Dueling to-do lists or how John won the farm visit.

[dreadedcandiru2]

As we know, the Pattersons viewed their month at the farm as a means of accomplishing certain goals. While John’s only real goal was to have wonderful mindless fun running farm equipment so he could recharge after the horror of having to interact with human beings, Elly’s to do list was slightly larger and, owing to its not quite being realistic, less likely to be accomplished. Now that we’re about watch them go home, let’s see what Elly wanted to do and how well she made out doing it:

• First off, she seemed to want her children to learn the value of hard work. Given that the method she and John use to do so remains the same and is copied by Bev and Danny, having four adults race around braying about being owed labour in return for lodgings fails to do so twice as fast.
• Second, she seems to have been transfixed by the notion that if the children were to see the hard work that went into growing food, they’d become suddenly wonderful and eat her slop. This worked almost as well as her on-going campaign to trick her children into eating foods they dislike so that she can whinny about how since they didn’t die, they have to eat said foods.
• Third, it seemed to me that she went into things with the goal in mind of raising consciousnesses and getting the throwbacks that seem to populate farm country to admit that “You know what? We’re horrible people for believing in the gender roles we do and really want to thank a city-dweller for telling us what to believe.” Given that no one on Exile Farm seems to be conscious, that worked as well as working children to exhaustion and calling them lazy did.
• Lastly, she seemed to want to get John to respect her as a hard worker. What a joke that was! He made an assy comment about how he was glad to see her finally work because it took him twenty-five jeezly years to entertain the possibility that Elly might actually feel overwhelmed and underappreciated.

About the only thing that she did succeed in doing was watching the ‘miracle’ of piglets being born and even that left a sour taste in her mouth because Danny wouldn’t join her in being unrealistic. Simply put, John got more of what he wanted done because he had a goal based in reality. Elly didn’t and she failed.

Comments

[kefkaownsall.livejournal.com]

Also the whole conservative red neck misogynistic farmer thing doesnt really work in Ontario maybe Alberta but even that is pushing it maybe Mississippi or Oklahoma

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Actually, giving them farm-fresh foods might have backfired on her. When Richard Feynman went to Japan, he tried some sashimi even though he normally hated fish, and found it delicious. He returned to the States, nope, still hated fish, because if it wasn't REALLY fresh it got a taste he disliked.

More directly, I adore carrots when they're fresh from the ground -- just wipe the dirt off and munch, mmm divine -- but I can barely choke down cooked carrots.

So even if Lizzie finds she enjoys fresh beets, it doesn't mean she'll ever wish to eat a beet her mother prepared.

[dreadedcandiru2.livejournal.com]

Which would make for an interesting strip. Watching Elly's eyes bulge out in anger and confusion because her children know what beets and Brussels sprouts are supposed to taste like would be very funny.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Yep. Laura could've told her of the joys of fresh beets, so she was happy about getting to try beets she picked herself . . . then looked at the plate and realized Mommy just boiled them to mush like usual.

[dreadedcandiru2.livejournal.com]

Ah, but try telling Lynn this. You won't get far.