For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 02, 2013

Saw That coming!!!

He is acting like an utter idiot and not considering Elly’s feelings at all.

Money?

Yep. Shoulda stopped talking yesterday.

TOO LATE?!!!?

I’ve been reading this strip since the first time around. Just don’t remember John being this much of a jerk, previously. I wonder, knowing what she knows now, if Lynn is tweaking it a bit to reflect how things really were….definitely not liking him as much, this time around.

Same impression here (re:flowerladytoo). Either I have changed enough to see this family’s way of interacting as extremely painful or Lynn is changing this strip in a way that reflects a change in her view of her relationship.

No, no. I remember this particular one. My mom has ALL the old books and I read through them many times.

What’s wrong with this man? Is he brain dead?

Well, what a complete goon. Its amazing that Ellie hasn’t emptied the contents of that coffee/teapot over him.

Go ahead, John! Answer that one!! I can hardly wait to see her reaction!!

Open mouth, insert foot………..

John, stop being so revealing.

he is just getting himself deeper in trouble

Oops John !!!

When did John EVER consider Elly? lol. that’s what is so consistent about John. He has never obviously thought about Elly beyond the "obvious’. John shows how “deep” a thinker he is.

but what does this say about Elly? that she would choose such an idiot, such a empty mindless selfish idiot. lol

makes for good conversation though.

No wonder they got divorced.

Dun dun DUUUNNN!! (Sorry, couldn’t resist…)

Do yourself a favour John and shut up right now!

Um, uh, um, uh….YOU have a beautiful mind! (I call shenanigans aka BS!)

It speaks volumes that Lynn had no thoughts for today’s strip. The strip speaks for itself.John, you’re a moron if you don’t know to not say these things out loud.

You do not date them because they are beautiful, you should date them because you really like them -

I feel that you should date and or marry people that you have the most in common with. I did not date or marry the most beautiful girl in my class (she dated and married a lawyer and has a wonderful life), I dated and married the one that I wanted to build a life together, to have and raise children together and to grow old and take care of each other in our old age. AND I DID, we got married, had three children together (all three in one calendar year, May 5th they are all 45 and they are NOT triplets) and I believe that we would still be together today in our 70’s if she would have survived breast cancer when she was 36.

As for John, he was being honest about his own insecurities. Unfortunately, he spoke without thinking. He can recover. I love this strip for its reality. People do put their feet in their mouths without meaning to do so.

Looks like someone is sleeping on the couch tonight / or for life!!

can he possibly dig a bigger hole?!

Sometimes an one and only wife may have more going for her than a pretty face.

I has the courage to ask the beautiful woman on a date and ten years later we are still together.

Open mouth, insert foot, chew!

dig his on grave

Doctor Toon, your wife is a VERY lucky woman!!! ;-)

What everyone seems to be forgetting is that the strip was drawn by a female. No man in his right mind would ever say anything like that to his wife, girl friend or significant other unless he was about to head for the nearest exit.

Reading this now I’m not surprised Johnston ended up divorcing.

Tread carefully, John.

Maybe he thought she looked desperate?No matter what you say, a woman will spin it the wrong way.

This is kinda depressing. The insensitivity of John toward Ellie is disheartening.

Unfortunately there are men like John out there. They are so comfortable with their lives that they do not think at all when speaking to their wives. They say things to their wives and daughters that thy would NEVER say to a friend or friend’s daughter. Then, when you call them on it, they’re all innocent and don’t get it. It’s a ‘female thing’ is how they term it.And, yes, John has always been that clueless. I recall reading an interview with Lynn Johnson when she was ending the strip. She said at the time the only thing she was planning on changing was Mike and his wife’s school time relationship-give it a little more the two kids who were meant to be together feel.

Believe it or not, ‘beautiful’ young women sometimes have the problem of not being asked for dates by ‘average’ men.

Whoops!!! Such a dangerous thing to say!!

She wasn’t doing any unfounded bashing. He cheated on her, remember.

Better he is open & honest about his true feelings for Elly (i.e., that he saw her as easy, ugly, & not out of his league) so she can leave him rather then being under the false impression that he actually respects her or thinks she is beautiful.

oh wow, i can’t wait for his answer. He better have one hellava come back. This is a classic example of orating without knowing your audience. He is really written as a clueless character. incredible.

John could play the classic song by Jimmy Soul: “If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife. Get an ugly girl to marry you!”

Really, idiot!

In the seventies this was the way life was seen by young women. We did think men were often insensitive but we forgave them because we knew they couldn’t help it – much like today really…

It’s a ‘TOON, folks – and the dialog is coming from Lynn’s brain/mouth/pen. Lynn drew on her life experience, but created the situations to fit her view and the strip. If the interactions dealt directly with her own marriage, they are likely colored by her “take” on what happened…or may actually be applications of things that happened to others entirely, filtered through FBoW. John (Rod) wasn’t necessarily (as implied by commenters & the strip) that insensitive, and may not have even been the incitement for the arc.

John needs his own Cyrano de Bergerac, say this John “when I saw you, I had to risk having my ego crushed because I couldn’t imagine my life without you.”

Remind her that she asked you out – it was the 60s-70s after all – who really remembers?

“You were so beautiful I had to take a chance before someone else did.”

This would be a good time to find ones self busy elsewhere…

John John John think before u speak. Besides u have a repulsive body and face. I suspect Joh may be in luv with Ted and has gay tendencies.

Keep talking dumba$$.

He is in hot water now.

Does she want the truth or an answer to make her feel good?

When you find yourself in a hole, it’s time to stop digging!

“Does this dress make me look fat?”

Susan and Elle are both out of your league, John. :-p