18 January 2007

Swivel Chair, Swivel Head

See it here.

I damn near fell out of my chair when I read this particular Dinette Set.

The joke, such as it is, seems to be that Joy and Burl have set their AB-swivel chairs up in front of the TV so they can tone their flab into rock-hard abs while they watch TV, except that they have set the chairs up facing away from the TV.

For the first time I can think of, The Dinette Set is demonstrating a meta-awareness of the fact that its characters are capable of swiveling their heads 180 degrees.

It certainly raises the question of what the author's intent is in doing so. Is the purpose to pretend that their swivel-headedness is and has always been a deliberate choice on the part of the author rather than a by-product of ham-handed artwork? Or is it that the artist simply did not notice that the chairs were facing away from the TV in making a flaccid joke about Burl and Joy's flab?

I leave it to you to decide.

Rock-hard marginalia in 48 hours!
  • Honestly, are we to believe that Joy's bust is too dainty to fit the entire Everlast logo? Hardly.
  • I never want to see a reference to Burl's groin again, ever.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

*cheers about new post*

The problem with Joy's shirt is because of Ms. Larson's repeatedly-demonstrated refusal to acquire and use an eraser. Apparently she thinks everything she does is divinely inspired and not to be changed, even if it looks really stupid.

Anonymous said...

Glad to see a new post.

Once again, the TV commercial was kind enough to arrange itself in such a manner that any obstructions to the reader (such as Joy's arm and Burl's groin) are skillfully avoided. I want to live in a land of psychic, text-only TV commercials. Then again, maybe not.

Lethargic said...

I have not visited your illustrious site for some time now and thought, falsely, I had escaped the brain numbing reality of the Dinette Set. I thought wrong. It makes me very sad to see that Julie Larson is still employed and turning out manure by the barrelfull. One day at a time. Every day. Until one of us kills her.

Anonymous said...

please to observe hideous amputee burl in today's (2/28/07) edition.