On 'Doonesbury,' and what counts as good taste

[jaxx]

On 'Doonesbury,' and what counts as good taste
By Jamil Smith
-
Mon Mar 12, 2012 12:14 PM EDT

This morning, you may or may not have today's edition of the syndicated comic strip "Doonesbury" in your local newspaper. Starting today, cartoonist Garry Trudeau is shining a satirical light on the recent legislation in states like Virginia and Texas targeting women seeking an abortion -- using medically unnecessary procedures designed to shame them into a different reproductive choice.

The first strip, out today, depicts a young woman being directed to the "shaming room" to be consulted on her abortion to be consulted by a "middle-aged, male state legislator." As the week-long series continues, I expect this not to end well for the young woman.

This is getting some press not just because "Doonesbury" is a classic strip that is beloved by many, or because it is tackling a controversial topic. While many newspapers, including my hometown Plain Dealer, are running with the series, some newspapers are refusing to print it -- including two Florida dailies, the Ocala Star-Banner and the Gainesville Sun. Another newspaper, Portland's Oregonian, published instead their justification for the decision:

<..> Trudeau said in an interview with the Washington Post that to ignore this "would have been comedy malpractice." Editors who are banning "Doonesbury" this week fail to understand how essential comedy can be in the political sphere, and that laws like those in Virginia and Texas are "graphic language" in a wholly different sense.

http://mhpshow.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/...good-taste

Link to the Doonesbury site with the toon.....
http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury

This pretty much nails the hypocrisy:

Melissa @ MSNBC ‏ @MHPshow
On "Doonesbury," and what counts as "good taste" -- anti-abortion laws, or comic strips satirizing them: goo.gl/9qONW #nerdland

[pappy]

Now I want to hear Maher speak out on this. He defended Rush, will he defend Trudeau?

The Plain Dealer, BTW, lists noticeably to starboard on most issues.

[azmouse]

My RW rag of a newspaper, the AZ Republic, isn't running the strip. I think I'll write a letter of protest. I dislike censorship.

[jaxx]

The hypocrisy is amazing.....the pubs want to pass all the anti-women bills, but don't want to read about them in public.
Sneaky bastards.

[SeattleGirl]

(03-12-2012 11:24 AM)jaxx Wrote:  The hypocrisy is amazing.....the pubs want to pass all the anti-women bills, but don't want to read about them in public.
Sneaky bastards.

Exactly. Apparently talking about lady bits is only appropriate in state houses and in Congress.

[sandnsea]

Apparently freedom of speech only applies in the shaming room, or when young women are being demeaned as sluts and whores on national radio.

[WIDem]

Now a LOT of people have read the strip that otherwise might not have...

[Ikonoklast]

The Plain Dealer is fishwrap.

[pappy]

(03-16-2012 05:16 PM)Ikonoklast Wrote:  The Plain Dealer is fishwrap.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

I just found out that Connie Shultz no longer writes for them. That ship is going to list so far right it's going to go keel up soon.

[There Is No Spoon]

Final Doonesbury in the "banned" series:

[jaxx]

Doonesbury did a favor to women this week with the series. It didn't pull any punches....and the final frame is perfect.