Taken For Granted, But Not Inadequate
Yesterday’s strip pretty much replaced this one from January 26, 1981, where Elly and Annie talk about how Elly doesn’t want to tell Connie that she is not planning to get a job. This leads to Elly asking the question, “Do you suppose that being a housewife will ever come back in style?" In turn, that leads into the first panel response by Anne in today’s reprint of For Better or For Worse originally printed January 27, 1981. This strip actually occurred chronologically before Connie Poirier went off to Montreal. If Lynn Johnston continues reprinting strips from that week in 1981, it could possibly lead to reprinting the strips from January 28-30, 1981 for the remainder of this week. Those strips feature Lawrence and Michael going to the candy store and could conceivably occur while Lawrence is staying over at Michael’s. The other week not reprinted before Connie's trip to Montreal is the week starting January 19, 1981 the week prior. The strips from that week involve set up for Connie’s trip, which would have to been disallowed from reprinting due to their no longer being accurate with the new-run storyline. For example:
Elly talks about nothing happening between Connie and Phil on New Years’ Eve, which is no longer the case.
Connie skulks around to find Phil’s address without Elly’s help, which she doesn’t need with the new-runs because she already knows Phil’s address.
You get the idea. The one skipped yesterday also goes along with another strip from that prior week where Elly is losing interest in school. To me, this is the strip that leads into the consequence of Elly no longer being interested in trying to find a job. It makes me wonder if Lynn Johnston is planning to do a different new-run storyline to resolve the “I don’t want Elly to be a slacker in school this time around” issue Lynn Johnston seems to have going. The other possibility is that she may skip the whole thing and leave us with the strip where Elly was complaining about missing classes as the ending.
For these reasons, I don't think Lynn Johnston can reprint the strips from the week starting January 19. Lynn Johnston reprinted the 2/3/1981 to 2/5/1981 strips last week. The “Connie in Montreal” sequence started back in 2/9/1981. If Lynn plans to synchronize her strip with that so she can go to straight reprints, she will probably need to generate 2 weeks worth of new-runs.
As for today's strip, it seems a little odd without the strip from the prior day as the lead-in. Annie is clearly responding to something, but probably not her comment about coming back as a janitor. Anne says being a homemaker is back in style and back in the early 1980s, it definitely was. Even though it is called Stay-At-Home-Mom now instead of homemaker, it is still very much in fashion, at least among the people I know.
However, the points that Anne makes which follow this statement, don't exactly work. Inadequate means not adequate or sufficient; inept or unsuitable. Annie's point is that because being a homemake is in, kitchen aids are in abundance along with gourmet foods and books on parenting. In other words, a woman can be a more than adequate homemaker thanks to the resources at her fingertips.
Annie's other point is that a homemaker, despite her homemaking abilities, can be taken for granted, which means, "to use, accept, or treat in a careless or indifferent manner." In other words, you can be a great homemaker, but still not get praise for what you do. These things don't really work together. If homemaking is in style, then how would you be taken for granted? It would be a point of pride. Otherwise it would not be in style.
Anne Nichols is not making a very good argument for her point.
Elly talks about nothing happening between Connie and Phil on New Years’ Eve, which is no longer the case.
Connie skulks around to find Phil’s address without Elly’s help, which she doesn’t need with the new-runs because she already knows Phil’s address.
You get the idea. The one skipped yesterday also goes along with another strip from that prior week where Elly is losing interest in school. To me, this is the strip that leads into the consequence of Elly no longer being interested in trying to find a job. It makes me wonder if Lynn Johnston is planning to do a different new-run storyline to resolve the “I don’t want Elly to be a slacker in school this time around” issue Lynn Johnston seems to have going. The other possibility is that she may skip the whole thing and leave us with the strip where Elly was complaining about missing classes as the ending.
For these reasons, I don't think Lynn Johnston can reprint the strips from the week starting January 19. Lynn Johnston reprinted the 2/3/1981 to 2/5/1981 strips last week. The “Connie in Montreal” sequence started back in 2/9/1981. If Lynn plans to synchronize her strip with that so she can go to straight reprints, she will probably need to generate 2 weeks worth of new-runs.
As for today's strip, it seems a little odd without the strip from the prior day as the lead-in. Annie is clearly responding to something, but probably not her comment about coming back as a janitor. Anne says being a homemaker is back in style and back in the early 1980s, it definitely was. Even though it is called Stay-At-Home-Mom now instead of homemaker, it is still very much in fashion, at least among the people I know.
However, the points that Anne makes which follow this statement, don't exactly work. Inadequate means not adequate or sufficient; inept or unsuitable. Annie's point is that because being a homemake is in, kitchen aids are in abundance along with gourmet foods and books on parenting. In other words, a woman can be a more than adequate homemaker thanks to the resources at her fingertips.
Annie's other point is that a homemaker, despite her homemaking abilities, can be taken for granted, which means, "to use, accept, or treat in a careless or indifferent manner." In other words, you can be a great homemaker, but still not get praise for what you do. These things don't really work together. If homemaking is in style, then how would you be taken for granted? It would be a point of pride. Otherwise it would not be in style.
Anne Nichols is not making a very good argument for her point.
posted by howard at 2:26 PM
4 Comments:
Annie is clearly responding to something, but probably not her comment about coming back as a janitor.
The best segue I can think of is that Annie associates being a janitor as the male version of being a homemaker. Still, reading the two strips without leaving 24 hours between them, makes it seem as if Annie was interrupted mid-rant at the end of yesterday's strip to swap shirts with Elly, and has picked up where she thought she left off.
For these reasons, I don't think Lynn Johnston can reprint the strips from the week starting January 19. Lynn Johnston reprinted the 2/3/1981 to 2/5/1981 strips last week. The “Connie in Montreal” sequence started back in 2/9/1981. If Lynn plans to synchronize her strip with that so she can go to straight reprints, she will probably need to generate 2 weeks worth of new-runs.
Most of those new-runs will probably be dedicated to making John and the kids jealous hindrances to Elly's goals; the old interpretation laid too much responsibility for Elly's failure at her feet so it cannot be allowed to stand.
forworse,
The best segue I can think of is that Annie associates being a janitor as the male version of being a homemaker.
This may be the case. Since Lynn Johnston purged her staff 2 years ago, she has made it a point of showing her staff Christmas party with the lady who cleans her house. She may have a soft spot in her heart for the janitor.
DreadedCandiru2,
Most of those new-runs will probably be dedicated to making John and the kids jealous hindrances to Elly's goals; the old interpretation laid too much responsibility for Elly's failure at her feet so it cannot be allowed to stand.
I expect you are right there. However, to the end that the strip about missing so many classes was the final strip on the subject, that was the way the story ended the prior year in the daily letters from Elly.
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