Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for April 09, 2021

Not sure if it’s working, Frank.

Like my wife says, if she has to remind me to say it…

is she even listening to his compliments for which she’s looking?

Quizá sea un poco de inseguridad, pero Nancy ciertamente es bella y atractiva

I’ll bet Nancy blushed when Prince Charming said she was beautiful. I once read that blushing was secret pleasure.❤️‿❤️

Women like to be told their beautiful even when their make up makes them look like Quasimodo.

Once she gets all lathered up I’m sure Frank notices her. Probably not the image he would like to see so near bedtime!! 8^ )

get the toothbrush out of your mouth Frank your being cuckolded

Frankly, G&K are painting Frank as the absolute most tone deaf and thoughtless jerk in the strip.

Why?

Frank, don’t just tell her—-show her. Yes women LOVE verbal compliments, they eat them up. But they also enjoy physical compliments.

Frank it’s about Nancy noticing you notice her. Now Frank you are making all about yourself.

Frank, you need to be more physical than wordy. She is not hearing you. You’re too far and at the wrong time and wrong setting. Wait until you are in bed.

Sorry Frank, apparently you don’t count!

I think Nancy is missing something in the relationship – to feel attractive again. But don’t we all?

He’ll have to put it more crudely, if you know what I mean and I think you do.

Watch out, Frank – that toothbrush will not look good sticking out the back of your neck.

It’s clear that Frank has been remiss and not complimented Nancy enough and expressed his feelings to her. Him saying it now is not the same. He needs to do something special with her and shake things up. Possibly a vacation or 2nd honeymoon.

You’re “regular army”, you don’t count.

She works as a bartender, so of course the drinkers will flirt with her from time to time. And Frank has encouraged the bartending because they lost Pru’s rent checks, which were tremendously important to their survival, for some reason. Maybe Frank should take over as bartender, then he can be hit on by some drunk broads and he won’t feel so bitter. Heaven knows what else he does with his time, anyway.

Mid life crisis, Nancy?

Frank has spent too many hours at work. He needs to stop being frugal with his time.

I’ve got the best husband imaginable. Yes he compliments me (and yes I notice, and compliment him as well). That didn’t prevent me getting really flattered and glad when this very attractive guy started flirting with me. I would never think a moment about leaving or cheating on my man but this IS flattering and helps with a woman’s self-esteem.

Oh, Nancy♡. You’re right, aging is scary. But you have a very great Husband♡, don’t take him for granted.

It doesn’t count if you have to be reminded to do it, Frank.

The time earlier in the week where you thought somebody noticing her was a joke, THAT was an honest reaction on your part. And that’s what she’ll remember.

A compliment is more meaningful if you do it spontaneously rather than needing to be prompted.

What is he? Chopped liver?

The Age of Olay

She means “other people” Frank…

I’m with Frank on this one.

You gotta say it like you mean it, Frank! Or at least try to… :D

It doesn’t carry the same meaning when it’s from your spouse. From another person though, that’s a different story.

I’m sorry, Frank, did you say something?

I’m noticing that you didn’t start noticing until she mentioned how flattering it was to have someone noticing.

He notices that with all the goop on your face

Not much chance of Frank getting lucky tonight.

Unfortunately, wives don’t believe, or want to believe their husbands, thinking they’re just biased. My wife is the same way.

Paraphrasing: Familiarity breeds discontent.

I was happier when my wife decided that it really only mattered that I thought she was beautiful. But I also showed her daily if only by the way I looked at her..

Stereo typical here. Frank is identified as “failing” in the relationship and the assumption is Nancy is succeeding. What’s interesting is GnK do a pretty good job painting the “typical” long term relationship where spouses go towards, “yes, we’re together”. What we don’t see (and maybe this is them “showing it”) is the little things spouses do for each other out of love (fixing coffee, picking up something special for their partner, a minor surprise). If I have any problems with this it’s that as usual we see Frank “failing”. Has Nancy ever failed in their relationship? I don’t recall it. Seems Frank, Brad, and Luann have “relationship failure points” but Nancy seems perfect; 1980’s sitcom?

Nancy took on Pru’s roles as Hostess, waitress, event coordinator and bartender. See:

https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2020/04/17?ct=v&cti=2146240

But from the very first, barmaid seemed to fire her imagination. Perhaps al the flirting has an imaginary component???

No Frank she’s not noticing because you’re just repeating the words after her (with a tooth brush in your mouth) not coming up with them on your own at some unexpected moment.

You made your point Nancy. Now shutup and pay some attention to your hubby whom for the past 3 strips youve been ignoring.

Take the toothbrush out of your mouth and speak.

Is it toothpaste she is applying on her face?

This strip shows women can be clueless too.

the compliment you get when you ASK for one is never as good as the spontaneous one

Just shut up and listen, Frank.

If Nancy had these feelings, she never should have used a “flirt” to goad her husband into paying compliments. She hasn’t been a bartender very long and she doesn’t realize that a lot of men, especially the ones that come to bars alone are looking for a pick up. When a woman bartends for a long time they come to recognize this type of customer and can take their compliments with a grain of salt. I have also noticed that they never tip the female bartenders very well. It’s almost like they think their compliments and come-ons take the place of a tip. Nancy’s character took this guy way too seriously and then she brought him home with her. Bad move on her part.

