Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for January 07, 2020

Perceived reality is reality. On the other hand, in reality Janis should be shaking those maracas a little lower by now, but then again, look at Blondie.

“So get over here so I can have fun feeling you!”

I don’t remember seeing Phyllis Blossom Wallet aging like THAT.

No LMFAO here… “I’m not sexy and you know it.”

Put on a hardhat, Arlo. Maybe she’ll appreciate it more if she thinks that whistle is coming from a construction site.

Janis needs to learn how to take a compliment.

Arlo has “husband eyes” just like my husband. After 32 years and 3 kids, I know my body is vastly different now, but he doesn’t see it. He says he still sees the girl I was when he first met me. It took me a while to understand that he really means that.

It’s called love. I’ve been with the same lovely person 58 years and counting.

Nope! what she need to do is dump grandma’s underwear and put on something a lot more exciting.

Janet’s really showing her age in panel 1. BTW, is the whoopie lamp lit? Just askin’?

If it feels good, do it. – Folk wisdom of the 1960s

My gosh, my wife and I have had this EXACT same conversation many times!

“Don’t tell me what you feel like. I’ll tell you what you feel like. Might take a while.”

my wife is 66 and has a few more pounds than when we met 28 years ago, as do I and I still love getting romantic with her as I fell in love with her as is.

Finally. Age is showing around the middle. However, romance never fades. Not here, anyway.

I understand Janis’s comment. It’s hard when you get older and your body changes. You remember how you looked when you were young and deserved compliments. Getting old sucks!

Okay Arlo. Time for action not defensive words.

I know how you feel Janis, and yet when my husband looks at me at 56 I Believe the light in his eyes more than his words.

I keep looking for the camera Jimmy has in our house…

I should probably keep my comments to myself as well.

Janis should be happy Arlo voices his appreciation for her. I would be far worse to be ignored.

The last sentence should read, “It would be far worse to be ignored.”

My wife is the same way. As women age they seem to acquire a “poor body” image themselves. They don’t (does anybody?) like the fact that gravity is winning and things start to sag. On my wife, I think it’s sexy!

I had a similar experience with my late Wife years ago. She surprised me one night when she came out of the bathroom wearing a sexy black negligee. My immediate reaction was to giggle with excitement. She took the position that I was laughing at her and no matter how much I tried to explain my reaction and apologize for the unintended insult she never accepted it and never wore anything but an oversized t-shirt to bed again.

Damned if you do. Damned if you don’t.

Dadgummit!!

Janis is so ashamed of her current body she is angry and even when Arlo is being really complimentary she feels it is false.

My wife who passed last May was a thing of beauty to her final breath. Through it all, form cancer thinness, to 66 year old plumpness I found her form and figure dazzling in every way. I would give everything I own for one moment of cuddling her. If anyone out there who is married to a less-than-perfect woman and fails to appreciate her I suggest you reassess your fortune. You’ll never have it so good.

Not exactly a six pack!

Janis don’t know “google eyes” when she sees them.

Would have been nice in panels 2, 3 and four to see the high beams on and a tent pole in their bed.

Women are like wine. They get better with age.

This is certainly the most skin Janis has allowed us to see.

NOW she looks more like my wife…!

When I was dating my husband it was him I fell in love with not how he looked (same with him.) When we got engaged my mom commented about how good he looks. I looked at him, and said to her “He is? I never noticed.” Looks don’t matter, it the person behind them.

On paper we are about the worse match in the world. Different religions, different ethnic backgrounds, his family was very traditional girls are girls and boys and boys are boys – mine was girls can do anything, our politics were opposite (over the years we each moved to the center, passed each other the opposite way, came back to the center and now are on the same side), I liked folk music he liked acid rock. When we got married – after dating 4 years, engaged for 2 more – there were bets among friends how many weeks it would last. We loved the person behind everything and are still married 40 years later.

Appearance is the least of it – as the PA Dutch say – kissing wears out, cooking doesn’t.

Panel 1 is the first/only time I’ve noticed Janis drawn with a “few extra pounds” on her. No, I’m not saying she’s “fat” there— and for my own tastes I prefer a woman (including my wife) who’s not skinny. But generally Janis is still drawn somewhat on the skinny side, or earlier in the strip’s history very MUCH on the skinny side.