Bad Advice for Young Girls
I am not really sure what to make young Michael Patterson. Some days he is willing to take vicious abuse from his sister Lizzie. And then in today's new-run of For Better or For Worse, he yells at her when she dumps sand on his sand castle.
The difference of course is art. When Lizzie was beating Michael over the head, he was just trying to get a shovel. But today, Lizzie is defiling his artistic creation. Lizzie’s sand-pouring disturbed his muse. That takes precedence over brotherly kindness or willingness to take abuse.
This part of the strip seemed pretty normal for me. When my daughter was little, she cared little about her older brother’s artistic creations. He got upset when she poured sand over something he had done, or coloured over some of his drawings (the most common thing). We usually had to compensate my son somehow for his loss, try to make sure his stuff was out of reach from his sister and then gradually let his sister know to leave his stuff alone, once she was old enough to comprehend that (not when she was 1).
Instead of that response, Elly Patterson says something a 1-2 year-old girl will not possibly understand. Elly seems to sense the final panel joke coming and adjusts her comfort for Lizzie based on that joke: Boys don’t want little girls around, but that will all change in a few years, when they are 8 or 9. They start really young in Milborough (Remember April had her first kiss when she was 11). How little Elly seems to know about her son, already obsessed to the point of violence over Deanna Sobinski. We have seen Michael girl-crazy, but he likes those childhood sweethearts. Lawrence, as we know, will have other interests.
The strangest part of the whole strip are the final 2 panels where, to illustrate the point of older women who will interest young Michael and Lawrence, we see 3 ladies, wearing different outfits, standing there and ogling young Michael and Lawrence. What is the message here? In a few years, Michael and Lawrence will be attracted to women who prefer very young men?
On a side note, notice that Lawrence and Michael in panel 3 have nearly identical sand castles. By the time they get to the final panel, Lawrence’s castle has completely changed shape. Which one of these two will grow up to own their landscaping business?
The difference of course is art. When Lizzie was beating Michael over the head, he was just trying to get a shovel. But today, Lizzie is defiling his artistic creation. Lizzie’s sand-pouring disturbed his muse. That takes precedence over brotherly kindness or willingness to take abuse.
This part of the strip seemed pretty normal for me. When my daughter was little, she cared little about her older brother’s artistic creations. He got upset when she poured sand over something he had done, or coloured over some of his drawings (the most common thing). We usually had to compensate my son somehow for his loss, try to make sure his stuff was out of reach from his sister and then gradually let his sister know to leave his stuff alone, once she was old enough to comprehend that (not when she was 1).
Instead of that response, Elly Patterson says something a 1-2 year-old girl will not possibly understand. Elly seems to sense the final panel joke coming and adjusts her comfort for Lizzie based on that joke: Boys don’t want little girls around, but that will all change in a few years, when they are 8 or 9. They start really young in Milborough (Remember April had her first kiss when she was 11). How little Elly seems to know about her son, already obsessed to the point of violence over Deanna Sobinski. We have seen Michael girl-crazy, but he likes those childhood sweethearts. Lawrence, as we know, will have other interests.
The strangest part of the whole strip are the final 2 panels where, to illustrate the point of older women who will interest young Michael and Lawrence, we see 3 ladies, wearing different outfits, standing there and ogling young Michael and Lawrence. What is the message here? In a few years, Michael and Lawrence will be attracted to women who prefer very young men?
On a side note, notice that Lawrence and Michael in panel 3 have nearly identical sand castles. By the time they get to the final panel, Lawrence’s castle has completely changed shape. Which one of these two will grow up to own their landscaping business?
posted by howard at 10:12 PM
9 Comments:
No, Lynn's message is that in a few years, Mike will have incestuous feelings for Liz! Why else would Elly seek to assure her young daughter that one day Mike will feel sexual attraction?
It's a twisted message, true. But the Pattersons are twisted people.
Elly is saying, "When you're older, men will want you around if and ONLY if they find you sexually attractive. They will not think you have anything whatsoever else to offer. This is the way of the world and you'd better be able to play their game or you'll never find a man. And though men are total, complete and utter scum, you MUST have one to validate your existence."
It wouldn't matter if Elly saw what Lizzie did to the sandcastle. That would be evidence from which she could draw a logical conclusion -- silly overthinking! No, preconceived ideas are far better.
Clio,
It wouldn't matter if Elly saw what Lizzie did to the sandcastle. That would be evidence from which she could draw a logical conclusion -- silly overthinking! No, preconceived ideas are far better.
Especially when they serve to validate her own viewpoint; she doesn't care that Lizzie destroyed things because she didn't care what Mike was doing. She doesn't care what Mike said. All she cares about is spreading the "Be stupid, supine and shallow so you get a mayyyyun to loathe and hurl things at so you'll be a grown up" gospel.
Anonymous,
No, Lynn's message is that in a few years, Mike will have incestuous feelings for Liz! Why else would Elly seek to assure her young daughter that one day Mike will feel sexual attraction?
Ick. And Elly has an older brother too. Double ick.
Clio,
Elly is saying, "When you're older, men will want you around if and ONLY if they find you sexually attractive.”
The difference between this message and Anonymous’ interpretation is that Elly is telling Lizzie about men generically and not Mike specifically. This seems more likely to me than the incest idea because Lawrence is there, and also because that has been a regular theme of the strip. Virtually every main female character (and many of the minor characters) in the strip has, at one point, had a moment where they worried about their looks. With the male characters, it is a rare event.
DreadedCandiru2,
Especially when they serve to validate her own viewpoint; she doesn't care that Lizzie destroyed things because she didn't care what Mike was doing. She doesn't care what Mike said.
She doesn’t even particularly care that her message is a ridiculous one to give a 1-year-old girl. This is a strange strip with the girls standing around. I have to wonder if this really Lynn venting about her own issues with young women as a single woman in her 60s.
And Elly has an older brother too.
Phil is younger than Elly. But the "ick" stands.
Phil is younger? I always thought he was older but acted younger. Oh well.
Phil is younger? I always thought he was older but acted younger.
Nope. Lynn gave Elly and Phil the same age relationship she has with Alan.
Jim's bio gives the birth order. :)
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