GUILT TRIPS

Several weeks ago, I wrote about language in comics and how I’m fond of clever wording. I’m particularly fond of the language feint — something akin to the malaprop. I’m also quite fond of double-entendres, like this one in a recent Out of the Gene Pool strip by Matt Janz.

Matt was asked about his intentions with the strip by David Astor for Editor & Publisher magazine. Matt explained, “Lately it seems that some of the newer cartoonists are trying to push the envelope … and I do think that some newspaper editors take solace in knowing a strip like Peanuts will never try to slip in the word 'sucks' or use the word 'sheet' in place of the word sh!t, which I did a couple of years ago. That clever pun got OGP yanked from the Chicago Tribune's comic pages that day.”

So, why am I writing about this subject again? Well, one thing that bothered me about my last post was that some people felt I was against the use of “dicey” language in comics. And, hindsight being 20/20, I realize it looked like I was damning Stephan Pastis with faint praise (or, more accurately, damning him by comparison) for using “bite me” in a recent Pearls Before Swine strip. In fact, I meant to applaud him. [clap clap clap clap]

Just last week, there was dissention on the appropriateness of the word “ass” in Doonesbury with editors coming down on both sides of the argument. If you look seriously at that strip, Trudeau is saying “ass” as in heinie. He’s not saying “ass” as in short for the word that means sphincter. So honestly, folks, if you’d allow “chicken-butt,” why wouldn’t you allow “chicken-ass”? Shouldn’t we be teaching our children that this is a perfectly fine word, if only so they can read various Bible verses without snickering?

I think using staid language is a mistake for newspapers. I think that it’s important to recognize that language changes — what once was unacceptable to one generation becomes acceptable to another. That was part of my point in explaining that the decade-or-so age difference between Alan Shearer and me produced a different reaction to the word “blows.” I’d also prefer it if readers would quit whining about what their kids or grandkids might read in the comics. And I’d prefer it if editors would ignore a handful of whiny readers.

But they don’t. Editors nowadays are a busy bunch, with staffs cut deeper than into the bone — into the marrow. Making time to listen to readers is about as possible as making time to pee. Speaking of which, excuse me a moment …

OK, as I was saying …

As a syndicate editor, I’m always trying to anticipate both newspaper reader and editor complaints while still trying to encourage the cartoonists’ license to be funny. I’m not always successful, and when I’m not, I carry around a lot of guilt.

A number of years ago, Greg Evans drew a Luann strip in which it was obvious that Luann’s parents had been, shall we say, amorous. I felt it was tastefully done, with Luann’s mom, Nancy, envisioning Luann’s father, Frank, as a knight in shining armor and Frank picturing himself in a Hugh Hefner ensemble of ascot, smoking jacket and pipe. I let it go — after all, this was the ‘90s (as I recall), not the ‘60s when Rob and Laura Petrie had to sleep in twin beds on The Dick Van Dyke Show. After the strip ran, an editor in Brownsville, Texas, called to complain. She said that she always read the comics with her 3-year-old grandson and claimed that when they got to that strip, he said, “Oh, I know what they did. They did something naughty.” Without thinking, I replied, “I’m sorry that your 3-year-old grandson believes that intimate relations between married people is ‘naughty.’”

Ugh. I broke Rule Number One of Responding to Clients: Never criticize. And also the (aptly named) Number Two: Take a deep breath and remember Rule One before opening your yap.

The cancellation came in a few short weeks later. Yes, yours truly is single-handedly responsible for getting Luann booted out of Brownsville.

Lesson learned. Nowadays, in order to avoid future guilt trips, I try to be frank with cartoonists. I try to analyze why a strip will be viewed as offensive to readers, how editors may react to reader complaints and whether or not I really feel the strip will suffer cancellations if the cartoonist chooses to go forward with a potentially problematic strip.

This is not to say I anticipate every complaint. Indeed, this one about the Dec. 24th Pickles strip is so bizarre, I don’t think anyone could have, except, perhaps [deleted by that tight-a$$ed Editorial Director Alan Shearer for legal and taste considerations].

Editors note: The original letter is no longer available on the Buffalo News' Web site. This letter, in defense of Pickles, refers to it.

Amy Lago is comics editor of The Washington Post Writers Group.