This is Our Day Too!
Truer words have never been spoken when it comes to this wedding than those spoken in the final panel by Dawn Enjo in today’s For Better or For Worse. “This is our day too!” If you consider that normally the bride considers it to be her day, because she has put her personal stamp on every aspect of its planning; then Dawn and Shawna-Marie can truly say that it is their day too, since they did more in wedding preparation than the bride did. And we have already had a scene which showed all the bridemaids, except Candace with long lists of things they had accomplished for Elizabeth Patterson.
To continue hammering this idea in, as expected, Josef Weeder has popped in to do the photography and apparently Carleen Stein, his business manager, also does hair. As this continues on, I fully expect Anne Nichols to pop up and say the food at the reception is free. When we started down this road, I had predicted that the situation would end up in imitation of when Liz was in Mtigwaki and had failed to properly plan a school outing, only to find the people of Mtigwaki took it over from her and paid for everything. This is very similar to that story. Unfortunately, the side effect of that story was not only to show how people stepped up to help Liz; but inadvertantly exposed Liz as a very poor planner, who needed other people to get anything done. That is certainly true for this wedding story.
I was quite surprised to see Candace Halloran as a bridesmaid, considering that she was a no show for Shawna-Marie’s wedding and she has spent quite a bit of time in her strip appearances, saying that a wedding ceremony was worthless and unnecessary. She was not mentioned when Liz wrote Dawn about her and Shawna-Marie as bridesmaids back last March.
I can only imagine that there is going to be some kind of surprise or special something coming from Candace as her contribution to the wedding; since everyone and Anthony’s uncle are contributing and she has been left out of the contributing prior to this point.
On a completely different topic, is anyone else other than me, bothered that Elizabeth has a neck decoration and none of the bridesmaids do?
To continue hammering this idea in, as expected, Josef Weeder has popped in to do the photography and apparently Carleen Stein, his business manager, also does hair. As this continues on, I fully expect Anne Nichols to pop up and say the food at the reception is free. When we started down this road, I had predicted that the situation would end up in imitation of when Liz was in Mtigwaki and had failed to properly plan a school outing, only to find the people of Mtigwaki took it over from her and paid for everything. This is very similar to that story. Unfortunately, the side effect of that story was not only to show how people stepped up to help Liz; but inadvertantly exposed Liz as a very poor planner, who needed other people to get anything done. That is certainly true for this wedding story.
I was quite surprised to see Candace Halloran as a bridesmaid, considering that she was a no show for Shawna-Marie’s wedding and she has spent quite a bit of time in her strip appearances, saying that a wedding ceremony was worthless and unnecessary. She was not mentioned when Liz wrote Dawn about her and Shawna-Marie as bridesmaids back last March.
I can only imagine that there is going to be some kind of surprise or special something coming from Candace as her contribution to the wedding; since everyone and Anthony’s uncle are contributing and she has been left out of the contributing prior to this point.
On a completely different topic, is anyone else other than me, bothered that Elizabeth has a neck decoration and none of the bridesmaids do?
posted by howard at 11:17 PM
24 Comments:
howard,
If you consider that normally the bride considers it to be her day, because she has put her personal stamp on every aspect of its planning; then Dawn and Shawna-Marie can truly say that it is their day too, since they did more in wedding preparation than the bride did.
It's also April and Elly's "day" as far as that goes. The way things played out isn't a very big surprise because, as we all know, Liz doesn't handle decision making very well. The seemingly simple task of having to make even the most basic decisions leaves Liz paralyzed in fear and doubt.
What galls me is that John has the nerve to think that this wedding is going to cost him a bundle. How so? Practically everything is a gift from friends or relative. What planet is he living on?
ninevah,
What galls me is that John has the nerve to think that this wedding is going to cost him a bundle. How so? Practically everything is a gift from friends or relative. What planet is he living on?
The planet "Play with his trains and let the womenfolk handle everything." It's clear that John has no idea people are jumping through hoops to provide Liz free stuff. Since he can't be bothered to contribute to the planning (owing to his having a Y chromosome), he thinks that he has to pay for things like regular people.
I can only imagine that there is going to be some kind of surprise or special something coming from Candace as her contribution to the wedding; since everyone and Anthony’s uncle are contributing and she has been left out of the contributing prior to this point.
"Liz, my gift to you and Anthony is as many marital-counseling sessions as it takes for you two to become a functional married couple. This could take the rest of my life, but you are such an awesome friend, it's just the least I can do!"
On a completely different topic, is anyone else other than me, bothered that Elizabeth has a neck decoration and none of the bridesmaids do?
