Technology and Mary Worth

Are we supposed to feel bad for Fignewt in today's strip? Look how huge the "Batteries Not Included" notice is! It's on the front page of the instructions! He's an idiot for not noticing! In looking, though, I'm thinking we're not supposed to feel bad for him. You can see the instructions in the top panel, with cobwebs attached. Although what is it with the toys that require assembly in this strip? A couple weeks ago, it was a crane. Today, a truck. Kid, in my days, we pushed the truck. That's how we made it go. What a brat.

I know I've seen yesterday's strip before. It seems like a long time ago, though, and I don't have the time right now to hunt for it. I wonder whether Dorkley actually tries the suggestions he gets. And does it seem weird to anyone else that he would blow the money on doctors, but not actually get the prescriptions? It's like he's a hypochondriac, but can't fully commit to it. I'd also like to point out that in today's Mary Worth that Vera has what could possibly be a computer monitor on her desk at work. Mary Worth, people. Admittedly there doesn't appear to be a keyboard, but it's a lot more advanced than TDIET.

Well, at least there aren't any typewriters

Today's strip is set in an office, which means that yet again we can see that Al continues to ignore the presence of computers in pretty much every workplace in the country. (Maybe clerks don't get computers?) I'm trying to figure out whether we're supposed to be bemused that (a) McTidy lost the contract in the first place, (b) that he had to go to Slobbo to get it, (c) that Slobbo found it readily, or (d) all of the above. Probably (d). And it's such a cliché--this person has a messy office, but knows where everything goes! Whether that's true every time, I don't know.

I like how Slobbo doesn't just have a messy office, which is how it usually is. (In fact, while we've seen variations on the "person who's organized one place, but not in another" theme before, I don't believe we've seen "Arfo insists on being spiffy and neatly coiffed at all times, but take a look at his office...Oh, yeah!") No no. Top buttons unbuttoned, some stubble, eyes barely open, messy hair, the works. Methinks that Slobbo may have been on a bit of a binge last night.

Speaking of, isn't McTidy a bit well-dressed for a clerk? Do clerks even have offices? I mean, I know they say to dress for the job you want, but that seems a bit much. Unless his first name is supposed to be Clerk. Hmm.

And is anyone else thrown off by the strip no longer appearing in the center of the window?

I am honestly going to smack Scaduto into next week

Honestly, as soon as I got to the word "bossette" in today's strip, I stopped and had to take a few deep breaths. I mean, good Lord. "Bossette"? Really? And bossette of the file room, no less. Seriously, Scaduto's disdain for women manages to generally hide itself behind the normal idiocy of the strip, but every now and then it comes out. And it really pisses me off. I can cope with everything else in the strip looking like it's from the 1960s (Mr. Honcho smoking a cigar in the file room?), but that attitude makes me want to force Scaduto to learn about the women's movement, you know? The thing is, I don't think he's making any sort of statement about women in the workplace and how they're incompetent at home--I really doubt he's wading into the culture war of moms working outside the home vs. stay-at-home moms. But that doesn't make the underlying message of this strip any better.

(I'm not even going to dignify "mucho quicko" with a response.)

And really, why should Migraina be the one to be in charge of dealing with the tax receipts if her asshat husband who is swearing at her is the one who actually does the taxes. Honestly.

Two other notes: I do like the name McFoogus. And I'm trying to figure out what that is on top of the filing cabinet. Any suggestions would be welcome.

"Pompadour" should only be used when referring to Elvis

Today's strip is yet another when my only real response is "No." Nope, I've never noticed that. And no, I don't think it's particularly true. Not that the columnist photos are always particularly new, but I've never seen any horribly out-of-date like that. Not that I see a lot of newspaper columnists around. (Actually, maybe I do. The Metro station I get off at to come to work is the one closest to the Post. Hmm.)

Anyway, what's truly annoying about this strip is the expo box. Really, all it needed was the "And this is himself as he looks today in person." Actually, it could've just had "Rudyard Kipper today" with the arrow. Most of us are astute enough to notice the differences in appearance.

And again with the old office! Another typewriter! Noooo!