DOONESBURY Suddenly Dropped By 38 Newspapers...Censorship Charged

[Greg B]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/ea..._id=1000581723


So now they're attacking anti-bush cartoons? What's next? They gonna send in a strike force to hogtie Bugs Bunny?

Scary that this regime has the power to do such things. This country is losing it's freedom of speech at an alarming rate.

[Tala]

Originally posted by shermsshack
Scary that this regime has the power to do such things. This country is losing it's freedom of speech at an alarming rate.

Hmmmm...Orwell wasn't wrong.

[candyflip]

The idiots are taking over...

It?s not the right time to be sober
Now the idiots have taken over
Spreading like a social cancer, is there an answer?

Mensa membership exceeding
Tell me why and how are all the stupid people breeding
Watson, it?s really elementary
The industrial revolution
Has flipped the bitch on evolution
The benevolent and wise are being cornered, ostracized, what a bummer
The world keeps getting dumber
Insensitivity is standard and faith is being fancied over reason

Darwin?s rollin over in his coffin
The fittest are surviving much less often
Now everything seems to be reversing, and it?s worsening
Someone flopped a steamer in the gene pool
Now angry mob mentality?s no longer the exception, it?s the rule
And I?m startin to feel a lot like charlton heston
Stranded on a primate planet
Apes and orangutans that ran it to the ground
With generals and the armies that obeyed them
Followers following fables
Philosophies that enable them to rule without regard

There?s no point for democracy when ignorance is celebrated
Political scientists think the same one vote that some monkeys are inbred
Majority rule, don?t work in mental institutions
Sometimes the smallest softest voice carries the grand biggest solutions

What are we left with?
A nation of god-fearing pregnant nationalists
Who feel it?s their duty to populate the homeland
Pass on traditions
How to get ahead religions
And prosperity be a symbol to culture

The idiots are takin over

[stevecore]

good, next on the chopping block should be Cathy, Apt 3G, Rex Morgan M.D, Family Circus and anything else that doesn't make me laugh.

[Elli]

You can only push so far. It doesn't really surprise me. It's a very biased comic. I'm sure the editors would rather have fluff in there than something people can complain about.

[cherrylula]

wow that is really disturbing.

[WPProphet]

Im not really into politics, but that was the worst comic strip ever.

[SykkBoy]

Originally posted by Tala
Hmmmm...Orwell wasn't wrong.

nope, just 20 years early...

[genomega]

Censorship charged? Only the government can censor.
They see their sales going down the tubes because people are sick of this crap. The majority of people in this country are not left wing nuts.

[warlock5]

They are claiming it wasn't a politically motivated decision. Claiming .. if Doonbury wasn't very funny, then I'm not sure any cartoons in my local paper are.

[Pleasurepays]

NEW YORK A poll that resulted in a vote to drop "Doonesbury" was defended by the head of a Sunday-comics consortium.

"It was not a political statement of any kind," Continental Features President Van Wilkerson told E&P. "I personally don't have an opinion about 'Doonesbury' one way or another."

Wilkerson said he conducted the survey because Garry Trudeau's comic "created more controversy than other strips." In the poll e-mail he sent Continental's newspaper clients this spring, Wilkerson wrote: "(I)t is my feeling that a change in one of the features is required. I have fielded numerous complaints about 'Doonesbury' in the past and feel it is time to drop this feature and add another in its place. ... If the majority of the group favors a replacement, you will be expected to accept that change."

[Giorgio_Xo]

I think Garry Trudeau has an excellent vantage point to opine on Bush. They went to Yale together at the same time and belonged to the same fraternity.

[Tom_PMs]

How could you determine that an objection to a cartoon strip equals more cancels or less joins?

[jennym]

Originally posted by genomega
Censorship charged? Only the government can censor.
They see their sales going down the tubes because people are sick of this crap. The majority of people in this country are not left wing nuts.

[Pleasurepays]

Originally posted by warlock5
They are claiming it wasn't a politically motivated decision. Claiming .. if Doonbury wasn't very funny, then I'm not sure any cartoons in my local paper are.

what they "claimed" was that the cartoon got a lot of complaints.

why would you think it makes sense for any business to alienate a significant portion of its audience?