I confess I hadn't noticed until I read this. But now that I have, yes--I guess it does bother me. :)
DreadedCandiru2,
The seemingly simple task of having to make even the most basic decisions leaves Liz paralyzed in fear and doubt.
That’s true. In a stunning moment of “show and not tell” for Lynn Johnston, we saw Elizabeth Patterson freaking out over 10 unreturned RSVPs. Not only that, but April taunted her about her freaking out, when she came back after having done the flowers for Liz. This could very well be a case of, “We’ll take over, so you don’t have a nervous breakdown.”
Since he can't be bothered to contribute to the planning (owing to his having a Y chromosome), he thinks that he has to pay for things like regular people.
That’s true. John may not know what’s going on, he is so uninvolved in the events. When the time comes to write the cheque, he may be surprised how small the amount is. What am I saying? John Patterson will complain about any number greater than 0.
ninevah,
What galls me is that John has the nerve to think that this wedding is going to cost him a bundle. How so? Practically everything is a gift from friends or relative. What planet is he living on?
There has been a running theme of this strip for a long time that the Pattersons are always close to not having enough money for things. The primary example was Mike and Deanna when she was working full-time as a pharmacist and he was working as a magazine editor and were likely to be bringing home $200K a year between them.
As for John Patterson and spending money on his kids, he has been notoriously tight-fisted in the past strips, and that has been drawn in stark contrast to the Sobinskis, who seem to throw money at Mike and Deanna every time they have a problem. So, for John, to spend any money at all, he is spending a bundle.
aprilp_katje,
"Liz, my gift to you and Anthony is as many marital-counseling sessions as it takes for you two to become a functional married couple. This could take the rest of my life, but you are such an awesome friend, it's just the least I can do!"
LOL. I would love if that happened. That would be a perfect Candace moment. Oh, and if she could add, “Some advice to you, Anthony. Use condoms on your honeymoon.”
Does it seem a little crass of Carleen to be all "Jo's up for another award" (AND SPELL IT JOE, ALREADY, LYNN -- HE'S NOT A GIRL, DAMMIT, AND WHAT HIPSTER WEARS A PONYTAIL THESE DAYS ANYWAY)? She's always been a sort-of meek presence, and now she's engaging in braggadocio for her boyfriend (or whatever).
Also, today Dawn Enjo appears to be played in that one panel by Noodle, the guitarist for Gorillaz.
(Yay, I got to use braggadocio in a sentence!)
I noticed the necklace on Liz also--at first I thought it might be "something borrowed" but then I remembered that's the dress, the groom, the flower girl....maybe it's supposed to be "something new?"
It really stands out in contrast to the bridesmaids towel-dresses which are screaming for some kind of jewelry accessorizing. But, that would have been a bridesmaid gift probably (to have them match) so of course Liz didn't do that.
Speaking of John's uninvolvement; that's only been matched by Anthony's uninvolvement. Other than showing Liz the ring he had picked out for her, he hasn't done a darn thing for the wedding. Except tell his uncle they needed suits, I guess.
dlauthor,
She's always been a sort-of meek presence, and now she's engaging in braggadocio for her boyfriend (or whatever).
I suppose with Gordon and Lawrence dropping small fortunes for the wedding, I can see why Carleen might want Elizabeth to know she’s going to get more than just free pictures. She gets art, too.
I imagine the wedding album with Elizabeth saying, "Why is my face superimposed on a homeless man?" And the answer is, "It represents your struggle to get married."
debjyn,
But, that would have been a bridesmaid gift probably (to have them match) so of course Liz didn't do that.
Well, someone bought bridesmaid gifts for Liz, and it was Dawn, judging from the bridesmaid wedding planning strip. As for Liz she seems to be only barely aware that she needs to thank someone, judging from today’s strip.
Other than showing Liz the ring he had picked out for her, he hasn't done a darn thing for the wedding. Except tell his uncle they needed suits, I guess.
Getting the men suited is the traditional groom job. I can just see a frantic Anthony turning to his uncle and saying, “I can’t take the pressure. This was supposed to be a small wedding.” And the uncle steps in. Except of course, when he steps in, it’s political, because he’s not a friend of the Pattersons.
The real question in my mind is that now we have seen there are 4 bridesmaids, how will Anthony Caine possibly match that in number of groomsmen? Gordon, Mike and ?
“Some advice to you, Anthony. Use condoms on your honeymoon.”
::snerk:: So true. :)
Groomsmen: Rudy could be pressed into service. Either Shawna-Marie's husband or Dawn's husband. No, none of these guys are actually friends with Anthony, but that wouldn't top Lynn, who doesn't mind not making sense.
