One crowded Canadian bathroom
For Better Or For Worse, 1/5/05
We bring you this scene of catty gossip mainly so I can remark on the name of Liz’s friend in red: “Shawna-Marie.” I think that’s funny. It’s like she’s a Québécois hillbilly!
Something that just occurred to me: Do Canada’s draconian language laws require Lynn Johnston to pen a French-language version of the For Better Or For Worse dialogue? I notice she’s real careful about getting the accents right on Thérèse’s name. You sure don’t want the Bloc Québécois all up on your ass, lemme tell you.
Incidentally, I’ve read this comic strip every day since I was about seven years old and I have no idea who those other two girls are. I mean, I know one of them is “Shawna-Marie,” but you know what I mean.
maren
January 6th, 2005 at 10:47 pm
More importantly: do Canada’s draconian fashion laws require that Elizabeth not dress in anything a young woman would wear post-1989? That’s, er, quite an outfit there.
Kristen
January 6th, 2005 at 11:42 pm
Shawna-Marie is the daughter of the wheelchair bound teacher that inspired Liz to her profession. The other girl is misc. school friend.
I must be a bigger comic follower than you are. :)
Jim Morrison
January 7th, 2005 at 8:19 am
First off why do you think Shawna-Marie is a Quebec name. There’s nothing French about either half. Second, Canada does not have any l
these language laws, Quebec does and they
only apply in Quebec. To ease your mid they
do not require bilingual comic strips. If
there is a French version, its for the same reason
Garfield or Peanuts etc are translated and
I’m sure Lynn does not do the translating
herself. And as for the accents, perhaps she
wants to spell the name correctly. Otherwise
you have Theresa with an e.
Jim Morrison
January 7th, 2005 at 8:23 am
Two comments about the above. The comments
box is very awkward about line endings, so
that lone I should be ‘of’. Also my n key is
sticking so ‘your mid’ should be ‘your mind’
Vicki
January 7th, 2005 at 8:26 am
The Asian one is Dawn Enzo (whose brother Brian was a friend of Michael, and who now lives in Japan). The Enzo’s were a Japanese-Canadian family who moved near the Pattersons when Liz was a kid, and Dawn and Liz were friends. The mother’s name was Carol, a nurse, who helped deliver Liz’s sister April during an ice storm. I forget the dad’s name, but he got John interested in his electric train hobby. Shawna-Marie was also a friend from childhood (although she was introduced later). (I don’t believe that she was the daughter of the teacher in the wheelchair.) For awhile, Shawna-Marie and Dawn were closer friends, and Liz felt left out.
Anonymous
January 7th, 2005 at 9:58 am
Whomever these girls are, they all dress like street walkers from the 1980’s in New York City. Especially when Liz puts on her vest.
Going to pick up a little cash on the side I take it.
Jim Morrison
January 7th, 2005 at 10:56 am
On the fashion subject, remember it is a New
Years Eve party. People who are not used
to dressing up sometimes go a little sleazy
on those few occaisons they do.(at least they do in Canada)
WWB
January 7th, 2005 at 11:05 am
Who knew that, in the afterlife, Jim Morrison would be such a wet blanket?
Hubris
January 7th, 2005 at 12:30 pm
It’s that fucking taciturn Indian that’s gotten to him.
Curmudgeon
January 7th, 2005 at 1:00 pm
wow, this is one of the weirdest, un-funny comments section yet. Jim – go smoke something. Girls – aren’t y’all missing your stories or something? How do you know this?
Oh look, now I’m being weird and unfunny. Or as Curtis would say, “weird” and “unfunny”.
Lexy
January 7th, 2005 at 4:54 pm
Jim’s Canadian. Give him a break.
Vicki
January 7th, 2005 at 9:11 pm
To Curmudgeon: Sorry we’re not “entertaining” enough for you, but who says our purpose is to make YOU happy?
Oscar Blotnik
January 8th, 2005 at 2:38 am
Give him hell, Vicki!
Maven
January 8th, 2005 at 6:29 am
Wait now, I thought Canadians *were* funny. Heck, even my friends in Quebec can crack me up every now and then. Maybe Jim’s just sensitive today.
Looking for some funny commentary on names? I reda this site today, and died laughing: http://www.notwithoutmyhandbag.com/babynames/
Check it out!
Robin
January 8th, 2005 at 6:35 pm
I’m still trying to figure out how (and why) Dawn changed from a green top to a red one just for panel 4, and then back again.
Curmudgeon
January 9th, 2005 at 12:13 pm
Vicki – I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that your “purpose” here is to make ME “happy”. I have to say I’m very disappointed so far. ;)
"-"
January 11th, 2005 at 2:17 pm
Wow! You’ve got to comment on this strip more often. It’s going down soon, the writer is retiring, but man! the comments.
preach on, brother
“-”
JonB
January 27th, 2005 at 10:17 am
In written French capital letters shouldn’t have accents, so whoever put them on Thérèse’s name in the strip has made a mistake.
Andrew
May 1st, 2007 at 4:19 pm
JonB, that’s incorrect when applied to comics. I own several French comic books with the dialogue written in all capitals, and they put the accents there.
johnny c
May 1st, 2007 at 7:19 pm
Poor Ellie brought into this world two very trashy daughters, and a son who does nothing but cut and paste snippets from bad romance novels to create his hot book, which has all the appeal of a …oh, we have not read a word of it?
Anonymous
June 10th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
canada does too have those language laws, jim morrison.
we have to have french and english on all cereal boxes and stuff. in all provinces and territories.