J(ogler)hn
My poor son has started high school. He is as geeky and awkward as a 14-year-old boy can be. In stark contrast to this are the girls his age, many of whom are fully grown physically and look frighteningly adult. We were at the beach in Garden City, SC for our 4th annual family beach gathering. As I and my son and my step-brother and my just-recently-graduated-from-high school nephew were sitting around, my nephew pointed out to me that all the bikini-clad young things running around the beach were about the age of my son, in other words high school age. I asked him if there were any college-age girls about, since those would be ones in which he was interested, and he responded, “No.” This was astonishing to me, because I can remember a time in my life when I used to be able to make those same kinds of distinctions myself. Instead, as I looked at the girls, I began to feel pity for my poor son, who is still growing and looks so awkwardly young compared to girls his age.
It is with these thoughts in mind that look at today’s reprint of For Better or For Worse. Not only am I appalled that John Patterson would blatantly ogle girls in front of his wife and kids; but I am also embarrassed for John that the girls at which he is looking are probably teenagers.
Possibly the girls are older than high school age. However, I remember very well this summer sitting with son and nephew, when my step-brother informed me that college-age girls were approaching and walking down the beach. I asked him how he could tell and he responded, “They’re drinking beer.”
There are also the other usual questions like:
a. Where is Michael?
b. Why isn’t John or Elly playing with Michael or Elizabeth?
c. How is going to the beach the same thing as camping?
It is with these thoughts in mind that look at today’s reprint of For Better or For Worse. Not only am I appalled that John Patterson would blatantly ogle girls in front of his wife and kids; but I am also embarrassed for John that the girls at which he is looking are probably teenagers.
Possibly the girls are older than high school age. However, I remember very well this summer sitting with son and nephew, when my step-brother informed me that college-age girls were approaching and walking down the beach. I asked him how he could tell and he responded, “They’re drinking beer.”
There are also the other usual questions like:
a. Where is Michael?
b. Why isn’t John or Elly playing with Michael or Elizabeth?
c. How is going to the beach the same thing as camping?
posted by howard at 10:53 PM
20 Comments:
Ah, I just posted much the same thing at the Foobiverse, because I also don't think it's likely those girls are out of their teens.
Mike is probably sitting in the car. He wasn't allowed to play in the sprinkler, so there's no way he's going to be allowed to play in the lake.
I think we have to keep in mind when this was written. In those days there was more of a distinction... my guess is these girls are 'supposed' to be in their early 20's. I know when I was a teenager I certainly didn't look older than I was... although I wanted to!
On a different subject - what did everyone think of this response on Coffee Talk to the question about the blinking eye animation?
"No. Unfortunately, that was an experiment that took too much time and was too expensive. Perhaps, as electronics improve, we'll do more experiments! Thanks for asking! LJ"
I wish Lynn had promised never to bring back the blinking again as long as she lived. It is really annoying. At least she isn't doing any more blinking strips for a while.
howard,
Not only am I appalled that John Patterson would blatantly ogle girls in front of his wife and kids; but I am also embarrassed for John that the girls at which he is looking are probably teenagers.
I'm also embarrassed for Rod; thanks to his millisecond-longer-than-it-"should"-have-taken look at someone Lynn thought more attractive than she was (and therefore a potential girlfriend), he had to spend years trying to tell people that he wasn't a dirty old man like John was.
Hmm... I can tell the difference between high school and college girls. It's as distinct as the difference between high school and college boys, imo. Maybe living in college towns my whole life is what does it. However, I grew up with a guy who looked like he was 18 when he was 14, too. An incredibly hot 18. Like, A-list movie star hot. He went to college kids' parties, drank and hooked up with college girls. It was definitely not good for him.
Maybe growing up with a lot of beautiful people is why I've never been jealous of them; normally attractive people seem to get much happier lives. It does make Lynn's obnoxious comments about beautiful women (objectifying them and implying they're unskilled airheads) and handsome men (cheating cheaters!) a lot harder to take though.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds the blinking really, really annoying.
forworse,
Mike is probably sitting in the car. He wasn't allowed to play in the sprinkler, so there's no way he's going to be allowed to play in the lake.
