Newsflash: Al doesn't like people involved in medicine
Oh, huzzah. Today's strip is yet another about how crappy doctors are. Not just doctors--everything about the medical profession, really. Congrats to Barfwell, though that's quite a gut on a guy who only weighs 183. Unless he's pretty short. Honestly, if he's around average height (which is debatable; he's about the same height as the nurse, which would indicate that either he's a bit short or she's a bit tall, and he just clears the scale--but aren't those pretty tall?), 183 really isn't that bad. Of course, he has chicken legs, so all that weight is in his stomach, so I guess it makes some sense.
A big problem here is that the numbers don't add up. When did he last go see the doctor and weigh in at 183? Or...did Nubbia (really, Al?) ask Barfwell how much he weighed and go from that? I've never had a nurse asked me how much I weighed (I mean, it's on the forms and things). And really, the nurses I've encountered also don't comment on how much I weigh when I weigh in. They just note it, and move on.
Is Barfwell going for a physical or something? Does he have early symptoms of Type 2 diabetes and they're trying to keep it in check? Is this visit to the doctor simply because he's dieting? Do people really do that? The co-pays would kill you, I'd think.
I will give them this, though--there usually is a discrepancy between the scale at home and the one at the doctor's office, and yes, the one at home usually does read lower.
And this strip really doesn't qualify for the "living on the edge" category, which I'd prefer to have just for strips involving married couples. Unless Barfy is about to clobber Nubbia. Which just isn't cool, yo.
posted by Barb @ 8:38 AM
21 comments
21 Comments:
You're right - there should be some standards or guidelines to determine whether a strip qualifies for "Living on the Edge" status. I suggest the following:
1. As you note, the premise of the strip must be a married couple fighting;
2. The married couple must be fighting about something that no married couple has fought about since the last episode of "I Love Lucy" was made;
3. Someone must be named Migraina;
4. I must find the strip annoying, even by TDIET standards.
Also, I don't want to see Scaduto-drawn charcters in their underwear again. Ever. The guy's wearing sock garters!
aw, man, i hope barfwell doesn't have diabetis! maybe just dense bones?
good eye on the height disparities. another thing i noticed, it's hard to tell how tall he is because, in panel one, his boxers are so hiked up, whereas, in panel two, he's wearing low-riders!
Barb, no offense, but the title of your blog is kind of gross. It sounds like you have diarrhea of the mouth, LOL! But it is good for my diet, I guess. Suddenly that 3 Musketeers doesn't look so appetizing....
CRAP EVERY TIME!!!
I understand this is a "personal" blogger, but type 2 diabetes is NOT a laughing matter. Please do not sully the internet with your japes.
2) Those in glass houses (or glass "web-sites") should NOT throw stones at FAT PEOPLE.
OK, back to the weight thing--he could conceivably be 183 lb. even with the belly because the rest of him is pretty damn skinny (wish I had legs like that!) AND he could be 5'5" or something, right? AND as we know fat weighs less than muscle (I tell it to my doc every time she pushes me on the scale--ha!), and he doesn't exactly look like he pumps iron, so I could see the weight working, actually. What do you think, blog people? ;)
I'm not joking about type 2 diabetes; my dad has it, and I know it's no laughing matter. I'm just trying to figure out why he's going in for such regular visits. And the fact that most of his weight is contained in his stomach is a good indicator for type 2 diabetes (and heart trouble, if I'm correct).
As for the glass houses thing, well, I didn't realize that I was making fun of Barfwell for being overweight (really, he has a gut--that's a fact). And God knows I don't claim to be skinny. Also? Barfwell's fictional. His feelings won't be hurt.
If he barfs WELL, as his name would seem to imply, then wouldn't it be easy for him to lose weight?
Sorry.
Wai-wai-wait. If he's FICTIONAL, why are you trying to figure out so hard why he's going in for regular visits? That's a lot of investment for a fictional character. Are you sure he's not real? Ol' Barfy?
The comments from Brigham Young (still quite spry, it appears, and surfing the web at his age) are the funniest thing I've seen all day. I mean "please do not sully the internet with your japes" Like a diabetes joke, which this was not, would lower the standard of discourse on the internet? He's obviously not connected to the same internt that I try to filter out. And what does "Those in glass houses (or glass "web-sites") should NOT throw stones at FAT PEOPLE." even mean? I understand the original idiom, but the adding on of the FAT PEOPLE just makes me go huh?
A lot of effort on a complaint about the fact that no two scales will ever agree.
But the math puzzles are what I really like about this panel.
