Left Out
Rejected by John, Elly turns to Connie Poirier in today’s new-run of For Better or For Worse. Connie says they should go out and get dinner, drinks and a show, and that Elly should dress sexy and flirty for her. Sheesh! Connie and Elly sitting in a tree.
If this were any kind of a decent strip, Elly and Connie would do this and run into Dr. Ted McCaulay, who will not recognize Elly dressed in this fashion, so he flirts outrageously with her until she finally reveals who she is. Then there would be complications as Ted would reveal to John that his wife was out trying to pick up men, which would make John mad at Elly. In the meantime, Connie would be angry that Ted came on to Elly and not to her.
I am pretty sure we won't see that strip; however, I am not sure where Lynn plans to go with this. She did a similar kind of story with Dr. Ted McCaulay and John Patterson a few months ago, which was primarily to show how much better John was than Ted. I don’t think she is headed down the same path with Connie.
The fear of being unattractive has been an overwhelming theme of Lynn Johnston’s in her interviews since her divorce. It’s not surprising to see it crop up in the strip. In one interview, Lynn told the story about how she dressed up in a negligee to feel sexy. In another interview she talked about putting on full makeup just before bedtime to make herself feel attractive. Clearly, Lynn feels her divorce happened because she was not attractive enough.
If I were to guess where this strip is going, Elly will dress sexy and flirty. She will attract some male attention and she will feel better about her own appearance. End of story.
In many respects this is an interesting change of pace for Lynn Johnston. Although John Patterson does take a hit for going to a convention without Elly; we see Lynn Johnston trying to deal with her own personal situation instead of spending so much time writing strips which paint John Patterson in the worst possible light.
When Lynn first started the new-runs, there were many that suggested that she should write about what she knows, instead of going back into the past with Elly to a time she barely remembers. They suggested that John and Elly could get divorced and then Lynn could explore her own life via Elly in the strip. It looks like, for the first time, we are going to get something like that. Admittedly, 1980s Elly is not really the best character for Lynn to use to push the themes of feeling left out by her ex-husband. It will be an interesting test to see if Lynn Johnston can really explore something important to her, and stay away from the blatant husband-bashing.
If this were any kind of a decent strip, Elly and Connie would do this and run into Dr. Ted McCaulay, who will not recognize Elly dressed in this fashion, so he flirts outrageously with her until she finally reveals who she is. Then there would be complications as Ted would reveal to John that his wife was out trying to pick up men, which would make John mad at Elly. In the meantime, Connie would be angry that Ted came on to Elly and not to her.
I am pretty sure we won't see that strip; however, I am not sure where Lynn plans to go with this. She did a similar kind of story with Dr. Ted McCaulay and John Patterson a few months ago, which was primarily to show how much better John was than Ted. I don’t think she is headed down the same path with Connie.
The fear of being unattractive has been an overwhelming theme of Lynn Johnston’s in her interviews since her divorce. It’s not surprising to see it crop up in the strip. In one interview, Lynn told the story about how she dressed up in a negligee to feel sexy. In another interview she talked about putting on full makeup just before bedtime to make herself feel attractive. Clearly, Lynn feels her divorce happened because she was not attractive enough.
If I were to guess where this strip is going, Elly will dress sexy and flirty. She will attract some male attention and she will feel better about her own appearance. End of story.
In many respects this is an interesting change of pace for Lynn Johnston. Although John Patterson does take a hit for going to a convention without Elly; we see Lynn Johnston trying to deal with her own personal situation instead of spending so much time writing strips which paint John Patterson in the worst possible light.
When Lynn first started the new-runs, there were many that suggested that she should write about what she knows, instead of going back into the past with Elly to a time she barely remembers. They suggested that John and Elly could get divorced and then Lynn could explore her own life via Elly in the strip. It looks like, for the first time, we are going to get something like that. Admittedly, 1980s Elly is not really the best character for Lynn to use to push the themes of feeling left out by her ex-husband. It will be an interesting test to see if Lynn Johnston can really explore something important to her, and stay away from the blatant husband-bashing.
posted by howard at 12:54 AM
12 Comments:
She did a similar kind of story with Dr. Ted McCaulay and John Patterson a few months ago, which was primarily to show how much better John was than Ted. I don’t think she is headed down the same path with Connie.Why would you assume that? Lynn-of-2009 just LOVES to show how much better Elly is than any of her friends or acquaintances.
