Anthony, the Son I Always Wanted
Seeing Anthony and John Patterson in today's For Better or For Worse together in their chairs reminds me once again, how Anthony appears to be more like John’s son than Michael does. Both men are tall and lanky, wear glasses, and have poor taste in clothing. As emphasized here, John compliments Anthony on being a hard worker, which is a significant contrast to the way he views Mike’s writing skill. John has always lavished compliments on Anthony, and has only complimented his son on (a) picking him up at an airport and (b) raking the leaves without asking. He has never once complimented Michael on the success of either of his two novels. The impression I get is that John prefers Anthony to Michael, and this is one of the primary reasons that John wants Elizabeth to marry Anthony.
From the perspective of Lynn, the reason John praises Anthony is part of a long term effort to try to convince her readers that Anthony is not scum. She’s had this issue with Anthony ever since she seriously miscalculated the effect of the Anthony story after he defended Liz from Howard Bunt. Unfortunately for him, the more John or Elly heap praise upon him, the more I look to see what Anthony has done to deserve that kind of praise. He doesn’t seem to deserve it.
He plays practical jokes on his daughter and blackmails her with Santa Claus to get her to accept Elizabeth. The last 2 times we saw him at work, he was hanging about doing nothing. When John came to buy his Crevasse, Anthony was out by the coffee station. When Liz came for her test drive, Anthony leapt in the car with her. This doesn’t really sound like the hard worker, sensible, kind, a dedicated father type to me.
Another interesting aspect of this is that, unlike Paul Wright and Eric Blackwood, who underwent their interrogation scenes with the Patterson family, Anthony has never had one. Even Mike and Deanna had their scenes with the Sobinskis and Pattersons. There is no question of Anthony's acceptance, until today with John's thought of "or else."
From the perspective of Lynn, the reason John praises Anthony is part of a long term effort to try to convince her readers that Anthony is not scum. She’s had this issue with Anthony ever since she seriously miscalculated the effect of the Anthony story after he defended Liz from Howard Bunt. Unfortunately for him, the more John or Elly heap praise upon him, the more I look to see what Anthony has done to deserve that kind of praise. He doesn’t seem to deserve it.
He plays practical jokes on his daughter and blackmails her with Santa Claus to get her to accept Elizabeth. The last 2 times we saw him at work, he was hanging about doing nothing. When John came to buy his Crevasse, Anthony was out by the coffee station. When Liz came for her test drive, Anthony leapt in the car with her. This doesn’t really sound like the hard worker, sensible, kind, a dedicated father type to me.
Another interesting aspect of this is that, unlike Paul Wright and Eric Blackwood, who underwent their interrogation scenes with the Patterson family, Anthony has never had one. Even Mike and Deanna had their scenes with the Sobinskis and Pattersons. There is no question of Anthony's acceptance, until today with John's thought of "or else."
posted by howard at 10:01 PM
16 Comments:
You are absolutely right. Mike is Elly's golden boy, but John doesn't really respect him because he is artsy-fartsy and lets his wife being the major support of the household. We have seen John bond with Dee both in the monthly letters and in the strip. But never with Mike. I think this is because John sees Mike as being too womanish. He stays home and likes to write. That makes him too much like Elly.
In contrast, Anthony (and Dee) are very much like John. They go to work at a mind-numbing job that they do not find particularly exciting or fulfilling. They are supporting families. They are boring. Their hobbies are as mind-numbing as their jobs. They are doormats to their spouses (or have been in the past). I suspect John only respects those who have suffered the way he has suffered.
I had to laugh at the "or else" line. Because, really, I can't see John or Elly Patterson doing anything about it if one of their children had a less than satisfactory spouse. They might whine and kvetch about it, but Pattersons do not believe in taking action. Fear not, Anthony--no Patterson will make you be a good spouse!
qnjones,
In contrast, Anthony (and Dee) are very much like John. They go to work at a mind-numbing job that they do not find particularly exciting or fulfilling. They are supporting families. They are boring. Their hobbies are as mind-numbing as their jobs.
This is an interesting perspective. It made me wonder why John liked April, if this was his perspective. I remember John liked April’s work ethic, but he was possibly the most negative Patterson when it came to her music, and he had the infamous monthly letter where he proclaimed music must be fun, that became the theme of the April / Becky war. Therein lies the problem with April, according to John, that her hobby can be pretty exciting at times.
They might whine and kvetch about it, but Pattersons do not believe in taking action. Fear not, Anthony--no Patterson will make you be a good spouse!
