Some Newspapers Consider Pulling Doonesbury Comic Strips Satirizing Texas Abortion Law
- Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:01pm by
Tiffany Gabbay
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Following the enforcement of a Texas law requiring women to have an ultrasound procedure prior to undergoing an abortion, Garry Trudeau’s comic strip, Doonesbury, plans to run a week-long series on the subject. Some newspapers, however, are not on board with an overt political message appearing in its funny papers, and are now considering replacing the new strips with substitutes.
Below is a sample of what’s included in the Doonesbury strip via Jim Romensko:
“Monday: Young woman arrives for her pre-termination sonogram, is told to take a seat in the shaming room, a middle-aged male state legislator will be right with her.
Tuesday: He asks her if this is her first visit to the center, she replies no, that she’s been using the contraceptive services for some time. He says, ‘I see. Do your parents know you’re a slut?’
Wednesday: A different male is reading to her about the transvaginal exam process.
Thursday: In the stirrups, she is telling a nurse that she doesn’t want a transvaginal exam. Doctor says ‘Sorry miss, you’re first trimester. The male Republicans who run Texas require that all abortion seekers be examined with a 10” shaming wand.’ She asks ‘Will it hurt?’ Nurse says, ‘Well, it’s not comfortable, honey. But Texas feels you should have thought of that.’ Doctor says, “By the authority invested in me by the GOP base, I thee rape.’”
For something whose sole purpose is to invoke laughter, the content above doesn’t ring too funny.
According to Fox News, Universal Press Syndicate managing editor Sue Roush confirmed that “there are replacement strips available for papers who choose not to publish next week’s strips.”
The company’s president, Lee Salem, also said he wouldn’t be surprised if 20 to 30 of the 1,400 newspapers that carry the strip decided to opt out and run the replacement series.
“Once every five or six months there‘s usually something in ’Doonesbury’ that causes a stir,” Salem said. “Every two or three years there’s something that causes a bigger stir. This is probably one of those times. Historically, that‘s par for the course with ’Doonesbury’ because Garry explores topics on comics pages that are not normally there.”
According to Fox, The Oregonian confirmed on its website that it has no plans to run the comic strips:
“‘Doonesbury’ is a venerable comic strip, and over the years we have resisted calls to remove it or move it to the editorial page. The reason: It’s a comic strip and even though he delves into political satire, it is still a comic strip… But in next week’s strip, ‘Doonesbury’ author Garry Trudeau, in our judgment, went over the line of good taste and humor in penning a series on abortion using graphic language and images inappropriate for a comics page.”
Reports claim the Los Angeles Times, St. Paul Pioneer Press and St. Louis Post-Dispatch have made similar decisions.
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Comments (85)
Johann
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:33pmTrudeau(of Doonesbury fame) is married to Diane Sawyer a well paid member of the government minstry of propoganda. He is a well heeled insider of the corrupt American govenment class; thus he will always have a job in the New American World State. Trudeaus is a genuine nineteen sixties left wing propogandist and has become stuck in time; same old message hate republicans, hate Christians and hate anyone who criticizes his elite class. HIs wife is busy now working for the reelection of their god president obama and ABC pays her well.
Report Post »TexBork
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:27pmDon’t muzzle Mr. Trudeau. He has the right to express his opinion all the time even though it’s always horribly wrong. Just because he‘s wrong doesn’t mean he should be shut off. That said though, the media itself can still choose to support or not his well known radical leftist agenda.
Report Post »FreedomPurveyor
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:46pmHe doesn’t have an inherent right to have his comic printed. If he puts out a comic the newspapers don’t want to print, or that their readers don’t want to see, then they shouldn’t print it.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:47pm@TexBork
Report Post »I agree with you. And the people who buy those newspapers that publish that cr@p have a right to stop buying said newspapers. Let capitalism work it out. BTW… the only use OWS has for newspapers is a cheap replacement for toilet paper or bandages after they are stabbed by their own comrades.
Perhaps if said newspapers had a page made of “rubber” the OWS crowd could find a “Third” archon use for them.