If I were to guess where this strip is going, Elly will dress sexy and flirty. She will attract some male attention and she will feel better about her own appearance. End of story.-That does make more sense than simply having Connie be Girl Ted; I just wish I didn't expect to see her whine about how unfair the kids were wanting attention and affection and stuff like that.
If I were to guess where this strip is going, Elly will dress sexy and flirty. She will attract some male attention and she will feel better about her own appearance.She's setting us up for some reprints. There's a business-trip arc in the first collection. Lynn appears to be leaving out a strip where Elly took John to the airport and John is glad that she's "so understanding," since "some of the guys' wives are really upset about this business trip." After their goodbyes, Elly thought bubbles, "He'd better not have a good time."
Next is a strip where she's having trouble sleeping in the bed that feels huge and the "drip" and "creak" noises in the house keep her up. She thinks, "I wonder how many feminists are afraid of the dark."
Tomorrow we might see her with rollers in her hair, talking to Mommy Marian on the phone: "Everything's fine, Mom--John's only going to be away for a few days. Connie's picking me up at 7... we're going out to dinner--so I'd better get going." while taking a bubble bath, she thinks, "--Aah... What luxury! ...Think I'll put on my black suede... Maybe dig up some flashy earrings." Then, she's putting on her makeup while thinking "--Now to give the impression of being irresistible--yet able to resist."
Connie and Elly beginning their night out, as they approach Cafe Chez Louis: "I'm glad you're getting out on your own tonight, Elly." Then they do that thing where they ostensibly walk in silence until they're seated at their table, where they continue their conversation, with Connie picking up: 'You've got to get away from the house--be free... To be yourself. Besides, we need some fun!" Then the completely implausible: The waiter, who had hovered in the background of the previous panel, holding a wine bottle, leans in and tells Elly, "If I can be of any help... my personal home phone number is 246-0013." Final panel: Elly is blushing as Connie says, "See? Nothing does more for your self confidence than a little temptation."
Following strip: They're about to leave the restaurant, and Elly says, "That waiter actually made a pass at me, Connie. I must have been acting single or something." They put on their coats (good to repeat this one in JUNE, Lynn), while Connie says, "Don't tell me you're feeling guilty because some man thought you were attractive tonight! I'll bet John has all kinds of opportunities at this convention of his..." Then Elly glares as Connie says, "--And I said something wrong, didn't I?"
Next: Elly cuddles with the kids, reading them a book on the couch. Michael says, "I wish Daddy would hurry up an' come home..." Then Elly is tucking Lizzie into her crib as Michael hangs his nose over one side of the crib (I'm not making that up!) and Elly says, "I miss Daddy, too, Michael. We're just not a family without him." Then she's buttoning up his top pajama button (even though he was already pajama'ed in the previous two panels) as Michael sits on the bed. Elly says, "We don't realize how much we need our daddy until he's not here." (Yup, she said "our daddy.") Final panel: Michael's in his bed and he asks, "Is that why he goes away sometimes?"
The next strip, and last of the arc, has Elly meeting John at the airport with the kids. She urges them to let him know how much they missed him, loved him, and are glad that he's home--but instead, Michael greets him with "What did you bring me!"
If April_P's right, then this strip just went and preemptively wrecked the 2 strips with the waiter. Elly has already put "sexy/ flirty" into her mind about dressing up - not just looking nice. She shouldn't be blushing with embarrassed surprise that she can get men's attention. And with the "catch and release" unjoke, she already knows she *could* get that kind of attention - the entire guilty "I must be acting like I'm single" bit is talking about something they have effectively *already* hashed out.
April -- thanks for the reminder that Lynn could once achieve a sense of motion and time passing in her strips, instead of a never-ending series of Elly and Connie drinking damn coffee at the same table.
aprilp_katjeI have no doubt that you are correct this is the sequence Lynn Johnston is getting ready to repeat. It’s interesting Lynn would leave out the part where John compliments Elly for being so understanding, with the tag that other guys’ wives are really upset. On the one hand, it supports the idea that John is going someplace which would normally upset most wives; so it makes Elly look good that she is not complaining. The implication from the original strip is that John’s convention is being held in some popular vacation spot. If Lynn mentioned a particular location, then she would immediately get sympathy by spelling out why the other guys’ wives might be upset. On the other hand, the old strip weakens Elly’s position to dislike John for not including her, because John is doing the same thing other men are doing and is not actively telling Elly that she can’t go. Her new-run strip with the spitting makes Elly being left out a more personal rejection by John. We don’t know if other men took their wives. We specifically see him saying that she could have gone, if it weren’t for taking care of the kids. The net effect is Lynn has traded a “all the wives are upset” for a “blame John”.
