See it here.
On the surface we have a fat joke, to wit: Joy's neck is too fat for the necklace to reach around. But bubbling below the surface, we have a panoply of symbols reflecting the state of Burl and Joy's relationship.
Burl, for example, has long since ceased to see their relationship as anything beyond a convenience borne of dependencies. His shirt could obviously be a reference to his belief that he had a hand in Patty's upbringing, a claim which is probably dubious. More likely, however, it is a reference to his having long since retired any feelings of care towards Joy.
More poignant is Joy's not-so-secret wish for Burl to view her as an object of desire, as expressed by her shirt's brazen declaration that her breasts can be "bought" (and rather cheaply at that). Long gone are the days (if, indeed, they ever existed) when Burl might give Joy a present in the hopes of attaining physical requitement from her. Why exactly Burl has given Joy a present is not the subject of the panel, though it is safe to assume that the reason is entirely perfunctory. No matter how much Joy wishes it, the gift from Burl comes with no strings attached.
And, in the final analysis, the fact that they openly shop in a faux jewelry store for gifts is a clear indication that neither of them attaches any value to their relationship beyond the surface appearance they project to those around them. It does not matter if their private lives are a living hell of emotionless co-habitation and unrequited love, so long as, to Dale and Marlene's eyes, everything appears normal.
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1 comment:
Joy's shirt makes me want to gouge my eyes out.
On the other hand, it's a nice reminder of the femininity of the DS's maternal figure. So often we are left with a very sexless characterization of Burl and Joy, their Fishnet Slippers are interchangeable, most of their clothing is interchangeable, they're both shapeless, jiggly masses of flesh.
However, in this strip, we see that not only is Joy a Woman, but she has been cheapened by her life that she has to go around advertising, "Here I am! I have breasts! Look at these!" Where some people may be a diamond in the rough, Joy is a Diamonique in the rough.
That said, I still would rather gouge my own eyes out than think about Joy's breasts.
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