[ShellyCrash]

This has only happened under this administration- Doonesbury has added political satire into the mix since the 80's.

If they're banning Donnesburry- then I want "Family Circus" to get the axe too- if you can't talk about politics, then you can't advertize christianity.

[jennym]

Originally posted by ShellyCrash
This has only happened under this administration- Doonesbury has added political satire into the mix since the 80's.

Maybe Bush supporters are just smart enough to figure out how to get things done. They don't whine to their neighbors and think it will change the world.

Originally posted by ShellyCrash

If they're banning Donnesburry- then I want "Family Circus" to get the axe too- if you can't talk about politics, then you can't advertize christianity.

Well then you are complaining to the wrong group of people then aren't you? Call your local paper that you pay a subscription fee for and complain. I am sure if the majority feels the same, they will take action.


Disclaimer: I am not necesarilly a Bush supporter. I think he is definitely to far right on MANY subjects, BUT I am sure glad he was in office onl 9-11 and not Al Bore....er....Gore. The terrorists would have probably blown up half the fucking country before Gore even got up the balls to make an ugly face.

[Tom_PMs]

Yeah, since Bush was on vacation nearly half the time, and ignored the daily briefings, Gore surely would have been worse. (?)

The article states that out of 38 people, 21 voted to ditch Donnesbury. A landslide, just like the 2000 election. (?)

21 people decided for everyone.. I'm guessing they've never seen complaints compared with what they're about to get, lol.

Just a guess though, I dont get the paper. I use the internet.

[jennym]

Originally posted by Tom_PM
Yeah, since Bush was on vacation nearly half the time, and ignored the daily briefings, Gore surely would have been worse. (?)

My point was simply that I don't want a pussy DEFENDING my country.

Originally posted by Tom_PM

The article states that out of 38 people, 21 voted to ditch Donnesbury.

Of the 38 PAPERS that run the Continental-produced Sunday comics section, 21 wanted to drop "Doonesbury," 15 wanted to keep it, and two had no opinion or preference.

Originally posted by Tom_PM

The article states that out of 38 people, 21 voted to ditch Donnesbury. A landslide, just like the 2000 election. (?)

I guess you are just like the people in Florida who were trying to vote. Lack of reading and/or comprehension skills. It has been 4 years....get over it.

[Tom_PMs]

So your point is that Al Gore is a "pussy". Gotcha.

Oh shit yeah, I meant to say papers and it came out people, lmao.

The voting wasnt really about old people pressing the wrong lever though. There never was a question that Gore won the popular vote. It was the electoral college votes that were disputed. The fl. supreme court ordered a recount, Bush argued to the supreme court, who overruled the fl. courts, yet also remanded the case *back* to the fl. court. But guess what? That was on Dec. 12th, the last date both parties had agreed, therefore no more recounting was done.
Although with the supreme court handing it back to fl. court, they *could* have resumed recounting until it was done. But the agreed date of finality was Dec. 12th, so Gore conceeded.
Bush then began vacation.

[Pleasurepays]

quite the conundrum for bush haters..., the belief that he is completely retarded and yet he is so brilliant he is taking over the world and controlling our thoughts.

[jennym]

Yes, to me Gore comes across as a fucking pansy. Never liked the guy. I did kind of like Clinton though. Wish he would have done more when terrorists were killing people, but overall he was a decent president.

If the votes of the people were never questioned, then why did they have a bunch of cross-eyed douche-bags checking chads.

In the end, the only point is...

It is 4 years old, it is over and done with. So, why do people still continue to whine about it?

[Tom_PMs]

I dont hate Bush.
I dont think Bush is retarded.
I dont think Bush is brilliant enough to take over the world.

I wont be voting for him, thats all

[ShellyCrash]

Originally posted by jennym
Maybe Bush supporters are just smart enough to figure out how to get things done. They don't whine to their neighbors and think it will change the world.

Well, durring the recount the bush campaign was underhanded enough to set up a telemarleting call center to phone florida residents telling them to oppose the recount- maybe they needed a cause to warm up the engine before next election rolls around.

Originally posted by jennym
Well then you are complaining to the wrong group of people then aren't you? Call your local paper that you pay a subscription fee for and complain. I am sure if the majority feels the same, they will take action.