True enough. Pattersons are known for their inaction. It was Mira Sobinski who got in Melville Kelpfroth’s face, while Elly ignored the whole thing.
howard,
Unfortunately for him, the more John or Elly heap praise upon him, the more I look to see what Anthony has done to deserve that kind of praise. He doesn’t seem to deserve it.
John heaps praise on himself for being a lot of things that he himself isn't. He's not exactly dynamic, his sense of humor consists of insulting Elly, he ogles younger women, he's wasteful in his spending habits, manipulative, thoughtless and refuses to see the consequences of his actions yet to hear him talk, you'd think he was some sort of role model. Since John thinks that he's all these things he isn't and Anthony is just like him, it only stands to reason that he thinks that Awfulny is funny, hard-working, blah-blah-blah, too.
qnjones,
Mike is Elly's golden boy, but John doesn't really respect him because he is artsy-fartsy and lets his wife being the major support of the household. We have seen John bond with Dee both in the monthly letters and in the strip. But never with Mike. I think this is because John sees Mike as being too womanish. He stays home and likes to write. That makes him too much like Elly.
John's hatred of literature is the chief reason I have for not respecting him. Someone who hates the motion of being contradicted so much that he not only avoids books that might tell him that his world view may have to change he also avoids essays that could force him to abandon a long-held stereotype is not my idea of a worthy citizen. He'll spend the rest of his life not seeing the damage his inflexibility and entitlement create.
Quote John "Elizabeht's had a few close calls. Nice boys but Elly and I always hoped that you and she would get together." It's been awhile since a read over the high school Liz strips but I really can't recall any particular strips that made me think "Gee when I get to high school I hope I find a guy just like Anthony!" I wasn't even to broken up over the fact when the broke up going in to college. So what did John and Elly see in this guy that they as a teenager that made him the only one for Liz? What was it that I was unable to see/read between the lines? What did Anthony have that Paul lacked? What part of John's criteria did he not meet, if not supercede?
Plus the fact that Anthony's marriage really didn't even present so much as a speed bump in their desires for him to become there son-in-law once agin just shows how morally lacking John and Elly really are. And what if Liz does become Anthony's Therese 2.0? Really what are John and Elly going to do? Blame themselves for destroying there daughter's personal life? Surely sir you jest!
It's strips like today that make me me shake my fist in the general direction of Corbiel and yell " Why Lynn? Why!?"
I hate the way "close calls" suggests that Liz marrying anyone other than Anthony would have been a disaster simply because the other man would have been guilty of not-Anthoniness. Sickening. And the last panel is pathetic--what "Or else"? There is no "or else."
And Howard, I think you mean Warren Blackwood. :)
dreadedcandiru2,
Since John thinks that he's all these things he isn't and Anthony is just like him, it only stands to reason that he thinks that Awfulny is funny, hard-working, blah-blah-blah, too.
That makes sense then. Ironically, John is modeled off Rod Johnston; but the “close calls” of Warren Blackwood helicopter pilot and Paul Wright man who likes the Northwest, were modeled off of Rod Johnston, the flying dentist of Lynn Lake. From the author’s perspective, Anthony represents the parts of her ex-husband that she liked, since she hated living in Lynn Lake.
Ruth,
So what did John and Elly see in this guy that they as a teenager that made him the only one for Liz?
As a teenager, John and Elly watched Liz around Anthony like a hawk, fearing that they would do something. It’s interesting that the first time they started saying things like, “I always wished Anthony would end up with Liz” was after Anthony started working for Gordon Mayes. Lynn Johnston herself makes Anthony’s employment with Gordon the key point of her proof that he is a great guy.
What was it that I was unable to see/read between the lines?
I am not sure here. Anthony was engaged to Thérèse almost immediately after he started working for Gordon. From the author’s perspective, she is trying to spell out that when Liz moved in with Eric, it was a huge mistake. Elly is adamantly against it, even though she never tells Liz that. The guy is egotistical, he doesn’t clean, he doesn’t come with Liz to Mike’s wedding, and he’s cheating on her. But the key ingredient, spelled out pretty clearly in the strip is that, because Liz is living with Eric, Anthony proposes to Thérèse and not Liz. The whole theme of the Anthony and Liz relationship is “second chances.”
What did Anthony have that Paul lacked? What part of John's criteria did he not meet, if not supercede?
