General Discussion

kpete

(72,006 posts) Sat Mar 10, 2012, 09:22 PM Mar 2012

Newspapers Ban Doonesbury Comic Series for Stating Abortion Laws Legalize Rape of Women

I don’t find those strips offensive.
I find the law that is accurately described in those strips offensive.
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2012/03/10/weird-what-they-find-offensive/

SAT MAR 10, 2012 AT 11:21 AM PST
Some Newspapers Ban Doonesbury Comic Series for Stating Abortion Laws Legalize Rape of Women
byPatriot Daily News Clearinghouse

Some newspapers are refusing to publish a Doonesbury comic strip series that will run next week that addresses mandatory vaginal ultrasounds. A summary of the series shows http://jimromenesko.com/2012/03/09/report-some-papers-wont-be-running-next-weeks-doonesbury-strips/ on one day the comic focuses on a woman arriving for her pre-abortion sonogram when she is told by a male state legislator to "take a seat in the shaming room," on another day, the comic is about a male legislator asking the woman if her parents know that she is a slut for using contraceptive services, and another day has a doctor telling the woman: "By the authority invested in me by the GOP base, I thee rape."

The reasons cited by newspapers banning Doonesbury are actually reasons why the comic strip series should not be banned. The Oregonian will not run the series because it goes "over the line of good taste and humor in penning a series on abortion using graphic language and images inappropriate for a comics page." The reality of the GOP trying to legalize rape of women is a lot more "inappropriate" than a cartoon series highlighting one aspect of the GOP War on Women. The Indianapolis Star will not run the series because it does not "want to be part of the personalization and debasement of political discourse." What about the reality of the depersonalization and debasement of women by these laws? If a comic series on the issue of harming women is so objectionable, then the reality of state-sanctioned rape of women, and the messy, awful facts of what is happening in our country in this GOP War on Women should be recognized as even more awful and good reason to not hide the horrors from the public.

Newspapers running the series include the Kansas City Star, Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Washington Post, Tulsa World and The Los Angeles Times, but some will run on the editorial page rather than the cartoon page.

http://jimromenesko.com/2012/03/09/report-some-papers-wont-be-running-next-weeks-doonesbury-strips/
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/10/1073112/-Some-Newspapers-Ban-Doonesbury-Comic-Series-for-Stating-Abortion-Laws-Legalize-Rape-of-Women?via=siderec
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/the-doonesbury-interview-garry-trudeau-says-to-ignore-abortion-debate-would-have-been-comedy-malpractice/2012/03/09/gIQAjTHy1R_blog.html

15 replies

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Newspapers Ban Doonesbury Comic Series for Stating Abortion Laws Legalize Rape of Women (Original Post) kpete Mar 2012 OP

OH !!!! Are political parties people now ,too ? orpupilofnature57 Mar 2012 #1

Trudeau is a living American Treasure. nt onehandle Mar 2012 #2

And in the real world, does that mean they think the GOP's action are not beyond good taste... WCGreen Mar 2012 #3

No, that's NOT why they "banned" Doonesbury Gman Mar 2012 #4

Excuse me.. Some have said they will not run it at all. hlthe2b Mar 2012 #6

Any kid old enough to know about sex (i.e. touching) ought to know about this. saras Mar 2012 #14

Without concent, it is rape socialindependocrat Mar 2012 #5

Oh, I get it: the policy of legalized, govt-forced rape is perfectly fine & dandy. baldguy Mar 2012 #7

^This^ susanr516 Mar 2012 #12

Anywhere it's running online? I'd like to see it. calimary Mar 2012 #8

Not till Monday I think pokerfan Mar 2012 #11

I personally find BC offensive and unfunny pokerfan Mar 2012 #9

I find BC too unfunny to be offensive chrisa Mar 2012 #13

I have to wait till morning Curmudgeoness Mar 2012 #10

I'll let you know about the Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News. HopeHoops Mar 2012 #15

orpupilofnature57

(15,472 posts)

1. OH !!!! Are political parties people now ,too ?

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sat Mar 10, 2012, 09:26 PM

Mar 2012

Thats Comparing Apples to Oragutans , ones a person the other is a proposed , imposed policy.

onehandle

(51,122 posts)

2. Trudeau is a living American Treasure. nt

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sat Mar 10, 2012, 09:27 PM

Mar 2012

WCGreen

(45,558 posts)

3. And in the real world, does that mean they think the GOP's action are not beyond good taste...

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sat Mar 10, 2012, 09:32 PM

Mar 2012

kudos to my hometown paper, the Plain Dealer, for running the strip....

