of Dr. Ted McCaulay / McCauley since this strip in 2005 and only his second appearance since 2003. I call him McCaulay / McCauley because the FBorFW website has him as McCauley with an “e” in the Who’s Who description of him; while the Friends and Influences section on the same website for John Patterson lists him as McCaulay with an “a”. Some years back aprilp_katje did ask someone up at the office in Corbeil about the correct spelling and she got a reply of McCaulay with an ”a”, as I recollect. That is also the way the last name appears in this strip, as in the list of doctors you can see in this strip. As I recollect, aprilp_katje did inform Stephanie, the FBorFW webmaster of the error a few years ago, and you can tell how high it is on her list of things to do.
I also remember Ted, because the entire story about how his mother died and how it devastated him, was carried solely in the monthly letters of John Patterson and never in the regular strip. It was a testimony to how unimportant Ted had grown to the strip that this was left out. Ted’s mom used to be a majour aspect of the reason why his relationship with Connie Poirier and other women failed.
As for today’s For Better or For Worse strip, Ted's opinion on retirement seems to match my own ideas about retirement, much more than John Patterson’s, i.e. when you retire, you should retire, and none of this perpetual part time one-a-week kind of work. In other words, no hybrid and no strips inserted in the middle of chronologically-ordered reprints. As for today’s For Better or For Worse strip punchline, it is obvious the joke is the misunderstood word. Ted must be thinking, “Does he mean patience or patients? Either word would work.” Unfortunately, this misunderstanding seems to be the whole joke. Those kinds of misunderstood word jokes only work, if the misinterpretation is something crude or unusual, like this strip, for example. That strip is not that funny, but it is still funnier than today’s strip.
I also remember Ted, because the entire story about how his mother died and how it devastated him, was carried solely in the monthly letters of John Patterson and never in the regular strip. It was a testimony to how unimportant Ted had grown to the strip that this was left out. Ted’s mom used to be a majour aspect of the reason why his relationship with Connie Poirier and other women failed.
As for today’s For Better or For Worse strip, Ted's opinion on retirement seems to match my own ideas about retirement, much more than John Patterson’s, i.e. when you retire, you should retire, and none of this perpetual part time one-a-week kind of work. In other words, no hybrid and no strips inserted in the middle of chronologically-ordered reprints. As for today’s For Better or For Worse strip punchline, it is obvious the joke is the misunderstood word. Ted must be thinking, “Does he mean patience or patients? Either word would work.” Unfortunately, this misunderstanding seems to be the whole joke. Those kinds of misunderstood word jokes only work, if the misinterpretation is something crude or unusual, like this strip, for example. That strip is not that funny, but it is still funnier than today’s strip.
posted by howard at 10:48 PM
16 Comments:
I'm so pun-impaired that it took me awhile to get the joke.
I was actually kind of glad to see Ted. Even though Lynn has taken a very heavy-handed, moralistic view of him, he is one of the more real, non-boring characters in the strip. I was really disappointed when the story about his mom's death and his subsequent changes never even touched the strip. And I was even more disappointed that it didn't lead to him having some kind of revelatory moment in the strip, whether it was about him finding love (predictable) or new purpose and meaning in life (like charity work).
And I was even excited when he showed up today. I hope he is going to get to do more than just listen to John punning. But it was kind of depressing to hear his life is devoted to work and golf. Great. Even the racy bachelor is just another boring suburbanite. Way to go, Lynn. Everyone in this strip is so f-ing boring.
qnjones
I'm so pun-impaired that it took me awhile to get the joke.
After reading so much For Better or For Worse, pun-saturated or overly pun-ished is more like it. Sorry.
And I was even more disappointed that it didn't lead to him having some kind of revelatory moment in the strip, whether it was about him finding love (predictable) or new purpose and meaning in life (like charity work).
In the Who’s Who description, Ted started dating women closer to his age. No one as good as Krystle McGuire though.
But it was kind of depressing to hear his life is devoted to work and golf. Great. Even the racy bachelor is just another boring suburbanite. Way to go, Lynn. Everyone in this strip is so f-ing boring.
Boring yes, but you get to hear a phrase come out of Ted’s mouth you will never hear out of Elly or John Patterson-- “It’s been a great career, though. I wouldn’t change a thing.” I never thought I would hear any character in this strip say something so positive about something they have done, and the one who does it is immoral Ted.
howtheduck:
Boring yes, but you get to hear a phrase come out of Ted’s mouth you will never hear out of Elly or John Patterson-- “It’s been a great career, though. I wouldn’t change a thing.” I never thought I would hear any character in this strip say something so positive about something they have done, and the one who does it is immoral Ted.
That's not so strange to me. Lynn's ideal seems to be slaving away at a job you hate. For Ted to enjoy whay he does is a clear sign that Lynn believes his priorities are all wrong. If he hated it, he'd be good.
Yes, I did appreciate hearing him say he loved his career. I kind of wondered if Ted wasn't a guy who became a doctor for the money (which may not be all that great in Canada, I don't know).