Paul didn’t work for Gordon? In the strip, if Paul had been a good boyfriend, he would have taken off work to come down to Milborough to support Elizabeth through the Howard Bunt trial. If Paul had been a good boyfriend, he would continued to work on getting his transfer to Toronto in the OPP, or simply quit the OPP to work for the Toronto Police Services so he could be near Liz. In John’s eyes, Anthony was there for Elizabeth, and Paul wasn’t.
And what if Liz does become Anthony's Therese 2.0? Really what are John and Elly going to do? Blame themselves for destroying there daughter's personal life? Surely sir you jest!
I don’t jest, and don’t call me Shirley. If Anthony follows in John’s footsteps, he will ogle girls in front of Elizabeth. But he won’t throw himself after those girls like he did with Liz, because Elizabeth will definitely be the mommy material Thérèse was not. If the strip were to continue, Thérèse would turn into a Mira Sobinski-like character, who would be painted as evil and annoying every time she appeared.
aprilp_katje,
I hate the way "close calls" suggests that Liz marrying anyone other than Anthony would have been a disaster simply because the other man would have been guilty of not-Anthoniness.
Well, I think Lynn was trying to go for a situation where the parents let the daughter make her own decisions about choosing a mate, but there is a clear 1 good boy vs. many bad boys. Will the daughter choose correctly the obvious good boy? The issue that we have is that from the readers’ perspective, the worst boy of the bunch was the one the girl chose. And the best boy of the bunch was the one the girl abused and deserted for that bad boy. A better way to think about it is that somehow being touched by Gordon Mayes turns you into royalty, and John Patterson is hoping that the royal blood line will be maintained and the daughter doesn’t end up with a peasant.
And Howard, I think you mean Warren Blackwood.
Yes, my continuity goddess, it’s Warren Blackwood. I don’t know why I wrote Eric Blackwood. I know better.
Perhaps we will soon have a repeat of your pet peeve. Anthony will be so touched by John's advice and concern, tell him he is so much better a father to him than his own (who is off being some kind of successful businessman) and call John "Dad". Thus, we can continue the in-law theme of rejecting your own parents because the most ordinary things the Pattersons do are just so darn-gosh extraordinary.
I don’t know why I wrote Eric Blackwood. I know better.
I know you do. I had to say something, to maintain my continuity credentials. ;)
howard,
If Anthony follows in John’s footsteps, he will ogle girls in front of Elizabeth. But he won’t throw himself after those girls like he did with Liz, because Elizabeth will definitely be the mommy material Thérèse was not
That's another annoying habit that men in the strip have. It irritates me that these jerks dangle the possibility of a disloyalty they don't have the guts to follow through on in front of their spouses like it was a really cute joke. That betrays shallowness and a smug lack of consideration.
The key reason John and Elly love Anthony is that he started apprenticing himself to Gordon in college. So it was clear early on that Anthony would be staying in Milborough. If Liz had married Eric or Warren or Paul, she would not have moved back to the old hometown. They may fool themselves all they want about the reasons they love Anthony, but the truth is, if Liz marries Anthony, she is close at hand for meddling and passive-aggressive control games. And that's the big advantage they care about.
debjyn,
Perhaps we will soon have a repeat of your pet peeve. Anthony will be so touched by John's advice and concern, tell him he is so much better a father to him than his own (who is off being some kind of successful businessman) and call John "Dad".
That pet peeve was born from Lynn Johnston’s own publicly-expressed opinion that she liked Rod Johnstons’ mom more than her own. I am not sure the same statement will apply comparing Rod Johnston’s dad to her own. However, I can hope that would be the case. It would mean we would probably get to finally meet Anthony’s dad.
dreadedcandiru2,
It irritates me that these jerks dangle the possibility of a disloyalty they don't have the guts to follow through on in front of their spouses like it was a really cute joke.
This particularly manifests itself in the character of Grandpa Jim and less so with John. Lynn Johnson has never mentioned this particular aspect of her father, but it was pointed out that Rod Johnston had a habit of hiring very attractive women to work in his dental practice. It is prevalent enough in the strip to suspect that there is a real-life occasion to prompt it.
qnjones,
They may fool themselves all they want about the reasons they love Anthony, but the truth is, if Liz marries Anthony, she is close at hand for meddling and passive-aggressive control games. And that's the big advantage they care about.
Yes. Elly wants to “hold the lease” or “own the horses”, as she says. I think the key element of Gordon is that their position with Gordon gives them a lot of leverage over Anthony, should they need it. We saw this manifested when Mike had 2 book-signings of his decidedly-not children’s books in Lilliput’s with Elly holding the lease. I suspect that after the wedding, we may see a book-signing in the Country Kitchen where Anthony works.
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