Elly and Snow: A Hate / Hate Relationship
In today’s new-run of For Better or For Worse, Elly continues her way of trying to spoil the kid’s fun and also being bullied by her children. The story today involves the kids’ desire to play in the snow versus Elly’s desire to be warm and cozy. Lizzie says, “AAAAAAAAGHH!” to the positive effect that it gets Elly out in the snow. The kids are young and they will eventually learn that Elly is not the “play in the snow” type of mom. In fact, as you can see from this strip, Elly is the “complain in the snow” type. The one who plays in the snow with the kids is John as you can see in this strip. The contrast between the two characters and their desire to play in snow was never more aptly contrasted as it was in this strip.
Back in 1980, the kids didn’t know that, and forced Elly to go outside. The final panel of the strip shows exactly how Elly plays in the snow, i.e. she stands there and looks cold. This is Elly’s usual snow time activity. The only thing which will get Elly actively out in the snow is fear for someone’s health.
When John comes up from I-don’t-know-where and makes his comment, “Aren’t you taking an appreciation for the outdoors a bit too far?” I can’t tell if he is commenting on how bad the weather is outside and his surprise his family is out there, of if he is snarking on Elly for being out in the snow with the kids and doing nothing with them but stand there like a lump.
Back in 1980, the kids didn’t know that, and forced Elly to go outside. The final panel of the strip shows exactly how Elly plays in the snow, i.e. she stands there and looks cold. This is Elly’s usual snow time activity. The only thing which will get Elly actively out in the snow is fear for someone’s health.
When John comes up from I-don’t-know-where and makes his comment, “Aren’t you taking an appreciation for the outdoors a bit too far?” I can’t tell if he is commenting on how bad the weather is outside and his surprise his family is out there, of if he is snarking on Elly for being out in the snow with the kids and doing nothing with them but stand there like a lump.
posted by howard at 10:46 PM
7 Comments:
The paper-thin excuse Elly seems to have for not liking snow is that she never really had much experience with it as a child growing up in Vancouver; since Marian kept her inside when it snowed and, unless I miss my guess, filled her head with tales of frostbite, doom and disease, Elly simply cannot imagine why anyone would enjoy the cold. Since she can't enjoy it, she's gotta make sure the kids don't either.
Back in 1980, the kids didn’t know that, and forced Elly to go outside.
Only in new-run 1980, though. In original 1980, I guess they just knew better than to ask.
Oh, something else I noticed from a couple of the strips that you linked, howtheduck. Meredith and John both fling themselves back-first into the snow to make a snow angel. Is there a rule against just sitting, then lying back? I can maybe understand someone as little as Meredith doing it; she doesn't have far to fall and probably doesn't have much of a sense that she could get hurt this way. But a full-grown male adult such as John? I'd be afraid of breaking my back.
What IS it with Patterkids? I know that even in the nastiest weather mine are impossible to hold still - nothing short of the Wonder of Electronic Media does that. But somehow Lynn thinks that after all the wriggling excitement of getting bundled up and getting outside all the kids (and dog) will do is stand around looking up at Elly's scrunchy mug?
Epic fail.
DreadedCandiru2,
The paper-thin excuse Elly seems to have for not liking snow is that she never really had much experience with it as a child growing up in Vancouver; since Marian kept her inside when it snowed and, unless I miss my guess, filled her head with tales of frostbite, doom and disease, Elly simply cannot imagine why anyone would enjoy the cold.
I think I missed the strip where Elly talks about Marian and snow. The AMU reprints I used to search only goes back to 1996.
aprilp_katje,
Only in new-run 1980, though. In original 1980, I guess they just knew better than to ask.
The original kids are smarter than the new-run kids. I like it.
Is there a rule against just sitting, then lying back? I can maybe understand someone as little as Meredith doing it; she doesn't have far to fall and probably doesn't have much of a sense that she could get hurt this way. But a full-grown male adult such as John? I'd be afraid of breaking my back.
This depends on the person. I probably would not do that now; but when I was in my teens, I learned how to fall thanks to theater performances. As for little kids, there is a trust element to falling backwards. I know from my experience kids will not just go backwards, even there is a trusted adult behind them to catch them.
FDChief,
But somehow Lynn thinks that after all the wriggling excitement of getting bundled up and getting outside all the kids (and dog) will do is stand around looking up at Elly's scrunchy mug?
Every character is Lynn, which means these are not really kids, but little 62-year-old women.
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