For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for September 02, 2012

Oh, John, you sneaky man!

I’ve never changed at the beach. We always put on our trunks or swimsuits before leaving to go to the beach. Less to pack and you can run from the car to the ocean with no waiting, other then parents screaming about sunscreen.

My dad would have done that!

LOL I could have Sooooo seen my hubby doing this when our kids were small. This one really did make me laugh out loud :-)

Thus another therapy patient is born…

The child wouldn’t have been yelling about it like that if he didn’t want to engage – no horror needed.

I was at the public pool in Bitburg Germany back in 76 when 2 16 y.o. German girls spread their blanket next to ours and proceeded to change into their bikinis right there. No one was offended, outraged, or fainting. We need to have that kind of open tolerance here in the US and the rest of the world.

I think Elly is in shock. Though if it had happened to me I’d have been sorely tempted to run over and pull my Dad’s trunks down.

@TrapperJohn

Yes, Canada has beaches! We have to dig through 4 feet of snow and ice, and then place some steel barrels willed with coal (as there are no trees this far north) to burn and warm up the sand.

The trip to a properly prepared beach by dog-sled is my favourite part of the day. Just watch out for the polar bears!

Is this comic strip being rewritten after the divorce? John is certainly a jerk.

Hey, Canada has some great beaches just over the peace bridge in Fort Erie. Crystal Beach and Sherkston Beach are fantastic. And then there are all the lakes. You just have a very short season up there.

This is the kind of thing my Uncle Herman would have done.

Aha JGordy, I bet they would have been offended if two 16 year old boys had done the same! Europe has just as much of a double standard as we do.

Favorite beach…Grand Bend on Lake Huron!!

nudity doesn’t always have to be sexual – making a big deal out of it, just makes it worse. The Japanese bathe as a family and Europeans sunbathe as they wish. The beach is NOT a fashion show. Be comfortable with yourself and do not hide away. That makes as much sense as the disabled being ashamed and hiding their lives away.

Nudity is normal. We’re all pretty much the same under our clothes.

How could some many people miss Michael’s request to BE exposed?

I liked your comment about your Dad.

HIILARIOUS! And, oh geeeeez, it’s a COMIC STRIP people! What makes people laugh (well, those without a stick stuck way up their hiney anyway) is that the characters DO the things most people only fantasize about doing. And, really now, any older brother wouldn’t think twice about whipping the blanket off their younger brother, especially when all those announcements give the perfect cue! Traumatized for life my ahsss, more like learned a lesson in discretion. lol

I’ve never realized what a jerk Jon is. He’s really a passive aggressive abusive type isn’t he?

@ howtheduck – I would have been horrified at your Dad for being horrified at the other Dad for having a little fun at the kids expense. At least John’s not a stick in the mud like my Dad was.

Good Lord, mellow out folks! If he didn’t want any attention, he should have spent 5 panels screaming his head off about what he was doing. Potentially two lessons for him: 1) Don’t be lazy next time; go to the changing house; 2) Be more discrete (quiet) when you’re up to something =)

Can you SEE the horrified look on Elly’s face in the last panel?

I see someone is scarred for life.

Having been to a nudist camp once, I can honestly say there are more rolls of fat than there are nubile young things, male or female.

Exactly, jgordy24! I was just gonna say, I never quite understood what the big deal was with being seen naked or in underwear. My American classmates didn’t even change into their gym clothes where the other girls could see them! Well, I’m East German, so I’m used to nude beaches even, but what the heck, just get over these towel screens your friends have to hold up, drop your clothes and change!

Oh man John you need to get to the gyn you look like crap.No definition and a crappy body. If Brewster Rockit had a wrestling match with you is kick ur butt.

Sounded like Michael was trying to be the center of attention with all that yelling.

Trapper John: There is a rather nice public beach just over the cliff from the University of British Columbia. However, those there would wonder why the kid was making such a big deal of it, and why the rest were wearing bathing suits. It is the only beach in the Vancouver area with free food (salmonberries, a wild variety of raspberries, grow there).

legaleagle: I have never seen a hidden temple except there there is extreme persecution by bigots. On second thought, that is the situation with God’s creation here.

There seems to be a certain age range where children are, by nature or curiosity, exhibitionists. I was on a job once doing bathroom repairs when three young girls playing in their bedroom decided to play “beauty pageant” in the hall, strutting and posing. Naked. It took a "Do I have to call your Mom? " to get them to scurry back to the bedroom.

I agree that Michael was pretty much asking for it. He only had to say it once to get privacy.

this reminds me of a line on Red and Rover. The 1st pic was Red with his naked butt showing . When he realized he was caught with no pants, he turned to us looking a bit proud. There was a no cowering for him.

An old Jack Benny script:Dennis, why were you arrested yesterday?Wasn’t my fault – I was on the bus and the driver said“Change here for Pismo Beach!”

I think it is pretty funny how some families will strip their kids on the beach to put bathing suits on them and the kids could care less if they are covered or not – only adults seem to care … others are terrified to have any of their underwear showing yet the bathing suit is usually smaller and less material…. yeah, we have quite a hang-up on nudity in the US … Blacks Beach in San Diego is exciting for about 20 minutes, then the novelty wears out and you can enjoy a great tan. Even if many participants shouldn’t be there for a fashion review, they are a lot more honest about it and personable. you can meet some real nice people there, from all over the world. (And sand does not get stuck anywhere.)