Sunday, July 22, 2012

July 22, 2012: Sunday Showdown!

(Click to Enlarge)

Clockwise from the bottom left:
  • What would have been a slam dunk opportunity for Loretta to criticize Leroy's drinking instead gets flipped into a winning act of defiance by Leroy. It all goes to show that any personal liability can, if properly executed, be turned into an unexpected point for the enterprising spouse. To successfully pull it off you have to really own your weakness and manage to get in your line about it before the other party can make a statement. Here Leroy manages to cut Loretta off with an Arthur Bach-esque  flippant acknowledgement of his own crippling alcoholism, preserving his pride and infuriating Loretta. Leroy gets the first point and goes up 1-0.
  • That is some comically poor golfing by Leroy. The only thing more ridiculous than his errant shot was his ludicrous attempt at playing it off, assuming Loretta wouldn't notice his golf shot went 180 degrees in the opposite direction. Although me managed to turn a moment of weakness into a point in the last panel, Leroy falls far short of another successful conversion. Loretta doesn't work all that hard here for her point, but in a situation like this, she really didn't need to put in much work. Loretta takes a point and ties the day up 1-1.
  • Ever the massive philistine Leroy personally rates the quality of a ballet performance based on the dancers' verticals. I do have to admit, I'd enjoy the ballet more if they incorporated the occasional 360 tomahawk slam. Loretta once again looks on in incensed disappointment as another attempt at the cultural education of Leroy crashes and burns. In addition to scoring a crucial point against Loretta, Leroy also manages to sneak in a quick commercial plug for Air Jordans; it's win-win for him. Leroy goes up 2-1.
  • You can almost hear the rim shot going off in the distance after Loretta drops her retort to Leroy's complaint. It's a fairly cheesy one-liner but I sort of liked it (Pullman on the other hands appears not to be all that amused). As for Loretta's supposed commitment issues, both Lockhorns have numerous personal flaws but the you cannot question their level of commitment. The fact that their marriage continues on with no merciful end in sight after countless decades and arguments shows the ironclad level of commitment between the Lockhorns. Although they are more committed to the premise of making each other miserable than maintaining their marriage out of love, one cannot deny that they have the most committed, indestructible marriage ever. Loretta gets a point and the day is tied 2-2.
  • Why anyone would ever accept an invite to a party hosted by the Lockhorns is baffling. In addition to the inedible food, the awkward tension of being a bystander to the Lockhorns' incessant, all night, arguing, and the possibility of being accosted by a drunken Leroy, you also have to put up with "entertainment" like the panel above. Objectively Leroy's lame ass shadow puppets may actually be a preferable alternative to listening to Loretta wail out standards while on the piano; at least you won't suffer any permanent hearing loss. Loretta comes through on the fifth panel and takes the Showdown 3-2.
Official Count:
Leroy - 69
Loretta - 87
Push - 48

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