I'm not surprised that the bridesmaids don't have necklaces. Here's why. A necklace is a common gift from bride to bridesmaid. Liz doesn't care about the wedding and did nothing to prepare for it. So the gifts from the bride to her attendants would easily have been overlooked. It's one of the few details that's hard to pass off to another person to do without looking like an ass.
Now I see where you say that Liz made Dawn buy the bridesmaid gifts. What a disgusting human being she is, making someone buy their own gift. How much more effectively could Liz have said, "I don't care about you"--?
aprilp_katje,
Rudy would be an excellent choice for a groomsman, and it would make perfect sense, because he was reintroduced the last time Candace visited. Plus he would fit because he is a friend of Elizabeth’s. I can also go with Shawna-Marie's husband, because his skin colour would give away who he is (thanks to Lynn’s “stick with your own kind” policy), without Lynn having to say it.
As for Dawn, has it been said for sure that she is married? This strip from June, 2007, said Dawn and David are engaged to be married next year. This strip from March, 2008 seems to indicate that Elizabeth considers Dawn and Shawna-Marie being her bridesmaids to be payback time. From that you could imply that Dawn got married sometime in January to March.
As for David, he appeared in this strip and this strip only to my recollection. I cannot tell if he has an Asian background. Although with Lynn Johnston and her “stick with your own kind” policy, it seems likely. So, she could put him in and make skin colour once again be the means to explain who he is.
Personally I would like to see the return of Glenn Dennis, Anthony’s university roommate, who took over Mrs. Dingle’s apartment after Mike and Weed moved out. My absolute favourite would be Julia, Anthony’s wedding date.
howtheduck, I'm going by the same clues you are--Liz's thought-reference to Dawn getting married this year and her thought in March about payback. Sometime between January and that March strip, I figure the Dawn-David wedding happened. Poor, neglected Dawn. I guess Lynn has a wedding quota. :)
I agree about Glenn Dennis and Julia. Julia in one of those awful tuxes with the teal accessories would be full of terrible win!
howard,
(Y)ou could imply that Dawn got married sometime in January to March.
That does seem the most likely scenario. It's obvious that Liz is perturbed that Dawn and Shawna-Marie got married before she did. It probably never occurred to her that her own stupidity is to blame.
aprilp_katje,
I guess Lynn has a wedding quota. :)
Either that or in her mind the wedding strips occurred, and we need to read between the lines about it.
Julia in one of those awful tuxes with the teal accessories would be full of terrible win!
I hope Lynn goes for that. That would make up for so much awful.
DreadedCandiru2,
That does seem the most likely scenario. It's obvious that Liz is perturbed that Dawn and Shawna-Marie got married before she did.
The interesting part is that weddings of all 3 will occur within about a year of each other. Dawn was engaged to David by January, 2005; so that was a 3-year engagement. Shawna-Marie was dating her guy as early as summer, 2005, when Liz borrowed her boyfriend’s motorcycle leathers. It’s almost like they got stalled on the actual wedding ceremony until Liz was finally ready.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Lynn's Law of Conservation of Characters requires that Lawrence also be a groomsman. Granted Anthony doesn't interact with Lawrence often enough for him to be a groomsman in a normal wedding, but that doesn't really matter up in Corbeil.
paladin,
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Lynn's Law of Conservation of Characters requires that Lawrence also be a groomsman.
That oughta generate a few more angry letters AND distract her audience from concentrating on real horrors.
paladin
You are going for Lawrence. We’ll see if you’re right. Or maybe we won’t, if Michael Patterson’s wedding is any example. The website says Mike’s two groomsmen were Gordon Mayes and Jeff Myers, but they are nowhere to be seen in the wedding strips. Only Lawrence Poirier as best man, shows up, and apparently only to generate controversy. So, you might be right.
My list of 4 are:
1. Gordon Mayes – This is the reason he didn’t directly tell Liz about the limos.
2. Michael Patterson – We’ve already seen him in a tux
3. Rudy Dodd – It explains the reason why he reappeared last March
4. Anthony’s uncle – Only member of Anthony’s family to be mentioned
DreadedCandiru2,
That oughta generate a few more angry letters AND distract her audience from concentrating on real horrors.
If only Coffee Talk had existed back when Mike got married and was flaunting Lawrence in front of Mira Sobinski.
howard,
If only Coffee Talk had existed back when Mike got married and was flaunting Lawrence in front of Mira Sobinski.
The debate would have been fairly furious; the difference between then and now is that there'd be as many people condemning her as they did him.
dreadedcandiru2,
That's right. The way Lynn did it this time, the only person to attack is the author for putting it in the strip, and the implied acceptance of the concept by the author, by having both characters speak positively of it.
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