One of my favorite comic strips is Andy Capp. Andy and his wife Florrie live in Northeast England. Andy is unemployed and terribly unmotivated to do anything but go to the pub or just lie around the house. This is looked upon with disdain by Flo and this is evident in their repartee.
The wry humor in these strips show a somewhat negative view of their marital state but surprisingly, it is well received by the international comic readership. This series has in fact been translated into 13 or 14 different languages. While the setting is very much England, the character represented by Andy is oftentimes portrayed in Pinoy movies where the supposed man of the house is jobless while his wife has to do everything at home PLUS go to work. Come to think of it, this kind of marital setup can be found in many other countries as well!
The Pinoy psyche has a knack for laughing at good and bad situations. In a way, this is the Pinoy resiliency at work. We can laugh at ourselves. But the comic strip also awakens us to certain realities — that some relationships and marriages are indeed like Andy’s and Flo’s. The Capps have encounters with Andy’s mother-in-law (the proverbial outlaw in his mind); their conversation can either be limited word exchanges or full of sarcasm; and Andy’s bumming around the house is forever an irritant to Flo. However, you get the feeling that despite this kind of marital bliss (or rather….blase), Flo actually cares for Andy and vice versa. Otherwise, she would not put up with him one minute more.
The comic strip below, however, makes me wonder if Flo did not see it coming even as early as their wedding!
I believe that some good can come out of comic strips like these that show the “nastier” side of marriage. If we can laugh and relate to some of the situations, wouldn’t it then make life a bit lighter and easier for us to be more understanding of each other?
🙂