Listening to Complaints About Aging "Isn't for the Faint of Heart"
Maybe after my big deadline crunch, my senses are somewhat dulled. But, I've reread today's FBoFW several times (which, I suspect, is more than the author of the strip can claim), and I can say without fear of contradiction that it makes no sense. The recap:
FRAME 1: Elly tells Paw he doesn't complain about growing old. (Which, in my book, after five days of Elly bitching about the symptoms of old age, would make the Grampster a hero.) Yet just yesterday in the strip (which is supposed to be like two-minutes ago in FBOFW-time, right?), Jim was whining about "giving up youth and good looks," and Monday he was carping about not being able to see clearly. "Silent suffering" does not appear to be a trait of this family.
FRAME 2: Elly catalogs Gramps' litany of medical maladies. Repeating back to someone what he is dying of does seem a touch on the tacky side. But, we've been there before with Elly.
FRAME 3: "Says who?" Grandpa demands. (Dude, should we add senile dementia to the list? You've talked about almost all of this stuff before.) "Iris," Elly says. Which means Elly knows Jim has complained about his aging symptoms. Which means her initial observation ("You handle...aging without complaint") was wrong to begin with.
FRAME 4: "You complain to me," Iris says. Right, like I just said above. And then, for some reason Elly's eyes disappear.
Waiter, I'll have whatever Ms. Johnston is drinking.
Today's strip
FRAME 1: Elly tells Paw he doesn't complain about growing old. (Which, in my book, after five days of Elly bitching about the symptoms of old age, would make the Grampster a hero.) Yet just yesterday in the strip (which is supposed to be like two-minutes ago in FBOFW-time, right?), Jim was whining about "giving up youth and good looks," and Monday he was carping about not being able to see clearly. "Silent suffering" does not appear to be a trait of this family.
FRAME 2: Elly catalogs Gramps' litany of medical maladies. Repeating back to someone what he is dying of does seem a touch on the tacky side. But, we've been there before with Elly.
FRAME 3: "Says who?" Grandpa demands. (Dude, should we add senile dementia to the list? You've talked about almost all of this stuff before.) "Iris," Elly says. Which means Elly knows Jim has complained about his aging symptoms. Which means her initial observation ("You handle...aging without complaint") was wrong to begin with.
FRAME 4: "You complain to me," Iris says. Right, like I just said above. And then, for some reason Elly's eyes disappear.
Waiter, I'll have whatever Ms. Johnston is drinking.
posted by mike at 11:32
12 Comments:
No doubt when Elly shuffles off, Grandpa will give Iris a sound round of elder abuse for putting his business on the street. They all seem to treat poor Iris like a combination indentured servant and poor relation anyway. Have they isolated her from her own family in order to perpetuate their abuse of this nice old lady? Of course, she's not a Patterson, so she gets what they think she deserves.
Isn't it time for FBOFW Grandpa to join the Family Circus dead Grandpa in the sky??
I think Jim won't leave until he's outlasted that jerk Walt Wallet.
I think Woodrowfan is right...We're seeing the beginning of the end of grandpa, I predict. This is laying the groundwork for Elly being the Patterson patriarch. "I used to be a grandchild, now I'm a grandma." "Aw, ma, to us you're worth a lot more than 2 grand."
And, "that jerk Walt Wallet" -- really? I can understand being apathetic about Gasoline Alley. But, what did Walt do to merit this label?
I'm believing that's Jim's view. He's old and crotchety, remember...oh wait. He's one of the Saintly Ones. So he wouldn't think that. I have sinned!
I'm betting on a Sunday strip for Grandpa's exeunt from this world (or the world in LJ's head) ... during a brilliant sunset, srrounded by family and friends. Or having sex with Dixie.
LC
Um...do you mean his dog, Dixie? Or, did you mean Iris, his wife? If you meant the dog, I'll take that bet: 5 bucks says Lynn won't have grandpa expiring during a bestiality episode.
And then, for some reason Elly's eyes disappear.
It's loss of face after bringing shame upon oneself -- in this case, being found to have brought "lack of sense" to the comics page...
No, no, no! Lynn has it all wrong! John
has the heart attack! Elly gets breast cancer! At least that's the way it is in the real world.
Though this comic has been consistently sliding deeper into the abyss of badly-drawn-ness, I am somewhat amused by April's remarkable resemblance to a blow-up doll in first frame of the April 17 strip... just look the blank eyes, gaping black hole of a mouth and the unnatural position of her left arm. Also, why does Lynnzilla insist on giving her those horrible bowl-cut bangs?
Also, why does Lynnzilla insist on giving her those horrible bowl-cut bangs?
It's foreshadowing to when Becky dumps April's fooby-fooby-two-shoes ass and April can officially hang out with Shannon, and look like her as well.
This strip is turning into foob noire.
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