Thursday, May 21, 2020

Mary Worth 3372

I am wondering what great literary tradition requires that serial comics conclude each story arc with a recap of everything that happened. Those who are reading on a once-in-a-while basis don't need it, aren't interested, and can't get hooked into a story that's already over. And those of us who compulsively read the strip every single stinking day for 13 years, already know the information. Also, it causes us to question our loyalty. And sanity.

12 comments:

Nance said...

Today's Boldface Haiku is titled

"In Which Mary Treads Dangerously Close To Copyright Infringement And Stealing Melania's Signature Initiative".

Jared every day!
Great! Happy.
Clicked. Laugh.
More best!

Anonymous said...


Wanders, I might have clarity. Moy looks ahead at the next 20 years and calculates that she has to create 7,300 more strips. The sheer enormity of that number scares her. What if she runs out of story ideas or suffers writer's block? So as a hedge against that, she drags every story out for as long as possible, and the superfluous recap is part of that process. And as long as her syndicate doesn't complain and keeps paying her for it, she'll keep doing it.

-- Scottie McW.

Yahoonski said...

It is very difficult to drink a beverage out of a ridiculously narrow glass with a citrus fruit garnish when said garnish is on the same side of the glass as your lips. In regards to Jeff, Mary's statement should be "Friends who become something more - but not too much more - make for the best relationships."

Michael Beaumier said...

This particular type of thing is referred to in the medical journals as “House Hunter-itis” — named after the celebrated HGTV television show, the one with five minutes of content and 25 minutes of endlessly recapping those five minutes.

LouiseF said...

I notice the words "truly, madly, deeply in love" are not issuing forth from good Miss Dawn's lips. Can't wait to see if Moy will get into Dawn's coming irritation with Sir Jared and his 1972 Pinto steed.

Anonymous said...

It looks as if Mary and Dawn are on the Synchronized Eating and Drinking team.

Chester the Dog said...

Dawn, tell Mary about your trip to New York, and ALL the things Hugo paid for you to see and do.

KitKat said...

Wanders and everyone else, you made me laugh out loud. Terrific comments by all, and a stellar BFH title by the inimitable Nance!

Scottie McW, KM ran out of ideas long ago. That explains the All Westons All the Time rut we’ve been in - bleah.

I also wondered why Mary and Dawn are drinking from skinny juice glasses with orange slices still in the rim. Maybe Mary stole the idea from the Lemon Wedge. (Does anyone else remember the Lemon Wedge? Those were the days, when hippie thieves robbed the patrons - sigh!)

Dawn’s remark about her and Jared in p. 2 sounds suspiciously like what Estelle said about Wilbur. Holy moly.

Regina Wolfe-Parks said...

"Friends that become more make the best relationships." How stupid and naive is Mary? I was friends with a guy for 15 years and then we became "more". I can speak for experience it wasn't "the best". Mary has the worst platitudes. Like Moy, she needs to get out more.

r u ok? said...

I don't mind a recap if there were some harsh, intense meddling going on but Mary is just praising Dawn over and over. No meddling at all. No backhanded compliments even. Yawn.

mr_darcy said...

Don't give up on this recap yet. Maybe tomorrow and Saturday Mary will advise Dawn how to string Jared along for the next twenty years while giving up only a single peck on the cheek. Meddle on!

katyb said...

Dawn decided to "choose" Jared. Because it was the "right thing to do" and felt so "natural and so right." Even though the cheating wasn't "something I planned!" Good grief. These people are, in the words of my dear departed grandmother, PD (Perfectly Dreadful.) Meanwhile, Mary's meddling is reduced to "being glad."