Mitch4 sends this in: “I can think of a couple ways a punch line to this situation could play out, but the final panel doesn’t really seem to be illustrating either.
Maybe she’s upset because, as she predicted and the husband said was unlikely, everybody else is already well-tanned. But I don’t see that. The big red exclam would indeed represent her fuming, but we don’t see a bunch of tanned people — just a couple darker-skinned kids among paler ones, and none of them up close or large.
Or maybe the husband is acting-out her (hyperbolically stated) fear that everybody will “have to shield their eyes from the glare” . If that’s supposed to be it, he would be indulging in a mean sort of teasing, and that isn’t usually the dynamic of this couple. And his wincing/squinting seems to be drawn as genuine, which maybe would be from the white pages of his book?”
Comics I Don't Understand 
I think she’s reflecting so much light that it’s making it hard to read his book. That’s why his hand is up–to shield the pages. That’s my guess anyway.
He dismissed her “shield their eyes” claim as hyperbole, and then proceeded to need to do just that. I think the intention is that she really is so pale that she’s really causing glare.
On an almost unrelated note, when did the suburban ideal shift from having a pool in the backyard to living in a community with a pool?
I agree (after reading the comments) that he is shielding his eyes, but the drawing looks more as though he is blocking his ear. Drawing his hand a smidge closer to his eyes and in a more cupped shape would have made the intended situation more obvious.
There are just over 10,000,000 US residential pools, mostly in Florida & the Texas to California border states. If this pool is just now opening, and they haven’t been out in the sun, then yes, they’re much more likely to be going to a community pool.
There was a bump in construction in 2020, followed by a big drop & partial recovery.
I think he’s pretending to shield himself from the glare. There will be a price to pay for his joke.
I notice that when people who have a pool move, they don’t tend to move to another house with a pool. (northern Illinois, with a short pool season).
When we bought our first house, there were two for sale that were identical 3 br ranches on the same street, but one had an above ground pool. We bought the other one.
Now we live in a condo that has no pool, but we’re a block from the city’s large indoor aquatic facility, which my wife uses frequently. She enjoys socializing with the other women who tend to show up at about the same time. It’s an ideal situation for the condo association: we don’t have to maintain it.
Neighborhood pools for the win! No maintenance for you, just contribute your fee.
Powers – My guess would be when people found out pools are an attractive nuisance and the liability is huge.
TedD/Power–indeed. One of the smartest things I ever heard–over 40 years ago–was, “You don’t want to have a pool. You want a neighbor, with whom you are good friends, to have a pool.” Next best thing: community pool. Beyond liability, they’re a shedload of work.
I guess the advantage of the community pool is that there is relatively fewer people compared to a public one, and less direct maintenance and insurance than a personal one. These pools are sometimes seen in “Karen” videos, where someone who doesn’t “look” like they belong there is challenged.
Why go to a pool if you’re not going to swim?
Reminds me of the two happiest days in a man’s life. The day he buys a boat and the day he sells w.
s/w/it/
People usually do a combination of swim and relax by the pool. It’s been hot and humid here, and so I have been back at the treadmill in the fitness center at the Fancy New Apartment rather than walking outside. The TM looks out over the pool area and it has been fairly busy of late.
@chipchristian (13): Good substitute command.
@chipchristian (120): ???
I mean the discussion about the benefits of not actually owning a pool. It’s much better to have a friend with a pool or a boat than to have your own.