Gah! More Pervo Reprints!
Today's For Better or For Worse is an interesting mix-up. Lawrence is wearing the Charlie Brown-style sweater, Lynn Johnston occasionally put her child characters in the first year of the strip to remind you she stole heavily from Charles Shulz. However, the material being covered definitely steps out of the range of Shulz material into the wonderful world of mother-son psychology.
1. The premise of Michael Patterson's argument is a request of sympathy from Lawrence Poirier. He is essentially stating that his mother is constantly mad at him, and with very little provocation, i.e. just looking. In other words, Michael thinks his mother disapproves of his every action, even ones so innocent as just looking at her.
2. Lawrence does not believe that Elly Patterson is constantly mad at Michael and questions Michael's honesty. Lawrence has obviously seen Michael expand the truth before. Like any observer of these 1979 Michael reprints, Lawrence is like us, when we realize that young Michael was a little hellion and not all his behaviour can be blamed on Elly Patterson.
3. Then the last panel payoff is that Michael explains that when he was just looking at his mother, she was bathing. From his innocent perspective, he apparently thinks there is nothing inappropriate in staring at his mother bathing herself. Freud would probably have a different opinion on that one. The more interesting perspective is that of Lawrence Poirier, who appears to physically collapse on hearing Michael's statement. It's easy to grasp why Lawrence collapsed. He is probably:
a. Horrified at the thought of a naked Elly Patterson.
b. Horrified that his friend Michael would want to look at a naked Elly Patterson.
c. Horrified at the thought his friend Michael liked looking at his naked mother and moreover, would consider such a thing to be something over which he should not be punished.
d. Horrified at the thought he almost felt sympathy for his friend Michael Patterson.
e. Came to the sudden realization that he must be gay, because he doesn't like to look at his naked mother bathing.
f. Wishing he had a different best friend.
1. The premise of Michael Patterson's argument is a request of sympathy from Lawrence Poirier. He is essentially stating that his mother is constantly mad at him, and with very little provocation, i.e. just looking. In other words, Michael thinks his mother disapproves of his every action, even ones so innocent as just looking at her.
2. Lawrence does not believe that Elly Patterson is constantly mad at Michael and questions Michael's honesty. Lawrence has obviously seen Michael expand the truth before. Like any observer of these 1979 Michael reprints, Lawrence is like us, when we realize that young Michael was a little hellion and not all his behaviour can be blamed on Elly Patterson.
3. Then the last panel payoff is that Michael explains that when he was just looking at his mother, she was bathing. From his innocent perspective, he apparently thinks there is nothing inappropriate in staring at his mother bathing herself. Freud would probably have a different opinion on that one. The more interesting perspective is that of Lawrence Poirier, who appears to physically collapse on hearing Michael's statement. It's easy to grasp why Lawrence collapsed. He is probably:
a. Horrified at the thought of a naked Elly Patterson.
b. Horrified that his friend Michael would want to look at a naked Elly Patterson.
c. Horrified at the thought his friend Michael liked looking at his naked mother and moreover, would consider such a thing to be something over which he should not be punished.
d. Horrified at the thought he almost felt sympathy for his friend Michael Patterson.
e. Came to the sudden realization that he must be gay, because he doesn't like to look at his naked mother bathing.
f. Wishing he had a different best friend.
posted by howard at 9:32 PM
10 Comments:
Lawrence is wearing the Charlie Brown-style sweater, Lynn Johnston occasionally put her child characters in the first year of the strip to remind you she stole heavily from Charles Shulz. Even in the early 2000s, Liz wears one.
Adults, too. Elly wears a sweater like that in some of the earliest strips, and I also found a Sunday strip where she gives one to John as a Christmas present, he doesn't like it, and she ends the strip saying something like, "It's not my fault you have no taste!"
Gah, and how can Lynn justify what is likely to be a second week of reprints when she has only two months to her [supposed] end date?!?!?!!?
howard,
He is probably:
a. Horrified at the thought of a naked Elly Patterson.
b. Horrified that his friend Michael would want to look at a naked Elly Patterson.
c. Horrified at the thought his friend Michael liked looking at his naked mother and moreover, would consider such a thing to be something over which he should not be punished.
d. Horrified at the thought he almost felt sympathy for his friend Michael Patterson.
e. Came to the sudden realization that he must be gay, because he doesn't like to look at his naked mother bathing.
f. Wishing he had a different best friend.
In real life, the choice would cetainly be F as in Frank.
aprilp_katje,
Adults, too. Elly wears a sweater like that in some of the earliest strips, and I also found a Sunday strip where she gives one to John as a Christmas present, he doesn't like it, and she ends the strip saying something like, "It's not my fault you have no taste!"
I see. So it was like a running joke / homage to Schulz.
Gah, and how can Lynn justify what is likely to be a second week of reprints when she has only two months to her [supposed] end date?!?!?!!?
Exactly. I need another week of Boy Scout camp.
April: 2 Sundays 1 week 4 days dailies of reprints
May: 2 Sundays, 2 weeks dailies of reprints
June: 2 Sundays, 1 week 1 day dailies of reprints
July: 5 days dailies of reprints starting off the month.
