For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 16, 2016

How about John? (Almost one month until my brother’s a married man.)

This comic is filled with nothing but regret, regret, regret. SPOILERS!! I hate how John and Phil are filled with regrets when it comes to getting married and we know that Mike is going to be filled with those same regrets when he gets married in the future. Married men who reads these comics, do you feel the same way as John and Phil or were you happier when it came to your wedding?

It is kind of dismal reading all the negative thoughts of the male characters who are either thinking about marriage or already married. This may be one of the reasons why I didn’t read the ’toon when it first came out in the newspaper back where I used to live. Back then, if I recall correctly, I was such a fan of comics in general that I read almost all of them…

Phil seems like a general loser all around.

Phil, is a male version of his sister—depressing and looking at life from the ‘glass half empty’ position ! ! ! !

Oh for crying out loud! It’s not a firing squad, Phil. I dislike this stereotype of men thinking marriage is a death sentence. Women are nervous about marriage too, but we don’t think our lives are over.

I think it is a culture thing. All the men in and around my family are gentle and supportive. I work in a nearly all male environment (over 35 of them) and while they may gently tease about such things, not one of them is miserable like this.

Why did he get engaged in the first place?

You’re coming across as the true embodiment of the adage “most men live lives of quiet desperation”. Not a good thing.

I’m about to give up on this strip. I’m sick of Phil’s whining, and both he and John are very self-centered and immature — there’s little to like about either one. Life can be funny. This strip often isn’t. At this point, I’d like to “see Georgia run.”

Why is he putting himself through this if this isn’t what he wants? Getting married when you don’t want to can only lead to resentment later down the road.

I was happy when we got married!

I was much happier when our divorce became final!!!!

I can’t disagree with anything you’ve said.

Big deal, 58 last September.

Any man who ever got married has gone through this. Well, maybe not if he proposed and they hopped right on a flight to Vegas before he could come down from the post proposal high and get to “OHMIGOD! What have I gotten myself into.”

After reading all these comments, I can see why a comic once said “Men and women should live apart and only visit each other when the need arises.”

Or maybe it’s time to revisit marriage expectations.

Everybody pays the piper. Phil, as a musician, ought to understand that.

Drop the loser.