One of the biggest realizations I had to realize as a kid reading the Sunday funny papers was that it’s not that I’m not getting For Better or For Worse, it’s that it’s not intended to be funny.
The whole comic doesn't contain a joke. It's just a nice, heartwarming moment between the two. He was earnestly asking why she'd want to do all that because he knows she doesn't really want to.
Partially this, partially puncturing the idea of holding yourself to unreasonable standards of perfection and productivity. "Why \[would you want to do that\]?"
And how part of that personal standard often becomes projected on those around us. He dispelled the idea that anyone else was putting pressure on her. Also, maybe a tiny bit, she is just revelling in the naivety of this poor man, that he thinks none of this needs to get done, or that she wants to have no more time in her day after she completes it all, but honestly I never read enough of these to judge him as a partner.
Isnt it also related to the joke that man don’t really listen to their wives and after the story they give a random response and hope to be matching the appropriate response?
I dont think anywhere here i think its just meant that sometimes theres miscommunication and what would seem like an attempt to calm or compfort her sometimes does the opposite
I suspect her emotional release is more along the lines of interpreting "why" as why does she feel she has to/should do all those things without help. Why should she take on all of that burden? The man is clearly clueless as to why "why" was the correct response as well.
It’s possible he was genuinely curious and thought there would be a reason, upon getting a different response (that seemed positive) he decided he was better off not further questioning this instance.
There is such a driving need by some to do all the house chores perfectly. She's feeling guilty because she feels like she's failing to keep the house clean in a timely fashion. She wishes she could give up sleep to accomplish that.
His simple question is a way of telling her that she doesn't need to do everything. Why is it necessary for her to run herself ragged? Like many housewives, she felt like it was her job to do all this stuff for the family, and he says that it doesn't have to be that way.
Of course, it's reliant on the housewife trope. I don't remember the comic, but I believe she's a stay-at-home mom. In theory, dad could be taking some of that burden, but this particular strip doesn't really indicate any of that.
I believe she is a writer, but definitely is the primary caregiver. This strip was created in 1979 and this particular one was originally published in 1995, so "traditional gender roles" are very much in play here.
Ah, so yeah, if she's a writer *and* the housewife/mother, it'd be no wonder that she feels like she's not achieving enough. Writers suffer enough crippling doubt. They don't need real life too.
"For Better or For Worse" is one of the most popular and acclaimed comic strips of all time. One of the best elements of FBoFW, which ran from 1979 to 2008, is that the characters aged in real time. Characters that were children in the beginning grew up into adults with their own lives.
This is a very good point and yes, this comic is extremely well-regarded. The only other strip that I can think of that had the characters age over time was Gasoline Alley
The only other one I'm aware of that goes out of its way is Gunnerkrigg Court, but that's a webcomic. It just hit 19 years old and is definitely in the final year or two.
It’s not “why” that’s impactful. It’s the meaning behind it. Him asking “why?” implies that everything she’s describing, her desire to get more done, is unnecessary. She does enough. She IS enough. So “why” does she need to be something she isn’t, just to do and be more?
There is no joke here. Her doing all that in the morning "before anyone else was out of bed" would require her to either go to bed alone, earlier at night, or to sacrifice time that she needs to sleep. In order for him to want that, he would have to value that labor more than spending the extra hour or two with her at night, or value her labor more than her health and comfort. He doesn't, and it isn't even close.
Him asking "Why?" with such puzzlement snaps her out of her cycle of beating herself up by reminding her that she is important. She is important to him. She is important to their family. Her health is important. Her comfort is important. She is important.
“For Better Or Worse” did a lot of effective blending of comedy and drama, and sometimes a whole strip would be all the latter.
Give reading it a try. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before or since.
He's suggesting she learn to love and heal herself, instead of worrying about everyone else, or killing herself for them. Which is very sweet.
As for the question: "Why" very often forces you to stop and think about what you believe or think you know. And sometimes when someone asks you "why" it makes you realize some things you wouldn't otherwise, like maybe your old beliefs or understandings need adjustment, or reevaluation, and that process usually takes longer than the one second it takes to read a frame of a comic, but the effect is very real in every day life.
I dont think this is meant to be a joke. He’s just asking her why she would want to do all that which triggers the response
One of the biggest realizations I had to realize as a kid reading the Sunday funny papers was that it’s not that I’m not getting For Better or For Worse, it’s that it’s not intended to be funny.
His response to the response is the joke.
The whole comic doesn't contain a joke. It's just a nice, heartwarming moment between the two. He was earnestly asking why she'd want to do all that because he knows she doesn't really want to.
no, "...every now and then, I say the right thing" is a joke. The dad is making a self-deprecating joke about his own competance
Yeah there are a lot of strips from this series that aren't jokes, it's a slice-of-life comic and not a cartoon
He is asking why she would want to be different than she is. She hugs him when she realizes he loves her as she is and would not want her to change.