But please--retirees do much more interesting things that just golf, like Connie, Greg, and now Ted. (I hate golf.) Hey! Maybe he'll meet his old flame on the golf course and they'll have an affair! That would be exciting! And Ted could confess to John, "I never expected to fall in love with a woman who looks like your father-in-law."
Once again, it's so emphatic that the Pattersons are incapable of clear-cut decisions and cut-off.
John can't let go of the "one day a week" idea; Elly noses into the store erratically; Liz couldn't move on with her life and love to a new place or person; April can't drop it with Becky or Gerald; Michael can't leave the ol' homestead---yuck, yuck, yuck.
Moving on with your life is a virtue often praised or claimed by these characters, but they seldom ever really do move on. They are pathologically stuck; much like their creator.
DreadedCandiru2,
For Ted to enjoy what he does is a clear sign that Lynn believes his priorities are all wrong. If he hated it, he'd be good.
I don’t know if I can draw a judgment from Lynn Johnston on a straight line given to Ted only for the purpose of setting up John Patterson’s final panel pun. Most times the straight lines don’t make any sense, and I would like to think that the Ted-hate is gone from the strip, since he has not appeared in years.
qnjones
But please--retirees do much more interesting things that just golf, like Connie, Greg, and now Ted. (I hate golf.)
I have known many retirees who do love golf. I had an ex-girlfriend whose father bought one of those homes right off a golf course, with a garage door just for his golf cart. In Tucson, there are a lot of retirees (thanks to the warm weather in the winter months), and a lot of them do a lot of golfing.
And Ted could confess to John, "I never expected to fall in love with a woman who looks like your father-in-law."
LOL. And the best part would be that immoral Ted would use the “love” word, which seems to be avoiding Liz and Anthony’s romance.
debjyn,
Once again, it's so emphatic that the Pattersons are incapable of clear-cut decisions and cut-off. Moving on with your life is a virtue often praised or claimed by these characters, but they seldom ever really do move on. They are pathologically stuck; much like their creator.
I presume you are talking about Lynn Johnston’s tendency to reuse jokes.
Yep, reuse jokes, stories, drawings, etc.
The retirement of Elly and John certainly is different than the retirement Lynn and Rod had planned, it appears. E&J don't seem to have any clue what to do with themselves; according to the stories L&R were going to travel, do good deeds, etc. Wonder if subconsciously, that was one of the problems; Lynn really couldn't imagine retiring (hence all the postponements) while Rod could hardly wait to get out and have fun.
debjyn:
E&J don't seem to have any clue what to do with themselves; according to the stories L&R were going to travel, do good deeds, etc. Wonder if subconsciously, that was one of the problems; Lynn really couldn't imagine retiring (hence all the postponements) while Rod could hardly wait to get out and have fun.
I'd say to Lynn work IS fun. She may complain about the deadlines and all that but she, like Elly, can't really imagine a time where she'd be doing nothing. Why else does she call people like Watterson, Larson and now Barrows wusses?
Of course, many retired people golf. I think they are boring, but it is true that this is a popular activity.
However, in Milborough, it is the only thing that retirees do. Yet again, we see Lynn making all people boring and the same. All good people have kids in their 20s, a boy and a girl! All women want to work in nuturing professions, preferably with kids! All men are cheating scum, except for the good few who are pantywaists who have no spine!
It's boring and lazy.
debjyn,
Wonder if subconsciously, that was one of the problems; Lynn really couldn't imagine retiring (hence all the postponements) while Rod could hardly wait to get out and have fun.
Depending on how you define “fun”, I would say that Rod got out and had some. As for retirement, my understanding is that he sold his practise 1- 2 years ago. Lynn was headed for retirement set for last September but, to be honest, she was not even close to finishing out these storylines by even a year before that point. In September, 2006, Liz and Anthony had barely started talking to each other and Liz was still dating Paul Wright, Mike and family were still in Toronto, April was still in her band and still hated Becky, and Grandpa Jim hadn’t had his stroke yet.
dreadedcandiru2,
Why else does she call people like Watterson, Larson and now Barrows wusses?
I think I missed something. Was there an article where Johnston called Barrows a wuss? I remember when she called Watterson and Larson wusses, but not Barrows.
qnjones,
However, in Milborough, it is the only thing that retirees do.
Well, Grandpa Jim used to play in his band, and ogle women. And I feel confident that John will play with his trains and ogle women.
All men are cheating scum, except for the good few who are pantywaists who have no spine!
And the invisible gay men.
Oh right, I forgot about the gays. ::eyeroll::
I guess I was just thinking of those that have retired in Elly's generation. You're right, the Jim's generation retirees are more fun. I guess because they did weird stuff like live places other than Milborough and had hobbies other than eating and bitching about other people. Although I grant you, I do expect John to be one holdout, and stay obsessed with trains--a hobby on par with golf for absolute boringness.
As for Lynn, she only thinks she thinks she wants to retire. I am starting to believe it will never actually happen (sob!).
qnjones
Oh right, I forgot about the gays.
That's okay. So did Lynn.
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