More Corn Stories

See it here.

Honestly, I probably don't need to write more than to note that this is the second of what is now a two-part series dealing with shopping for corn in the supermarket (here is the first).

Pointing out the pun in the title ("More Corn Stories") is probably unecessary, although assuming the pun was intentional may be over-reading it, since nothing in either of our "corn stories" has been really "corny" per se. But I figure it's a 50-50 chance that no pun was intended versus a pun intended even though it makes no sense. Since making no sense is the strong point of The Dinette Set, I decided a non-sensical pun is really the most likely explanation.

But what stands out about the strip is that I'm not even sure there is a joke. Shucking corn in the store is commonplace; there's usually a garbage can right next to the display for just that reason. Just as commonplace is looking for corn with flaws and then not buying it.

Now, I'm going to have to go out on a limb here and say that the joke is supposed to be in one of two places. Either we're supposed to believe that Burl is impossibly picky about his corn or that the store actually has a bin full of bad corn. Since these are fine Midwestern folk, it's not a stretch to believe that Burl is actually a bit of a snob when it comes to his corn. So I guess we're left with the joke being that the store has a bin full of bad corn, and I'm not sure what's funny about that.

I also feel like I should be making more out of the fact that Joy says they need "a dozen more" despite having a box full of corn in their cart already. Perhaps this is a comment on their obesity or rapacity, but damned if I can put my finger on what would be funny about it even if the obvious guess that they are having a BBQ with friends didn't explain the need for 2 dozen ears of corn more easily.

Maybe, with the corn at 10 for $1.00, this is all the food they can afford for the week after paying for their healthcare and heating bills? Maybe it's meant to be a tragic comment on the plight of the elderly in America? That seems like a bit of a stretch, I admit.

As for marginalia:

• The extremely cross looks on the other shoppers' faces (presumably because all the corn is being picked over by Burl and Joy) appear to be mere pettiness since there's a vast table of corn set out before them and there should be plenty of space for them to just go get their own damn corn. Hell, Burl is even getting rid of the bad ears for them!
• If we assume this is a continuation of yesterday's strip, Burl has apparently changed shirts. Perhaps shucking is such sweaty work that he was forced to change?
  
• His shirt is mystifying in and of itself. A quote from Dirty Harry ("Make My Day") and a target on his own chest? See, when Dirty Harry says stuff like that, the target is on the other guy's chest. Perhaps the target is a subtle tie into the "daggers" the other shoppers are shooting at him with with their eyes and the slogan is meant as a warning to them that Burl is not a man to be trifled with, especially when appraising corn.
• The fact that the artist put in movement lines to indicate frantic shucking is really quite quaint.
  
• "Bawdy Paper Towels"? I think I'll just leave that one alone.
  

I can't even express how excited I am to find out if "corn stories" is a trilogy...