Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for January 19, 2012

What is she doing after the taping?

Read yesterday’s strip, Mild Mannered Reporter. She loves Obama; she had to find her “ugly” to this taping.

Let’s tone it down, dudes — there might be ladies present …

Three observations: (1) There is no evidence Sherm is an Obama hater or agrees with the “super-pac spot attacking Obama”. (See Monday’s strip.) He’s only conducting business and making bux, even calls the spot “trash”. (2) Likewise there’s no evidence Skye is “selling out to the highest bidder”. Again, like Sherm, she’s only doing business and making $$$$. (3) Neither is there any evidence that Toggle (Leo) is lusting after her and moving away from his commitment to Alex.

‘Hello Kitty’ underwear isn’t strange. Well, not if you’re a small girl, maybe its a bit odd for a grown woman.

Then so is every media outlet that sells advertising; every store that sells merchandise of which the owner doesn’t approve. You prefer a state of affairs where the New York Times is sold only in stores with a liberal management, and the Wall Street Journal only in stores that have a conservative management? Should actors refuse to appear in movies or plays unless they endorse the morality or message of the play or movie? Or for that matter, of the role? Who would play the villains, then? The people who do voice-overs for advertisements (political or otherwise) are ACTORS playing a ROLE, not citizens making a statement. Or do you really think that beautiful model is just an average housewife who LOVES scrubbing her bathroom with Product Q?

Jeez guys, the Hello Kitty underware is a metaphor. She’s harmless!

Hello Kitty knickers? I dunno about anybody else here, but I definitely did not need to know that!

What? Not even a giggle?

hello Kitty underwear IS evil.

Anyone else sense a potential “jealousy arc” coming with Alex? Do NOT mention you know she wears Hello Kitty underwear, Tog…

Okay, let’s not dilute the word “evil”..“Hello Kitty” is self-conscious, manipulatively cute-for-its-own-sake kitsch. That may very well be in poor taste (although the Japanese seriously seem to love that stuff…). But evil involves gross cruelty or injustice to another, solely for one’s own amusement — and knickers with blank-eyed kitten faces on them don’t qualify. Especially since it’s clearly meant as an ironic statement, even if it were literally true..There are enough things out there that are really evil, and deserve the word.

I can’t believe no one has commented on the words that Skye is saying…those are on the list generated by ol’ Newt, back in the day, for those Republicans who wanted to “be successful, like Newt” (in the words of the late, great Molly Ivins)

Is in me or does Skye look a lot like a young Mike Doonesbury (minus the red hair)? Her granny glasses and nose and most of her face are very reminicient of young Mike.

“…but that means she’s selling outto the highest bidder.”.It would be a wonderful world if we could do only work that we enjoy, and that agrees with our personal values. We should all aspire to that — but unfortunately, very few people live in that world, which means that everyone else is, in your terms, a sellout: taking a paycheck for work they don’t personally believe in, just to eat and live indoors. Welcome to Earth, friend.,(And what’s wrong with selling out to the highest bidder? Would there be more virtue in selling out to the lowest bidder?)

I see trouble brewing for Alex…

mister ‘take things out of content and disguise them as policy" (also known as mister fifteen percent) will take panel two, and use it as ’proof’ that even the famed liberal cartoonist Garry Trudeau is anti-Obama

Ha. Just bought a Hello Kitty toothbrush for someone. Want one too Skye?

HK underwear. I guess that means she is most probably female.

How did they get involved with this? Alex will not be pleased.

You said that you threatened your teenaged nephew with all manner of “Hello Kitty” merchandise when he wouldn’t tell you what he wanted for Christmas. and that motivated him. What a great idea! I’ll have to try that on my teenaged grandson.

BTW, people rarely comment on Sylvia. It’s not that bad, guys!

I like red hair and Hello Kitty underware. Tattoos, I can take or leave, lip piercings are a deal killer. Of course, she appears closer to Leo’s socioeconomic background. Could be trouble for Alex.

“Strange underwear is great, that is easily removed.” Hellooooo, Kitty! G’night, everybody!Shady Lady, love the avatar!

