Hallowe’en Part III
Today’s new-run of For Better or For Worse is a difficult one to read. In general, if Elly Patterson tries to force Michael Patterson into doing something, she succeeds. Sometimes she succeeds by trickery (2-17). Sometimes she succeeds but because she didn’t describe the letter of the law, Michael finds a loophole (7-04). Sometimes she succeeds by screaming (9-20). So, when Elly does not succeed in today’s strip, you have to wonder what Lynn Johnston means by it. Is she trying to say that Elly Patterson is wrong to take away Michael Patterson’s candy with only 5 minutes advance notice? Is she trying to say that new-run Michael really is smarter than his mother?
Another thing I have noticed is that Farley the dog’s number of appearances in the strip has significantly dropped. He is in only one panel of the strip today, an appearance I would describe as “Farley still exists”. You have to go back to September 20 to find a strip which uses Farley for more than one or two panels. I guess everyone doesn’t love Farley, if they have to make publicity appearances for their Farley children’s book over-and-over again.
My favourite part of the whole strip today is that Lynn Johnston appears to have forgotten that candy comes in wrappers. I can assure you, having observed my children eating their Hallowe’en candy, and constantly having to remind them to throw their candy wrappers away, the wrappers do exist. I would guess that not only has it been a long time since Lynn had children who went around trick-or-treating; but it has been a long time since Lynn has given out Hallowe’en candy to trick-or-treaters.
Another thing I have noticed is that Farley the dog’s number of appearances in the strip has significantly dropped. He is in only one panel of the strip today, an appearance I would describe as “Farley still exists”. You have to go back to September 20 to find a strip which uses Farley for more than one or two panels. I guess everyone doesn’t love Farley, if they have to make publicity appearances for their Farley children’s book over-and-over again.
My favourite part of the whole strip today is that Lynn Johnston appears to have forgotten that candy comes in wrappers. I can assure you, having observed my children eating their Hallowe’en candy, and constantly having to remind them to throw their candy wrappers away, the wrappers do exist. I would guess that not only has it been a long time since Lynn had children who went around trick-or-treating; but it has been a long time since Lynn has given out Hallowe’en candy to trick-or-treaters.
posted by howard at 11:23 PM
8 Comments:
Wait, what? Huh? Why is she making him throw it away? Why does she give him five minutes--what, to say his goodbyes? She can't just put it in the cupboard for a week, or hide it and dole out a few pieces every night for dessert? Sure, those candy apples and popcorn balls may be a little stale, coming from 1960s Mayberry and all, but the rest will keep.
Why is she making him throw it away?
Elly always finds new and interesting ways to be a horrific parent. This is one I've certainly never heard of before.
I'm reading an excellent fantasy trilogy about goblins (by Jim C. Hines). The stronger goblins pick on the weaker goblins, who then try to pick on weaker goblins, unless they can somehow trick the bigger goblins, but it's a constant power struggle. Elly, Mike and Liz are like that, with Elly the biggest goblin, except that unlike Jim C. Hines, Lynn Johnston cannot make their struggles amusing, nor does she seem to think there's anything morally questionable about them.
Lynn's failure to remember that Candy Rapper isn't the DJ playing that kind of headache music is another reason we have to deal with this wretched mess; not only can she not re-reprint strips until next April, she can't get the joke of the old one.
Ellie,
Wait, what? Huh? Why is she making him throw it away?
She says it is because he already eaten the good candy. I presume this means that Elly is no longer interested in what candy Michael has left, or he has made the dreaded mistake of eating the candy Elly wants to eat, so she is no longer interested in having the candy in the house. In later years, no doubt Michael will be smart enough to leave some good candy in his bag for his mother to filch from his bag, and that way he can keep the candy longer.
Why does she give him five minutes--what, to say his goodbyes? ?
So he has time to switch candy bags with his sister and hide his own candy. In other words, she added the 5 minutes in order for the final panel joke to work.
Clio<
…unlike Jim C. Hines, Lynn Johnston cannot make their struggles amusing, nor does she seem to think there's anything morally questionable about them.
But Elly does ask Michael if he can understand why giving away his candy is the right thing to do. There’s a moral value there of sorts.
DreadedCandiru2,
Lynn's failure to remember that Candy Rapper isn't the DJ playing that kind of headache music is another reason we have to deal with this wretched mess; not only can she not re-reprint strips until next April, she can't get the joke of the old one.
I think you are referring to this strip and this strip. It is obvious that the new-run is a remake of the post-Hallowe’en strip that was reprinted during the hybrid year. Both feature Michael gorging himself on candy with spittle flying, the green-striped chesterfield, and a Hallowe’en bag with a pumpkin with “Trick or Treat” lettering. The hybrid reprint is superior because (a) the joke makes sense, (b) there are candy wrappers and (c) Michael is sitting on the floor by the chesterfield in a very kid-like sitting pose.
howard,
There's another thing that makes the original superior: Elly isn't being a crazy woman in the old one.
But Elly does ask Michael if he can understand why giving away his candy is the right thing to do. There’s a moral value there of sorts.
A few easy steps to get your kid to have Stockholm Syndrome ;).
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