For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for November 05, 2013

What’s John gonna do?

have a fun Jean-less maternity leave, John

That’ll cool your water.

If you have another room let her set it up as a nursery. Problem solved (for a short while).

He said if HE had to describe her…

Just don’t get all whiny and tell her that she can only take 2 weeks of maternity leave. Smile big, congratulate her, and use the next couple of months to get your act together! At least you have some warning…

in america they don’t have health care, you must remember this cartoon happens in Canada

Old feudalist America is Calvin’s/Ayn Randian towards women and men for that matter.

The start of a pregnant pause..\\//_

I wonder what word John was about to use to describe Jean. Clearly, from the expression on his face in the last panel, it never dawned on him that he would have to do without her help. This reflects the way he handles his home life, too. He just takes for granted that clothes will always be cleaned and waiting for him, even if he leaves them strewn all over the house so his wife has to hunt them down to do laundry. He takes for granted the idea that a cooked meal will be on the table when he wants to eat it, even if his wife had to take care of a pack of kids who wanted to have a Halloween party and left a mess. His idea of a ‘team’ is that he does the things he wants to do, and his ‘partner’ (whether an assistant or a wife) takes care of everything else. I think that’s the point of this strip, and not whether the government or John will provide day care….

Ok, he has a few months to prepare for her maternity leave. He can bring in someone else for her to train while she’s gone. He can be supportive.

Speaking of the Halloween party though, I guess this time Elly’s no meant no, and Michael didn’t get his way for once?

I’ll be honest, I really didn’t care for John in the beginning of the series, but I grew to like him. He’s not my favorite character but he’s OK now

Of course not! But I think this is the opening of the arc where Elly replaces Jean for awhile.

According to the backstory on minor characters for this comic strip (comprehensive guide (with biographies) to secondary characters in For Better or for Worse), Jean Baker at the time she becomes pregnant has been married to her childhood sweetheart, Mark, for 8 years and they have been trying to start a family for that long. When her daughter is born, Jean quits her job to be a fulltime mother. But she had always wanted to work in some way in the medical field (her father had been a circus veterinarian), so when John pleaded with her to return to work, she did. SO, it’s unlikely that John is the father of Jean’s baby. Shame on you!!!!!!

Absolutely not! John may be an ignorant male chauvinist pig for having the nerve [or maybe stupidity would be the better word] to ogle other women in front of Ellie sometimes . . . but never in a million years would he be the type of man to actually cheat on his wife. He’ll be faithful to her until the end — just like he promised on their wedding day!

Old Timer GoComics PRO Member: Who is this “We”? It certainly doesn’t include Texas, the land of Perry, Cruz, and Abbott, who want women only as brood mares for cannon fodder.

John’s expression looks like he might have gotten Jean pregnant.

I wasn’t suggesting he should be ashamed for not knowing a backstory. I was suggesting he should be ashamed for assuming that Jean was automatically fooling around with her boss, which is an accusation that all too many employed and career women have had to deal with, based on something as flimsy as having lunch with that boss.

Given the context – that John is looking at his assistant, Jean, with a dazed expression – what other conclusion would you reach if someone asks whether John is two-timing? Come on!