How to generate disrespect for women.

[dreadedcandiru2]

In case we start to think that Elly is the only Patterparent who corrupted her children by exposing them to the inane, obsolete and destructive preconceptions that protect them from doing something undesirable and having to learn how the world really works, we should remind ourselves that John was only too glad to promote his "My-mother-stayed-home-baked-cookies-and-picked-up-socks-so-Elly-should-too" agenda; about the only time I ever noticed him bonding with Mike was when he was either chortling about how he was messing with Elly's head because she was thinking too highly of herself or how she wanted to get a job because she hated him and Lizzie and wanted to stick them in a day-care center (presumably presented as a mix between the orphanage in Oliver Twist and a Nazi death camp); also, about the only time he deigned to notice Lizzie was when she was all dolled up. He sure wasn't going to waste his time praising her for non-essential skills like doing well in school. Why is it that Rod's avatar was made into such a churlish, mindlessly sexist dolt? It would seem to me that Lynn might actually have picked up on how conflicted he was that he was thought of not as "Rod Johnston, DDS" but as "Mr Lynn Johnston"; his confusion and consternation was regarded as treason to be punished by character defamation.

Comments

[howtheduck.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I think that Elly and John both reflect Lynn’s own opinion on the matter. We have seen in countless interviews that Lynn’s work ethic and her expectation that everyone can be rich if they work hard and show up on time, come from the fact she was handed her career on a silver platter. Since she got her career while her kids were young, I can only imagine what effect this belief had on Lynn’s ability to praise her own children’s accomplishments.

[dreadedcandiru2.livejournal.com]

We have seen in countless interviews that Lynn’s work ethic and her expectation that everyone can be rich if they work hard and show up on time, come from the fact she was handed her career on a silver platter. Since she got her career while her kids were young, I can only imagine what effect this belief had on Lynn’s ability to praise her own children’s accomplishments.

When I look back on the strip and remember that nobody else was praised for working towards a goal, it becomes clear I shouldn't have expected the kids to avoid being subjected to the philosophy of being derided for not sitting back and letting the magic happen.