Doonesbury under attack again for "Turd Blossom"

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Some Papers Pull, Edit 'Doonesbury' Strip After 'Turd Blossom' Reference
By David Twiddy, Associated Press
Published: July 26, 2005 1:03 PM ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo. About a dozen newspapers have objected to the use of toilet humor in Tuesday's and Wednesday's "Doonesbury" comic strip, and some either pulled or edited the strip.

Kansas City-based Universal Press Syndicate, which distributes the strip to around 1,400 newspapers, said it had received some complaints from editors about a reference to presidential aide Karl Rove.

In the strip, a caricature of President Bush refers to Rove as "turd blossom." [This is, reportedly, one of the president's old joking nicknames for Rove.]

[Lee Salem, editor at Universal Press, said the complaints, from 10 to 12 newspapers, weren't unexpected, given the concerns many editors have about language in the funny papers. But as opposed to other times when editors have objected to Doonesbury content, the syndicate did not send out replacement strips.

"Given the coverage of Karl Rove, we thought it was appropriate, especially given the history of the strip," Salem said.

Among those with concerns was the Providence (R.I.) Journal. There, editors simply removed the offensive word from the strip's final panel.

"I didn't think [taking out the word] hurt it," Executive Editor Joel Rawson said. "I would prefer to run the strip and if we can edit it, that's fine."

Rawson said the paper would take the same approach with Wednesday's strip.

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The offending word was Bush or Turd?

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Duh Bella - it was Blossom. Bush HATED that show. Wink

He still likes Six however.

TF

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Heeheehee.... I didn't even think twice about whether those words were ok.

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What is it with this culture???

A few nights ago, flicking through the channels trying to find something worthy, I bumped into two (2) dramatizations of someone sticking a big knife into someone else's eye. God knows how many brutal murders, shootings at close range with bazookas, exploded brain matter, etc I might have tallied up if I'd lingered on many of these programs.

And then there is the Grand Theft Auto item where all of the violence and psychotic mayhem passes quite unnoticed but some hidden sex causes a firestorm.

And now 'turd'.

The only coherent explanation is that Satan shits and fucckks. And God sets to murderous past-times with peaceful equanimity.

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Good follow-through on that point, Blatham!

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blatham wrote:

What is it with this culture???

A few nights ago, flicking through the channels trying to find something worthy, I bumped into two (2) dramatizations of someone sticking a big knife into someone else's eye. God knows how many brutal murders, shootings at close range with bazookas, exploded brain matter, etc I might have tallied up if I'd lingered on many of these programs.

And then there is the Grand Theft Auto item where all of the violence and psychotic mayhem passes quite unnoticed but some hidden sex causes a firestorm.

And now 'turd'.

The only coherent explanation is that Satan shits and fucckks. And God sets to murderous past-times with peaceful equanimity.

This is where you are wrong. Most religious conservatives don't like the violent video games or movies either. You are just choosing to ignore that fact to make some lame point.

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Baldimo wrote:

blatham wrote:
What is it with this culture???

A few nights ago, flicking through the channels trying to find something worthy, I bumped into two (2) dramatizations of someone sticking a big knife into someone else's eye. God knows how many brutal murders, shootings at close range with bazookas, exploded brain matter, etc I might have tallied up if I'd lingered on many of these programs.

And then there is the Grand Theft Auto item where all of the violence and psychotic mayhem passes quite unnoticed but some hidden sex causes a firestorm.

And now 'turd'.

The only coherent explanation is that Satan shits and fucckks. And God sets to murderous past-times with peaceful equanimity.

This is where you are wrong. Most religious conservatives don't like the violent video games or movies either. You are just choosing to ignore that fact to make some lame point.

On that long list headed "Things That American Religious Conservatives Do Not Like", violent vido games and tv shows and movies are found somewhere down around "#76 - careless typographical errors in baking receipes".

Consider, if you will, a realistic tv dramatization broadcast between 8 and 9 PM showing a black man pointing a big gun at someone's face and pulling the trigger. Blood spatters the wall behind. Those religious conservatives will make how many protest calls into that broadcast station?

In contrast, during the same time period, imagine a tv show showing a black man pulling out his big erect cock and pointing it at someone who doesn't even mind. Your religious conservatives will make how many calls into that station?

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blatham wrote:

Baldimo wrote:
blatham wrote:
What is it with this culture???

A few nights ago, flicking through the channels trying to find something worthy, I bumped into two (2) dramatizations of someone sticking a big knife into someone else's eye. God knows how many brutal murders, shootings at close range with bazookas, exploded brain matter, etc I might have tallied up if I'd lingered on many of these programs.

And then there is the Grand Theft Auto item where all of the violence and psychotic mayhem passes quite unnoticed but some hidden sex causes a firestorm.

And now 'turd'.

The only coherent explanation is that Satan shits and fucckks. And God sets to murderous past-times with peaceful equanimity.

This is where you are wrong. Most religious conservatives don't like the violent video games or movies either. You are just choosing to ignore that fact to make some lame point.

On that long list headed "Things That American Religious Conservatives Do Not Like", violent vido games and tv shows and movies are found somewhere down around "#76 - careless typographical errors in baking receipes".

