Cartoon Raises a Stink

Washinton Post ^ | Friday, November 21, 2003 | Johnny Hart

[livesbygrace]

Did Johnny Hart -- the beloved creator of "B.C." and one of the most widely read cartoonists on Earth -- sneak a vulgar defamation of Islam into the comics pages last week? The question was raised yesterday by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Washington-based civil rights group, in an e-mail to its membership.

Hart and his syndicate say no -- that a simple, straightforward joke is being misconstrued. That may well be true, but the 73-year-old cartoonist's history of evangelizing his Christian beliefs through his comic cavemen have left many people doubtful.

The cartoon, which appeared Nov. 10 in more than 1,200 newspapers worldwide -- including The Washington Post -- shows a caveman entering an outhouse at night, and then saying, from inside, "Is it just me, or does it stink in here?"

The first public questioning of this cartoon arose in a washingtonpost.com chat Tuesday, when a reader noted that the cartoon seemed to make no sense, except metaphorically. The reader noted that the cartoon contained six crescent moons -- three in the sky, and three on the outhouse door -- and wondered if this might have been a veiled slur on the world's 1 billion practicing Muslims.

[over3Owithabrain]

Hart brilliantly nailed Islam for the gutter religion it is. CAIR is a terrorist-coddling sham. If Boondocks and Doonesbury can incite people to hate the president and America, Hart can take a ingenius shot at a murderous cult.

[SpinyNorman]

This is as bad as the Boston Globe's Derrick Z. Jackson, who see racism in a black and white newspaper page, simply because there is more white paper than black ink.

[BibChr]

Oh, look; if you're looking for someone to DEFEND a Post article, you've got the wrong guy!

Dan
(c;

[beezdotcom]

One thing that scared me: the phrase '1 billion practicing Muslims'...

Now now, don't worry...it just said '1 billion practicing', but it said nothing about how many were getting it right. ;-)

[Wonder Warthog]

"..5th century is pre-Islamic."

I was referring to economic and educational levels-- although I think one "could" legitimately argue that todays Muslims are worse off than their pre-Islamic ancestors.

[mewzilla]

Some recommended remedial reading for CAIR.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

Kudos for CAIR for having the self-awarness to so easily identify themselves with stinking outhouses.

[mewzilla]

I was referring to economic and educational levels-- although I think one "could" legitimately argue that todays Muslims are worse off than their pre-Islamic ancestors.

I wonder what they put on their outhouses?

[Sunshine Sister]

So what?

[70times7]

I think that what they suspect the cartoon implies is EXACTLY what was intended.

Ya GOTTA love a cartoon like this!

[najida]

Some people look for any excuse to be insulted...

Or avoid using an outhouse.

[judywillow]

If they don't want their holy symbol on outhouses they should stop worhsipping the moon. Pretty simple...

[70times7]

Hart brilliantly nailed Islam for the gutter religion it is. CAIR is a terrorist-coddling sham. If Boondocks and Doonesbury can incite people to hate the president and America, Hart can take a ingenius shot at a murderous cult.

Very well said - thank you.

[70times7]

Hart brilliantly nailed Islam for the gutter religion it is. CAIR is a terrorist-coddling sham. If Boondocks and Doonesbury can incite people to hate the president and America, Hart can take a ingenius shot at a murderous cult.

Very well said - thank you.

[madison10]

If there was a star with the crescent moon, I could see the reason for offense...maybe. As it is they're grasping. BTW, what DOES the cartoon mean? ;) The obvious? Outhouses are supposed to stink? What?

[70times7]

Hart brilliantly nailed Islam for the gutter religion it is. CAIR is a terrorist-coddling sham. If Boondocks and Doonesbury can incite people to hate the president and America, Hart can take a ingenius shot at a murderous cult.

Very well said - thank you.

[70times7]

Yes, I meant to.

[Sloth]

Hart sneaks in a subliminal mention of "IWHAM".

Obviously a slam on Ann Coulter's book.

[SandRat]

and the grousing about "why would anyone slam the outhose door...?", has 1)never had to use one, 2)had to slam the dang blasted thing cuase the doors tended to not wnat to always close right, 3) duh, the rich folks had springs on the door and that would make them slam, 4)never had the trots, and 5)never been mad at take yer pick wife, politician, sherrif, revenuers, preacher, etc. and used that to express yer-self safely.

Shessh city folk!

[BayouCoyote]

BAWAWAWAW!!!!!