For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for July 15, 2012

Geez, I know someone who would lose phone privileges for a few months! :p

You know, i can’t say I blame Elly one little bit!

He’s lucky to be able to SIT in that corner.

She couldn’t very well spank him without her bath towel falling down.

With an answering machine, Michael would have heard the caller asking for him.

Sure it’s a cartoon, but what’s the point? That the kid didn’t answer the phone? That kids often don’t answer the phone? Or that Elly couldn’t just let it ring – because if it were important enough, they’d call back. Of course, since this is an old comic, it’s possible she wouldn’t have voice mail or an answering machine. But then again, we got our answering machine in the 70s.

When I lie in the tub and the phone rings, I simply call out “I’ll get it!”. Then ignore the ringing and lie back and enjoy the suds.

I remember this strip. She altered it because in the original, Mike got spanked.

This is the real reason parents give their kids cell phones. Of course, we can’t SAY that’s the reason; we have to let them think we’re only grudgingly letting them have phones after they whine and whine about how ALLLLL their friends have phones…

Ugh! Today’s strip is annoying! Wasn’t there one awhile back in which Elizabeth answered the phone, and ended up telling a man that her mom was naked in the tub? Johnston needs to write an answering machine into her strip! Or, Elly just needs to say ‘Screw it’ to the ringing phone after she’s chillaxing in a tub.

ah – but remember folks – if the person is calling for a kid Michael’s age, it was probably another kid, in which case they are likely to KEEP calling until it was answered. We don’t know how many times the phone actually rang before she decided to get up….

I agree with Mike. If it’s important, they’ll call back.I’ve gotten a lot more out of books than most phone calls.

I wouldn’t get out of the tub to answer a phone even if the answering machine was on the fritz. Who cares who it is? If the kids care, let them answer it.

What I don’t get is, why is it soooooo important to answer the phone that minute? They will call back if it’s important. Why be such a slave to the bell? And if I wanted my kid to answer it and he was right there and didn’t…..let’s just say he would NOT be able to sit on a chair in the corner. Stand, maybe.

Original

I agree with the ones saying that Michael was in the wrong here. You have no idea if the call was important or not. Either way, she asked him to answer it and then he came back with that response? (And the book shouldn’t be a factor… that can be picked up again. My kids have no problem with reading and being interrupted and then restarting their book.)

..Here’s the original last panel.I was never ‘swatted’ or ‘spanked’. I was – weekly almost – beaten by my drug dealing, alcoholic step dad (Jon), or my womb donor (Lynn).

That chair looks awfully small. Where did Elly get it a dollhouse?

It’s OK to ignore the phone. It’s a tool to serve us,not us the phone.

Michael deserves to sit in the corner for that stunt. He can be a little wisecracker sometimes.

Or, how about ignore the phone?

In most houses the kids would be fighting with each other to get to the phone first and answer it.

that’s what voicemail is for. and if she doesn’t have voice mail, she can check the caller ID. and if that doesn’t work, if the person really wants to talk, s/he will call back :)i refuse to be a slave to technology.

Evidently you’ve never just wanted to have a little time to yourself to unwind and relax after a hard day’s work. Showers don’t have nearly the same relaxing effect as a nice, long, hot bubble bath.

@rollsroyce

And what point would that be? That they let anyone be a cartoonist? That’s what it seems like with all of the crud LJHas been making these days

Um, Lynn Johnston has been retired for the last 5 years and the syndicates have been rerunning her series.

In the original from 1983, the last panel implied Michael had been spanked. Lynn says she removed the spanking reference in the 2012 version. You know, because it’s controversial. She changed several reprinted comics to avoid the controversy over “implied violence”.