That’s probably true. OR after seeing his father ogle those girls, he decided he needed some alone time to think about Deanna Sobinski.
Anonymous,
In those days there was more of a distinction... my guess is these girls are 'supposed' to be in their early 20's.
I know that back in the 1980s, I didn’t seem to have a problem making the distinction. With a lot of girls who are my son’s age, when I see them side-by-side with their moms, and it is clear that they are the same height as their mom, I have come to the conclusion that physically these girls are not getting any bigger. My mom says that back in her day, girls did not physically mature until they were 15 or 16.
On a different subject - what did everyone think of this response on Coffee Talk to the question about the blinking eye animation?
I am glad it’s gone. I never liked it.
DreadedCandiru2,
I'm also embarrassed for Rod; thanks to his millisecond-longer-than-it-"should"-have-taken look at someone Lynn thought more attractive than she was (and therefore a potential girlfriend), he had to spend years trying to tell people that he wasn't a dirty old man like John was.
I expect Rod spent quite a bit of his life saying, “I am not John Patterson,” since Lynn modeled John so closely to Rod and looking at the reprints from the last 2 years. Lynn was not shy about showing the worst side of John.
Clio,
However, I grew up with a guy who looked like he was 18 when he was 14, too. An incredibly hot 18.
My son is on his school’s Freshman Football Team, and there are some boys on the team who are giants and look like they are in their 20s (at least to me). The majority of the boys look 14 though. Even with the girls who look older, if I hear them talk, their conversation usually gives away their age.
It is kind of scary as a parent when your son looks like a boy and the girls his age look like women. This is probably one of the reasons women have no problem dating older men, another scary thought if you're the mother of a teenage daughter.
As far as beach vs. camping, my family used to go to campgrounds on the Great Lakes, where a fair amount of our time was spent on the beaches at Provincial Parks. I can't think of a Provincial Park we went to that didn't have a gorgeous beach, actually, and we went to many over the years.
Sharon,
This is probably one of the reasons women have no problem dating older men, another scary thought if you're the mother of a teenage daughter.
I know it. I remember my discussion with my wife when my daughter started wearing bras. I was, “She’s not old enough to wear those.” My wife was, “Yes she is.” I was, “No she’s not. She’s just a little girl.” My wife was, “All the girls her age wear them.” My response, “I don’t care. She’s just a little girl.” I am in denial on this whole “kids getting older” thing.
Nav,
As far as beach vs. camping, my family used to go to campgrounds on the Great Lakes, where a fair amount of our time was spent on the beaches at Provincial Parks.
You can tell I haven’t been camping on the Great Lakes. However, it sounds like a great trip.
"an experiment that took too much time and was too expensive. Perhaps, as electronics improve, we'll do more experiments!"
Lynn's designer at the time, who just did animated GIFS for the animation, found other work after getting her lay-off notice from Lynn. She left and so did the blinking. Where's the expense and the time crunch?
Anonymous,
Well, sort of. Stephanie van Doleweerd now runs her own business called AloeRoot Web Services and contracts out to Lynn Johnston and a number of other places including John Hart's webpages for BC and the Wizard of Id. When Lynn was talking about expense and time crunch, I expect it was really Stephanie saying that.
http://www.aloeroot.com/
Sure, but animated GIF's?? Circa 1998?? "as electronics improve?" You know what? the blinking left the building with the other designer. 'nuff said.
I have to agree with the other Anonymous... Lynn's comment about the blinking was just a blatant excuse. It could be done in a very short period, with very little expense. If she doesn't want to do it that's one thing - but just say that then. "Electronics"??? All that's needed is a computer, not a room full of equipment.
Anonymous,
Perhaps, as electronics improve, we'll do more experiments!
You're right. This is a stupid statement. It must have really come from Lynn.
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