October 22, 2003
WHY NOT JUST STOP CARRYING THE STRIP ALL TOGETHER?:
Controversial comics raise serious dilemmas (Mark Jurkowitz, 10/22/2003, Boston Globe)
In an unprecedented move that angered readers and generated industry criticism, The Washington Post recently killed an entire week of "The Boondocks" comic strip with a story line suggesting the world might be a safer place if national security adviser Condoleezza Rice had a more active love life.Addressing the subject in his column, Post ombudsman Michael Getler quoted executive editor Leonard Downie Jr.'s view that the strip "violated our standards for taste, fairness and invasion of privacy," before adding his dissenting opinion. "Boondocks" creator Aaron McGruder was "being mischievous and irreverent . . . about a high profile public figure," Getler declared. "And that seems okay to me."
Perhaps the world would be a better place if Mr. McGruder's parents had enjoyed a less active love life?
Posted by Orrin Judd at October 22, 2003 11:51 AM
I say let him make an ass of himself - run the comics and let people decide if he's worth reading.
Posted by: Jack Sheet at October 22, 2003 12:14 PMI say run Day-by-Day next to it.
Posted by: Sandy P. at October 22, 2003 12:41 PMI rather like Boondocks; it is a bit to the left of me politically, but Mr. McGruder is at least willing to lampoon the flaming idiots and failed policies of the left as well as the whole right-of-middle.
Posted by: Mike Earl at October 22, 2003 12:43 PMAw, c'mom OJ. I read Boondocks every day, and find it lame 29 days a month, and funny on the 30th. A lot of times it's just stupid radicalism.
But since when do we need to be protected from the funny pages? Neither right nor left has the right to go through life unoffended. 95% of the comics is just pablum. I hand it to someone for at least breakingout of that.
(And is ANYONE publishing Day by Day? A travesty, if not.)
Posted by: Andrew X at October 22, 2003 1:21 PMWhy publish something "stupid"? It's not like newspapers are carrying too much stuff that's actually worth reading.
Posted by: oj at October 22, 2003 1:27 PMHey, having worked at a paper, lemme just say the Post is well within its rights. Guardian of the trust, my behind; if they don't make some revenues, they're toast.
Posted by: Chris at October 22, 2003 1:29 PMIf you don't want your stuff edited, rely on Drudge.
I don't recall any editors canning Capp for his S.W.I.N.E. strips, though. If those were publishable, then anything, up to and including Streicher, is.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at October 22, 2003 6:27 PMI just want to say that if Condi needs a more active love life then I would be proud and honored to step up to the plate and serve my country (and its National Security Advisor) in any capacity.
Posted by: Smedley Butler at October 23, 2003 8:50 AM