My newpaper still carries the cartoon

I don't JUST complain here, I write my state representitives quite often. Family Circus doesn't really bother me that much, but if anyone would like to stir the shit -www.atheists.org

Originally posted by jennym
Disclaimer: I am not necesarilly a Bush supporter. I think he is definitely to far right on MANY subjects, BUT I am sure glad he was in office onl 9-11 and not Al Bore....er....Gore. The terrorists would have probably blown up half the fucking country before Gore even got up the balls to make an ugly face.

I would of rather had Gore in office in August of 2001- when the briefing was given to the office of president containting information on the plans for the 9-11 attacks. Let's look at the track record- When it was Clinton/Core in office 12-99 their administration read the reports and stopped Osama's plans to blow up several US landmarks. Bush/Cheny had the info and did nothing.... hmmmm.....

[Tom_PMs]

They had people recounting some counties that had errors with their machines. It got a lot of newsplay. Thats why it sticks out in memory.
There were also military absentee ballots that were thrown out because they were postmarked with dates outside of the proper "window" for absentee ballots..
There was all kinds of crap that we all could have done without, lol.

The one vote that was never recounted or disputed was the "popular vote".

[Pleasurepays]

Originally posted by ShellyCrash

I would of rather had Gore in office in August of 2001- when the briefing was given to the office of president containting information on the plans for the 9-11 attacks. Let's look at the track record- When it was Clinton/Core in office 12-99 their administration read the reports and stopped Osama's plans to blow up several US landmarks. Bush/Cheny had the info and did nothing.... hmmmm.....

huh?

how many successful terrorist attacks happened during Clintons presidency?

wow.

do you think before you post - or is you just a Democrat bot?

you are so fucking ignorant to think that the president of the United States is sitting in an office somewhere with clear knowledge of an eminent threat and does absolutely nothing?

[jennym]

Originally posted by ShellyCrash
Well, durring the recount the bush campaign was underhanded enough to set up a telemarleting call center to phone florida residents telling them to oppose the recount

You call it underhanded, I call it smart. Should Bush have fought for the job, or just bowed out and said "OK, you can be president"?

Originally posted by ShellyCrash


I would of rather had Gore in office in August of 2001- when the briefing was given to the office of president containting information on the plans for the 9-11 attacks. Let's look at the track record- When it was Clinton/Core in office 12-99 their administration read the reports and stopped Osama's plans to blow up several US landmarks. Bush/Cheny had the info and did nothing.... hmmmm.....

Well, you tell me the attacks he stopped, and I will tell you the ones he didn't stop. Because, as I recall, many, many, many Americans died because of terrorism during Clinton's watch.

Now, I am not so stupid to think that ANY president can stop a bunch of lunatics who are willing to die for their cause. I would just rather have a president that will kick ass when bullies attack. Not a president who sits on his thumb, or wants to invite Osama for tea to find out what would make him happy.

[Pornwolf]

Saddam and Bin Laden look nothing alike so why did we go after him instead of trying to find the 6 foot tall muslim man on dialysis in the desert.

[jennym]

Originally posted by Tom_PM

There was all kinds of crap that we all could have done without, lol.

The one vote that was never recounted or disputed was the "popular vote".

Agreed

[CamChicks]

Something has to be done about this situation we have now where the government can circumvent the First Ammendment and censor via corporate deals. A few companies own almost all of the media and they are indebted to the government. The gov't has the power to take away broadcast licenses and issue fines to those who don't cooperate, and/or then provide financial incentives for those who do. They jerk eachother off to get what they want, and freedom of speech gets screwed.

[jennym]

Originally posted by CamChicks
Something has to be done about this situation we have now where the government can circumvent the First Ammendment and censor via corporate deals. A few companies own almost all of the media and they are indebted to the government. The gov't has the power to take away broadcast licenses and issue fines to those who don't cooperate, and/or then provide financial incentives for those who do. They jerk eachother off to get what they want, and freedom of speech gets screwed.

This happens whether a Rep. or Dem. is in office. It is called "having friends in high places". The same shit happens in EVERY industry. But, i seriously doubt Bush had anything to do with Doonsbury being cancelled. That is just a hilarious thought!

The paper is more indebted to it's subscribers. They pay the bill....period. If they get enough complaints about something, it will change.

