Timing is everything, I suppose. Even though there’s absolutely nothing new in this strip, it still made me laugh out loud. Buffoonish husband saying something embarrassing and insensitive? We’ve seen that a thousand times before. A pastry to the noggin as an expression of displeasure? It’s so commonplace that shaving cream pies will suffice. But even though the elements are all recycled, the final result is still pretty funny.
I’ve been to the “food court” at Costco many times and I have to say that the experience is not without its merits. While walking through the store, you’re inundated with flat-screen televisions, giant tubs of mayonnaise and jumbo bags of pretzels (not that I’d suggest combining the three). Once you check out, you’re presented with the opportunity to buy similarly huge portions of fast food. Everything is dirt cheap, including the impossibly large hot dogs. Unfortunately, the line is crowded, the tables tend to be sticky with condiments and the hot dogs are rubbery. They’re not terrible, but patrons deserve better from an eatery located next to the Vienna Beef factory.
Today’s Drabble scored a big laugh from me for its uncanny combination of two comic strip staples: the unbearable stickler for grammar and the sarcastic, emasculating wife. I was surprised to see how well these archetypes worked together, especially since neither one strikes me as funny in and of themselves. It probably helped that I was caught off guard by the punchline, preoccupied as I was with trying to figure out the true definitions of “nauseous” and “nauseated.” Turns out the son in this strip has a point, even if it relies on hopelessly strict and outdated standards of usage.
This might sound like a stupid excuse on the surface, but I can see how it could elicit sympathy. After all, popping your homework back into place can be extremely painful. And if there are a lot of pages, then you need to watch out for paper-cuts. Makes me squeamish just thinking about it.
Does the son in this strip understand what a credit card balance is, or does he think the folks from Visa called to congratulate his dad on some sort of uncanny tightrope walking ability? Maybe that’s why he has his arms on his dad’s shoulders in panel three: to prevent himself from taking a tumble amid all the excitement. That would make as much sense as a boundless display of enthusiasm over his father’s finances (unless he plans on playing the role of the classic comic strip son by asking for money).
At first glance, I was sure that Wendy had inflicted pain in an entirely different area. Below the waist, yes, but not as far down as the feet. Also above the thigh. Wendy’s expression in the third panel certainly suggests a knee to the groin, although on second glance she probably would have placed her hands on the guy’s shoulders in order to put her full force behind such a maneuver. And if she had scored a successful hit, we can rest assured that the guy in this strip would no longer have one hand in the air as he would be using both hands to grasp the affected area.
I like how this little girl’s outbursts become increasingly obnoxious as the strip progresses. Panel one shows some run-of-the-mill foot dragging, panel two features an all-out temper tantrum, and panel three renders the child as a grumpy old man trapped in a young girl’s body. I’d collapse on the couch after a day like that, too. At least the mall wasn’t crowded with frantic holiday shoppers, which is surprising for a Sunday in December.
