Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT January 3-7, 2011 (1831-1835)
pwhodges:
--- Quote from: Sharp on 08 Jan 2011, 20:47 ---Isn't it an unspoken rule that you don't reprimand your children in front of their friends? I was always taught that doing so only breeds resentment, as they are embarrassed in front their peers. Can any of the resident parents here confirm or deny this?
--- End quote ---
Sometimes an immediate reprimand is appropriate regardless of company, but in general you're right. In particular, using that embarrassment as part of the punishment is a bad thing.
Olymander:
--- Quote from: Pika_power on 08 Jan 2011, 04:22 ---Yes, perhaps 'malicious' was a bad choice of words. May I instead replace it with, "blatantly disregarding Marten's wishes"?
--- End quote ---
I would go with just "thoughtless" or "careless" myself, or possibly "inconsiderate". I don't feel there's any active malice or thought involved, which your choices seem to imply. We might disagree on this point (active malice/thought), however.
As well, something I thought about when I read through #459 when I was hunting down the "Mrs. Reed comments without thinking" strips is her statement about how Marten is an adult and can make his own choices, along with the arguments about whether or not he's being treated like a child or not... it seems to me that there's a bit of a double standard* going on when it comes to how people are arguing about how his mother should treat him. On the one hand, there was all the hoping and wishing that Mrs. Reed would come swooping in and "fix" everything back when we first heard that she was visiting. Now, if she'd actually done that, that would have been almost the definition of treating him like a child; "here, sweetie, let Mommy take care of everything for you." On the other hand, when she doesn't "coddle" him and instead treats things as if they were normal, in a backhanded way, she's treating him as a full adult; "you're old enough to solve all your own problems, dear, and you don't need any help from me."
Now, obviously, these are two extremes, but it does support the proposition that Marten and Mrs. Reed are still trying to work out how their relationship should perhaps function. The way Mrs. Reed swings back and forth between the positions (treating him like a child one moment, and then leaving him alone for others) strengthens the claim that she doesn't quite know how to deal with him.
* - this phrase is a bit stronger than how I actually mean it, but I can't think of a better one at present.
Addendum - Congratulations to "Is it cold in here?" for becoming the second moderator of this section. Good luck, and I hope we don't cause you too many sleepless nights!
Border Reiver:
--- Quote from: Sharp on 08 Jan 2011, 20:47 ---EDIT: I remembered my final point! Isn't it an unspoken rule that you don't reprimand your children in front of their friends? I was always taught that doing so only breeds resentment, as they are embarrassed in front their peers. Can any of the resident parents here confirm or deny this?
--- End quote ---
There really aren't any written rules for parenting, but Mr. Hodges has definitely hit the nail on the head - generally we don't reprimand in front of friends or other people, but if you really cross the line then public reprimands are warranted. Just like in your workplace , the boss will ususally take you aside to rip you a new one - but if you are endangering others, or an egregious violation of workplace rules, you may just end up being taken care of in front of your peers.
tomart:
--- Quote from: jedraft on 08 Jan 2011, 03:02 ---And yeah, if this is a light-hearted comedy, then having Veronica hit by a bus would be every bit as funny as this was. Funnier, in fact.
--- End quote ---
Since after her recent behavior, she'd deserve it.
Honestly, I don't understand those who think Veronica's trying to help him. Someone was right, earlier, pointing out that she's treating Dora like the poor victim while acting like Marten's feelings don't matter, or SHOULD be stomped upon. Maybe she IS subconsciously feeling her own marital breakup; that would explain a lot, but God, why can't someone point it out to her, and stop this travesty of parenting?
I'm losing faith that Jeph will or can salvage Veronica as a sympathetic character. Maybe that was his intention, to turn her from what we saw a couple years ago, to an oblivious, selfish oaf who should have stayed home.
...Oooooh, wait; maybe Jeph's going overboard to deny us any shred of pleasure in our fan-spun fantasy of Veronica helping Marten and slamming Dora. That's a... disappointing thought. I hope wrenching our expectations doesn't equate to wrenching Marten (and the whole tone of the comic) this badly. [Uh oh: after our loutish behavior in December, maybe his anger at us is coming through...]
westrim:
--- Quote from: Olymander on 09 Jan 2011, 11:00 ---As well, something I thought about when I read through #459 when I was hunting down the "Mrs. Reed comments without thinking" strips is her statement about how Marten is an adult and can make his own choices, along with the arguments about whether or not he's being treated like a child or not... it seems to me that there's a bit of a double standard* going on when it comes to how people are arguing about how his mother should treat him. On the one hand, there was all the hoping and wishing that Mrs. Reed would come swooping in and "fix" everything back when we first heard that she was visiting. Now, if she'd actually done that, that would have been almost the definition of treating him like a child; "here, sweetie, let Mommy take care of everything for you." On the other hand, when she doesn't "coddle" him and instead treats things as if they were normal, in a backhanded way, she's treating him as a full adult; "you're old enough to solve all your own problems, dear, and you don't need any help from me."
Now, obviously, these are two extremes, but it does support the proposition that Marten and Mrs. Reed are still trying to work out how their relationship should perhaps function. The way Mrs. Reed swings back and forth between the positions (treating him like a child one moment, and then leaving him alone for others) strengthens the claim that she doesn't quite know how to deal with him.
--- End quote ---
Well, if she had "swooped in and fixed everything", then all the things she did that are bugging us wouldn't have happened. She'd have had a serious chat with him, not hit on a waitress for him. Greeted his unmet friends with handshakes/ "oh, I've heard so much about you"/ something-not-cougarish, not bear hugs, panic button hitting, and something cougarish. Not hauled out his baby book the instant he went off to nap. Told him she was checking on Dora and make sure she wasn't freaking out too much, not snuck out and lied to him (and gotten outraged when he was upset and snarky after that). Etc. Would it have been coddling? Yes, that would be a legitimate observation. But would it be meddling with his life, embarrassing him at darn near every opportunity from what we see, and prodding the woobie when he's already down from a gut punch? Nope.jpg And she hasn't left him alone at all, from what we've seen. Twice she tried to fix things, the rest she just actively embarrassed him.
--- Quote from: Border Reiver on 09 Jan 2011, 12:03 ---There really aren't any written rules for parenting, but Mr. Hodges has definitely hit the nail on the head - generally we don't reprimand in front of friends or other people, but if you really cross the line then public reprimands are warranted. Just like in your workplace , the boss will usually take you aside to rip you a new one - but if you are endangering others, or an egregious violation of workplace rules, you may just end up being taken care of in front of your peers.
--- End quote ---
So parents are bosses, unless you work your way up the chain to become a fellow executive? Hey, this analogy works!
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