# Did your paper run the masturbation Doonesbury strip today? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 7, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103 "2003-09-07T15:40:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/1 "2003-09-07T15:40:55Z")
I read that an estimated 50% of the papers who carry the strip weren’t going to run today’s new version that dealt (non-graphically) with the new report about the relationship between masturbation and the decreased risk of prostate cancer. Anticipating the response, Trudeau offered a preferred substitute that editors could use if they wanted to run something other than this masturbation effort (particularly since, being on Sunday, the column would be mixed in with the kiddie funnies). So, which version did your Sunday paper run? What did you think of the strip? I’m about to head out and pick up a paper myself in a minute, so I’ll report back. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/2 "2003-09-07T15:46:22Z")
Mine ran the CIA intern strip. The masturbation strip was funny, but don’t mistake it for fresh or improtant news; this bit of information has been around for at least 30 years, probably longer. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/3 "2003-09-07T15:52:52Z")
The _Raleigh News and Observer_ ran it. I didn’t think it was all that great of a strip, but at least one person wrote in to say he was cancelling his subscriprion on account of the strip (and the fact that the _N&O_ printed a sympathetic article about gay marriage a few weeks ago), and I’m in favor of anything that leads to fewer letters to the editor from people like that in the future. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/4 "2003-09-07T15:59:34Z")
Both Twin Cities (MN) major papers ran the intern strip. Lame. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/5 "2003-09-07T17:04:54Z")
Yes. Not very good, but that tends to be the tendency for his Sunday strips, whcih require six weeks of lead time, thereby hurting the topicality. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/6 "2003-09-07T17:07:17Z")
Our paper (the _Altoona Mirror_…yeah, big-town…) doesn’t even run Doonesbury. They do, however, run _Mallard Fillmore_, which _should_ always be censored and a comic which is actually funny run in its place… ---
**Author:** ![Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muldoon_s_Squishiness)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/7 "2003-09-07T17:14:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine \* > \*\*The _Raleigh News and Observer_ ran it. I didn’t think it was all that great of a strip, but at least one person wrote in to say he was cancelling his subscriprion on account of the strip (and the fact that the _N&O_ printed a sympathetic article about gay marriage a few weeks ago), and I’m in favor of anything that leads to fewer letters to the editor from people like that in the future. \*\* So you believe that we should all live in the some sort of candyland where we pretend that things like masturbation and gays/homosexuals don’t exist, that they are just some sort of mirage?:rolleyes: :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/8 "2003-09-07T17:22:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muldoon’s Squishiness \* > \*\*So you believe that we should all live in the some sort of candyland where we pretend that things like masturbation and gays/homosexuals don’t exist, that they are just some sort of mirage?:rolleyes: :rolleyes: \*\* No, I’m pretty sure he’s saying that the guy who wrote into the paper to cancel his subscription believes that. He believes that not having to read letters to the editor from people like that is a good thing. Glad I could clear up the confusion. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/9 "2003-09-07T17:34:43Z")
Got the intern strip. Not surprising…this is Hawaii and all. There are some lines even Honolulu Weekly won’t cross (changing “McAss” to McMass" and not running the “classical orgy” strip for This Modern World, for example). In all honesty, I don’t understand why any mainstream cartoonist even bothers. I mean, if I’m a cartoonist, I consider fact that I’ll have to drastically tone the subject matter down, it’s going to get lawyered and censored even more before the final product, I’m not going to make any meaningful statement whatsoever… **and there are still going to be damn reactionaries screaming bloody murder.** FTS…let’s see what those college boys have been up to. ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/10 "2003-09-07T17:40:00Z")
Well yeah DKS, but it isn’t like this strip was meaningful or relevant. It’s just a cheap joke about masturbation and not even a very timely one, but I get your point. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/11 "2003-09-07T18:14:19Z")
philly paper ran the comic involving prostate cancer. now i am left to wonder what will regular masturbation will prevent if you don’t have a prostate… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c2a13f/32.png) [@The\_Man\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_Who)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/12 "2003-09-07T18:52:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cheddarsnax \* > \*\*Both Twin Cities (MN) major papers ran the intern strip. Lame. \*\* You have GOT to be kidding me. I’d cancel my subscriptions, if I had any. ---
**Author:** ![Tanaqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Tanaqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanaqui)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/13 "2003-09-07T19:26:53Z")
The Statesman Journal (Salem, OR) ran the intern strip. Not really surprising. ---
**Author:** ![BethCro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cdc98d/32.png) [@BethCro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BethCro)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/14 "2003-09-07T19:40:17Z")
Much to my surprise, the Tulsa World ran the masturbation strip. I assumed that as Tulsa is the buckle on the Bible Belt, it wouldn’t. I’m looking forward to many letters to the editor and a possible retraction. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/15 "2003-09-07T19:44:18Z")
linkage? ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/16 "2003-09-07T20:16:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Man Who \* > \*\*You have GOT to be kidding me. > > I’d cancel my subscriptions, if I had any. \*\* It’s an outrage. I’m writing to the editor. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/17 "2003-09-07T20:23:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rocking chair \* > \*\*Now i am left to wonder what will regular masturbation will prevent if you don’t have a prostate… \*\* Boredom? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/18 "2003-09-07T20:32:15Z")
Akron(OH) Beacon Journal ran the masturbation strip, continuing a tradition of integrity. John S. Knight would have been proud. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/19 "2003-09-07T20:50:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cheddarsnax \* > \*\*Both Twin Cities (MN) major papers ran the intern strip. Lame. \*\* I’m actually shocked by this. MSP is a fairly liberal area and one that seemed largely opposed to the war in Iraq. I guess the midwest morality kicked in… On the other hand, here in our cesspool of pubbie politics as usual, the Anchorage Daily News ran the masturbation strip. But then the paper is owned by a company in the 48 and has a definite liberal leaning. I’m sure there will be a public outcry, particularly from the asshole Baptists who seem to be taking over the place. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103/20 "2003-09-07T20:54:47Z")
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution went with the intern, not the masturbation. Can’t blame them, anything interesting would distuirbe the overall tone of the paper. Piece o’ trash. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-paper-run-the-masturbation-doonesbury-strip-today/200103.md?page=2)