robdye@ut-sally.UUCP (Rob Dye) (04/20/85)
In article <6356@ucbvax.ARPA> citrin@ucbvax.UUCP (Wayne citrin) writes: >Well, the New York Times just reported that neither the Dallas paper in which >it originally appears nor the Los Angeles Times syndicate will continue to >carry Joe Bob. Apparently a recent column contained a racially offensive >parody of "We Are the World" and there were enough complaints to warrant >cancelling the whole thing. Perhaps someone closer to the action can provide >more information. > >Wayne Citrin >(ucbvax!citrin) I guess I have good news and bad news. The BAD news: (Quotes here come from the Dallas Times Herald, Sat.April 20, 1985.) "Dallas Times Herald writer John Bloom, author of the discontinued 'Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-in' column, resigned Friday, Editor Will Jarrett said." "Jarrett said Bloom 'felt that to continue at this time would put an unfair responsibility on him and the paper.'" For those of us who read the DTH regularly, this is truly a loss. I've read his JBB column almost from its inception and have felt that over the past year or so, it has gone stale. However, his thrice weekly "regular" column was something I always looked forward to reading. He was absolutely fearless in speaking his mind on topics such as freedom of speech issues and the sometimes flimsy evidence on which accused child molesters are convicted. (That generated lots of hate mail for him; please don't send me any. Do not construe my comments as condoning child molestation.) His columns sometimes seemed caustic, even bitter, but one always knew he was writing the truth as he saw it. I admired that and I will miss his voice. The GOOD (if you liked JBB) news: "Bloom's agent, Vicki Eisenberg, said the drive-in column has been purchased by the Universal Press Syndicate." I suppose this means we will still be reading JBB in those papers with the courage to print it. _________________________________________________________ Rob Dye Dept. of CS, UTexas at Austin UUCP: {ihnp4,harvard,gatech,ctvax,seismo}!ut-sally!robdye ARPA: robdye@ut-sally.ARPA