Doonesbury: too racy for the funnies?

[AKA]

This past Sunday, many newspapers across the country substituted the day's regularly-scheduled "Doonesbury" strip with an older strip from 2002.

The reason: the strip G.B. Trudeau provided (below) deals with the time-honored tradition of masturbation. Here's how the AP reported it last week:

'M-word' prompts papers to pull 'Doonesbury'

The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- It's OK to portray the president as a wimp, a waffle or a reckless Roman emperor.

But if you're "Doonesbury" creator Garry Trudeau and you mention the "M" word -- as in masturbation -- editors will pull your strip.

Characters in Sunday's strip discuss a recent study by Australian scientists who found that men who masturbate often in their 20s are 30 percent less likely to get prostate cancer later.

Some U.S. newspapers have chosen to run a substitute offered by Kansas City-based Universal Press Syndicate.

"We felt it was something our readers would not like, and we did not have a good reason for running it," said Diane Bacha, assistant managing editor for features and entertainment at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Bacha posted a query about the comic on an industry e-mail message board and received responses from 34 newspapers. Nineteen said they would not run the strip, 12 said they planned to and three did not know what they would do.

"To me this boils down to a taste issue," Bacha said.

This is not the first time newspapers have refused to run "Doonesbury."

Just before the 2000 presidential election, at least two newspapers pulled an installment that accused George W. Bush of cocaine abuse. In February 1998, at least four newspapers refused to run "Doonesbury" strips about accusations that President Clinton had sex with a White House intern.

Newspapers do not have to notify the syndicate when they pull a strip, so it would be impossible to know how many of about 1,400 subscribers will decide to run Sunday's installment, said Kathie Kerr, a spokeswoman for the distributor.

Normally, Trudeau doesn't allow Universal Press Syndicate to offer substitute strips when newspapers have "editorial concerns," Kerr said. This time, however, he agreed to let the cartoon's distributor offer a substitute "Doonesbury" from September 22, 2002, she said.

In a written statement released Friday by Universal Press, Trudeau said the comic "isn't really about masturbation or the cancer study as such, but about the shifting nature of taboos and the inability of two adults to have a certain kind of serious conversation."

"Still," Trudeau said, "I understand that the mention of certain words per se will not be acceptable to some family newspapers."

In a letter to newspaper editors, Lee Salem, editor and executive vice president of Universal Press, referred to masturbation as the "m-word."

"For some papers, the use of the m-word per se, no matter how deftly it is referenced, may cross the line," Salem wrote.

Trudeau said his decision to allow the syndicate to offer an alternative strip did not signal his intention to start supplying replacements "every time there's a chance someone might be offended."

"It's a `South Park' world now, and younger readers are unlikely to be shocked or confused by anything they find in `Doonesbury,' " he said. "Besides our general experience is that most children don't understand "Doonesbury" in any event, and thus sensibly avoid it."

[Mysty Eyes]

That's it?? Holy moly!

[PZelda]

Nope, definitely not racy. Racy is everybody in Doonesbury being naked and gettin' their jig on.

[ABlairican Pie]

I don't know why most of these whiny editors and everyone expect everything that's a comic or a cartoon to necessarily something geared toward the kiddies. I understand that Doonesbury strip won't make its way between Garfield and Fox Trot with its brand of social commentary.

I have serious moral objections to the depravity found in Family Circus...

[ABlairican Pie]

I thought the comic was pretty funny!!

[Jenya]

I think some newspapers are going way overboard banning comic strips. Remember this one making a few raised eyebrows a few years ago, when a gay character was introduced in For Better or For Worse?

[AKA]

Originally posted by Jenya
I think some newspapers are going way overboard banning comic strips. Remember this one making a few raised eyebrows a few years ago, when a gay character was introduced in For Better or For Worse?

My local paper ran that particular "For Better Or For Worse" strip, but for some reason, it had a problem with the "Doonesbury" masturbation strip.

[pandora_spocks]

I don't think it's racy, but pretty funny.

[¤I Love Clay Aiken¤]

Originally posted by Captain ABlairica
I have serious moral objections to the depravity found in Family Circus...

Please, far worse is seen on TV and I think its safe to say kids watch TV more than they read the newspaper!

[pumkinpie]

I dunno. The only comics I read was Calvin ad Hobbes, but it was cancelled in 95. I like Foxtrot 2. But thats it.

[Rhiannon]

I dont know

[Crimson and Clover]

no, its not racy, its funny.

[Czas na Zywiec]

It was in 'The Onion' today, actually. The best newspaper, ever.

[Kay Scarpetta]

Originally posted by pandora_spocks
I don't think it's racy, but pretty funny.

I know

[TJL]

It was a funny cartoon, but unfortunatly everyone still thinks the Sunday comics are only read by kids. Just like all cartoons are supposed to be for children.
Most of the comics featured in my Sunday paper wouldn't appeal to kids.

What eight year old is gonna get the humor of "Dilbert?"