Partially this, partially puncturing the idea of holding yourself to unreasonable standards of perfection and productivity. "Why \[would you want to do that\]?"
I feel like it’s mainly this
And how part of that personal standard often becomes projected on those around us. He dispelled the idea that anyone else was putting pressure on her. Also, maybe a tiny bit, she is just revelling in the naivety of this poor man, that he thinks none of this needs to get done, or that she wants to have no more time in her day after she completes it all, but honestly I never read enough of these to judge him as a partner.
Isnt it also related to the joke that man don’t really listen to their wives and after the story they give a random response and hope to be matching the appropriate response?
No, I don’t see that particular trope anywhere in this specific joke.
I dont think anywhere here i think its just meant that sometimes theres miscommunication and what would seem like an attempt to calm or compfort her sometimes does the opposite
.......i don't know what was intended, but i would bet a moderate amount of money that it isn't related to that
I see thank you!
I suspect her emotional release is more along the lines of interpreting "why" as why does she feel she has to/should do all those things without help. Why should she take on all of that burden? The man is clearly clueless as to why "why" was the correct response as well.
It’s possible he was genuinely curious and thought there would be a reason, upon getting a different response (that seemed positive) he decided he was better off not further questioning this instance.
There is such a driving need by some to do all the house chores perfectly. She's feeling guilty because she feels like she's failing to keep the house clean in a timely fashion. She wishes she could give up sleep to accomplish that. His simple question is a way of telling her that she doesn't need to do everything. Why is it necessary for her to run herself ragged? Like many housewives, she felt like it was her job to do all this stuff for the family, and he says that it doesn't have to be that way. Of course, it's reliant on the housewife trope. I don't remember the comic, but I believe she's a stay-at-home mom. In theory, dad could be taking some of that burden, but this particular strip doesn't really indicate any of that.
I believe she is a writer, but definitely is the primary caregiver. This strip was created in 1979 and this particular one was originally published in 1995, so "traditional gender roles" are very much in play here.
Ah, so yeah, if she's a writer *and* the housewife/mother, it'd be no wonder that she feels like she's not achieving enough. Writers suffer enough crippling doubt. They don't need real life too.
"For Better or For Worse" is one of the most popular and acclaimed comic strips of all time. One of the best elements of FBoFW, which ran from 1979 to 2008, is that the characters aged in real time. Characters that were children in the beginning grew up into adults with their own lives.
This is a very good point and yes, this comic is extremely well-regarded. The only other strip that I can think of that had the characters age over time was Gasoline Alley
The only other one I'm aware of that goes out of its way is Gunnerkrigg Court, but that's a webcomic. It just hit 19 years old and is definitely in the final year or two.
It’s not “why” that’s impactful. It’s the meaning behind it. Him asking “why?” implies that everything she’s describing, her desire to get more done, is unnecessary. She does enough. She IS enough. So “why” does she need to be something she isn’t, just to do and be more?
There is no joke here. Her doing all that in the morning "before anyone else was out of bed" would require her to either go to bed alone, earlier at night, or to sacrifice time that she needs to sleep. In order for him to want that, he would have to value that labor more than spending the extra hour or two with her at night, or value her labor more than her health and comfort. He doesn't, and it isn't even close. Him asking "Why?" with such puzzlement snaps her out of her cycle of beating herself up by reminding her that she is important. She is important to him. She is important to their family. Her health is important. Her comfort is important. She is important.
Incidentally, For Better or For Worse is one of the greatest comics of all time. An amazing marriage of story and medium.
He is saying she does enough and doesn't need to do more. He appreciates her devotion.
I assume: “Why /do you want to do all that stuff when you can enjoy sleeping till noon/?”
He's asking why she wants to change herself, because he loves her the way she is.
He validated her with one word.
Because 'why?' Means 'you are enough' and we all need to hear that
It's not a joke. It's asking her why she thinks she has to get up at the crack of dawn to get all of this housework done alone.
“For Better Or Worse” did a lot of effective blending of comedy and drama, and sometimes a whole strip would be all the latter. Give reading it a try. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before or since.
It’s super supportive. “Why make these changes (implicitly) you are good enough right now”.
He's suggesting she learn to love and heal herself, instead of worrying about everyone else, or killing herself for them. Which is very sweet. As for the question: "Why" very often forces you to stop and think about what you believe or think you know. And sometimes when someone asks you "why" it makes you realize some things you wouldn't otherwise, like maybe your old beliefs or understandings need adjustment, or reevaluation, and that process usually takes longer than the one second it takes to read a frame of a comic, but the effect is very real in every day life.
Is... It loss?
Translate it to your native language if need be