Well, as I said yesterday, this is the part where Toby and Mary drink coffee. But it isn't that Mary Worth stories follow a predictable formula, it's more that these characters are so well developed, and their relationship is so defined, and we are so stupid, that we need Mary to explain everything to Toby so we can know what happened while we were busy reading Mary Worth this week.Today's Full Strip
"They were reticent, withdrawn, even tense. I'm sure they had a problem... but it wasn't with me, because they would have come right out and said something if their problem was with me.
ReplyDeleteAnd it wasn't with my cooking. They said they loved my cooking. Everyone at Charterstone enjoys my cooking; of that we can be sure. Right Toby? ...Toby?"
I'm serving a gourmet quiche (new recipe) to my own Easter guests and hoping for great reviews. Happy Easter!
If you are considering confiding in someone, wouldn't the first question to ask yourself be, "Is she a gossip?"
ReplyDeleteWhen will these people learn? Mary seems to have an unending supply of new people to "help" because none of the old ones will ever trust her again.
The Charterstone pool parties have little to do with any swimming pool. They are where everyone at Charterstone pools their gossip.
I haven't studied this closely, but sometimes I think the Sunday strip serves mainly as a summary of what has gone on during the week. Perhaps for readers who see only Sunday? Or so that only weekday readers don't miss anything on Sunday? Just a theory.
ReplyDeleteDuckdg: does your gourmet quiche contain salmon, in tribute to M.W.?
Happy Easter to all!
birdie@7.50a sums it up as well as possible. Mary is an inveterate gossip and everybody'd be wise to resist the urge to "confide" in her.
ReplyDeleteMary and Toby are practically licking their lips in anticipation of the juicy gossip in Bonnie? Bonnie Johnson's apartment.
ReplyDeleteAnd Mary smugly doesn't believe her dinner was the cause of the tension, when Bonnie told Mary that Ernie has trouble digesting all those round, undistinguished foods Mary decided to make.
How much do you think I could get in a silent auction offering a Mary Worth theme dinner? What if I had a levitating napkin in it?
ReplyDeleteOK. The story comments and character comments are all very predictable at this point. I'm watching to see how much movement we get out of the placement of Mary's scarf bow. I bet it moves from front to side to side in at least 3 or the next 5 frames she is in.
ReplyDeleteOh, and hekatesgal... I bet you could raise a modest sum featuring a Mary Worth themed dinner. The levitating napkin and an appearance by someone portraying the nosey gossipy busybody would probably be pretty fun.
ReplyDeleteIf only we all lived near each other I am SURE we'd pay to attend hekatesgal's Mary Worth themed dinner party and enjoy ourselves immensely. As it is, I believe that I may be the only person who knows who Mary Worth is in the greater Cleveland area. My friends don't seem interested when I talk about her. So sad!
ReplyDeleteGreat to be enjoying Mary Worth and Me again after a Lenten fast. Happy Easter!
ReplyDeleteI just went to my son's school's dinner auction, and nothing there would have trumped a Mary Worth-themed dinner for my bid. Maybe you can assign the guests to dress and act in character all evening. Problem is, every married couple would want to be Toby and Chinbeard. Or Santa Royale drug-dealing thugs.
I so know what you mean lovesmary. Thank goodness my wife gets it, but as for talking to anyone else about her and her antics... blank stares and crickets chirping. What's even worse our home town paper the Telegraph, I call it the Telecr%p is about to change up their comics and I fear our dear Mary is on the way out. Where else can you get such a laugh each day as Mary Worth, well, maybe Dr Rex Morgan but that just may be me.
ReplyDeleteI love Dr. Rex Morgan! I wish it had it's own awesome blog like Mary! I love when Josh covers it on the curmudgeon. Dr. Rex Morgan is so delightful. It pales in insanity slightly to Mary Worth only because the artist actually draws the same people doing the same things in the same room from frame to frame.
ReplyDeletemakes you womder why a young chick like toby would hang out with a old bird like mary
ReplyDeleteI wish we could have a huge community of snarkers for MW like For Better or For Worse had on LiveJournal with Binky Betsy. It's dried up now since the Foobs are not even worthy to wrap fish in, but at one time, it was ripe for snarking and Binky Betsy was huge.
ReplyDeleteI also would like to become good at Photoshop so I could paste Mary's head on Margo's body in the 4/4 Apt. 3G strip and Bonnie's? head on Bobbie's. "Stop your meddling or pay the ultimate price, Mary Worth!"
Toby sees a piece of broken glass in her coffeecup, uh oh!
ReplyDelete@Taryn -- my 2 cents (and perhaps you'd be overpaying even at that price) --
ReplyDeleteI gave up comic blogs for Lent, and I don't plan to resume reading the Foob blogs b/c they seemed too "snarky," i.e., mean-spirited.
In contrast, "Mary Worth and Me has more of an "all in good fun" vibe, as does "The Lovely Ladies of Apt. 3G."
At this late hour, I can't reasonably articulate why I sense a difference. It may be a perception of over-the-top animosity in the blogs toward the author/artist of FBOFW.
I think most MW&Me readers have some affection for Moy & Giella, or at least a sense of gratitude for their providing the exquisite diversion that is "Mary Worth."
I agree, mrvy. While there were many genuinely funny people on the Foob blogs (much like here), some took it way too seriously. The dissection of the characters and their strange behaviors is what I enjoyed. Seriously, why *does* Elly have to scream and throw tantrums about everything? O_o;
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't want Moy and Giella going anywhere. They provide some much needed laughs in my life (well, they did until that whole Wilbur tale came up, but this one looks promising).
4/5 - OMG, Mary has a trowel growing out of her hand and she looks none too sane in that last panel!
ReplyDeleteToby, how dare you question the fact that the Johnsons' problem is serious or not. That is for MARY to decide. Geesh.