# Today's B.C. "comic" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 6, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088 "2003-06-06T14:43:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/21 "2003-06-06T16:14:03Z")
Y’know, when I was a wee tot, my brothers loved BC, and had bought a couple of the bound paperback collections. Back in the early 70’s, BC was hilarious. It was actually fresh and original, and the whole “cross-section of caveman life” thing hadn’t been utterly played out. Oh yeah, and Hart wasn’t a steaming pile of Fundamentalist crap. BC hasn’t been funny since about 1980. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_With_The_Golden_Gun)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/22 "2003-06-06T16:21:30Z")
Sorry, but I will always love Hart for this quote: “It takes intelligence to enjoy wit and humor, but none to be offended by it.” And no, that’s not directed toward any of the comments in this thread, I just love that quote. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/23 "2003-06-06T16:34:15Z")
Wow, i never realized that Hart was a fundamentalist. The last time i read B.C. with any regularity was as a kid in the late 1970s and early 1980s. At that age, i probably would have missed any Christian or conservative references if they’d been there. Re. the cartoon linked by the OP: On first reading, and before finding out about Hart’s recent history, i took the cartoon as an ironic dig at O’Reilly, or at least at the show’s motto. I actually thought that the OP was complaining that Hart was too liberal! I suppose one could also read it as an unironic endorsement of O’Reilly, but it seems to me that such a reading would be out of character for a comic strip. Either way, it’s not very funny. ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/24 "2003-06-06T16:36:59Z")
I agree that it’s a fairly mild “joke”, and, while I think it’s slightly possible that there’s no inherent endorsement, I think there is. And it’s just the last straw. LIke **Ogre** said, I remember when BC was funny. Now it’s not and it irritates me. “GROG!” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/25 "2003-06-06T17:20:16Z")
I’m amazed that cavemen wore beanies. Whodathunkit? It was a lame joke and nothing to be offended by. Just don’t read the damn thing because you know it’s gonna suck. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/26 "2003-06-06T17:36:37Z")
Um, lame, yes, but it’s not “just” a joke on the tagline: it’s obviously an _endorsement_ of O’Reilly. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/27 "2003-06-06T17:56:18Z")
He’s also endorsing beanie hats then. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/28 "2003-06-06T18:06:06Z")
What I don’t understand is how all these people living b. C. manage to be C.-ian. ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/29 "2003-06-06T18:15:43Z")
What I don’t get is this. It’s “B.C.” , as in “Before Christ”, with cavemen and all, but he constantly goes on about christ in the strip. He should call it just “C” and be done with it. And I agree, he was way funnier in the 70’s, but then so was SNL. ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/30 "2003-06-06T18:19:08Z")
I type very slowly. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/31 "2003-06-06T18:20:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spooje \* > **I’m amazed that cavemen wore beanies. Whodathunkit?** Peter once made a reference to rafting through the Panama Canal. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/32 "2003-06-06T18:41:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lissener \* > \*\*Um, lame, yes, but it’s not “just” a joke on the tagline: it’s obviously an _endorsement_ of O’Reilly. \*\* I don’t see why that’s so obvious. As has been pointed out already, the guy wearing the O’Reilly beanie is the clueless and sad one, and his propeller beanie doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/33 "2003-06-06T18:41:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lissener \* > \*\*Um, lame, yes, but it’s not “just” a joke on the tagline: it’s obviously an _endorsement_ of O’Reilly. \*\* Yeah. And? I mean, who cares? It’s his strip, he can endorse whoever he likes. We are free to ignore his strip. I excersize that freedom daily. I could give a shit who or what he endorses. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/34 "2003-06-06T19:33:13Z")
I don’t care for Hart, having found him to be unfunny and overly evangelical a long time ago, but I don’t think this strip was particularly offensive. I _suppose_ it could be interpreted as an endorsement for O’Reiley (“See, Bill _doesn’t_ spin anything! Even Johnny Hart says so!”), but anyone feeble-minded enough to follow that train of thought has signed onto the conservative right’s groupthink already. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/35 "2003-06-06T19:39:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kabbes \* > \*\*Cheers folks. > > Not very funny then, even ignoring any political slant. Just a poor pun. \*\* Yes, perhaps the worst pun I have ever seen. It amazes me that he actually thought that was the least bit clever. I stopped reading BC years ago. And I don’t think they even publish it in my paper anymore. That’s why I respect Bill Watterson so much for retiring Calvin & Hobbes. Always leave 'em wanting more… ---
**Author:** ![RexDart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RexDart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexDart)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/36 "2003-06-06T19:49:44Z")
A bad pun, a failed joke, not an endorsement of O’Reilley. I think it’s a little too early to class B.C. with blatantly political comics like Boondocks, at least based on this particular strip alone. I’ve never seen these references to Christianity that people keep talking about, what’s that about? ---
**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:** [June 6, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/37 "2003-06-06T20:07:36Z")
I read it as a gentle slam on O’Reilly, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/38 "2003-06-06T20:17:07Z")
I don’t think it’s at all funny or clever, but I also didn’t read it as an endorsement of O’Reilly. Is it an endorsement by just mentioning him? ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/39 "2003-06-06T20:37:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by matt\_mcl \* > \*\*What I don’t understand is how all these people living b. C. manage to be C.-ian. \*\* Ah, yes, that’s the beauty of accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Time travel is one of the hidden powers of those who _believe_. And don’t ask anyone about it cause they can’t tell you. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088/40 "2003-06-06T21:59:13Z")
Good lord. It’s always such a mess when liberalism emotes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-b-c-comic/180088.md?page=3)