# Doonesbury, 4/23- did your paper have the "bad language", or the cutesy symbols? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 23, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699 "2004-04-23T20:39:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![katie1341](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/91b2a8/32.png) [@katie1341](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katie1341)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/1 "2004-04-23T20:39:10Z")
I get two newspapers that carry Doonesbury- the Athens and Atlanta papers. The Atlanta paper had BD saying “\*#&^@” in the last panel, and the Athens one had him saying “son of a BITCH!”. With all of the bruhaha about the “language” I’ve been seeing, I was surprised that it wasn’t any worse. Did your paper(s) carry the actual words, or did they wimp out like Atlanta did? ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/2 "2004-04-23T20:57:54Z")
The _Baltimore Sun_ ran the word in question. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/3 "2004-04-23T21:05:12Z")
The LA Times ran the strip. The Riverside Press-Enterprise deleted the whole strip, but gave a link to their webpage, and said the uncensored strip would be there. It was. Such a fuss for a really rather funny last panel. I can just hear BD yelling that…not in despair, just annoyance. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/4 "2004-04-23T21:14:55Z")
Amazingly, the _Savannah Morning News_ ran the naughty version. The same paper that, back in the mid 80’s, would not run the “Reagan sucks!” _Bloom County_ strip. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/5 "2004-04-23T21:15:29Z")
The “Boston Globe” ran an empty panel and an explanation why. They also gave a link to their website where you could read that “awful” language. Geez, just when it seemed that Boston was outgrowing that prudish, inhibited image, something like this comes along to reaffirm it. Oh darn it all !!! LOL ---
**Author:** ![Illinois\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Illinois\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illinois_Boy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/6 "2004-04-23T21:19:50Z")
The Chicago Tribune ran the word in question. I thought it was quite funny, in the situation. It wasn’t until later, driving to work, did it occur to me that that was the strip corresponding to the controversy. It just slipped by me at the time. But I guess a parental type \*could \* be concerned. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/7 "2004-04-23T21:36:52Z")
Minneapolis Star-Tribune ran the naughty strip. This reminds me of that “self-love” Doonesbury from a few months back. I know there was a thread on it, but my searches turn up nothing. Anyone have a link? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/8 "2004-04-23T21:51:31Z")
My local paper ran the strip, with language. ---
**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:** [April 23, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/9 "2004-04-23T21:57:08Z")
My paper ran the strip, foul word and all. ---
**Author:** ![mdf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@mdf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mdf)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/10 "2004-04-23T21:58:28Z")
My paper “decided not to publish today’s ‘Doonesbury’ strip about soldiers who have lost limbs in combat, because it may offend some readers”. -mdf ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/11 "2004-04-23T22:07:49Z")
The St. Louis \*Post-Dispatch \* used “son of a bitch.” ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/12 "2004-04-23T22:29:39Z")
The Tampa Tribune printed it with “bitch” intact. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/13 "2004-04-23T22:31:54Z")
The Albany Times-Union ran it with the bad language. I didn’t notice it until reading a thread in IMHO on the subject and I looked at it again. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/14 "2004-04-23T22:36:41Z")
Was the April 21 strip the first time B.D. has been drawn without headgear? ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee7513/32.png) [@Mona\_Lott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lott)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/15 "2004-04-24T00:10:27Z")
The Spokesman-Review in Spokane ran the strip with the actual words instead of the symbols. I am expecting a backlash for their use of what some people would consider vulgar language. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/16 "2004-04-24T00:17:58Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Amazingly, the _Savannah Morning News_ ran the naughty version. > > The same paper that, back in the mid 80’s, would not run the “Reagan sucks!” _Bloom County_ strip. Did they also cut the “snugglebunnies” strip? ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/17 "2004-04-24T00:38:14Z")
The Kingsport Times-News (KTN) didn’t run it at all and had a very icily-worded bit in the editorial section about why they didn’t run it and that it would be back next week. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/18 "2004-04-24T00:45:52Z")
The Rocky Mountain News (Denver) ran it as it was written. They had a piece earlier in the week explaining their concerns, but that it would be printed. **Bryan Ekers** , the consensus seems to be “yes”. There’s some headgear related conversation in [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=242569) thread. ---
**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:** [April 24, 2004, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/19 "2004-04-24T01:03:18Z")
the phila inquirer ran the strip as written. i’m sure that bd was calling out for the comfort puppy that some hospitals have. seriously, i think doonesbury and get fuzzy are doing very well with a very delicate subject. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699/20 "2004-04-24T01:16:36Z")
My Akron Beacon Journal, normally ahead of the curve, ran the strip with the following in the dialogue baloon: “Son of a B\_ \_ \_ \_!” Kind of a throwback to the 19th century newspaper style, when it came to curse words. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doonesbury-4-23-did-your-paper-have-the-bad-language-or-the-cutesy-symbols/241699.md?page=2)