# Matt Groening "Life In Hell" comic about boner shame - "Ignore the man behind the curtain!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 15, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018 "2016-09-15T17:12:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/1 "2016-09-15T17:12:29Z")
I recall a Life In Hell comic from several years ago, in a book collection of the comics, where at least part of the comic was a panel with text something like "One thing all men have in common - we have all at some point suffered from “boner shame”. The picture was of the main character rabbit hiding his crotch with his hands saying “Ignore the man behind the curtain!”. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find me this comic somewhere on the internet, or at least identify which Life In Hell collection it comes from. Thank you. ---
**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:** [September 15, 2016, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/2 "2016-09-15T17:27:47Z")
I asked Jeff. He said Akbar knew. Akbar denied it. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/3 "2016-09-15T18:30:59Z")
Oh, that’s an easy one! I’ll just Google the term “boner shame” on image search … oh my, maybe I won’t. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/4 "2016-09-15T23:37:32Z")
Sadly, I can’t find any of my Life Is Hell books. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/5 "2016-09-16T00:08:45Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Sadly, I can’t find any of my Life Is Hell books. This. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/6 "2016-09-16T00:23:06Z")
AH, in Akbar and Jeff’s Guide to Life-- panel is dated 1982. “Why Men Growl” : “Because whether weak-knee shrimptoast or huffy snore-behemoth, we often have boner shame.” ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/7 "2016-09-16T23:09:24Z")
On related note, I can’t imagine wearing pajama pants or basketball type shorts to school like my teenage son’s peers do. I would have been terrified of everyone seeing me with wood. At least with jeans we ould sort of hide it. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/8 "2016-09-17T00:25:22Z")
Good thing is, the older you get, boner shame fades… ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/9 "2016-09-17T00:27:48Z")
> [@P-man](#): > > On related note, I can’t imagine wearing pajama pants or basketball type shorts to school like my teenage son’s peers do. I would have been terrified of everyone seeing me with wood. At least with jeans we ould sort of hide it. we used to joke about people wearing socks with sandals. now that seems to be “in.” kids are dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/10 "2016-09-17T13:22:51Z")
OK, everyone’s always worried about their own being obvious, but really: How often have you actually noticed that anyone else was sporting wood? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/11 "2016-09-17T15:03:38Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > OK, everyone’s always worried about their own being obvious, but really: How often have you actually noticed that anyone else was sporting wood? That’s a good question: I’ve never noticed it, but then I rarely got my eyes on the crotch of other men. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/12 "2016-09-19T13:54:12Z")
> [@capybara](#): > > AH, in Akbar and Jeff’s Guide to Life-- panel is dated 1982. “Why Men Growl” : “Because whether weak-knee shrimptoast or huffy snore-behemoth, we often have boner shame.” Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/13 "2016-09-19T14:01:00Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > we used to joke about people wearing socks with sandals. now that seems to be “in.” kids are dumb. T’was the way the Romans wore them… ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/14 "2016-09-19T14:15:34Z")
> [@P-man](#): > > On related note, I can’t imagine wearing pajama pants or basketball type shorts to school like my teenage son’s peers do. I would have been terrified of everyone seeing me with wood. At least with jeans we ould sort of hide it. If you’re wearing briefs, that keeps things pretty well tied down, regardless of what sort of pants you’re wearing. boxers, OTOH, provide a lot of loose fabric and leave plenty of room for things to point where they will. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/15 "2016-09-19T18:04:53Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > If you’re wearing briefs, that keeps things pretty well tied down, regardless of what sort of pants you’re wearing. boxers, OTOH, provide a lot of loose fabric and leave plenty of room for things to point where they will. Yeahbut, the trend for going commando while wearing pajama bottoms - danger Will Robinson! ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/16 "2016-09-29T14:41:39Z")
Here’s a link to the cartoon: [[Album] Why Men Growl ![](https://i.imgur.com/fIEXYi2.jpeg?fb "Why Men Growl") ](https://imgur.com/gallery/Z3aNi) ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-groening-life-in-hell-comic-about-boner-shame-ignore-the-man-behind-the-curtain/766018/17 "2016-09-29T14:54:31Z")
Yee haw! Frosty mug!