Captain Moonlight: Cutting cartoons

Charles Nevin
Saturday 11 December 1993 19:02 EST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

I'M JUST surprised it didn't happen earlier. Up until now, the sway of the awesome Tina Brown at the august New Yorker magazine has been a thing of taste and decorum, its famously fusty staff lulled by the deference offered to their traditions by Ms Brown, one of British journalism's more arresting self-creations. The use of the occasional photograph; articles sometimes less than the accustomed book length with the accustomed balance between worthiness and interest reversed: gentle nudging change, this, nothing revolutionary. Cooperate is still spelt with a diaeresis. True, Garrison Keillor wasn't happy; but when is he?

Now, though, I am sad to report, breaking point has been reached. There is muttering, hissing, and that sad shaking of the head which signifies the confirmation of worst fears. And it all concerns John Wayne Bobbitt's penis. Mr Bobbitt's penis, you might recall, was cut off with a kitchen knife by his wife Lorena while he was asleep in Virginia. She claimed he had raped her; he was acquitted. Ms Brown celebrated the event with no less than three cartoons in the New Yorker. The American staff are outraged, citing this excessive interest as a classic example of smutty, behind-the-bikesheds, low, unsophisticated and generally uncivilised British humour.

Actually, I thought they were all very funny. See what you think. One had a wife saying to her husband at the breakfast table, 'Pass the cream or I'll cut your penis off.' A second had two men at a bar, with one saying to the other: 'What's the big deal? I lopped off my own damn penis years ago.' The third has three blind mice, complete with dark glasses and white sticks. One is saying, 'She cut off his what with a carving knife?'

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in