Garry Trudeau speaks out on TurdGate (Editing Strips is 'Not Acceptable')

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000992006

"Given that I'm writing for a general audience, I try not to use crude or vulgar language gratuitously," replied Trudeau, after E&P e-mailed him several questions this afternoon. "But in this case, I felt that Bush's nickname for Rove was illuminating. 'Turd blossom' has so many connotations, none of them flattering. It's a small masterpiece of nastiness." About 10 to 12 newspapers pulled or edited the "Turd Blossom" strips, according to an Associated Press story. Trudeau is OK with the pulling part, but not the editing part.

"Editors obviously have a responsibility to determine what's appropriate for inclusion in their papers," said the Universal Press Syndicate cartoonist. "The syndicate and I accept that from time to time individual editors may object to particular strips and decide to drop them. What's not acceptable to us, however, is for editors to alter the content of a strip and represent it as what I sent them. In most cases, changing the dialogue compromises its meaning or rhythm or humor. Sometimes, the strip no longer even makes sense. Who benefits from that? We'd prefer that an offending strip be dropped altogether."

In today's "Doonesbury" comic (which can be viewed here), an aide tells Bush: "Sir, we're still getting pretty beat up on the Rove revelations. We can't get traction on any other issue. It's just the leak thing 24-7!" Bush responds: "Yeah, I know. Karl's sure been earnin' his nickname lately." Aide: "Boy Genius? I'm not so sure, sir." Bush then calls out to Rove: "Hey, Turd Blossom! Get in here!"

"My assumption was twofold -- that many people already knew it, and that most others would infer it was real from the way I teed it up," said Trudeau. "I also felt that those in the latter group would be as tickled to learn of it as I was."

[fob]

1. What does the EDITED strip say? "Hey ****Blossom..."?

[ClassWarrior]

3. That'd be sweet - it looks much worse.

NGU.

[LynneSin]

4. Maybe those papers thought Bush wanted this person...

:shrug:

[Cha]

2. I was so hoping that

bush's grating penchant for nics would get payback someday..think "ButterQueen"=candy crowley.

Garry Trudeau is the Rockin'est! :yourock: Garry!