Most likely July and August will end up with 2 Sundays and 1 - 2 weeks of dailies in reprint per month. So, assuming her August 30th conclusion is accurate then of the 8 Sunday strips left, 4 of them will be reprint. And of the 9 weeks of dailies left, probably 4 of them will be reprint, since we are starting July with another week of reprints. That leaves 4 new Sundays and 5 weeks of dailies or 34 days of new strips. Michael and Deanna’s wedding story went from 8/27/2001 to 9/22/2001 from Michael’s stag party to leaving after the wedding = 27 total days including Sundays. If Lynn Johnston is going to do a comparable job with Liz and Anthony, then she will have to start the wedding week story in the week after this week of reprints. That leaves one week she can address the only topic left to address, which is Grandpa Jim going into the Sunset Manor. The big difference between Mike and Deanna vs. Liz and Anthony is that Mira Sobinski battled with the Pattersons over Lawrence Poirier and her constantly changing mother-of-the-bride outfit colour clash with Elly. Also, a little time was devoted to Mike being taken out to see strippers. The only person comparable to Mira Sobinski in Anthony and Liz's life is Therese, who has yet to receive the "I threw away a good man and daughter" smackdown long predicted by the comments Liz and Anthony have made about her. Unlike Mike, Anthony doesn't appear to have any male friends, so I doubt Lynn will show Anthony's bachelor party. Judging from post-engagement appearances of Anthony so far, we will be lucky to see anything of Anthony before the wedding day.
dreadedcandiru2,
The thing I find most interesting about Lawrence Poirier these days, is that we have seen him more in reprint than we have seen him in modern times over the last 5 years. The second most interesting thing is that we see his mother constantly with hardly any reference to Lawrence or her husband. It is as if the Poirier family consisted of Lawrence in 1979, and Connie in 2008.
WHOA! Mike went out to see strippers before his wedding! Now I think I understand why Lynn hates men. I think she must only have ever known scumbags (Rod included) if she thinks that is the behavior of "nice guys." None of my friends' husbands had raunchy bachelor parties. Their brides would not have approved, but even so, the guys didn't want them. One guy's bachelor party was a hiking trip. Another guy had a card game (after a strenuous fight against his brother that he did not want strippers). These guys considered themselves committed already, and ogling or having contact with live naked women was off limits in their minds.
Now, Mike was already married at the time of his fake wedding! To a woman who is a perfect 10 on the prudery scale. Which makes it even more shocking that Lynn considers that acceptable behavior for Mike. Surely Dee wouldn't approve. I guess Lynn thinks that not only should "nice guys" do scummy things, but their disapproving wives should keep their mouths shut. A peek into her own marriage, I wonder?
About today's strip--it does not ring true that Lawrence would question if Mike were lying about his mother's anger. At age 5, kids are credulous. They do not understand the subtleties of situation, and generally take people at their words unless the story is too fantastic to be believed. Even then, a kid may still believe a story about his friend slaying a dragon. So it is downright wrong, developmentally speaking, for Lawrence to question Mike here. After all, Elly is known to be a rageaholic who flies off the handle. A kid like Lawrence, who lives next door, has probably seen that at least once.
With all the talk about Elly babysitting, I now doubt the strip will end with Elizabeth's "for better or for worse." I think we've been set up for her early married life as well.
"If Lynn Johnston is going to do a comparable job with Liz and Anthony, then she will have to start the wedding week story in the week after this week of reprints."
But Mike and Dee had a lot of excitement and details to take care of to get married. Liz and Anthony have been dragging out the same old "ho-hum" relationship they have had for years, the dress was chosen, altered and become whole and lovely within a couple of strips, there was no discussion and mimimal interaction between Liz and Anthony on the ring, and of course we all know the TTH backyard is all ready for the big event. I'm sure a minister will show up miraculously, who is acceptable to both the non-churchgoers.
The wedding is even less exciting than the courtship. Lynn didn't pull it off; she's lumbering toward a dismal end.
howard,
It is as if the Poirier family consisted of Lawrence in 1979, and Connie in 2008.
That is strange. About the only time we had a close-up of them as a family unit was when he came out.
qnjones,
WHOA! Mike went out to see strippers before his wedding!
The way it was played was Mike was taken by Weed, Gordon, Lawrence and few generic guys after Deanna let it be known to them when and where Mike could be grabbed. The second joke was that the guys got tired of it and had Mike home by midnight.
Now I think I understand why Lynn hates men. I think she must only have ever known scumbags (Rod included) if she thinks that is the behavior of "nice guys." None of my friends' husbands had raunchy bachelor parties. Their brides would not have approved, but even so, the guys didn't want them.
I guess I better not tell you the story of my bachelor party or my wife’s bachelorette party.
So it is downright wrong, developmentally speaking, for Lawrence to question Mike here. After all, Elly is known to be a rageaholic who flies off the handle. A kid like Lawrence, who lives next door, has probably seen that at least once.
Possibly, but I have noticed that even though Elly still does her rageaholic madness around April, she has never done it around Robin and Merrie. I do not have the collections to see if Elizabeth ever displayed this behaviour around Lawrence. Given the way it is with Robin and Merrie, in my mind it is possible Lawrence never saw this behaviour from Elly, and may question Mike as if he were talking about slaying a dragon, because Lawrence may believe that parents are all good.
With all the talk about Elly babysitting, I now doubt the strip will end with Elizabeth's "for better or for worse." I think we've been set up for her early married life as well.
This is likely, but I don’t think it has to occur in the strip. Much of this last year seems to be devoted to “Stuff Lynn plans to put in her Lives After Lives Behind the Lines book, especially with April’s future.
debjyn
But Mike and Dee had a lot of excitement and details to take care of to get married.
OK. Lynn actually devoted 4 weeks to the Shawna-Marie Verano wedding, which was just last year. I just can’t see her devoting less time to Elizabeth’s wedding, no matter how boring it is.
dreadedcandiru2,
That is strange. About the only time we had a close-up of them as a family unit was when he came out.
That could be right. The last time Mike had a long conversation with Lawrence where he mentioned his family was back in 1999 when he was telling Mike the strange story about how he met his dad for the first time, and Mike was using it to compare to his fears that Deanna was going to come back from Honduras pregnant with Dr. Smythe’s baby, before he got a letter from Deanna telling Mike that the doctor had a wife.
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