The Return of the Dress
We haven’t seen the dress since last March in For Better or For Worse, so it’s time to remind us what the dress looked like and that Gramma Marian wore it, just in case you were asleep for the last few strips. However, I think the real point is to establish April in her position as helper to the bride during the wedding sequence. I don’t mind the bonding moment between the two. It shows April still has her cynical side, and that might keep Liz grounded in this discussion about the miracle dress and the perfect Gramma who wore it. To honest, we really don’t need any more talk about how wonderful the dress is, or it will become tedious and excessive and a waste of story-telling panels. Consequently, that is why I fully expect we will talk about the dress some more in the days to come.
What we have not been addressed are the veil and wedding headpiece and shoes. How much was stored in that old crawlspace? Will they also fit? Will we have a Cinderella moment where Liz realizes the glass slippers that Marian wore are an exact match, and therefore she will marry the prince?
One thing that continues to strike me is how long Liz’s hair is compared to last month. I wonder what kind of hair style Lynn Johnston has in mind? Usually she goes for bunned hair, but this noticeable increase in length makes me wonder if Liz’s hair is going to be down for her wedding. That would certainly be different for this strip, but perhaps yet another response by Lynn Johnston to the constant complaints about the continually-bunned hair of the ladies in the strip.
Another important question is the mother-of-the-bride dress. Will Lynn Johnston allow Elly Patterson to be attractive? Or will she wear the same kind of conservative outfit she wore for Mike's wedding? Oh the questions. The questions.
What we have not been addressed are the veil and wedding headpiece and shoes. How much was stored in that old crawlspace? Will they also fit? Will we have a Cinderella moment where Liz realizes the glass slippers that Marian wore are an exact match, and therefore she will marry the prince?
One thing that continues to strike me is how long Liz’s hair is compared to last month. I wonder what kind of hair style Lynn Johnston has in mind? Usually she goes for bunned hair, but this noticeable increase in length makes me wonder if Liz’s hair is going to be down for her wedding. That would certainly be different for this strip, but perhaps yet another response by Lynn Johnston to the constant complaints about the continually-bunned hair of the ladies in the strip.
Another important question is the mother-of-the-bride dress. Will Lynn Johnston allow Elly Patterson to be attractive? Or will she wear the same kind of conservative outfit she wore for Mike's wedding? Oh the questions. The questions.
posted by howard at 10:01 PM
17 Comments:
howard:
Another important question is the mother-of-the-bride dress. Will Lynn Johnston allow Elly Patterson to be attractive? Or will she wear the same kind of conservative outfit she wore for Mike's wedding? Oh the questions. The questions.
No. She will not. The mother-of-the-bride is not supposed to wear flattering clothing so Elly will wear something hideous, only more expensive than the normal horrible things she wears.
I laughed my ass off at this strip. April is such a bitch here, but I don't care because Liz's marriage is so idiotic--and the dress is such an odd hodgepodge style.
Answers to important questions:
1. Elly will wear something ugly and frumpy. Probably a lumpy long-sleeved suit with a kerchief.
2. Liz will have her hair properly bunned.
You know what makes today's strip more enjoyable? In the first panel, read April's line as "She looked really beautiful in that dress." (Not this one, though--this is clearly not the same one.)
Of course, that would be untrue, since we know Marian looked fugly, but it's still funnier, I think. ;)
Don't forget that Queen Elizabeth I wore her hair down at her coronation emphasize her virginal nature.
Therese looked more elegant in her wedding dress.
Yep, just like I figured. Two different characters talking about the same old same old. Lynn doesn't have time to tell or show everything--well, if the Pattersons all sat down together and talked a lot of explanation and re-explanation could be dropped.
Jim and April interact; April reports to Liz; Liz reports to Elly; Elly reports info to John; John verifies info with Liz; back to Liz and April. This family could just have stayed a thousand miles away from each other and communicated by phone or e-mail. Or snail mail at the pace they go.
