Lynn Johnston Plotting: Stupid or Subtle?
I don’t have a copy of the original set of strips but I presume that yesterday’s and today’s For Better or For Worse strips are both reprints. Either way, I found it very amusing that in today’s For Better or For Worse, Elly is wearing a different outfit from the one she was in yesterday when she was seeing Phil off to his visit with Connie. Then the first thing out of her brother Phil’s mouth when he comes back is “Sorry I was so long, El – your friend asked me in!” Anyway you look at it; the period of time Phil spent over at Connie’s house was so long, that Elly had time and motivation to change outfits. Not only that but, as Phil starts recounting his time with Connie, he lights up his pipe and starts smoking, the stereotypical post-coital response.
The joke of today’s strip is that Phil caught onto Elly’s scheme of setting him up, and pays her back by recounting a list of everything he did with Connie and an appraisal of Connie. However, looking at Elly’s outfit change, and Phil’s smoking; I can’t help thinking that Connie and Phil did the mattress mambo, and Phil is covering for this with his sister by using this list of things they did together to distract her.
The real question in mind with me is whether Lynn Johnston was thinking this way. I would like to think she was not, that she was some kind of innocent in the matter. On the other hand, I remember the post-Christmas strip from 2007, where Lynn was extremely subtle in showing that Elizabeth and Anthony were sleeping together. How do you know? Liz fastens her seatbelt, Anthony makes a motion to start the car. That's it. When it comes to this subject, Lynn can be very subtle. She does not want to alienate her readers; but at the same time, she wants to inform the readers who are paying attention. In 1980, maybe the change of the clothes and the smoking were intended to be the clues to the astute reader that something else had gone on. At the same time, she doesn’t raise the issue with the more conservative reader who might be distressed at a comic strip talking about that activity.
Taking it one step further, how did Phil find out that Connie Poirier has good legs and good teeth? In a casual conversation during winter time, that might be difficult. Connie is likely to have her legs covered due to the cold, for example. But if Connie and Phil were a little more intimate, legs and teeth could easily be checked. After all, it’s not like Connie is a horse, where Phil as a prospective buyer, could be reasonably allowed to check her legs and teeth.
How would Phil find out about the common allergy to dust? Connie and Phil would have to both be exposed to dust. That sort of thing is not going to happen in casual conversation. But for two people rolling around on the floor, maybe it could.
Moreover, why is Connie so enamoured of Phil that she follows him to Montreal and humiliates herself chasing him? A casual conversation about dust allergies would not do that; but physical intimacy might.
I think the clues are all there, and I am not sure they were not done intentionally by Lynn. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time Lynn pulled off such a stunt. All right. Considering this is a reprint from 1980, maybe this was the first time.
The joke of today’s strip is that Phil caught onto Elly’s scheme of setting him up, and pays her back by recounting a list of everything he did with Connie and an appraisal of Connie. However, looking at Elly’s outfit change, and Phil’s smoking; I can’t help thinking that Connie and Phil did the mattress mambo, and Phil is covering for this with his sister by using this list of things they did together to distract her.
The real question in mind with me is whether Lynn Johnston was thinking this way. I would like to think she was not, that she was some kind of innocent in the matter. On the other hand, I remember the post-Christmas strip from 2007, where Lynn was extremely subtle in showing that Elizabeth and Anthony were sleeping together. How do you know? Liz fastens her seatbelt, Anthony makes a motion to start the car. That's it. When it comes to this subject, Lynn can be very subtle. She does not want to alienate her readers; but at the same time, she wants to inform the readers who are paying attention. In 1980, maybe the change of the clothes and the smoking were intended to be the clues to the astute reader that something else had gone on. At the same time, she doesn’t raise the issue with the more conservative reader who might be distressed at a comic strip talking about that activity.
Taking it one step further, how did Phil find out that Connie Poirier has good legs and good teeth? In a casual conversation during winter time, that might be difficult. Connie is likely to have her legs covered due to the cold, for example. But if Connie and Phil were a little more intimate, legs and teeth could easily be checked. After all, it’s not like Connie is a horse, where Phil as a prospective buyer, could be reasonably allowed to check her legs and teeth.
How would Phil find out about the common allergy to dust? Connie and Phil would have to both be exposed to dust. That sort of thing is not going to happen in casual conversation. But for two people rolling around on the floor, maybe it could.
Moreover, why is Connie so enamoured of Phil that she follows him to Montreal and humiliates herself chasing him? A casual conversation about dust allergies would not do that; but physical intimacy might.
I think the clues are all there, and I am not sure they were not done intentionally by Lynn. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time Lynn pulled off such a stunt. All right. Considering this is a reprint from 1980, maybe this was the first time.
posted by howard at 12:09 AM
10 Comments:
My only quibble with your reasoning is that Mike was sent over to the Poiriers' with Phil. This suggests that Mike is not allowed to travel between the homes unaccompanied. If Phil stayed the night and is only now returning to tell Elly this stuff, how did Mike get home? Did he stay the night unexpectedly? Or did someone come to pick him up? I think the fact that his nephew went with him is intended to suggest the opposite: that nothing untoward happened.
Also, Phil is obviously not that into Connie here. Two things give it away. One, his assessment of her looks as "fair." Most of the guys I have met are invested in believing and making other people think that their sex partners are attractive, for the sake of pride. Two, their boring topics of conversation (unless Phil is inventing them).
