Elly: Hypocrite or Techno-guru?
The fact that Elly Patterson of For Better or For Worse is a hypocrite when it comes to text-messaging is not that surprising. The fact that Elly knows how to text-message in order to be labeled a hypocrite is the surprising part. Not only is it surprising, but it adds a different perspective to the usual fears of Elly Patterson when it comes to technology. After all, it hasn’t been that long since John and Elly held themselves together in fear of the dreaded internet.
The normal joke with Elly and technology and April is that Elly dislikes something about technology, April knows the technology, and consequently Elly dislikes something about what April does. I fully expected that was the direction we were headed. Elly would dislike text-messaging because she did not understand it, and consequently dislike Eva and April’s use of it. Instead what we get is that Elly knows the technology, so her complaint changes from generic texting hate to the idea that April and Eva are allowing the technology to erode their ability to converse and their ability to write. Considering our first significant exposure to Eva’s conversational skills led us to a week where she made one bizarre cowboy analogy after another, Elly could have a point.
This point ruins the perspective of the joke. You see, the fact that Elly would text her daughter does not mean that Elly uses a code, or sends a little note, etc. Elly may be using complete sentences to send her message. Connie’s open-mouthed laughing means that she has interpreted Elly’s statement to mean that she has condemned all text messaging. In fact, she should laugh only if she sees that Elly is not sending a complete sentence for her message and is using a code. That would make her a hypocrite.
Without that, the For Better or For Worse reader would look at the strip and say, "Ha! Look! Elly is a hypocrite for sending a text message." This would then be followed by the reaction I imagine most For Better or For Worse readers have to most of the strips, where they say, "But wait a minute...that doesn't make sense."
The normal joke with Elly and technology and April is that Elly dislikes something about technology, April knows the technology, and consequently Elly dislikes something about what April does. I fully expected that was the direction we were headed. Elly would dislike text-messaging because she did not understand it, and consequently dislike Eva and April’s use of it. Instead what we get is that Elly knows the technology, so her complaint changes from generic texting hate to the idea that April and Eva are allowing the technology to erode their ability to converse and their ability to write. Considering our first significant exposure to Eva’s conversational skills led us to a week where she made one bizarre cowboy analogy after another, Elly could have a point.
This point ruins the perspective of the joke. You see, the fact that Elly would text her daughter does not mean that Elly uses a code, or sends a little note, etc. Elly may be using complete sentences to send her message. Connie’s open-mouthed laughing means that she has interpreted Elly’s statement to mean that she has condemned all text messaging. In fact, she should laugh only if she sees that Elly is not sending a complete sentence for her message and is using a code. That would make her a hypocrite.
Without that, the For Better or For Worse reader would look at the strip and say, "Ha! Look! Elly is a hypocrite for sending a text message." This would then be followed by the reaction I imagine most For Better or For Worse readers have to most of the strips, where they say, "But wait a minute...that doesn't make sense."
posted by howard at 11:12 PM
9 Comments:
howard:
In fact, she should laugh only if she sees that Elly is not sending a complete sentence for her message and is using a code. That would make her a hypocrite.
That's for sure. Elly's message would be something along the lines of "WHERE DO YOU AND EVA WANT TO BE PICKED UP?" followed immediatedly by a frsutrated murmur at April's more abbreviated "@ TM HRTNS."
dreadedcandiru2,
That could actually be funny, if that's the way it was done. Elly could say to Connie, "@ TM HRTNS"? What does that mean? Thumb hurting?"
Elly's texting style will probably end with her bitching about how it took forever and her thumbs hurt. While, of course, never understanding that text-speak is a way of sparing herself those indignities.
I wonder if, when she was in college, she griped about other students taking notes in shorthand?
Uh, oh. Another "What is the world coming to?"
Yep, this is sounding like we are heading into a flashback. If not, maybe there is going to be another "look who we run into" storyline. April has "run into" Shannon and (I think)Becky on previous trips; Liz and Francoise bump into Therese. Maybe that's why the Pattersons stay home all the time; to avoid interacting with others as much as possible.
howard:
Elly could say to Connie, "@ TM HRTNS"? What does that mean? Thumb hurting?"
Meanwhile, April and Eva are at the Tim Hortons wondering when their ride is gonna show. Comic gold, to be sure.
dlauthor:
I wonder if, when she was in college, she griped about other students taking notes in shorthand?
Probably. I've noticed that she likes doing things the hard way and would thus think learning shorthand would be cheating. Not only that, if people saw her use it, they might (horrors) confuse her with a secretary. Both Elly and Lynn want to avoid being thought of like that.
dlauthor
Elly's texting style will probably end with her bitching about how it took forever and her thumbs hurt.
It could. However, if she doesn’t text for casual conversations, she may not text often enough for that problem.
debjyn
Yep, this is sounding like we are heading into a flashback. If not, maybe there is going to be another "look who we run into" storyline.
Actually this makes this setup an ideal one, because Elly and Connie can flashback, while April and Eva can run into someone. This could be a very long mall trip.
dreadedcandiru2
Probably. I've noticed that she likes doing things the hard way and would thus think learning shorthand would be cheating. Not only that, if people saw her use it, they might (horrors) confuse her with a secretary. Both Elly and Lynn want to avoid being thought of like that.
Elly came from a generation where shorthand was a highly-valued and marketable skill and being a secretary was considered to be a good thing. On the other hand, Lynn doesn’t refer to any of her staff as a secretary.
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