Lawrence Poirier: Brown skin. Brown nose.
Lawrence Poirier says to Michael Patterson in today's For Better or For Worse: “There isn’t anything we wouldn’t do for you or your folks…friendship aside, the support you’ve given us has been major!”
Aside from the moment when the Pattersons gave Lawrence shelter after his step-dad threw him out of the house when he came out of the closet about his homosexuality, I was trying to think back when it was that the Pattersons supported Lawrence Poirier and Nicholas Browne. When they supported Gordon Mayes, it was mentioned several times that the Pattersons gave Gordon some of the money he needed to start up his business. With Lawrence Poirier, I can’t remember when the Pattersons made a big deal about investing in his Lakeshore Landscaping business. They have bought things from Lawrence over the years. Maybe Lawrence is saying that without the Pattersons’ purchases he couldn’t have maintained his business.
In more recent years, Lawrence Poirier took the role of helping out Elizabeth by giving her a summer job for 3 summers in a row. He also helped Michael Patterson change apartments back in 2005. Then after that, he turned into a nonentity in the strip, until the last few months, where he appeared more often than Michael Patterson did (if you don’t include the reprints.)
The way the strip really comes off to me is that Lawrence Poirier is giving a big thank you to Lynn Johnston for having done the “Lawrence is coming out” story all those years ago. The support she has given has been to maintain a gay couple as a part of the strips.
Aside from the moment when the Pattersons gave Lawrence shelter after his step-dad threw him out of the house when he came out of the closet about his homosexuality, I was trying to think back when it was that the Pattersons supported Lawrence Poirier and Nicholas Browne. When they supported Gordon Mayes, it was mentioned several times that the Pattersons gave Gordon some of the money he needed to start up his business. With Lawrence Poirier, I can’t remember when the Pattersons made a big deal about investing in his Lakeshore Landscaping business. They have bought things from Lawrence over the years. Maybe Lawrence is saying that without the Pattersons’ purchases he couldn’t have maintained his business.
In more recent years, Lawrence Poirier took the role of helping out Elizabeth by giving her a summer job for 3 summers in a row. He also helped Michael Patterson change apartments back in 2005. Then after that, he turned into a nonentity in the strip, until the last few months, where he appeared more often than Michael Patterson did (if you don’t include the reprints.)
The way the strip really comes off to me is that Lawrence Poirier is giving a big thank you to Lynn Johnston for having done the “Lawrence is coming out” story all those years ago. The support she has given has been to maintain a gay couple as a part of the strips.
posted by howard at 12:46 AM
15 Comments:
howard,
The way the strip really comes off to me is that Lawrence Poirier is giving a big thank you to Lynn Johnston for having done the “Lawrence is coming out” story all those years ago. The support she has given has been to maintain a gay couple as a part of the strips.
That seems like the most likely explanation. after all, the Patersons have done precious little to really support him. Providing temporary employees is not the same thing as owning his horses. Also, tey've done little to mend the gap between him and his mother so they're no support there either.
Heh. The title of today's entry is perfect, howtheduck. Lynn really has Lawrence laying on his Patterworship with a trowel. It's unseemly and unearned. Lawrence is just so lucky he has he Pattersons around to use him when they need someone to help Mike move, summer jobs for Liz, or free wedding flowers. Lucky, lucky. >:-(
april_patterson,
Lawrence is just so lucky he has he Pattersons around to use him when they need someone to help Mike move, summer jobs for Liz, or free wedding flowers. Lucky, lucky.
Not only that, he's also there to be their gay friend for when they want to show off how enlightened they are. His cup truly runneth over.
dreadedcandiru2,
Also, they’ve done little to mend the gap between him and his mother so they're no support there either.
However, I still have a dream to see a strip where Lawrence and his mother are together again at this wedding. Maybe even with Connie’s husband too. It could happen.
aprilp_katje,
The title of today's entry is perfect, howtheduck. Lynn really has Lawrence laying on his Patterworship with a trowel. It's unseemly and unearned.
