Frazz by Jef Mallett for February 04, 2015

For now, Mrs.Olsen is unable to offer a nasty response to Frazz. For now.

Every morning going to work, I pass a guy running no matter what the weather – in the snowstorm the other day, 14 below zero F this morning, etc. Ya gotta be devoted.

question: would you wait for the snow removal service that finally arrives at 230pm, or start shoveling the parking lot(distance from your car to the entrance/exit is .375 miles, you don’t have a blower, and there is 1.5-2ft of snow, 10am, temp is 10, wind chill is -10)?

Mrs. Olsen equates shoveling with running since both are exercise. Got it.Mrs. Olsen prefers bingo to school board meetings. Got it.Frazz implies that their feelings for running (and shoveling) are the same as Olsen’s for bingo (and board meetings). Got it.They are analogous because…? Don’t got itShoveling substitutes for running because the main objective of running (in Olsen’s mind) is exercise. How is the board meeting supposed to be a substitute for bingo?. Frazz could have just as easily said “it’s like missing bingo to go get a root canal, or missing bingo to volunteer to get your face shot with a shot-gun”.

I think it may go a bit beyond that; Frazz’s analogy is that while shoveling and running are both “exercise,” one is enjoyable and the other not. His analogy helped Mrs. Olsen see that although bingo and board meetings are both “sitting in room full of people listening to someone at the front of the room,” she looks forward to one and not the other.

For me, the key for this comic making sense is not that we see an analogy, but Ms Oleson sees it AND accepts it. Her premise was that running and shoveling are very similar activities (you get a lot of exercise) She has to agree that while she really likes bingo, and really dislikes board meetings, they are very similar activities in some respect.-——————————————@doublejakeI think you are spot-on in the joke’s intent. I still contend that it is somewhat tenuous because it describes bingo/board meetings as Frazz sees them (groups of people seated for a long time NOT exercising) and not in a manner that Ms. Oleson would readily view them.-———————————————————————For the others that attempted to help me “understand”, I think you merely re-worded (probably for the better) my point that "Frazz implies that their feelings for running (and shoveling) are the same as Olsen’s for bingo (and board meetings). " I understood that part of Frazz’s analogy already.

Because it gives him time when he’s able do routine tasks that let his mind wander, which is good for creativity (and it seems to be working based on song sales) and because his best friends are there- the 4th grade teacher (who I’d point out is overweight but not lazy), Miss Plainwell, and the kids. Sitting at home wouldn’t be as fun or inspirational. And many people who are famous for their intellectual work kept at some mundane job for the reason first stated, plus guaranteed income if he doesn’t sell a song for a while or they don’t do well

Frazz said, “SOMETIMES running is a team sport.” Meaning that on occasion one runner could use the assistance of another. Please don’t be so judgmental until you learn to read what has been written.

There are actually running teams where individuals help each other out during the race. Sometimes there’s a “rabbit” who helps let an early pace but who may leave the track before the end of the race; or there may be s team of runners switching out the lead so teammates can “draft” on the leader. Distance race records are often the result of a team effort in addition to a superior individual effort. Long distance races sometimes resemble long distance bike races with a peloton-like mass and individual “breakaways.”