As for assessing Connie's teeth and legs: plenty of men judge a woman to have good legs when they see her wearing jeans, for instance. And as for teeth, that is just clueless Lynn thinking that the whole world cares about teeth as much as a dentist's wife does.
I think you have some good points, but all in all, I chalk this up to Lynn being forgetful and not drawing Elly in the same outfit. I think that the Montreal trip does indeed imply that Phil and Connie had sex at some point. I just don't think it happened at their first afternoon meeting, with her son and his nephew watching.
qnjones,
I think that the Montreal trip does indeed imply that Phil and Connie had sex at some point. I just don't think it happened at their first afternoon meeting, with her son and his nephew watching.
Despite what Elly wants us to believe, Phil's not an animal so it's sort of obvious that he isn't gonna do the mattress mambo where kids can see it. They probably go roadside at the New Year's Dance; Phil is even more evasive after the fact so I could buy his not kissing (so to speak) and telling.
Phil was gone until very late or overnight on New Year's Eve - and was openly evasive (took Connie to her party "and that's all I'm going to tell you"). Here, it sounds like he was gone a bit long for just walking Mike over and dropping him off.
As for changing outfits, it's Elly's 3rd in a row for the day (not counting bathrobe): dark grey with oval neckline, pure black (no neckline visible), and pale grey over a collared shirt. I'm not reading too much into that :-)
I'd put C&P getting *ahem* physical that first afternoon as highly unlikely. (But extremely likely on New Year's.)
I do think LJ puts in indications for those paying attention, and I don't fault her for keeping it pretty subtle, given the age range for the comics page audience.
I think Liz moving in with Eric was about as close as LJ got to showing what was up with Liz' romantic life: Liz is saying that she needs her own space, and the bed she got with the room is broken. Eric is saying, sure, but you're not actually going to sleep in that bed. Liz doesn't say "what the heck" or "we're not there *yet*" or anything that you might expect in some rare, rare case where a couple that isn't "sleeping" together moves into the same apartment. It's very clear that she wants a bed to retreat to ... after.
A casual conversation about dust allergies would not do that
Sure, it could, but it would be quite awkward. ;)
I think the fact that his nephew went with him is intended to suggest the opposite: that nothing untoward happened.
That's my read, too. As for the outfits, I think it's one more example of LJ's inattention.
(Though I think your interpretation is an ingenious reading against the grain, howtheduck. :) )
qnjones,
If Phil stayed the night and is only now returning to tell Elly this stuff, how did Mike get home? Did he stay the night unexpectedly? Or did someone come to pick him up?
If Phil and Connie engaged in this activity with Lawrence and Mike in the house, then I would expect it would be along the lines of “Lawrence, why don’t you and Michael play in your room and go watch TV and turn it up as loud as you want” while Connie and Phil engaged in the activity on a short-term basis. It’s not like Connie hasn’t done this before with other men.
I think the fact that his nephew went with him is intended to suggest the opposite: that nothing untoward happened.
I agree here. If Phil and Connie did this while Phil was supposed to be taking care of Michael, then that would not speak well of Phil or Connie. On the other hand, this is the same Phil who took Mike to visit Santa for the purpose of leering at Santa elves and spoke to Mike about blonde nubiles wrapped in cellophane. Connie has been with other men while Lawrence is there. She may have a specific procedure.
Most of the guys I have met are invested in believing and making other people think that their sex partners are attractive, for the sake of pride.
Yes, but to your sister? It’s a different dynamic there.
Two, their boring topics of conversation (unless Phil is inventing them).
“Phil is inventing them” is my guess.
As for assessing Connie's teeth and legs: plenty of men judge a woman to have good legs when they see her wearing jeans, for instance. And as for teeth, that is just clueless Lynn thinking that the whole world cares about teeth as much as a dentist's wife does.
Legs and teeth are a method of judging horses. Phil is using this reference to taunt Elly’s set up, as if he were judging Connie like a horse he was considering.
DreadedCandiru2,
Despite what Elly wants us to believe, Phil's not an animal so it's sort of obvious that he isn't gonna do the mattress mambo where kids can see it.
Absolutely. But in a locked room in the back, while Lawrence and Michael are playing in the front, could be a different story.
InsertMonikerHere,
I'd put C&P getting *ahem* physical that first afternoon as highly unlikely. (But extremely likely on New Year's.)
With New Year’s we are in agreement. As for the first afternoon, I was simply struck by the number of things in Phil’s conversation which could lead to the impression he and Connie had a little afternoon nooky while the kids were busy doing something else.
Eric is saying, sure, but you're not actually going to sleep in that bed. Liz doesn't say "what the heck" or "we're not there *yet*" or anything that you might expect in some rare, rare case where a couple that isn't "sleeping" together moves into the same apartment.
That was one of the more overt moments in For Better or For Worse, and yet it still confused enough people that they had to ask Lynn if Liz really did sleep with Eric.
aprilp_katje,
A casual conversation about dust allergies would not do that
Your FOOBar is an example of how it could happen.
Sure, it could, but it would be quite awkward. ;)
Awkward enough to make me suspicious that Phil is making the whole thing up. It’s even awkward by Lynn’s writing standards.
As for changing outfits, it's Elly's 3rd in a row for the day (not counting bathrobe): dark grey with oval neckline, pure black (no neckline visible), and pale grey over a collared shirt. I'm not reading too much into that :-)
Not only that, but Phil seemingly brought at least three different jackets with him for the holiday visit with the Pattersons. The jackets are all shaped the same, but their coloring differs. :)
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