For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for August 15, 2021

All things considered, it’s pretty obvious what Michael is doing in Panel 1 and why he fell asleep so hard in Panel 2 that he left the light on and the girly magazine out for his mother to find. What is amazing is that this comic strip made it past the newspaper editors not only in 1992 but also today. I guess they considered the covers to be sufficient covering.

how did you acquire that reading material, Michael?

Obviously the book wasn’t exciting enough

I would have left the room and had it waiting at the breakfast table for him in the morning. THEN see what he has to say about it. >:-D

I’m laughing out loud!

He was only doing what most young boy’s do. Mom will straighten him out.

Busted

How hot can it be, if it puts a teen guy to sleep?

The stuff that dreams are made of.

They’re so cute when they’re asleep. :)

Little Mike is growing up. And Ma wants him to stay a sweet little innocent boy. Sorry Elly, but time marches on. And little boys grow up to be big boys. With big boys interests too.

Elly, he’s sixteen years old, stop treating him like a baby.

Some situations just need no words! LOL

My nana was staying at my cousins house and my little cousin told me that nana cleaned up. Everywhere.

Apparently, Nana went into teenage boy cousins room to tidy up and when he came home, all of his Playboy and Penthouse mags ( again, it was the 70’s, I am old now) were straightend up into neatly organized piles.

Nobody ever said a word about it. Except me and my cousin who still laugh about it 50 years later!

I hope some dirty old man did not give it to him.

When I was in high school, I was reading The Carpetbaggers by Harold Robbins. It was not considered high schooler reading at the time. Heck, they couldn’t even teach Catcher in the Rye at the time and this book was risque trash. I made a book cover for it out of green paper so no one knew what I was reading.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha…

and to think I was so naïve that I didn’t even get the references from the National Lampoon when I was 17.

I bet this is how at least one story in that book starts

And the next morning, Elly will still be screaming (at Michael and at no one in particular) about how he brought that trash into her house. And John, reasonable dad that he is, will try to calm Ellie down and explain to her that their son is a young man now and that it’s normal for him to be curious about sex and the female body. Then he’ll have a nice long chat with Michael about how not to depend on erotic magazines as good references on the subject.

The book that was all the rage when I was a teen was Zavier Hollander, It eventually was banned from school, where nearly everyone had a copy. We soon learned that one of our teachers was an “associate” of Ms Hollander.

Truth!!

If my experience is any guide, from the shop teacher’s bottom drawer, right next to the bottle of whiskey.

… he falls asleep reading that…

Lynn’s Comments:

This is one of my favourite strips. I have it framed on my wall.

So that explains those long showers.

“You have heard it said ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’. But I say to you that any man who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery {or fornication} with her in his heart.” -Matthew 5:28

Lynn Johnston doesn’t seem to realize that porn mags don’t hold a candle to online porn.. Then again, this strip is so very dated..

Bad news for Michael’s future wife. Even Michael can’t stay awake for sex with Michael.

So he fell asleep reading it? That’s tired.

Wait until mom discovers the towel under his bed

I would have been very embarrassed if my son knew I saw his “dirty magazines”. (that’s what we called them in the old days ; )

He’s lucky that’s all he got!!!

Had a friend in high school whose home caught fire and was gutted except for his playboy collection which his family found when cleaning up. Lesson I learned was not to keep my collection in the house!

Put the book down Mom and pretend you saw nothing. That would have best for everyone.

Good one Ms. Johnston

Oh surprise, a young man looking at a girlie magazine. Woe is me. Go to any popular California or Florida Beach and the girls in those magazines are wearing so much more than the girls on those beaches…..

Woke up from a sound sleep, Michael you are in trouble.

Wait ’till she washes his sheets…

He was looking at it for the articles, Ma! You know – education. {Smirk}

He got it from a friend. Let’s leave it at that. He is a male teenager with normal sexual desires and inquisitiveness. Female teenagers just do not have that.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

“Why are these pages stuck together?”

Well Helly, have you learned to mind your own business NOW!?

It couldn’t have been too exciting…he’s asleep.

They grow up so fast!

HAHAHAHAAHAHA- one of the all-time best ones. Just this perfect, sweet, “Forever And Always” moment and then BAM! Right before the ending you get the twist! And Michael’s horrified look in the last panel makes you realize how bad it’s going to go for him.

Every male who read this strip had the same thought: At least when he fell asleep his PANTS were pulled up!!!

When updating these you’d think they’d switch to him being on a laptop…What teen now would read a porn magazine

Be thankful that he shows an interest!

Is there a reason they only showed the top half of his bed????

You saw nothing, Elly.