Official Count:
Leroy - 102
Loretta - 132
Push - 74
My year long tally of the loveless snipes and cruel, hurtful vitriol of America's favorite dysfunctional comic couple, The Lockhorns.
Even the ever bitter Lockhorns are not immune to the spirit of giving and charity that pervades the holiday season. Unfortunately Leroy's ties are so hideous and lacking in aesthetic merit that even Goodwill refuses to take them for free. Loretta really had her pick of insults in this particular scene. Aside from telling Leroy the embarrassing news that his ties were unwanted by charity, Loretta could have also gone to town on Leroy's outdated and gaudy neon blue, zigzag sport coat. With so many liabilities in fashion alone, it's no wonder Leroy is trailing Loretta by such a healthy margin. It's a point for Loretta.
Loretta's cold sobering disclosure to Leroy that his collection of tie-dyed apparel are hopelessly outdated and far from enjoying a retro renaissance once again indicts him for having a terminally poor sense of fashion. Aside from demonstrating how out of touch Leroy is with modern fashion trends, the appearance of tie-dyed clothing also intriguingly hints at perhaps a secret past as a member of the 60s counterculture. Perhaps before he met Loretta and became the living embodiment of the establishment, Leroy was a free wheeling hippie with a long flowing head of hair, preaching peace and free love. Now that'd be pretty far out. Loretta gets the point.
Once again the Lockhorns find themselves victims of airline mismanagement (or possibly vengeance). However, this time around the loss of Leroy's luggage creates an unexpected windfall for Loretta. For Loretta this simple routing error has just banished an entire luggage case worth of Leroy's treasured, yet unbearably tacky threads to some far away locale. The always gracious Loretta emphatically thanks the airline employee for their mismanagement, which at the same time is obviously mocking Leroy's lack of fashion sense. Until the missing luggage can be location, it looks like Leroy will have to manage in his schlubby Magnum P.I. ensemble. Loretta continues her roll with another win.
Leroy's questionable choice in formal wear gets an immediate rebuke (with good cause) by the always fashion conscious Loretta. You'd think that after decades upon decades of criticism, Leroy would develop some sort of rudimentary sense of what outfits are appropriate and what aren't. By now, one would assume that he'd figure out that anything with zigzag pinstripes or bright pastels would warrant an automatic red flag from Loretta. I do somewhat sympathize with the man though; with so many depressing, conservative black tie cocktail parties it's understandable that he wants some change to break up the stale monotony. Loretta gets the insult and the point.
Loretta comes off as particularly cruel in today's panel. She ruins poor Leroy's much anticipated day of temporary peaceful solitude and relief from her round the clock nagging and insults by leaving him with the foul lingering aftertaste of a well placed, pointed insult as he is walking out the door. Now he'll have Loretta's shrill critique repeatedly echoing through his head all day as he struggles to enjoy his time out on the water, thus completely tainting his rare vacation. Well played, Loretta. You got yourself a point.
A masterful display of insulting by Loretta. Not satisfied with merely another crack about Leroy's terminal lack of fashion sense, Loretta deftly adds an additional layer of mockery by using the black and white nature of the picture to point out how old he is. The synergy between the two insults is perfectly seamless. When you add on top of this exceptional affront, the fact that it's in front of their guests, giving it an extra degree of hurtfulness, you have yourself a truly standout performance by Loretta. She has more than earned her point.