Comments on: I Wonder Whether Garry Trudeau Knows…

By: CIDU Bill

CIDU Bill — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:26:23 +0000

And a variation on your question, Jack: Is it still “mean” if you’re just doing your job? After all, the political cartoonists, radio show hosts, the Bill O’Reillys and the Ann Coulters and the Ted Ralls don’t make a living by being gentle and even-handed: They provoke, or else they get replaced by somebody who does.

By: Jack

Jack — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:23:24 +0000

I don’t dispute that cartoonists have exemplified this trait of meanness for some time. I appreciate everyone’s reminding me of that, though, because sometimes we do tend to forget the past. We tend to forget, for example, that figures who are now beloved in the annals of history were once demonized, even hated, by a large percentage of people in the country (Abraham Lincoln is one name that comes to mind).

The question I ask is: Does meanness become any less “mean” because it has been going on for hundreds of years? Should we think that we’re sitting pretty because our comics are less “mean” than those of yesteryear? Or do we hold ourselves to a higher standard?

Of course, I’m not interested in offering my opinion any further, because it is probably better at this point to give people something to think about on their own rather than offering another dogmatic opinion. I feel like I’m in a philosophical discussion.

By: Charlene

Charlene — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:55:29 +0000

Modern political cartoons also don’t suggest that it would be A-OK if the opponent was murdered in cold blood.

Modern political cartoons are wimpy.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:43:59 +0000

Actually they were nastier, Mark. Modern political cartoons don’t have anywhere near as many fart jokes. (I’m serious. You could look it up).

By: Mark in Boston

Mark in Boston — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:18:24 +0000

But Jack, look at the political cartoons of 100 years ago, or even 200 years ago. Just as nasty.

By: Jack

Jack — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:02:55 +0000

It seems that most political cartoonists (left and right) are what preschoolers would refer to as “mean.”

And those little ones would probably be right. But when they make fun of each other the way that adults make fun of each other, the adults just yell at them.

I see little substance in most political strips these days other than a desire to make fun of one’s political nemeses.

By: FlyingFish

FlyingFish — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:04:40 +0000

(”If there’s a dictatorship, we break it down! If there’s no democracy, we make one with these hands!”)

By: Dave Van Domelen

Dave Van Domelen — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:11:31 +0000

The herobuilders.com version also doesn’t talk. Which, frankly, could be seen as more feature than bug.

(I’m tempted to get or make one just so I can give it Gurren Lagann accessories and pose a picture of her saying “With this drill I will pierce the ANWR!”)

By: Jon88

Jon88 — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:45:57 +0000

It seems he also doesn’t know the “even” divides after the E. (What, somebody thought “lies” couldn’t sit by itself on the third line?)

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:31:59 +0000

I think Trudeau has a much shorter lead time than most strips, somewhere around a week and a half, so he probably was aware of the action figures.