Donald and sex (!!!!)

[Even Flood]

In August there was an interview in the Norwegian newspaper
"Dagbladet" with Geir Hasnes about the sex life of Donald. The
story was in the Sunday edition with a center double page spread.
"Dagbladet" is the third largest newspaper in Norway and the piece
with Geir is quite a large coverage. As we felt the subject was of 
general interest to a larger audience, Geir asked me to 
translate the story and make it available for this list - here it is.

Disclaimer: The language and opinions expressed here is neither 
mine nor my employers - all blame to Geir! I am a nice 
Catholic bachelor and never imagined these interpretations. 
In fact I believe am not supposed to know about these things. 
Geir on the other hand has five children and is still young...

The interview has four parts. The main part is the direct interview
with Geir and the other is comment to examples from stories.

Also Geir and I would like to point out that the Dagbladet
Norwegian is not too good and that some parts are diffcult
to understand due to local events and cuts made by Dagbladet.
For example the very first paragraph is a reference to a somwhat
silly spot on the Norwegian "Dagsrevyen" (TV news at 7.00 PM)
Dont give us all the blame if it is difficult to make sense
of some of the story!

===================================================================

Main interview:

A short time ago the people on the "Dagsrevyen" teased the
viewers that they would reveal the sex life of Donald. But this did
not happen. However "Dagbladet" can today reveal a sex fixated
Donald.

SURE I HAVE A SEX LIFE!
(The title is in the form of a speaking bubble coming from Donald
in a painting from 1973 by Barks where he is reading "Playduck".)

Donald Duck is not so sexless as many thinks. On the contrary he is
quite similar to us also in this area. The Donald-expert Geir
Hasnes, known from the quiz "Double or Nothing" here reveals
Donalds secret sex life.

In connection with the ongoing Donald Duck week in the "Tusenfryd"
amusement park it has again been claimed that Donald has no sex
life. That the Duck family only has uncles and aunts, no parents.
- This is nonsense and very superficial. If we go back to the
earliest Donald series in the thirties we find find the parents
both to Huey, Dewey and Louie and to Mickey Mouse's nephews says
Geir Hasnes (36). And he adds
- There are many examples that Donald is interested in sex.
He claims this is suppressed for puritan reasons, or because
one feels a need to protect the children who reads the series. We
also has a tendency to read the series as if they were for children
and they are not seen through adult eyes.

Cartoon writer.

It is not surprising that Donald has a secret sex life says Hasnes.
He draws attention to that Barks drew rude cartoons for mens
magazines before he started drawing Donald.

Also the comics were originally intended for adults and treated
adult themes.
As Donald became a comics for children, Barks had to restrict
himself. But he continued to draw mainly adult situations says Geir
Hasnes.

Lectures

He is known for his participation in the quiz "Double or Nothing"
on NRK TV in 1989. (Translators note: NRK is the government owned
Norwegian broadcasting company - NRK stands for Norsk
Rikskringkasting. It is always fun listening to foreigners trying
to pronounce that! E.F.) He often lectures about Donald and
measures his comics in meters, not in numbers.
- Now I have about ten meters of Donald magazines and a couple of
meters with scholarly literature says Hasnes, who means Carl Barks
is the same for comics as Shakespeare for the drama and Dickens for
the novel.
- Over the last years it has been published a lot of cliche tainted
nonsense, but Donald has recovered very much lately. I am
especially fond of one of todays Donald artists, Don Rosa, who
tries to do more than just reproduce cliches, says Geir Hasnes.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtext one:

Illustrated by frames from an unnamed story where the action takes 
place at "The Merry Loafers'club Picknic"

In the pants of a lady

In this series from 1946 are the sexual hints very evident through
the text and symbols in the drawings.

Donald is on a picknic where words like "nuts" (for balls) and
"cowslip" (hinting to randy calves who are let loose in the spring)
are used in an obvious flirt with miss Swansdown-Swoonsudden. He
takes her to a phallos-shaped mountain where his intention is to
seduce her. At the finish he ends up in the pants of miss
Swansdown-Swoonsudden, allthough not in the way he planned.

Geir Hasnes means that Barks actually shows Donald getting an
erection when he says "Look what is happening below" and the next
frame shows the long penis shaped mounitain.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Subtext 2

Uncle Scrooge censored
(no picture)

Uncle Scrooge also desires women. In the series "Back to the
Klondike" from 1952 Scrooge is in the desert together with a woman
a whole month. (Translators note: It *does* say oerken = desert in
the original. Don't blame me! E.F.(Not me either. G.H.))
Throughout the story he is torn
between his warm feelings for her and love for the money she owes
him.

Incredibly, love is so strong the Scrooge actually parts with the
money in the end.

The relationship is so intensely described that the Disney consern
censored the four pages.

(Translator's note: This part became difficult to understand because
Dagbladet made severe cuts. E.F. & G.H.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Subtext 3

Illustrations from "The mailman" from 1953. Top: Ears freezing of
brass monkey, bottom: Donald with posterior in Dollys stove.

Dolly thaws Donalds balls.

In the story "The mailman" from 1953 a jealous Donald brings a love
letter from Gladstone Gander to Dolly. It is a strenuous trip, where
he passes a statue with the caption "Brass Monkey". It is a
reference to the American expression "It is so cold it could freeze
the balls of a brass monkey". Ths statue symbolizes Donalds
castration when he realizes he has been running the errand of his
rival.

Further on in the story Donald is sitting thawing his frozen balls
in Dolly's stove. Barks lets it happen the moment Donald has to
admit he threw away Gladstone's letter.

One has to blush that this passed the censor, says Geir Hasnes
--------------------------------------------------------------

Other figures:

1) Carl Barks' selfportrait after retirement where a duck is on the
model stand, and a picture of a naked lady on the canavas, the
artist saying: "Retirement - how sweet it is!"

2) Panel from "Dangerous Disguise" where Donald is walking along
the beach looking at the beautiful scenery (lots of girls).

Caption: Too strong. There is no doubt that Donald likes what he
sees on the beach. This story that made in 1951 was to strong
for the Disney concern. After this Barks was not allowed to draw
humans in the Donald series. He could only draw animals.

3) Picture of Geir. Caption: The Donald expert. Geir Hasnes reveals
the secret sex life of Donald.

=================================================================

That was the "Dagbladet" story. Written by Kjell-Ivar Myhr, very
unofficial translation by Even Flood and some comments by Geir.


Even