Duncan Anderson: Caribbean Cipher

[dreadedcandiru2]

As you might have guessed, I think that one of Liz's Great Big Problems is that she hasn't managed to escape the baleful influence of the Professional Good Influences that her parents like having around. Whenever I see one of the Magical Tokens, I'm put in mind of the character I most hate in Greg Evans's Luann: Delta James. Evans himself seems to see a rather sensible figure who motivates her apathetic friends to Helping Others. I see an annoying, chirpy, unlikable jackass who sees the people around her as stepping stones on her path to greatness; the idea that they don't want to waste their precious youth which they'll never get back helping some nagging narcissist climb the ladder is not one that appeals to her any more than being told they have a moral obligation to put aside their own petty desires for the sake of their children appeals to John or Elly.

This is especially true about the irritants April had to contend with: Eva "Warzone" Abuya and Luis "Refugee" Guzman. The instant that April starts talking something that normal people would sympathize with, Eva is Janey-on-the-spot with a cutting remark about war zones or expiration dates so that a sinister sort of magic act can take place. The idea is that since April's being treated like a piece of furniture no one wants to do with do not affect Eva in the least, April is magically supposed to stop caring about it. Similarly, we're supposed to pity Luis so much that we no longer care about someone whose main problem is not La Migra but doltish, greedy parents who regard her as a moocher because she doesn't bring money in.

Would, then, that they were all placid ciphers like Duncan. I mean, if we must have people whose sole reason for existing is to have Lynn caper around yelling "Hoop-yah! Look how tolerant the Pattersons are!!", the least they can do is BE tolerable and shut the Hell up about it. We know as much about him as we do Darryl Smythe.

Comments

[josephusrex.livejournal.com]

Bingo. If I were April, kids like Eva and Luis would be the very last people I'd tell my troubles to.

[dreadedcandiru2.livejournal.com]

Which only demonstrates how poor Lynn's grasp on reality actually is. To most people, pouring your heart out to a snippy little girl who thinks "Her problems don't affect me in the least so why is she so upset? If I were affected, I might care but I'm not so she should shut up" seems to be as stupid as Elly's whining "Why doesn't Liz come to me with her problems so I can take offense and pick her apart?" To Lynn, being asked to kindly shut up by a vain halfwit makes as much sense as Elly subjecting Liz to more of her guano.

[(Anonymous)]

Real question is WHY April befriended these (let's face it) self-righteous and selfish thugs. In fact, when April and Becky began to split up, didn't Elly basically actively continued to undermine their friendship?

[dreadedcandiru2.livejournal.com]

Because Becky might have exposed her to the Terrible Idea that people who work hard and have innate talent deserve success instead of hiding their light under a bushel so that stupid, lazy incompetents like the Pattersons can feel better about themselves. It's the ethos of the Soccer Mom, baby, and it's why there are so many cameras in houses.