UnswervingPatriot
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 11:10pmTrudeau, Stewart, Colbert, Maher, are all part of an agenda: Shut your mouth and get in line with us or pay the price of being a loose cannon, racist, homophobe, misoginistic, or whatever else they have as scare tactics. Screw them all, not a good one among them and they are more than willing to give away America in any capacity and apologize while they’re doing it….
Report Post »xcppr
Posted on March 10, 2012 at 12:37pmThis jerks comic strip is so far left it is unreadable.If the papers want to dump him it is their free speech right also.
Report Post »BarackStalin
Posted on March 10, 2012 at 4:20pmThere are approximately 120,000 adoptions and 1,000,000 abortions in America every year. Shouldn’t we be doing something to try and reverse those numbers?
If you don’t like the ideas of the “middle aged white men”, then how about you posit some ideas of your own.
Instead the left wants to convince us all that a baby is just a tumor and anyone who speaks up to say,”wait a minute…a baby is not a tumor” is vilified, marginalized and demonized.
If you want to end the life of your child, you have that right in America today. But don‘t make it seem like the rest of the world is evil for calling abortion what it is instead of pretending it’s play-time to spare your feelings.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on March 10, 2012 at 5:34pmSouth Park gets away with more… and it’s on Cable. I desire to “cook” Bigger Fish!
Report Post »Willik
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 7:39amThe last time I saw one of Mr. Trudeau’s strips it was on the editorial page of a newspaper. I remember the controversy concerning his “comic” and the editorial board of this paper decided this is where his strip belonged. I thought that became the national norm. Apparently not.
If he wishes to make social commentary that is where he rightfully belongs. I think, before he denegrates our health system here in Texas, he should take a better look at his own in New York, which leaves a LOT to be desired.
Report Post »Lucy Larue
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 4:13pmTEXBORK,
Easy for you to say. SO EASY!
September 11,2001 should have been a wake up call to Mr. Trudeau that he needed to get his learn on. It wasn’t. He didn’t!
He has railed against our soldiers since that day.WHY?!
Because he is still back in Vietnam!
Now Mr. Trudeau talks about the faux dilemma set up by PROGRESSIVE TWITS!
I say to Mr. Trudeau….,if a woman is irresponsible enough in this day and age have an unwanted pregnancy…,she should see a sonogram of what it is that she is ABORTING!
Sadly….,Mr. Trudeau has never left the vile 60′s/70′s.
He is “STUCK ON STUPID”!
He’s broken and he cannot be fixed.
His “COMIC” Strip is a 60′s Dinosaur!
Report Post »AnnieMouse
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:13pmI doubt Mr. Trudeau realizes what his comic is really saying: (1) birth control doesn’t work so (2) abortion is used for back-up birth control, and (3) aborting women don’t ask about or consider adoption. Indeed, “using the contraceptive services for some time” could mean multiple abortions. Keep it up, Mr. Trudeau! More pro-life converts after seeing the strip!
Report Post »LaudemGloriae
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:11pmNo healthcare provider will write a script for contraceptives without also doing a pelvic exam which means stirrups and the business end of a speculum. Is that considered shaming and rape? No, it’s called heathcare.
Remember all the smokers who sued because they “didn’t know it was addictive“ or ”didn’t know it would make them sick”? Women have the right to informed consent in an abortion. It isn’t really “pro choice” if you don’t clearly understand what you are choosing.
Report Post »dissent
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:40pmWell, it’s not just that though. These bimbos that are whining about a transvaginal ultrasound prior to receiving an abortion are obviously completely unaware of how an abortion is done. Prior to the abortion, there will be a full pelvic exam, and then during the abortion all manner of unsavory medical instruments will be crammed through her ****** and into her uterus itself. Liberals sure are insane pieces of crap.
Report Post »Capitalist Mama
Posted on March 10, 2012 at 9:11pmHaving had both ultrasounds, neither one is what I would consider “invasive.” If you would consider an transvaginal ultrasound invasive, I can’t imagine how you ended up pregnant to begin with….
Report Post »geonj
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:09pmdidn’t even know dunnesbury was still around. quite irrelevant.