Uh, Toggle’s only getting a sound check, they’re not on the air, but this IS how we “accidentally” find out what politicians ever really think. Remember just like unloaded guns, no such thing as a “dead” mike.

Those of us who have LIVED our principles have been in poverty a LOT…like most of the 19th/20th century artists, the real ones.Of course when you do ‘score’ for what you believe to be the right,the good, true AND beautiful…it’s quite a rush. Yeah, selling out your VOICE? sorry, man. She can’t come to MY party.

But then, I live in a sort of private monastery…

“Would there be more virtue in selling out to the lowest bidder?”How about not selling out at all?If it were me, I’d worry in a squeaker election that my ads might have tipped the balance to the Dark Side. Rather not live with that.

I think we’re entering into “triangle time”, Toggle is becoming smitten with her.

Maybe Skye could go “coWOMYNdo.”

It’s not that I necessarily would welcome a “soap opera” turn to the strip, but it wouldn’t be unrealistic at all for Alex and Toggle to have a bad breakup. How many people, excepting those who get married right out of High School, wind up marrying their first lovers? (Obviously SOME do, and I don’t mean to cast aspersions; I’m just talking statistics…) They ARE very young, after all…

If you had a car that you really loved but considered a classic, and someone offered you WAAAAAY above what you were asking for it, then you would not sell it because it would be morally wrong?

“No sell out. One can do a job and still not like the company. You just have to separate the two.”It’s one thing to work for a company you don’t like and one that you think is evil. Say, making weapons dictators use to murder their own citizens. ‘Just following orders’ went out as a defense in the last century. I still would not want to participate in an activity that I thought would be detrimental to my country.

PS: This is, needless to say, speculation and not prediction.

I thought most of the first comments were from women…

We are not talking about UFO’s and moon landings, of course. We are speculating about the native intelligence and wit of one fictional female whom we’ve just met as opposed to another fictional female with whom we’re familiar. If you are assuming that Skye does NOT have intelligence and wit on the basis of her appearance alone, then you are making as great a leap as anyone else.

Companies make Hello Kitty underwear in adult sizes? Wow. Next thing you know, we’ll be seeing Superman boxers, and… oh, wait a second. Yeah, Hello Kitty underwear on a grown woman isn’t surprising, or that unusual. However, her appearance would make me think she’d wear something… else.

My assumption that Alex’s intelligence surpasses that of Skye is based on evidence of Alex’s established accomplishments. Since Skye’s intelligence is unknown at this point, I assumed it as average, as less than Alex’s.

“…and you would make the same assumption if she had turned up without tattoos, piercings or a bit of attitude?” Why should I?

“… there was no evidence either way.” The situation would be different if Skye was on trial for, say, murder. But that’s not the situation. The situation centers on Leo, not Skye. If Leo MUST choose between the two potential life partners, then logically, without evidence, he must assign Skye’s intelligence at average; any other assignation would be without any logical support whatsoever. But he already knows that, based on evidence, Alex’s intelligence is way above average. Therefore, he gives that (very important) point to Alex. The same argument obtains for wealth or potential wealth. Since there is no evidence either way, Skye’s potential wealth must be placed at average. By the same token, Alex’s wealth must be put at well above average, within the one percenters’s wealth. Therefore, he gives that point to Alex as well.  There are other issues as well, such as dress; the same reasoning obtains. One of them would be appearance. On the basis of evidence, Skye has body piercings and tattoos. Alex has neither; Leo himself has neither (at least according to the appearance that Trudeau has afforded us). Therefore, again on the basis of evidence alone (assuming that like marries like more than like marries unlike), Alex wins point number three. Bottom line: Alex three, Skye nothing. 

If there’s anyone who’s afraid leftwing’s going wobbly on Obama, then Biden found a way to keep him on the rez, Anyone who thinks that was a faux pax, don’t know Joe

I wish we were all back in Iraq!!!

She’s a working voice over actress. Give her a break.

It’s called a simile, not a par. Obviously “you” didn’t get the point.