I think that, in annals of songwriting, one of the all-time stupidest is Bryan Adams’ “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)”. In the song, Mr. Adams names all the things he’d do for his love: lie, die, walk the wire, etc. First of all, who walks on wires for their love? Is this a live wire? It’s an important question.
I understand dying for your love. I’d put myself in front of a bullet to save my wife or kids. No question. But lying? I don’t think so. Not in most cases. I have principles and I happen to think one of the worst things you can do is lie. Not gonna do it. Unless it’s life or death, don’t ask that of me.
Meat Loaf, in his MTV opus “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” is much more realistic. He’s straight up saying, “I love you, but c’mon, there are some things I’m just gonna do. That should be okay. Don’t be a punk.” I’m paraphrasing. Meat Loaf is a romantic, but he’s also a realist. I can get behind that.
So, Tangerine has a choice. Do what the aliens say or the lives of his remaining sons are forfeit. It will be more defined soon enough, but essentially the question is… is Tangerine a Bryan Adams or a Meat Loaf?
Would he do anything? Or won’t he do THAT?
That… thing that shall be revealed soon.
I’m guessing the last panel today’s strip just made a great many of you very, very happy. I don’t claim to understand it, but there you go. By the way, apologies for my lack of participation in the last strip’s comments. You guys had a pretty good discussion without me, but life just took over the past couple of days. Back now, so you should see a few of my thoughts trickle in there soon.
Ironically, the single for Meatloaf’s follow-up to Bat Out Of Hell II was called “I’d Lie For You (And That’s The Truth)
I had forgotten that!
AND THERE WAS REJOICING IN THE STREETS! And the raising of questions! Will Mega Matt be the source of Tangerine’s new will to FIGHT… for peace? WAS Matt the mysteriously transported person that …uh… Therapist Lady brought back? TUNE IN NEXT WEEK, TRUE BELIEVERS!!
You said it. Lots more from Matt next week!
I always did wonder about Tangerine’s reaction towards the death of his first son.
Now I wonder how he’ll feel about this situation ? š
Yet, wasn’t the first son like an invulnerable type of hero ?
Family sure is a BIG thing in this series… Make me wonder of you have something BIG plan that will have parents and kids fighting together for a common goal?
The Healer was never presented as having any kind of invulnerability. He could heal people, but there was never any sense that power extended to himself.
And you’re right about family being a big theme, as for where that’s going… I can’t honestly say I have a plan as big as what you’re describing. Family is one of those things that’s just kind of layered itself into the story as it’s gone along.
….WHAT! M.M. has appeared but he’s captured already! Come on M.M. time to show them what you got and bust a move.
Tangerine looks younger. Maybe it’s because we saw him with his glasses a lot recently.
I had the same thought and I think you already figured out why. The glasses add quite a bit of age.
Very interesting. Maybe they’ve figured out Zurida has the crystal and plan to use Tangerine to remove her from the equation. I’d speculate more but your notes for today’s strip distracted me, Brock. After I read them I got stuck wondering which love songs would best suit the different Fogeys characters. The first thing that sprang to mind was Patsy Cline’s “You Belong To Me” for Zurida. A beautiful song considering it’s message could be interpreted as “Remember that no matter where you go in the world, I OWN you.” Going back a long time, one of Grandma’s favorites, “Falling In Love Again” performed by Marlene Dietrich for Captain Spectacular. It’s written from a woman’s perspective but kind of hopeless and sad, which I think fits him given his romantic track record. I could see him sitting around listening to it and drinking whiskey before he came to Valhalla. I couldn’t really think of a love song for Spy Gal. For some reason AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” was the only thing that would spring to mind. š What do you think, Brock, any ideas?
Jerry – “To Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan and “I Only Have Eyes For You” by The Flamingos
Star Maiden – “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey
Captain Spectacular – “You’re Going to Lose That Girl” by The Beatles
Swifty – “The Book of Love” by Magnetic Fields
Soviet Sam – “Let Your Heart Hold Fast” by Fort Atlantic
Dr. Rocket – “Brutal Love” by Green Day
Spy Gal – “The Ballad of Love and Hate” by The Avett Brothers
Zurida – “All We Want, Baby, Is Everything” by Handsome Furs
Oooh, SF playlist! Love your choice for for Captain Spectacular! I like your choices for Jerry, but I’d add “Demons” by Imagine Dragons. I like “Young and Beautiful” for Star Maiden, I’d go with “Divine Thing” by the Soup Dragons for when she’s Dark Maiden. “Book of Love” for Swifty and “Let Your Heart Hold Fast” for Soviet Sam were inspired choices. I like “Brutal Love” for Dr Rocket, but given what happened to Samantha Roberts – the only woman I think we’ve ever had confirmation he was in love with – I’d go with “I’m Sorry” by Brenda Lee. I wasn’t familiar with “The Ballad of Love and Hate” but I listened to it, and I can see it. I’d say “All Want, Baby, Is Everything” would suit Zurida pretty well.
Lying is like violence. It’s acceptable to use violence in defense against others’ violence. For example, they deliberately lied to the Germans about where the D-Day invasion was going to happen. But they were doing that in defense of their own country from the violence that the Germans instigated.
Even in less straightforward situations, my policy is “if I perceived a threat of some kind from you, I felt justified in defending myself by being less than forthcoming with the whole story” (I don’t know if I have ever had to lie in a situation like that, but I’ve knowingly let people come to the wrong conclusion when I said something that was true but I knew they would take another way.)
Ironically, it was an overbearing mission president that I had to protect my companions from that taught me this. Previous to that experience I held the position that you do.
I appreciate the honest perspective, msouth. I can’t say I exactly agree with your position, but I can at least understand where you’re coming from.
I do agree that there are certain situations where lying is okay–but they tend to be more of the life and death variety. War, sure. But I believe in suffering the unfortunate consequences in most other cases. If someone is behaving badly, like your mission president, I think that’s on them if they’re doing wrong. I think our responsibility is to meet their wrong with our right and trust that God will sort it out and bless us for our obedience. That’s my operating principle going into a situation like that.
You know, despite the general quality of the artwork being high, as the comic progressed over time from gags about retired supers to a more serious story, it has become a little jarring for me seeing four-fingered hands and mouths showing a few too many teeth XD
That… is a legitimate thing you’re describing. However, one day, you might see it a little differently…