[CamChicks]

Originally posted by jennym

Now, I am not so stupid to think that ANY president can stop a bunch of lunatics who are willing to die for their cause. I would just rather have a president that will kick ass when bullies attack. Not a president who sits on his thumb, or wants to invite Osama for tea to find out what would make him happy.

What you should want is a president who will not give the enemy what they want; who will not be baited into obvious ploys; who will not allow himself to be a pawn.

every ameircan should understand this

9/11 was an invitation.

Bush has given the man who planned 9/11 everything he ever hoped for. Bush fulfilled Osama's prophecy. Bush has handed Iraq to Islam. In 10-20 years, there will be no difference between Iraq and Iran (Saddam was the only person preventing that, which is why Osama hated Saddam). Bush has recruited a thousand times more terrorists than Osama ever could. Bush's bumbling kneejerk reaction has transformed Al Queda into a global politcal power.

Through his inability to think strategically and/or indifference to anything that happens beyond his re-election, Bush has made himself the #1 ally of Al Queda.

Bush has fucked up so badly that it will cost trillions of dollars and thousands (if not millions) of lives over a generation or more to resolve this. Just to get world stablility back to where it was 5 years ago. It was all such an awfully predictable trap - and he was warned - but this dumb piece of shit still walked right into it, dragging us all with him.

I don't care what politcal party he's a member of. Pretend for a moment that none of this is real - that it's just a game of chess, or warcraft, or football - and then examine the strategy that has been employed. Kids playing videogames are smarter than this. I can only blame it on ignorance and arrogance, or perhaps this administration has a different set of priorities that have nothing to do with the security of America. There are no other excuses.

[jennym]

So you think ignoring them will make them go away???

[WarChild]

How come so many people don't understand what censorship is?

Just because you write something, doesn't give you any right to make someone publish it.

If someone were trying to stop him from writing his cartoons, you'd have censorship. Simply refusing to publish it, never will be.

[Rankings]

no way. that cartoon has been around for forever.

[jennym]

What do you mean he was baited? You have to remember that we have basically ignored terrorists for 20 years. Did the attacks stop? NO! They got worse, and they came to our country more than once. You can only take so much before it is time to kick someone's ass. Or, should Bush have invited Osama over for tea and crumpets to find out if there was a way to make him happy?

[genomega]

Originally posted by jennym
So you think ignoring them will make them go away???

That's the way they think. Sad

[ShellyCrash]

Originally posted by Pleasurepays
you are so fucking ignorant to think that the president of the United States is sitting in an office somewhere with clear knowledge of an eminent threat and does absolutely nothing?

I guess since he never read the report he never had the knowledge. Ignorance as an excuse

[ShellyCrash]

Originally posted by jennym

Well, you tell me the attacks he stopped, and I will tell you the ones he didn't stop. Because, as I recall, many, many, many Americans died because of terrorism during Clinton's watch.

Really- how many? How many civillian lives were lost to terror attacks under the 8 years of the Clinton admin? Better yet- how many pre-planned terror attacks did the administration have knowledge of that they let happen?

Probably wouldn't even add up to a percentage point to the mass murder at the twin towers. Did you have any family members in the buildings- I did. 9-11 is more then a scuff on his record. Predidents can't afford to drop the ball.

Kind of strange that this happens AFTER Doonesbury graces the COVER of Rolling Stone.

http://www.rollingstone.com/?rnd=109...player=unknown
http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/politic...-8962487c.html

[jennym]

Originally posted by ShellyCrash
Really- how many? How many civillian lives were lost to terror attacks under the 8 years of the Clinton admin? Better yet- how many pre-planned terror attacks did the administration have knowledge of that they let happen?

Probably wouldn't even add up to a percentage point to the mass murder at the twin towers. Did you have any family members in the buildings- I did. 9-11 is more then a scuff on his record. Predidents can't afford to drop the ball.

On 26 February 1993, a car loaded with 1,200 pounds of explosives blew up in a parking garage under the World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring about a thousand others.

On 13 November 1995, a bomb was set off in a van parked in front of an American-run military training center in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, killing five Americans and two Indians.