Frank is noticing…cigar in mouth and all!

Can’t put the spotlight on Frank because no background has been developed. I just consider him retired or semi-retired from a bank. Nancy is more social, so she likes working with the public. The Fuse is an investment to bring in extra money, and provide somewhere for everyone to be, an environment, a “stage”.

I think it is pretty common that most wives consider complements given by their husbands (and friends) to be “expected/obligated/less than” complements given by a stranger.

And there is quite a bit of truth to that sometimes. As in woman’s friends tend “lie”, not to hurt the woman’s feelings or “see inner beauty”, or maybe even sometimes make them selves feel better (your not fat! After all your the same size as I am)

And since we have no idea if Frank complements her all the time, and not just when being prompted like this. Which of course is a “much weaker” complement that he just tells her on his own.

It doesn’t count if Frank just repeats what Nancy says. He needs to say what he feels, not what he hears someone else say.

As my wife would say: “You’re just saying that because I’m your wife!” No way I can win!

As Nancy puts cold cream on her face I’m remembering the lyrics to that notorious song “Wives and Lovers” that includes lines like “Don’t send him off with your hair still in curlers. You may not see him again…”

I think Nancy will probably go to bed with the cream mask on her face and with Frank staring at her white (cream covered) face as he doesn’t sleep.

Come on, give her a toothpaste on goop smooch already! ;-D

She’s noticing that you’re talking with your mouth full, Frank, and drooling while you do it.

Hmmm. Her face is covered in cream and he is gagged with his toothbrush, a phallic symbol. Got it.

Most of the commenters here understand that this is the Luanniverse, where characters are one-dimensional and fit into the role Evans has written for them. Here, Frank is shown as the stereotypical long married spouse who takes his wife for granted until a stranger notices her and now Frank finally, after much prompting, says something.

To those few who don’t get that this is the Luanniverse, we KNOW this isn’t real life!

Maybe, just maybe, Evans is using the arc to serve as a wakeup call to the DeGroots to break them out of their rut of marital complacency, but….since this is the Luanniverse where everyone has a niche to fill, I doubt it.

Compliments from a stranger are more powerful in some ways – they are presumably unbiased. Compliments from family and friends can be colored by the fact that they know and value you personally and may just be saying it to make you feel good.

My wife is in her middle 70s (don’t repeat that). She is still a very attractive woman and I will tell her that until the day the first of us dies…..

Law of the universe: When you’re in a hole, stop digging. Frank, I’m looking at you!

Stop talking, start doing…

Someone said “If you find a person in your age group that you are attracted to than you are still young”.

Con crema en la cara?

Folks … Could it really be that Frank IS complimenting her, but doing it in a perceived off hand manner? (What with the toothbrush-in-mouth and all)? …

Honestly, I’m surprised that G&K did NOT have Frank speaking in mumbled words and syllables, and phonetically spelling that out! Then, Nancy could truly say, “Sorry, dear. Didn’t understand. I don’t speak Toothbrush-ese !!” …

Maybe, just maybe, that’s the point here … :)

Vive La Différence.

She had to mention attractive and beautiful before he said anything.

It’s amazing that he can talk so Clearly with the toothbrush in his mouth.

You are paying attention now that she has had the attention of someone else.

I tell my wife everyday how beautiful she is. And It’s truth.

Has anyone else ever noticed the alarming visual similarity of Frank DeGroot, Walt Duncan of Zits, and the Dad from Calvin And Hobbes? It’s like they’re the same person in three different ages. Calvin’s Dad is young and stupid, Frank is middle-aged, stupid and balding, while Walt is old, stupid, bald, and fat!

tomorrow: validation … but for whom ??? :-/

Next up: Brad and Toni discuss divorce.

:-/

Not enough and not on your own.

While Frank is sincere, his timing makes the compliments bland. No good to be prompted into the complimenting. Devalues the praise.

Having your spouse say you’re beautiful or handsome doesn’t count, they’re supposed to think that. Having someone else say it has meaning. Or so I’ve been told.

Compliments are a tricky business. I understand that many men feel like they can’t win no matter what they say or when. Maybe it was the way I was raised, but I didn’t worry much about getting complimented as a young adult or a married woman. My parents would compliment me, but I didn’t think it was just because they were “expected” to. They also would express opinions that weren’t compliments. (In high school, my mother told me I wore so much eye makeup that I looked like a vampire, lol! I actually liked that look, long before Goth was a thing). What I didn’t like was kind of reverse compliments. I trimmed my long hair shorter when I was in nursing school because it was easier to keep it back where it was supposed to be. My mother-in-law “reverse” complimented me by saying how nice it was shorter, and I should get it shortened even more, because it would make me look younger. I was about 32 years old, hubby was 13 years older than me – did she think I wanted to look like jailbait, or what! Anyway, I think both Nancy and Frank need a little bit of understanding here. Philosophical discussions really shouldn’t be held at the end of the night when everybody’s been working and is now tired.

Take the toothbrush out of your mouth, Frank, and do some serious “courting”; your lady looks “hungry”….

Oh Frank, after all those years of marriage you should know how wives talk.

“I mean someone who isn’t already and always madly in love with me.”