I don’t ever remember Lawrence laying it on this thick before. That has usually been the way Lynn has portrayed Gordon Mayes and not Lawrence. However, unless Gordon is paying for some part of this wedding we haven’t seen up to this point, I suppose she had to have somebody do it. We can’t have an event of this magnitude without a Patterson getting praised.
Again, I want to barf at Lynn's pandering for people to think her so enlightened, when in reality, she is scared stiff of alienating her conservative readers. It's great to have the right to be married, and they feel married, and act married, but don't want to actually be married? This reeks of a cop-out. Most couples who feel married and plan to stay that way want to be married, for a variety of reasons. Even if it's just for the zillions of legal protections and privileges that are afforded when a couple marries.
If Lynn weren't a spineless coward, we would see Lawrence talking about how great it is to finally be married here. Not about how Pattersons are so awesome. Gag. Or about how it's nice to have the right, but that they won't exercise it because, you know, his mother and her friends pretend to be tolerant but aren't really accepting.
This adulation of the Pattersons is ridiculous! According to all the characters, just the Pattersons being in the same planet has made a tremendous impact.
Wonder if the rest of Anthony's bio is going to talk about how much Elly was like a mom, and John like a father to him? Even though the old strips don't show that and that REALLY ups the EWWW quotient for Anthony marrying Liz.
qnjones,
Wonder if the rest of Anthony's bio is going to talk about how much Elly was like a mom, and John like a father to him? Even though the old strips don't show that and that REALLY ups the EWWW quotient for Anthony marrying Liz.
Ah, yes! It's bad enough that Liz gets to nail John by proxy but to have Anthony feel as if he's bedding his sister would be really revolting.
However, unless Gordon is paying for some part of this wedding we haven’t seen up to this point, I suppose she had to have somebody do it.
Hmm, Crevasse limousines from Mayes Midtown Motors wouldn't surprise me a bit--except that they haven't been mentioned thus far. Maybe they're being saved as a surprise to KAN. ;)
qnjones,
Or about how it's nice to have the right, but that they won't exercise it because, you know, his mother and her friends pretend to be tolerant but aren't really accepting.
That was touched on in the monthly letters, years ago, but never addressed in the strip. You can see Connie's mixed message in this quote:
Mike's Letter, December 2005
He and Nick have been together for several years now, and although they're married in practically every sense of the word, they have not decided to legalize their union with a wedding ceremony! His mom (Connie) told him she would support them if they decided to marry but she would not "give away the bride"!
debjyn,
Wonder if the rest of Anthony's bio is going to talk about how much Elly was like a mom, and John like a father to him?
Highly likely. There has to be some reason Elly and John have been pushing Elizabeth so hard to him all these years.
dreadedcandiru2,
It's bad enough that Liz gets to nail John by proxy but to have Anthony feel as if he's bedding his sister would be really revolting.
We already have Anthony feeling like bedding Liz is going to be like bedding his mother who abandoned him, with what we already have in the bio. And Lynn’s dialogue with Anthony telling Elizabeth she is coming home in the strip, supports that idea. Plus, the guy still hasn’t told Liz, he loves her.
aprilp_katje,
Hmm, Crevasse limousines from Mayes Midtown Motors wouldn't surprise me a bit--except that they haven't been mentioned thus far.
It’s only a matter of time. You know Gordon Mayes, the giver of all givers, has to put out something big.
Howard,
I remember that monthly letter all too well. Connie's snide remark about "giving away the bride" shows that she is not above using stereotypical, hurtful homophobic humor against her son. Equating a gay man with a woman? This is not enlightened or supportive.
qnjones,
Equating a gay man with a woman? This is not enlightened or supportive.
It goes to the old stereotype that if you put two guys together, then one has to be the woman and the other has to be the man. Lawrence is prettier than Nick. Ergo, he's the bride.
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