[net.movies] *NOT NECESSARILY* the End of Joe Bob

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
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