For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for December 18, 2013

Well, at least it’s not the Chinese version from the film “A Christmas Story” (deck the harrs with boughs of horry, fa, ra, ra, ra… ’tis the season to be jorry, fa, ra, ra, ra…).

I’m pleased he didn’t hit her back

Reminds me what my wife did to her brother when he put ice down her back when they were kids. Brother learned his lesson !.

I always love it when children sing songs with the words that they hear, not necessarily the correct words. We should all sing like no one is listening and how we hear the song.

Sisters ???? 8^(

Which one?Deck us all with Boston Charlie?Bark us all Bow Wows of Folly?Dunk us all in Bowls of Barley?Tickle Salty Boss Anchovie?“But what HE’S singin’ don’t make no SENSE!”

She’s learned what “deck” means the hard way as the younger sibling.

When was “Male-on-female” violence ever acceptable for comedy?

; ) Wait until they hear Mele Kalikimaka!

Actually, that grapefruit in Mae Clark’s face wasn’t comic relief. It was supposed to indicate what a lowlife Cagney’s character was to abuse and humiliate a woman who loved him like that. If you remember, at the end of the film there was a little sermon, citing Cagney’s character as an example, about the gangster plague and the need for society to stamp it out.

I’m trying to think of a strip that has a much-younger brother that might hit his older sister- with 5-6 years between. I think it would still work as comedy, up to about age 5 or 6— so long as they’re much smaller, and not really expected to understand the consequences of their actions. Right now, I can’t think of any lifestyle strips with an older sister and baby brother.

If Michael had "bop"ed Lizzie and said, “Here’s what ‘deck’ means”, the comic strip would not have worked. “Male-on-female” violence is no longer acceptable for comedy in our society.

-I think using the word ‘bop’ is meant to suggest that Lizzie did the equivalent of a little wap on the head, not a violent slug that would have ‘decked’ Michael….

They are not my sensibilities; please don’t assign what does not belong. Whatever the reason they did it initially, the expression on his face and her reactions do not indicate playfulness in that scene. Also, if you observe that time period, especially the Laurel and Hardy films, the nagging and contentiousness was portrayed as a common element of relationships. Further, this movie, “Public Enemy,” was made in 1931 and was well pre-code; any “official” requirement would have come after that. They may have added it to make the movie more palatable to the public, however.

Lizzy didn’t “deck” Michael." She “bopped” him on the back of the head.

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I agree, and that’s what I meant, but howtheduck (see below) doesn’t agree.

As for her being a loving woman, I seem to remember there was a whole lot of nagging which led up to the grapefruit reaction

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If nagging was a justification for violence, the human race would no longer exist.

Even further, Alice never even so much as flinched at Ralphie-boy’s threats.

How about:

Deck us all with Boston Charlie,Walla Walla, Wash., an’ Kalamazoo!Nora’s freezin’ on the trolley, Swaller dollar cauliflower alley-garoo!

Courtesy of Wikipedia (‘cause I couldn’t remember the words).

Touche.

Thank you for the correction on the code. My info came from (please don’t snerk) TCM and their special on the code. Were there aspects that they didn’t start enforcing right away? I remember something about 1934, and there were a LOT of dicey storylines up until then.

The Volstead Act: greatest example of the Law of Unintended Consequences??

Coal can be used for:1.) Electrical generation2.) Liquification for fuel3.) Steel production4.) Heating5.) Elizabeth’s Christmas gift