Gman

(24,780 posts)

4. No, that's NOT why they "banned" Doonesbury

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sat Mar 10, 2012, 09:34 PM

Mar 2012

every other news report says they moved this week's strips to the editorial page or elsewhere because it was a much more mature topic to be included in the funny papers where kids will read it. On balance it's a good decision.

There'll always be somebody that's going to distort things.

hlthe2b

(102,328 posts)

6. Excuse me.. Some have said they will not run it at all.

Reply to Gman (Reply #4)

Sat Mar 10, 2012, 09:39 PM

Mar 2012

The Oregonian announced on its website that it will not be running the comic strips, which are the work of cartoonist Garry Trudeau -- who is known for his edgy political satire.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/oregonianeditors/2012/03/doonesbury_editors_decide_not.html

The article said the Los Angeles Times and St. Louis Post-Dispatch have made similar decisions.

A St. Paul Pioneer Press editor also told Romenesko the newspaper would not be running the "Doonesbury" strips next week.

So tell me again how that is not banning?

saras

(6,670 posts)

14. Any kid old enough to know about sex (i.e. touching) ought to know about this.

Reply to Gman (Reply #4)

Sun Mar 11, 2012, 01:39 AM

Mar 2012

The whole POINT of these laws is that they are targeting adolescents FIRST.

Damned right every twelve-year-old who could POSSIBLY get pregnant, even by rape, has a stake in understanding and fighting these laws. Censorship doesn't work to make anyone's life better, whatever it does for the powers that be - in this case, allow them to continue pushing the rest their message to adolescents with less conscious thought and resistance.

socialindependocrat

(1,372 posts)

5. Without concent, it is rape

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sat Mar 10, 2012, 09:38 PM

Mar 2012

Now our lawmakers don't understand the law.

Citizens United - obvious FUBAR

How many times does the GOP want to embarass itself
befor we vote them out of existance!!

baldguy

(36,649 posts)

7. Oh, I get it: the policy of legalized, govt-forced rape is perfectly fine & dandy.

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sat Mar 10, 2012, 09:46 PM

Mar 2012

It's just TALKING ABOUT IT that's offensive.

susanr516

(1,425 posts)

12. ^This^

Reply to baldguy (Reply #7)

Sun Mar 11, 2012, 12:17 AM

Mar 2012

Perfectly stated.

calimary

(81,419 posts)

8. Anywhere it's running online? I'd like to see it.

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sat Mar 10, 2012, 09:55 PM

Mar 2012

I've been searching. Can't seem to find it. Just articles and blogs about it.

I do like this quote from someone posting on Daily Kos:

I believe that it is as much a right and duty for women to do something with their lives as for men and we are not going to be satisfied with such frivolous parts as you give us. -- Louisa May Alcott

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/10/1073112/-Some-Newspapers-Ban-Doonesbury-Comic-Series-for-Stating-Abortion-Laws-Legalize-Rape-of-Women?via=siderec

pokerfan

(27,677 posts)

11. Not till Monday I think

Reply to calimary (Reply #8)

Sat Mar 10, 2012, 10:08 PM

Mar 2012

From the spineless bastards at the Oregonian:

You can find the pulled strips online beginning Monday at gocomics.com/doonesbury.

pokerfan

(27,677 posts)

9. I personally find BC offensive and unfunny

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sat Mar 10, 2012, 09:57 PM

Mar 2012

and it never seems to get pulled.

chrisa

(4,524 posts)

13. I find BC too unfunny to be offensive

Reply to pokerfan (Reply #9)

Sun Mar 11, 2012, 12:48 AM

Mar 2012

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)

10. I have to wait till morning

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sat Mar 10, 2012, 10:06 PM

Mar 2012

to see if my paper prints it. I doubt they will, but they have surprised me a few times.

If they do not print it, I would hope that they would leave that space blank with the title as usual and a huge "censored" written in that space.

HopeHoops

(47,675 posts)

15. I'll let you know about the Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News.

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sun Mar 11, 2012, 08:36 AM

Mar 2012

We're in a pretty red area.

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