Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Mary Worth 1,473

You know, I don't think the weakness lies with the writer. I think it lies with the readers. At first I read this panel and thought, "This is good writing, but not GREAT writing." But then, I pictured a superb actor like Sir Ian McKellen or Sir Alec Guinness, or Catherine Zeta Jones (because I am always picturing Catherine Zeta Jones), and the writing became genius.

So if you ever think you are reading less than GREAT writing in Mary Worth, stop and ask yourself for just a moment... "Who is really at fault here?"

Today's Full Strip

22 comments:

  1. Peggy OlsonDecember 5, 2012 at 7:04 AM

    Wonderful advice, Wanders. From now on, the role of Mary Worth will be played by Dame Judy Dench (a la M in the James Bond movies).

    For comic relief, Tom Bosley will play Wilbur.

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  2. fauxprofDecember 5, 2012 at 7:47 AM

    Dawn, in a thought bubble:

    "Cripes, he has an arm. Do I mention it? Will he, like, freak out again if I do? Wait, if a friend had a new pair of shoes, I'd know what to say. That's it! Oh, is that a new arm? It's so CUTE. Where did you get it?"

    (Amy Adams as Dawn. Josh Dallas as Jim. Jane Alexander as Mary.)

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  3. AnonymousDecember 5, 2012 at 8:56 AM

    Is anyone else bothered by all those seagulls? Will someone have their eyes pecked out by the end of the week, as in "The Birds"? One can only dream...

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  4. AnonymousDecember 5, 2012 at 9:05 AM

    I think I'll use Jim's quote, "I don't know anything yet here I am" in all my business meetings this week and see how that works out.

    But if I picture a young Sean Connery speaking the line to, say, Kate Upton maybe, it does seem like much better writing . . .

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  5. Mike in ClevelandDecember 5, 2012 at 9:18 AM

    I like how that one seagull on the left has settled down on the piling to watch what's happening between Dawn & Jim.

    So, the level of interest here can be described as "bird-brained"??

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  6. PaulDecember 5, 2012 at 9:26 AM

    I'm going to borrow that line for my next performance review at work:

    "It's true boss: I don't know anything, and yet here I am."

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  7. NanceDecember 5, 2012 at 9:32 AM

    Why is Jim so robotic? Is he a Cyborg now? Because if Mary Worth veers off into sci-fi, that's it for me.

    I still don't get the attraction of Star Trek and all that.

    Mary Worth--Angela Lansbury
    Wilbur--Professor Honeydew
    Dawn--Amanda Seyfried
    Jim--Fred Jones (Scooby Doo)
    Seagull--Jonathan Livingston...

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  8. heydaveDecember 5, 2012 at 10:39 AM

    Jim is being voiced by PeeWee Herman for me, and Fran Drescher is doing Dawn.

    Now that's entertainment!

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  9. duckduckDecember 5, 2012 at 10:46 AM

    "I don't know anything, and yet here I am." EXACTLY! That's exactly how I feel in the Worthisphere.
    It's going to be a classic line.

    Thanks for the morning laughs, everyone. I love this place.

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  10. AnonymousDecember 5, 2012 at 11:08 AM

    Jim, there's something different about you...don't tell me. Oh, I know, you're not leaning to the right anymore

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  11. Maude FindlayDecember 5, 2012 at 12:23 PM

    I'm confused- Is Dawn purposely avoiding mentioning Jim's shiny new arm, or was the arm a printing/graphics mistake, and it wasn't supposed to be there, in the first place? It's like the elephant in the room.

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  12. Dave in ParmaDecember 5, 2012 at 12:49 PM

    @Anonymous: maybe a seagull will clasp Jim's prosthetic, and fly it back to its lair.

    I unfortunately need to both agree and disagree with Wanders: it is both the writing and the readers. The writing speaks (poorly) for itself. We as readers though are enablers--we keep coming back, so the presumption by the staff (K Moy and Uncle Joe) is that they must be doing something right. The way i keep coming back each day is what I imagine being addicted to cigarettes must be like, only with less yellow teeth, more laughing, and about the same amount of coughing.

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  13. Dave in ParmaDecember 5, 2012 at 12:51 PM

    @HeyDave: Fran Drescher and Dawn are at comparable spots on the 'annoy Dave in Parma' scale.

    Well casted.

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  14. Sandi EgoDecember 5, 2012 at 1:04 PM

    Dawn seems none too cheery about Jim's breakthrough, perhaps because it happened without her and her do-gooder mission has been thwarted.

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  15. NancyLouDecember 5, 2012 at 2:06 PM

    If Jim's second arm was a graphics mistake, I'd love to see how they explain it when it goes away again.

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  16. Chester the DogDecember 5, 2012 at 3:57 PM

    What about the arm??? Is it there, gone, on order, in Layaway?

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  17. Sandi EgoDecember 5, 2012 at 4:17 PM

    http://www.metrolyrics.com/that-much-is-true-lyrics-frankmusik.html

    As I suspected, "That much is true" is not simply awkward dialogue but a clue to a deeper meaning. Mind blown, Ms. Moy.

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  18. Laura CanonDecember 5, 2012 at 4:35 PM

    I'm going on a hunger strike to end this story line! Who's with me?

    We're allowed to drink fruit juice!

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  19. AnonymousDecember 5, 2012 at 4:51 PM

    Dawn cannot become romantically involved without it appearing to Jim that it was really about the arm afterall. Her only option is to pretend she doesn't notice his new limb. When he calls it to her attention, she will claim to not notice such minor details.

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  20. WandersDecember 5, 2012 at 9:24 PM

    Sandi Ego: Will you settle for Tears for Fears singing This Much is True? Condo Board Approved. You'll find it on the Jukebox in the Cabana.

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  21. AllenDecember 5, 2012 at 9:25 PM

    @Maude: My thoughts exactly!

    @fauxproof: As versatile an actress Amy Adams is, I don't know if she could pull off Dawn's level of mopeyness. I was thinking Janeane Garofalo as Dawn, or something else that could appear cold, emotionless, and stupid such as a robot or a corpse.


    Hilarious actor suggestions everyone, had me in stitches!

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  22. UnknownDecember 6, 2012 at 12:04 AM

    Ya'll are brilliant and I love you for your comments. Also I think I might be able to "prove" I'm not a robot.

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Don't be shy! I'd love to hear what you have to say about Mary Worth. Just keep it clean, that's all I ask. This is a FAMILY FRIENDLY blog. I don't want to moderate comments, but I will if I have to.