Does this comic strip cross the line? Were the syndicate editors right to refuse to run it?

[FrodosPet]

https://twitter.com/stephanpastis/status/758471559950368768

[CBGLuthier]

1. No and no.

[Scuba]

2. Same here. No and no.

[Mendocino]

3. Calling Agent Mike

Imagine if Nixon the Paranoid had modern surveillance methods and devices available. His enemies list would have been a mile high.

[Iggo]

4. Cross what line?

[FrodosPet]

22. Supposedly, he was not allowed to run this cartoon in the newspapers

Then again, it IS Stephan Pastis - it is probably a swerve.

[MrScorpio]

5. No and no

That shit is funny.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. So that's why yesterday's Pearls was a rerun?

I thought it was hilarious. But I think Pearls Before Swine is frequently laugh out loud hilarious. Stephan Pastis is a master at clever wordplay.

PBS is one strip I'll always read even if I'm in a hurry.

[treestar]

7. maybe they refused to run it because it is so stupid?

that would never happen so it does not pass comic muster - there has to be something realistic to make it funny.

[Chiyo-chichi]

15. You're right.

A talking pig would never be arrested as a result of a misunderstanding that resulted from the NSA monitoring communications for keywords.

[treestar]

18. Kids would not be arrested for correcting grammar

As if they'd be listening to kids in the first place.

It is in their own interests to target the right people. And there is a FISA procedure. Too many exaggerations in this alleged fear of being monitored by the government with no cause.

[LanternWaste]

20. Is not exaggeration one of the tools of Horatian satire?

Is not exaggeration one of the tools of Horatian satire?

[treestar]

21. It would have to be mild enough

to still allow something to seem real. Even real tyrants did not arrest kids - they tried to use them as spies. None of them cared about grammar. There's a line there somewhere.

[rusty fender]

30. The pigs are kids?

[treestar]

43. anthropomorphized

they are speaking.

[melman]

39. wtf

are you talking about?

[mythology]

32. Let's see

A guy was interviewed by the police in England for texting Clash lyrics.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/jun/03/terrorism.world

Another guy was detained for several hours for singing along to the Clash.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-382039/Playing-The-Clash-terror-suspect.html

An economist was detained here for doing math.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/05/07/professors-airplane-math-leads-flight-delay/84084914/

You're right it isn't funny. But that's because it's all too real. Comedy is tragedy plus time. We haven't had the time yet.

[JEB]

33. Thank you for the truth.

[Rex]

36. Some folks never have a bad word for our government.

And that is one of them.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

40. Not mention the guy in Ohio who got the 'SWAT' treatment for...

... supposedly pledging loyalty to ISIS. I know it wasn't a withe tap but the guy was just talking on a cell phone.

[treestar]

44. All of those involve dumb people

and the persons questioned were not arrested, etc. Also no government direct spying was involved as in the cartoon. It was some person dumb enough to be afraid by what they saw/heard. They were let go when the explanation became clear. It does not involve government misdeeds at all, which is the point of the cartoon, which apparently implies the NSA is listening and will haul people in for things that have nothing to do with terrorism whatsoever.

[Rex]

46. Rah rah rah USA USA USA!

[treestar]

47. Irrelevant response.

[Rex]

48. Yes your very first response in this thread was irrelevant.

Very good.

[BobbyDrake]

8. Now that's some well-crafted humor right there.

Thanks for the smile I got from it.

[DawgHouse]

9. No to both questions.

I think it's quite humorous.

[Hissyspit]

10. Oh good god

No and no.

[GeorgeGist]

11. No, no.

[Maeve]

12. Fairly typical of Pearls

One of the reasons I like it!

[leftyladyfrommo]

14. Exactly. But maybe he did push it a little too far considering

the current climate.

I love his cartoons and I think all the people who follow him all the time would not have been offended. He just loves to play with words and phrases. But I can see where someone just looking at it for the first time might not really understand and think he had gone one too far.

[jberryhill]

16. Gone "too far" where?

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

29. push what too far?

seems to me that strip falls exactly under the First Amendment........

[Hassin Bin Sober]

42. No, THIS is too far.

https://m.

[demmiblue]

13. No. n/t

[TheCowsCameHome]

17. No and no.

What's the problem?

[FrodosPet]

25. Censorship

Possibly a chickens**t syndication editor, possibly Stephan having some fun.

Anyhow, he asked for a debate, so I moved it over here!

[LAS14]

19. I don't understand your point. nt

[FrodosPet]

23. It seems he was not allowed to run it in the newspapers (there are newspapers left?)

https://www.facebook.com/PearlsComic/?fref=ts

Ugh. I keep trying to post the pulled strip in question, but fittingly, it keeps coming up solid black. Fortunately, it is showing up on Twitter. Just search for my name on Twitter: Stephan Pastis. My apologies!

As you will see, it is not offensive at all. At least not to me. I think that with recent events, it's just a sensitive issue. I will try posting it again here, but if it comes up solid black, just go to Twitter.

Update: someone has posted it in the comments. I will leave it up to you to debate whether or not it should have run.

[ghostsinthemachine]

26. No. No.

Pretty funny.

[rurallib]

27. I think it is the close resemblance of the NSA guy to 911liani

it goes nowhere near a line.

Now what Trump said yesterday goes waaaaaay past any line.

[matt819]

28. No and no (nt)

[rusty fender]

31. No and No

It is

[RebelOne]

34. Ditto.

[Warren DeMontague]

37. how the fuck does it "cross the line"? I can't believe anyone didn't run it.

I like Stephan Pastis, too.

[Rex]

38. That is funny, the fact they didn't run it is pathetic.

So they didn't run it, because it is true? See how stupid that works out, they should have ran it what stupid Big Brother shit.

[Warren DeMontague]

41. WE NEED TO WATCH WHAT WE SAY

[Rex]

45. Well you know how important it is for the media to protect Big Brother.

I guess we can call them Little Brother with a Press Pass.