In the case of Barfwell's weight, I think Scaduto just messed up. As a reader you have to assume that Barfwell last weighed 187, since he's lost 4 pounds to get to 183. I think Scaduto forgot to do that bit of math himself and based the entire bottom panel off the 183 number mistakenly.
Second is the fact that Scaduto appears to be suggesting that barfwell's clothes weigh 7 pounds, since he pointedly remarks that they weigh him with clothes on. Are his clothes made out of Kevlar?
DaveyK--PLEASE don't ruin my happy illusion re: clothing weight! Telling myself that my clothes weigh 20 pounds is a lifesaver for my self-esteem!!! ;) Delusional, maybe. But hey we'd all weigh less if we had a leg amputated due to diabetes complications, so maybe weight's not everything.
Hey, anonymous (3:08 poster), get a sense of humor! I think "Brigham Young" might have been pulling our legs, you poltroon. You make Scaduto look like Lenny Bruce!! Heh heh--yep. They'll do it every time!
How would you like to not eat sugar and not have legs???? to PRICK YOURSELF with HEROIN NEEDLES all the time, just to stay alive???? It is madness frankly for you to make fun of this man, cartoon or NOT.
Mr. Anonymous (if that IS your real name): I do not know what internets you are on, but mine is always -- ALWAYS -- in good taste. Mormon chat rooms and recipe sites are ALL I NEED. Perhaps you spend time in chat rooms that would disgust me and other right-thinkers, such as "Let Us Mock the Diabetics"?!?!?
the discourse on this Internet is becoming completely offensive. I will be DARNED if I take anymore GUFF from your LIKES. here i dumbly thought we were all FANS of Mr. Scaduto, and it ends up you are making FUN OF HIM!!! I think I am becoming sick in the stomach.
OK, I guess I was wrong about Brigham!! But hey, let's not be ageist here, right? I'm sure my grandpappy wouldn't be savvy enough to navigate the "Internets." Props, Brig--props.
Barfwell's boxers make me hot.
Hey Barb--just want to thank you for bringing some much-needed visibility to the problem of diabetes. It's becoming a huge problem in the U.S., as obesity rates are on the rise. I hope you and your readers will try to make it to this benefit this weekend if you're in the DC area (see link below). It should be a blast! Make a difference, and have some fun--my fave combination!
Cheers,
Mary Beth
Oops, I meant the link in my name, not below--sorry for the mix-up!
Cheers,
Mary Beth
Oh wow, did this post ever hit a nerve!
To Brigham Young, lighten up a little, yeah? I myself have Type 1 diabetes, and have always lived by the philosophy that if you can't laugh, you cry. A healthy sense of humour is a necessary part of life.
On a side note, I'd prefer people not refer to the small, virtually painless needles that I take as "PRICK[ing] YOURSELF with HEROIN NEEDLES". Thanks
Oh gee. Just to take Friday's strip out of context, Scaduto actually wrote the same button that turns the tube on turns wifey on'.
I dislike how far 'yap' could be taken to be...
Subconscious reflex?
Is that a sweater vest over a red collar shirt over a blue shirt? Ugh. Strange-looking tv.
Exaspz-
I'm going to go with you're being right, and my leg is being pulled.
"Please do not sully the internet with your japes", "I think I am becoming sick in the stomach." and "I will be DARNED if I take anymore GUFF from your LIKES."
That's the work of a master satirist, and a fine writer. Perhaps the author of Barat? A "Latter Day" Mark Twain, in any event.
I did want to note, that although I am an anonymous coward of a poster, I am a different anonymous poster than that of 11:01 a.m. or of 11:08 a.m. I am, however, the same anonymous poster of 3:08 p.m.
Please do not sully the internet, whatever else you feel compelled to do.
Also, of course, what Earthly harm is done by the difference in scales - like many, many, many things in life, it's more important to notice changes over time.
A good instance would be polls. Even if you think you phrased a question inelegantly, you shouldn't change it the next time you ask it, because then you don't see the change over time, but over polls.
He's either losing weight (on whichever scale) or he's not. If he wants to sandbag, he should eat a couple salt tablets, sending his blood pressure sky high, and drink a gallon or two of water. That should make him weigh over 200. well over. Then next time, when he stops doing that, he'll have "lost weight" and lowered his BP and may even get a cookie ... strike that ...
anyhow, TDIET is as usual insane and stupid and unrelated to the real health or purpose of doctor's visits of real folks, it's off in some bitter fantasyland of "them" even when it makes zero sense to look at it that way.
It's living proof Mallard Fillmore would NOT be funnier without the politics. Okay, without the politics, crossed with "Pluggers" and drawn by the ghost of Chick Young.
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