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:08pmWill Garry Trudeau’s comic strip, Doonesbury, then illustrate how the baby’s flesh is burned with chemicals, its skull punctured and brain sucked out, its limbs chopped off, and body parts sucked through a tube and dumped in the trash?
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:55pmDid anyone else get a 503 server unavailable error for The Blaze at about 7:30 pm EST?
As for Doonesbury, I stopped reading it in the 1980′s.
Report Post »jtorres1212
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:13pmMe too. I did not even realize he was still relevant!
Report Post »Kaoscontrol
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:41pmI got that server error as well. Must be Anonymous hacking in.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 9:14pm@Bryan from Florida
Report Post »If you don’t mind me asking… what part of FL do you reside? I’m in Tampa…
Mitchm999
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 9:34pmYeah really, it is only in 1400 newspapers. Totally irrelevant compared to your post that was read by 6 people.
Report Post »Baerlin
Posted on March 10, 2012 at 9:04amA Yes to both…….
Report Post »vtxphantom
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:48pmGave up on Doonsebury long ago. Bring back Calvin and Hobbes!
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:00pmI second that motion!
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 9:11pmEither Calvin and Hobbes, or Bill Waterston could come up with a new strip. But, it would be hard to top C&H
Report Post »disenlightened
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:42pmDoonesbury is still out there? I honestly thought the cartoon ended years ago. Trudeau is a pathetic little freak.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:41pmThere are Medical Doctors… and there are Patients… where Doctors are paid for their Services… and where Patients must provide the Funds. So, why does this require Government, thereby Politics?
Just leave the people to their own agendas!
Report Post »encinom
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:07pmTell that to the GOP who have decided that the States will pass laws dictating public shamings of women exercising thier rights. Too many Christians want America to become like Afghanistan, look at the laws being past in Virigniastan and the rest of the Christian controlled theocracies along the bible belt. The GOP is no longer defending the Constitution, they are imposing their religious beliefs.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:24pm@encinom
Report Post »Virigniastan ??? V i r i g n i a s t a n ? ? ? I included spaces so you could see the emptiness in your mind, and lack of e d u m a c a t i o n !
The-Monk
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:36pm@encinom
Report Post »I seem to remember Frances Fox Piven saying she would use a pillow to kill a suffering child. What is your humble opinion about that?
The-Monk
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 9:12pm@encinom
Report Post »Come on back you Lilly Livered wussie socialist! What are you afraid of? I’m just a harmless Monk. You could surely out-debate me in a simple “The Blaze” post….
Magyar
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:39pmNever thought DooMesbury was funny or even remotely entertaining— Won’t be missed.
Report Post »Kaoscontrol
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:55pmIt’s only funny if you smoke a bunch of weed and love socialism.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 9:45pmMe either, I gave up on newspapers when I realized I was yelling a lot at the editorials and letters to the editor. I have not missed it at all. I never liked Doonsbury, I thought he was full of it.
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:38pmStopped paying attention to this left wing commentary post (Doonesbury) a long time ago. I‘m surprised it’s still around.
Report Post »The Third Archon
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:36pm“For something whose sole purpose is to invoke laughter, the content above doesn’t ring too funny.”
Report Post »Maybe not for you–I thought it was hilarious. By the by, I hope Texas realizes the irony of providing an INCENTIVE to have abortions as late as legally possible (or not legally, as the case, and the incentive structure, may have it) in order to avoid things like, for example, trans-******* ultrasounds–lol.
Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:47pmDoonsberry stopped being funny 20 years ago. He was an activist during the 90‘s against the Iraq war and hasn’t stopped. Trudeau alone is responsible for thousands of Parakeet Suicides.
Report Post »Capitalist Mama
Posted on March 10, 2012 at 9:17pmYou obviously aren‘t a woman and don’t have a ******.
Every year you are supposed to have a pelvic exam. A metal clamp is inserted into the ****** to hold the cervix open. A long q-tip is inserted into the ****** to swab the cervix. Then the doctor performs a “manual” check for lumps or tumors- that means the dr. uses two fingers to feel for any abnormal tissue. That’s not invasive? But the ultrasound is?? I call BS!
