I Remember the 70s
I remember low cut, v-neck shirts that guys would wear to show off their chest hair and this variation of it in today’s reprint of For Better or For Worse. They were very popular shirts in the 1970s. As near as I can tell, the current fashion with men is to have your chest waxed so that you don’t have any chest hair. Oddly enough, hairless John would be macho by today’s metrosexual standards. The people, who wear low-cut, v-neck shirts these days, are usually women, and they don't usually wear them to show off their chest hair.
As I recollect, even in 1979, this joke would have been old because the style of clothing was on its way out to be replaced by the neo conservative preppy look exemplified by the Izod alligator. In 2009, the joke works as historical humour reflecting a bygone age. In other words, this is what people thought was funny back then.
I remember seeing the 1979 film The Jerk with my father and there was a joke in there where Steve Martin’s father shows him two things and says that they are shit and Shinola, so Steve Martin would know the difference. It was the only joke at which my father laughed in the entire movie, and I didn’t get it. So, my father had to explain the phrase “You don't know shit from Shinola” and said it was a common phrase when he was growing up.
That’s how I feel looking at today’s strip. I get the joke because I know the historical context. I can see myself explaining it to my children:
Back in 1979, men used to wear shirts to show off their chest hair. They used to believe men with chest hair were better than men without chest hair. Yes, I know Zac Ephon doesn’t have any chest hair in High School Musical.
The man in this comic strip only has one chest hair. He doesn’t have any hair to show off, so he looks silly. His wife is making fun of him because he only has one chest hair. Yes, I know it’s not nice to make fun of other people. Yes, I know it’s not funny. OK. Go back to playing your video games.
As I recollect, even in 1979, this joke would have been old because the style of clothing was on its way out to be replaced by the neo conservative preppy look exemplified by the Izod alligator. In 2009, the joke works as historical humour reflecting a bygone age. In other words, this is what people thought was funny back then.
I remember seeing the 1979 film The Jerk with my father and there was a joke in there where Steve Martin’s father shows him two things and says that they are shit and Shinola, so Steve Martin would know the difference. It was the only joke at which my father laughed in the entire movie, and I didn’t get it. So, my father had to explain the phrase “You don't know shit from Shinola” and said it was a common phrase when he was growing up.
That’s how I feel looking at today’s strip. I get the joke because I know the historical context. I can see myself explaining it to my children:
Back in 1979, men used to wear shirts to show off their chest hair. They used to believe men with chest hair were better than men without chest hair. Yes, I know Zac Ephon doesn’t have any chest hair in High School Musical.
The man in this comic strip only has one chest hair. He doesn’t have any hair to show off, so he looks silly. His wife is making fun of him because he only has one chest hair. Yes, I know it’s not nice to make fun of other people. Yes, I know it’s not funny. OK. Go back to playing your video games.
posted by howard at 10:05 PM
4 Comments:
howard,
That’s how I feel looking at today’s strip. I get the joke because I know the historical context.
So do the people who Lynn expects will buy the kids' book and phantom plushie; she's not trying to draw in new readers, she's trying to please her fellow yuppies and get them to buy crap their grandkids won't want.
dreadedcandiru2,
she's trying to please her fellow yuppies and get them to buy crap their grandkids won't want.
Having viewed pictures of the Farley plush doll, I am not sure that freakish thing will please her fellow yuppies.
I have to admit I laughed at this one, when John labeled it a "macho shirt." How ludicrous. And why is John buying a shirt to show off his (one) chest hair? He can't wear it to work--it's unprofessional. We've established that he's too prudish to go to bars or to try to hit on women. I'm picturing him wearing that shirt while sitting on the couch, holding Lizzie. And she rips out his last chest hair.
qnjones,
And why is John buying a shirt to show off his (one) chest hair? He can't wear it to work--it's unprofessional. We've established that he's too prudish to go to bars or to try to hit on women.
Lynn could be going with the “other comic strips are making fun of 70s fashion, so I am going to do it too” attitude. It seems to be pretty common among comic writers to do jokes based on the same theme all the other comic strips are using.
The other possibility is that what we are seeing is an aspect of real-life John not reflected in the strip. John Patterson works and goes home. End of story. We know that Rod Johnston was quite a bit more active. At the time, he was living in his home town where he knew everyone. There could have been a number of social occasions where Rod thought he would be 70s cool by wearing such a shirt.
I'm picturing him wearing that shirt while sitting on the couch, holding Lizzie. And she rips out his last chest hair.
That would be a fun follow-up strip. I hope that’s what Lynn will new-run.
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