Consider, if you will, a realistic tv dramatization broadcast between 8 and 9 PM showing a black man pointing a big gun at someone's face and pulling the trigger. Blood spatters the wall behind. Those religious conservatives will make how many protest calls into that broadcast station?

In contrast, during the same time period, imagine a tv show showing a black man pulling out his big erect cock and pointing it at someone who doesn't even mind. Your religious conservatives will make how many calls into that station?

Just so we get this straight, they're not MY religious conservatives. I can only speak for one RC and that is my wife. I hear her complain about violence and sex on TV all the time. She gives equal time to both subjects. I happen to agree with her on parts of it but for different reasons. You are doing what others claim the right does, and that is painting with a broad brush. How broad is that brush? Does it cover only certain people or does it just cover a certain religion?

I can speak for myself on this issue and I would be more offended by the sex act then I would the violence. If you want that type of stuff on TV then order the spice network and pay for it. There is no reason for nudity to be on the free public airwaves. Save it for cable where it belongs.

Violence also has its place. I don't mind violence because at the ages of my children it is easier to explain violence then it is sex. Plus most of the violence on TV is on past their bedtime anyways so it really isn't an issue. The after 9pm or 8pm rule the way the FCC has it is fine by me.

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Blatham

Bernie Goldberg addresses your sarcastic concerns in his latest book......here is a condensed version.

Our big problem in America, says Bernard Goldberg, is that we have become too tolerant: over the years, we've grown wonderfully broad-minded and accepting of things we should detest -- like foul language in public -- and close-minded about things we should revere -- like standards of public decency that everyone used to accept. "A slow poison is running through the veins of this great country," Goldberg observes, "and our tolerance of crap is just one small part of it. Because the stuff that comes out of the television and radio is only the most obvious evidence of how far south things have gone." In 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America (and Al Franken is #37) Goldberg (author of the #1 NY Times bestseller, Bias) fearlessly and hilariously identifies the people, famous and not-so-famous, who he believes are most responsible for our society's decline.

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Quote:

In 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America (and Al Franken is #37) Goldberg (author of the #1 NY Times bestseller, Bias) fearlessly and hilariously identifies the people, famous and not-so-famous, who he believes are most responsible for our society's decline.

Oh it's comedy then. Good. So everyone can stop taking this seriously?

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Trudeau Defends Rove Strip, Says Editing 'Not Acceptable'
Garry Trudeau Defends Rove Strip, Says Editing 'Not Acceptable'
Garry Trudeau
By Dave Astor, ([email protected]) is a senior editor at E&P.
Published: July 26, 2005 5:02 PM ET

NEW YORKWhy did Garry Trudeau use Karl Rove's "Turd Blossom" nickname in Tuesday and Wednesday's "Doonesbury" strips?

"Given that I'm writing for a general audience, I try not to use crude or vulgar language gratuitously," replied Trudeau, after E&P e-mailed him several questions this afternoon. "But in this case, I felt that [President] Bush's nickname for Rove was illuminating. 'Turd blossom' has so many connotations, none of them flattering. It's a small masterpiece of nastiness."

About 10 to 12 newspapers pulled or edited the "Turd Blossom" strips, according to an Associated Press story. Trudeau is OK with the pulling part, but not the editing part.

"Editors obviously have a responsibility to determine what's appropriate for inclusion in their papers," said the Universal Press Syndicate cartoonist. "The syndicate and I accept that from time to time individual editors may object to particular strips and decide to drop them. What's not acceptable to us, however, is for editors to alter the content of a strip and represent it as what I sent them. In most cases, changing the dialogue compromises its meaning or rhythm or humor. Sometimes, the strip no longer even makes sense. Who benefits from that? We'd prefer that an offending strip be dropped altogether."

In today's "Doonesbury" comic (which can be viewed here), an aide tells Bush: "Sir, we're still getting pretty beat up on the Rove revelations. We can't get traction on any other issue. It's just the leak thing 24-7!" Bush responds: "Yeah, I know. Karl's sure been earnin' his nickname lately." Aide: "Boy Genius? I'm not so sure, sir." Bush then calls out to Rove: "Hey, Turd Blossom! Get in here!"

Does Trudeau think many newspaper editors and readers are aware that "Turd Blossom" is a real nickname for Bush's close advisor, not one made up by the cartoonist?

"My assumption was twofold -- that many people already knew it, and that most others would infer it was real from the way I teed it up," said Trudeau. "I also felt that those in the latter group would be as tickled to learn of it as I was."

The cartoonist did say he was careful to limit himself to a couple of "Turd Blossom" mentions. "Twice seems enough for readers to enjoy," he observed. "I don't want to push my luck."

Trudeau, whose "Doonesbury" strip appears in about 1,400 newspapers, acknowledged that it can be difficult for editors to decide what language their comics readers will tolerate. He noted that "public mores are in constant flux."

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It's published daily in The Australian (a News Ltd newspaper), usually in the Business section. I can't see a Murdoch paper editing it.
The story also got a mention on radio here with someone trying to explain the Texan nickname as delicately as they could. Very Happy

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Doonesbury under attack again for "Turd Blossom"

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