Beyond that, a transvaginal ultrasound is a tiny rod with a ultrasound at the top. They are used for more than simply pregnancy, such as ultrasounds on tissues or organs in your lower abdomen.
Anyone claiming a transvaginal ultrasound is “invasive” has either never had one done, doesn’t have a ******, or has never had sex.
Report Post »Soquel by the Creek
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:36pmHere’s the comic strip they should run instead.
http://twitpic.com/88gq7u/full
Report Post »ITGuy
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:21pmDumbsbury……..that’s all.
Report Post »Kaoscontrol
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:21pmThe Oregonian isn’t going to run it? Wow! The Oregonian is normally so liberal, this weeks Doonesbury must REALLY be offensive.
Report Post »TOMSERVO
Posted on March 12, 2012 at 2:46pmI couldn’t be more upset with the cowards at The Oregonian.
Report Post »Rowgue
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:20pmI‘m pretty sure they wouldn’t have had a problem with an overt political message in their funny pages, had the strips actually been funny and even remotely appropriate for small children who are the primary readers of the funny pages.
They’re nothing but rambling, incoherent, anti-male, anti-republican rants. Whoever wrote the strips couldn’t be further from funny if they tried. There is nothing clever or witty about it. It’s just a very thinly veiled propaganda piece aimed at indoctrinating young kids about a subject they have no interest in and have no business being preached to about.
Report Post »Kankokage
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:19pm*loud vacuum noise, followed by a flush*
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:16pmAre you referring to Doonesbury, Texas or Obama’s Big Plan for the future?
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:19pmTime to get real here. I live in Texas. If we wanted to do so we could regulate Planned Parenthood out of existance. Make the STANDARDS and REGULATIONS for an abortion so high that no one could comply. Just like they do is a nutjob State like New Jersey does with buying and registering a handgun.
Report Post »But we dont have any politicians with enough balls to do so even in Texas…
So the MURDERING of babies continues…
encinom
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:10pmActually you can’t, States like Texas must still comply with the US Supreme Court’s Casey decision. Abortions are legal and its the right of every women to choose for herself. To many small government conservatives want the government in the doctor’s office making decisions for women.
Report Post »piper22
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:48pmGuns are a literal right, abortion is a made up right by the SCOTUS. If guns can be regulated so harshly by individual states and cities, than so can abortion.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 9:08pmEncinom…you know as much about law as a third grader…You need to give it up son///you got schooled.
Report Post »dublinthewagons
Posted on March 10, 2012 at 5:46am@encinom. Don’t you think somebody with a little knowledge needs to help them out, with making decisions about murder or live?
Report Post »Look what happened to you. Some liberal taught you a human live is irelevent. Judging from your remarks maybe your mother should have been so liberal. There would be one less sort on the azz of society.
high school drop out
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:18pmAnd that goes for Tom Hanks too…Bye boys
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:17pmSo Killing babies is funny,but pictures of Mohammad are not? I Doubt Garry Trudeau will have pictures of little aborted babies in his strip.
Report Post »high school drop out
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:16pmDamn, I cant believe Trudeau, I thought he was a cartoonist! I guess theses days everyone is an “activist” scratch another fan here Gary!
Report Post »burnteye86
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:15pmI remember liking this strip back in the 70′s when I was a teenager. Then I grew up.
Report Post »cjherin
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:14pmIt’s a shame that Gary Larson (“The Far Side”) and Bill Watterson (”Calvin & Hobbes) chose to end their strips, but Garry Trudeau keeps going, even though “Doonesbury” hasn’t been relevant for 30 years.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:07pmNow they are aborting comic strips.
Report Post »Melvin Spittle
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:20pmIf you have the guts and can think logically and critically, you may want to view this. Or not.
http://www.180movie.com/
Report Post »TulsaYeeHaw
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:50pmThat movie makes me hope there is a hell.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:02pmI usually get the Sunday paper for the comics and the coupons…
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:18pmAlso for the Business section sometimes….
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 9:20pm@Bryan from Florida
Report Post »I sometimes pay the 50 cents for a Sunday paper just to get the coupons and usually save a few dollars at the grocery store. The math works out for the most part. I’m in Tampa; what part of FL do you live in If you don’t mind me asking?