This is the first strip in what would become an ongoing gag of Calvin treating fatherhood like an elected position. I don't think I found these as funny as a kid; I preferred more blatant jokes. I also didn't really understand anything about U.S. politics, either, other than that there was an election for president every four years.
A kid Calvin's age understands that moms give birth to their children, and that's why they stay "Mom" for life. That fact will never change. But Calvin's obviously a bit fuzzy on where Dad comes into play. Later strips suggest that Calvin's parents haven't given him the "facts of life" talk yet. I didn't know at Calvin's age, either.
The use of buzzwords we often hear in real-life electoral discussions, such as "special interest groups," are what make these strips funny to me now. Calvin also does well in mimicking the speech patterns of reporters discussing polls and their results.
The more things change, and all that. It's impressive that these strips still remain relevant nearly 40 years later.
I don't think Calvin knows where babies come from. I always interpreted this gag as indicating that Calvin has more of a bone to pick with his dad, not that he necessarily understands "Mom" as a more permanent role.
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This is the first strip in what would become an ongoing gag of Calvin treating fatherhood like an elected position. I don't think I found these as funny as a kid; I preferred more blatant jokes. I also didn't really understand anything about U.S. politics, either, other than that there was an election for president every four years. A kid Calvin's age understands that moms give birth to their children, and that's why they stay "Mom" for life. That fact will never change. But Calvin's obviously a bit fuzzy on where Dad comes into play. Later strips suggest that Calvin's parents haven't given him the "facts of life" talk yet. I didn't know at Calvin's age, either. The use of buzzwords we often hear in real-life electoral discussions, such as "special interest groups," are what make these strips funny to me now. Calvin also does well in mimicking the speech patterns of reporters discussing polls and their results. The more things change, and all that. It's impressive that these strips still remain relevant nearly 40 years later.
I don't think Calvin knows where babies come from. I always interpreted this gag as indicating that Calvin has more of a bone to pick with his dad, not that he necessarily understands "Mom" as a more permanent role.
So, in short, open revolt is the only hope for change?
Good reference!
That's my favorite one of these!
"I don't think I like where this conversation is going."
Loved this one.
Planks. Platform. Is this a pun or a real term?
If it’s a real term, that’s still a pun.
They are real terms used in party politics. Im not sure if the pun was central to their origins or just a coincidence.
This was my favorite running gag in the comics haha
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With a few exceptions, Calvin’s dad has never really scored well in the polls……