Author Topic: Anyone Else Sick of Doonesbury? (Read 5036 times)

The Rabbi · « **on:** January 28, 2007, 07:27:02 AM »

I have read Doonesbury for about 20 years or more. It was a funny, interesting comic strip with some very memorable characters and good plots and gags.
For the last, oh, 8 years the strip has deteriorated into a "get Bush" vendetta: every strip is about Bush or the Iraq War. Now I can appreciate a little humor at the expense of our chief executive but these strips are so painfully partisan they lack humor of any kind. When do strips need to be retired?

Sindawe · « **Reply #1 on:** January 28, 2007, 07:32:17 AM »

Quote

When do strips need to be retired?

When the passing of the strip is lamented by its fans and folks wish there were more of that line. ie: Calvin & Hobbes, The Far Side.

I stopped reading Doonsbury late in college, when every other strip was "get Bush (the elder)".

K Frame · « **Reply #2 on:** January 28, 2007, 07:34:10 AM »

"Get Bush."

No different than it was in the late 1970s and 1980s when it was essentially "Get Reagan at all costs" strip.

Gary Trudeau is, I have no doubt, a hard core socialist.

roo_ster · « **Reply #3 on:** January 28, 2007, 08:38:11 AM »

People still read Doonesbury?

Bogie · « **Reply #4 on:** January 28, 2007, 09:09:27 AM »

The strip is just sad... That, and the other one where they've got the guy with cancer - The back page is supposed to give you a pickup...

K Frame · « **Reply #5 on:** January 28, 2007, 12:04:16 PM »

Quote from: Bogie on January 28, 2007, 08:09:27 AM

The strip is just sad... That, and the other one where they've got the guy with cancer - The back page is supposed to give you a pickup...

That would be Funky Winkerbean, and that's Les Moore's wife, Lisa.

glockfan.45 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 28, 2007, 12:07:32 PM »

Honestly I cant stand the strip or show its just plain reverse racisim. If I made half the jabs at african americans, hispanics, asians, or arabs that Doonesbury makes against caucasians I would be called a racist and pulled out of print and off the air.

Edit to add: Sorry I goofed and was thinking of the comic strip the boone docks. My mistake to anyone who thought my post was displaying general weirdness.

Monkeyleg · « **Reply #7 on:** January 28, 2007, 12:26:48 PM »

I've always hated Doonesbury, but I read it. Sort of like slowing down to look at a car accident, I suppose.

wmenorr67 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 28, 2007, 12:34:43 PM »

I always read it for two reasons, one always have to keep one eye on the enemy, and the second is that Gary Trudeau has always supported the Armed Forces. I do believe he actually has made a rather large contribution to the Fisher House projects. Have to respect someone like that irregardless of his politics.

Fudgieghost · « **Reply #9 on:** January 28, 2007, 12:40:24 PM »

I never thought Doonsebury was funny. It was a strip that reveled in it's smug, liberal platitudes.

Wow, it was against the Vietnam war in the early seventies. How daring! How courageous! Right wing individuals are portrayed as dumb jocks. How percpetive! What insight! What understanding of the human condition does the author have!

I'd like to know how it's kept being syndicated all these years.

When "Dilbert" first came out, I thought, "Now this is a funny strip, and it speaks to the everyday frustrations and experiences of many Americans". Then I'd see "Doonsebury" and think, "Who still reads this? It's irrelavent and unfunny." Trudeau is a hack who has nothing funny, interesting or insightful to say---- AND HE NEVER DID. I'm just sayin'. . . . .

BTW, the author is (was?) married to Jane Pauley.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #10 on:** January 28, 2007, 06:46:37 PM »

Anyone still reading Doonesbury?

Manedwolf · « **Reply #11 on:** January 28, 2007, 07:02:33 PM »

I glanced at the strip the other day, and it had a stereotyped "...man!" Vietnam veteran talking about flashbacks from charcoal fluid.

Um. Did the last thirty-odd years not happen for the author? I recall seeing some from the first Gulf War that were actually kind of funny, about the troops all wishing for beer and such, but since then, it's looked pretty irrelevant.

Winston Smith · « **Reply #12 on:** January 28, 2007, 07:07:41 PM »

I don't get it... it never makes me laugh.

Loucks · « **Reply #13 on:** January 28, 2007, 08:24:44 PM »

Quote from: Fudgieghost on January 28, 2007, 11:40:24 AM

I'd like to know how it's kept being syndicated all these years.