And if I had a fiancee as hesitant at proposing as Granthony, I would sure want to verify a date for the wedding with him first. But then again, Liz knows he will do anything her little heart desires.
dreadedcandiru2,
The mother-of-the-bride is not supposed to wear flattering clothing so Elly will wear something hideous, only more expensive than the normal horrible things she wears.
Although this may be true, Lynn devoted a few strips to Elly and Connie Poirier talking about being a mother of the bride. These lead me to believe that Lynn Johnston may be thinking differently about it than she normally does with her typical Elly outfits.
qnjones,
Elly will wear something ugly and frumpy. Probably a lumpy long-sleeved suit with a kerchief.
That is what she typically wears. However, we are dealing with a Lynn Johnston who would very much like to be the mother-of-the-bride in real life and we know she uses this strip to live out a lot of her real-life fantasies. So, I am not so sure she is going to go with the typical frump. Without a Mira Sobinski-like character to play off, I could easily see Elly (and Gramma Marian) upstage Elizabeth at her own wedding.
Liz will have her hair properly bunned.
But then why is it suddenly longer? Lynn rarely changes her character’s appearance and not without a reason.
aprilp_katje,
In the first panel, read April's line as "She looked really beautiful in that dress." (Not this one, though--this is clearly not the same one.)
I also enjoyed the phrase, “a dress that was worn, like, so long ago” as if it is not really so long ago.
Bryan
Don't forget that Queen Elizabeth I wore her hair down at her coronation emphasize her virginal nature.
There you go. Lynn has favoured the Brits in the past. If it’s good enough for the Queen, then certainly Liz can pretend she is still a virgin.
debjyn,
Therese looked more elegant in her wedding dress.
Yes she did. It is to Lynn Johnston’s credit that Thérèse has always been portrayed as better-dressed and more attractive than Elizabeth.
This family could just have stayed a thousand miles away from each other and communicated by phone or e-mail. Or snail mail at the pace they go.
Lynn Johnston definitely does not like to put too many characters into a single strip, even if it does slow things down.
And if I had a fiancee as hesitant at proposing as Granthony, I would sure want to verify a date for the wedding with him first.
Liz has changed clothes since her conversations with her Dad and Mom, so we are supposed to read between the lines that she has conversed with Anthony. In fact, because we went from long sleeves to sleeveless, I wouldn’t be surprised if we are supposed to read between the lines that several months have passed and all the wedding arrangements have been made.
Elly will never look attractive, even if she's wearing the most beautiful clothes in the world.
"Like, so long ago." Like, longer ago than the songs you consider "oldies" were written, April? :P
Elly isn't supposed to look attractive, ever. She's supposed to look "matronly."
Muzition,
Elly will never look attractive, even if she's wearing the most beautiful clothes in the world.
If Lynn draws her with the giant nose and her masculine-looking body, then yes, that's true.
Lindsey,
Elly isn't supposed to look attractive, ever. She's supposed to look "matronly."
Yes, but, this is also Lynn working out her frustration about her own daughter’s single status. If she wants to live through Elly, then she might change things.
Traditionally, Lynn has not used Elly to act out the fantasies she has for herself. After her divorce, Lynn lost a ton of weight and bought some very flashy clothes. She posed for photos in a provocative way. But we haven't seen Elly lose weight or get nice clothing or try to look attractive. Elly just gets fatter, frumpier, and uglier. I think Lynn punishes Elly for having the perfect kids and faithful husband by making her super ugly. Mark my words, Elly will be hideous at the wedding.
Liz's hair is longer so that she can have a bigger, more fabulous bun, IMHO.
I also enjoyed the phrase, “a dress that was worn, like, so long ago” as if it is not really so long ago.
Ooh, good point. I wish I'd thought of that when I was writing up ARB this morning. ;)
And what muzition said about April and the 1985 music. I had the same thought.
qnjones,
But we haven't seen Elly lose weight or get nice clothing or try to look attractive. Elly just gets fatter, frumpier, and uglier. I think Lynn punishes Elly for having the perfect kids and faithful husband by making her super ugly. Mark my words, Elly will be hideous at the wedding.
Well, that does give me something to look forward to. Just how ugly will Lynn make Elly?
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