I came across the above tidbit this morning while I was looking for material for a rare Monday post. I often am asked if I lock horns with my syndicate editors over some of the content in Arlo & Janis. My unsatisfying answer inevitably is, “Almost never.” The above comic is a rare exception. I was asked to change the original punchline from “To think there was a time I wanted to sleep with you more than anything.” My handlers thought that might be a bit much. We settled on the above. I don’t think it is as clear and effective as the original–of course! I think it confuses the wordplay, such as it is, and introduces an out-of-character tension. Also, I am not sure to this day how the change cleared up my editors’ concerns, but there it is. When then-young jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald was being introduced to a general audience via radio and television, she was asked to change the title and lyrics of her hit “Roll with Me, Henry!” to “Dance with Me Henry.” I am in good company, and her song was a lot better than my cartoon, in either form.