On 25 June 1996, a booby-trapped truck loaded with 5,000 pounds of explosives was exploded outside the Khobar Towers apartment complex which housed United States military personnel in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing nineteen Americans and wounding about three hundred others.


On 7 August 1998, powerful car bombs exploded minutes apart outside the United States embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing 224 people and wounding about 5,000 others.

On 12 October 2000, two suicide bombers detonated an explosives-laden skiff next to the USS Cole while it was refueling in Aden, Yemen, blasting a hole in the ship that killed 17 sailors and injured 37 others.

Here are just a few for you during Clinton's watch. These do not even include the countless others that occured before Clinton. Now maybe you don't count these because they were not civilian lives on American soil, but they were terrorist attacks aimed at Americans. I am very sorry that you had a loved one in the building that day, I truly am. But I firmly believe the reason it happened is because "we" were such pussies for so long. We just let them keep bombing our shit whenever they felt the urge. "We" would then say "Oh please Mr. Terrorist, don't do that again!" If you want to place blame, place it at the feet of those sick fuckers that flew the plane. Bush was in office for 7 FUCKING MONTHS!! If there had been all this "evidence" out there, shouldn't someone else have seen it as well? At least he is standing up for this country!

[ShellyCrash]

Originally posted by jennym
? At least he is standing up for this country!

After the Cole Clinton DID bomb the shit out of the area of Afghanistan where Bin Laden was hiding.

There are 3 sides to every story... I have some anarchist friends I go around with for hours.

[jennym]

He bombed an empty training camp! Then what?.......Nothing! Oh yeah....got a B.J. (which isn't a bad thing....he deserved it being married to that bitch of wife)

And why did it take him 7 years to do that piddly little shit?

[EZRhino]

Poor DOONESBURY, sucks to hear that

[CDSmith]

I don't agree with some of the subject matter of Trudeau's comic, but I certainly don't agree with censorship either.

If I had a subscription to one of those papers, and that paper decided to censor this or any comic strip for being "too contraversial" (IE: too satirical of the existing government) I would cancel my subscription and buy from a paper that has enough balls to say FUCK YOU to censorist.

In fact, I'll say it. FUCK YOU to anyone that is in support of this kind of censorship.

[jennym]

ShellyCrash

I am so very sorry you had family members in the towers on that day.

I thought this deserved it's own post, not to be buried in the middle of a political debate post.

[Rochard]

There was an article in Newsweek a few weeks ago about cartoons, and about how a bunch of long term cartoons were about to be dropped from a large percentage of newspapers. The article said the cartoons were being dropped because of their prices, which have grown to huge fees for a section of the newspaper that generates little money for the newspaper.

I don't recall Doonesbury being mention - I'm a few fan of Doonesbury (Duke rocks!) - but Scott Adam's Dilbert was one of the ones being dropped.

[jennym]

Originally posted by CDSmith
I don't agree with some of the subject matter of Trudeau's comic, but I certainly don't agree with censorship either.

If I had a subscription to one of those papers, and that paper decided to censor this or any comic strip for being "too contraversial" (IE: too satirical of the existing government) I would cancel my subscription and buy from a paper that has enough balls to say FUCK YOU to censorist.

In fact, I'll say it. FUCK YOU to anyone that is in support of this kind of censorship.

I certainly think you are one of the more intelligent people on this board. I just don't see how this is censorship. They had enough complaints from PAYING customers, that they thought it was a wise business decision to remove the comic strip. I think that is it. No hidden agenda, no political agenda....just a smart business move.

[Pleasurepays]

Originally posted by CDSmith
I don't agree with some of the subject matter of Trudeau's comic, but I certainly don't agree with censorship either.

If I had a subscription to one of those papers, and that paper decided to censor this or any comic strip for being "too contraversial" (IE: too satirical of the existing government) I would cancel my subscription and buy from a paper that has enough balls to say FUCK YOU to censorist.

In fact, I'll say it. FUCK YOU to anyone that is in support of this kind of censorship.

i dont think it is censorship at all if you read the article. there was an issue with constant complaints with his work. they let the people that carry the cartoon take a vote on whether they would keep it or not... they chose not.

doesn't get more democratic than that.

Bush is an idiot... but the hysteria, paranoia and feart that people from the left start is far worse and far more scary in my opinion.