When "Dilbert" first came out, I thought, "Now this is a funny strip, and it speaks to the everyday frustrations and experiences of many Americans". Then I'd see "Doonsebury" and think, "Who still reads this? It's irrelavent and unfunny." Trudeau is a hack who has nothing funny, interesting or insightful to say---- AND HE NEVER DID. I'm just sayin'. . . . .

I'd say that it's syndicated because a great many people still think it's funny. Dilbert, however (IMHO) is more of a one trick pony than Doonesbury has ever been, although the early years in the student paper are pretty rough.

Honestly, I'm more bothered by the aforementioned Funky Winkerbean, Curtis, and all the other "comics" that spend more time trying to be poignant than making with the funny. At least GT always includes some sort of a punchline.

Of course, I happen to think that Bush, Reagan, and Bush were all absolutely terrible Commanders in Chief. Not that Clinton was any better!

Loucks

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #14 on:** January 29, 2007, 02:34:26 AM »

Quote

Funky Winkerbean, Curtis, and all the other "comics" that spend more time trying to be poignant than making with the funny.

Agreed. Like Family Circle or Circus or whatever.

Marmaduke is the ultimate one trick pony - er, dog.

Loucks · « **Reply #15 on:** January 29, 2007, 04:08:59 AM »

Quote from: fistful on January 29, 2007, 01:34:26 AM

Agreed. Like Family Circle or Circus or whatever.

Y'know, I find myself glacing at that single panel of mediocrity every couple days in the hope that the "comic stripper" in question has finally snapped and drawn a series in which one of the characters finally snaps and goes on a rampage. So far, no joy.

Extra points for anyone who can name the originator of the term "comic stripper" in this context. No googling!

wingnutx · « **Reply #16 on:** January 29, 2007, 04:12:38 AM »

Dilbert has made me laugh on many occasions.

Doonsbury, not so much. I like some of the older Duke strips.

Fudgieghost · « **Reply #17 on:** January 29, 2007, 05:11:11 AM »

Loucks: I don't know how comic strips are evaluated, but I don't think they poll readers. My hunch is the choice is made by newspaper editors and publishers.

So it may be that many people DON"T find Doonesbury funny, but that your standard run-of-the-mill liberal newspaper editors/publishers, who are of a like mind, and who grew up with, and are atuned to Gary Trudeau's politics and mind-set continue to run the strip because it reinforces their world-view, and reminds them of the good ol' days when they were protesting the Viet-Nam war and scoring with hippie chicks.

But, uh, I could be wrong.

StopTheGrays · « **Reply #18 on:** January 29, 2007, 07:15:35 AM »

Quote from: Loucks on January 29, 2007, 03:08:59 AM

Quote from: fistful on January 29, 2007, 01:34:26 AM

Agreed. Like Family Circle or Circus or whatever.

Extra points for anyone who can name the originator of the term "comic stripper" in this context. No googling!

Opus?

I agree with Doonesbury being lame. Now Bloom County and Calvin and Hobbs were great in there time. Lately I have been reading more online comics. Two of my favorites are Sluggy and User Friendly. Both have their ups and downs but for the most part are funny and clever.

K Frame · « **Reply #19 on:** January 29, 2007, 08:17:02 AM »

I HIGHLY suggest two comic strips:

Sherman's Lagoon

and

Get Fuzzy

Both often have me laughing hysterically.

BakerMikeRomeo · « **Reply #20 on:** January 29, 2007, 08:45:13 AM »

I like lots of comics in the newspaper (my paper doesn't run Doonesbury or The Boondocks or any of the other annoying politicking comics), but I gotta say that Get Fuzzy is prolly my favorite.

Plus, I read a heap of webcomics, too.

Speaking of which, there ought to be a new Better Days today...

~GnSx

slzy · « **Reply #21 on:** January 29, 2007, 10:05:02 AM »

beavis and butthead would make quick work of doonesbury.

allmons · « **Reply #22 on:** January 29, 2007, 11:28:59 AM »

Doonesbury has long made me ill. So predictably left wing, so unintelligent and SO unfunny!

brimic · « **Reply #23 on:** January 29, 2007, 11:32:29 AM »

Never found it funny or clever myself either.
I do like Boondocks sometimes....if only because of the grandfather character's attitude.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #24 on:** January 29, 2007, 11:32:41 AM »

Quote from: slzy on January 29, 2007, 09:05:02 AM

beavis and butthead would make quick work of doonesbury.

But Cosine would never know of their efforts. Tongue

Chris

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Author Topic: Anyone Else Sick of Doonesbury? (Read 5036 times)

BakerMikeRomeo