I Hate Granthony, Too

I spend a good part of my day staring at the various components of a daily newspaper, and perhaps I invest too much mental energy in keeping track of the on-going four-panel slice of mundanity that is Lynn Johnston's "For Better or for Worse." But I really can't help myself. I've been reading the strip for at least 20 years now and have weathered Farley's heroic death, Lawrence's coming-out, Michael's marriage to Deanna the Pharmacist Who Never Figured Out Birth Control and Grandpa Jim's stroke. The Pattersons are like family -- strange, passive-aggressive Canadian family.

Johnston is heading into semi-retirement, though, and she seems to be tying up a lot of loose ends, in not exactly the most subtle way possible. Chief among her concerns is the question of which eligible bachelor will Elizabeth Patterson choose as her life-mate. All evidence suggests that Johnston intends to have her wind up not with the devil-may-care helicopter pilot, not with the studly police officer from the arctic wilderness, but with her high school flame Anthony, the schlubby divorced accountant who lives in her hometown, has full custody of his pre-school daughter and enjoys amateur astronomy.

Shaenon K. Garrity has posted a brilliant and impassioned essay about why the Liz/Anthony match is so very wrong and infuriating. I can't think of anything to add. "Attaboys" go out to the Comics Curmudgeon for bringing Shaenon's rant to my attention.