Sleepover Night of Horror #1
There’s lot to like about today’s reprint of For Better or For Worse, originally printed on February 4, 1981.
First of all, I like that both Elly and John are getting up to yell at the boys to be quiet. If Elly is doing her usual martyr thing, then we would see Elly get up while John would just lie in bed. I get tired of seeing the Elly martyr thing, so it’s nice to see both parents acting like parents for a change.
Second, I like that after John gives the “LAST warning” that Elly gives another warning. This is very typical of parents that I know, namely me.
Third, I like it when John looks in the room, we see young Michael and Lawrence both with sheets in their mouths. I have no idea why they would have sheets in their mouths, but the sight of it is very amusing to me.
Fourth, I like it that when Elly yells at the boys she covers herself up when she speaks to them directly, and shows her sleeveless nightie when she yells from around the corner. That’s a nice touch and realistic.
Fifth, I like Michael’s room with its decorative wall clock, the block, the smiling face poster and Star Wars. Back in 1981 was right after The Empire Strikes Back. All the kids I knew in 1981 were really into Star Wars.
Sixth, I like the teddy bear sitting on the knee of the scowling, cross-armed John Patterson in the final panel.
Seventh, I like the whole premise of the strip. When I was a young lad, when I spent the night at my best friend’s house, his father was very grouchy, and yelled at even the slightest noise. This strip reminded me a lot of those moments. As for me in my house, the rule with sleepovers is that you can giggle all you want as long as you don’t wake me up.
First of all, I like that both Elly and John are getting up to yell at the boys to be quiet. If Elly is doing her usual martyr thing, then we would see Elly get up while John would just lie in bed. I get tired of seeing the Elly martyr thing, so it’s nice to see both parents acting like parents for a change.
Second, I like that after John gives the “LAST warning” that Elly gives another warning. This is very typical of parents that I know, namely me.
Third, I like it when John looks in the room, we see young Michael and Lawrence both with sheets in their mouths. I have no idea why they would have sheets in their mouths, but the sight of it is very amusing to me.
Fourth, I like it that when Elly yells at the boys she covers herself up when she speaks to them directly, and shows her sleeveless nightie when she yells from around the corner. That’s a nice touch and realistic.
Fifth, I like Michael’s room with its decorative wall clock, the block, the smiling face poster and Star Wars. Back in 1981 was right after The Empire Strikes Back. All the kids I knew in 1981 were really into Star Wars.
Sixth, I like the teddy bear sitting on the knee of the scowling, cross-armed John Patterson in the final panel.
Seventh, I like the whole premise of the strip. When I was a young lad, when I spent the night at my best friend’s house, his father was very grouchy, and yelled at even the slightest noise. This strip reminded me a lot of those moments. As for me in my house, the rule with sleepovers is that you can giggle all you want as long as you don’t wake me up.
posted by howard at 9:13 AM
4 Comments:
What I liked is that they didn't think things through; since this is probably their first sleepover, they probably didn't know to separate the children in order to get some sleep. Granted, I'd have put Mike and the hide-a-bed in their room and had Lawrence in his but that's just me.
My parents always found this strip particularly true-to-life. I like your analysis. There are quite a few nice touches in it, and I remember hearing things like that from my parents when we had sleepover parties -- although usually we had a lot more than just one guest, so the noise level would have been considerably higher.
DreadedCandiru2,
What I liked is that they didn't think things through; since this is probably their first sleepover, they probably didn't know to separate the children in order to get some sleep.
First sleepover in the original run. Last summer Lawrence had the infamous “can only go in my own bathroom” sleepover as a new-run.
forworse,
There are quite a few nice touches in it, and I remember hearing things like that from my parents when we had sleepover parties -- although usually we had a lot more than just one guest, so the noise level would have been considerably higher.
My daughter had 8 girls over for a sleepover for her birthday one time, and it was pretty chaotic. Of course the next day was not a work or school day, so there were fewer issues with people having to sleep. I stayed up to midnight and then just told the girls, “Don’t wake me up or destroy anything”. They were a pretty well-behaved bunch, and a few of them were already fading away at midnight.
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