From a humourous aspect, the original strip thought bubble about his not having any fun in contrast to John’s compliment, is quite a bit funnier to me than the raspberry, which just makes Elly look immature. Clearly Lynn Johnston thinks the raspberry is funnier, because she uses it so much.
We specifically see him saying that she could have gone, if it weren’t for taking care of the kids. The net effect is Lynn has traded a “all the wives are upset” for a “blame John”.
Exactly. The original strip does not have any reference to the possibility of spouses going along to the convention. The new-ruin has John mentioning that Elly could have gone, but he does so only at the last minute--showing that he pre-emptively decided that (a) Elly wouldn't be interested and (b) hiring childcare would be too much trouble. This way, readers can think, "John is such a jerk! If he had told Elly in the first place--as soon as he made his plans to go--that spouses could go to the convention, then she could have decided for herself whether she wanted to go and whether the trip was worth hiring childcare for. Harrumph! BLTTHRP!"
BTW, my six-year-old picked this morning to read over my shoulder as I perused HBB. "Mom, what does 'flirty' mean? What does 'sexy' mean?" ;)
April_Patterson,It's obvious in hindsight that Lynn was rewriting a classic strip to more successfully malign Rod. This way, she can confront people who supply her with the irrelevant-to-her information that John would have had plenty of time to prepare for this and include Elly in the discussion with the obvious-to-her statement that John deliberately withheld this from her to shackle her to the hoooome and stifle her freedom of expression. That's because her Prime Directive is to make Rod look as selfish, vulgar and inept as possible.
There's a business-trip arc in the first collection. Lynn appears to be leaving out a strip where Elly took John to the airport and John is glad that she's "so understanding," since "some of the guys' wives are really upset about this business trip." After their goodbyes, Elly thought bubbles, "He'd better not have a good time."Geez. I get more angry this strip was ever picked up in the first place all the time. I've never heard of multiple wives getting upset that their professional husbands went on business trips. What world is this? Is the business trip to New Orleans during Mardi Gras or something?
Newsflash, Lynn: your getting upset when Rod went away from you on business was all you. It was weird. Publicizing it internationally as if it were nothing to be ashamed of, through your avatar, was weirder.
P.S. My verification word is "trist". I'm surprised Lynn never made a pun on "tryst" being one letter off from "trust".
aprilp_katje,
BTW, my six-year-old picked this morning to read over my shoulder as I perused HBB. "Mom, what does 'flirty' mean? What does 'sexy' mean?" ;) –
That’s funny. So many letters to the Coffee Talk tell stories about people reading For Better or For Worse to their kids. I wonder if anyone in the early days got to the point where they said, “Sorry, my child. It’s a Connie Poirier strip and I can’t read it to you until you’re older. We’ll wait until she has one with Farley the dog in it.”
clio_1,
What world is this? Is the business trip to New Orleans during Mardi Gras or something? -
That would be a terrible time to have a convention in New Orleans, with no available hotels. They have similar problems in Tucson during the February gem show. People avoid those times.
However, it is not uncommon for business conventions to be in a popular place for tourism. I remember recently when President Obama complained that companies that received bailout money should not take business trips to Las Vegas, which got Las Vegas all stirred up because that statement cost them a lot of money in scheduled conventions being cancelled.
With the original strip, you had the implication that the convention actually would be somewhere where the dental wives might want to go. If it was someplace really nice, I could understand the jealousy. With this new-run, John flat out tells Elly that the convention would be boring to her, a statement he would probably not make if the convention were in Las Vegas, where Elly could spend the day gambling or doing tourism activities.
I haven't read the strips in question, but I get the impression from the descriptions that "the wives" were more upset about their husbands possibly having too good a time than about being excluded from a good time. Also, having been to some wonderful places on business trips with my father, I can say that if it's someone else's business trip, I wouldn't mind missing it at all, no matter how awesome the place was. (Also, I wouldn't go to Las Vegas unless I were being paid to, and if anyone tried to make me go for any other reason they would fail.)
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