Now, this is weird. Today’s “Doonesbury” comic strip alludes to the now discredited Rolling Stone UVA-gang rape story from November and treats it as fact:

Is Garry Trudeau actually this out of touch? (Rhetorical question, rhetorical question.) http://t.co/OMGNcC8E2g — Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) December 29, 2014

Granted, Doonesbury is crap designed to flatter liberal Boomer sensibilities. But still. You'd think someone might have given him a heads up — Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) December 29, 2014

It really is hard to believe that Trudeau is this “out of touch.” We’re curious as to how long ago this comic was written and why newspapers decided to run the strip today. But, sadly, Mollie Hemingway of The Federalist might have the answer. They’re going with “fake-but-accurate”:

So I guess some elements of the Left are going with the fake-but-accurate thing in UVA gang rape hoax? http://t.co/tW9Ux3I3Mz — Mollie (@MZHemingway) December 29, 2014

Exactly. Maybe papers decided that although the part about UVA was questionable, Trudeau’s overall theme of institutions covering up rape was true enough.

And what can we expect next week?

Can't wait till Doonesbury gives us a hot take on the 17-year-old who made $72 million on the stock market! http://t.co/9rDRDUx7PJ — The real Jon Brodkin (@jbrodkin) December 29, 2014

Garry Trudeau of Doonesbury just picked up the November issue of Rolling Stone, and was SHOCKED at what he learned. http://t.co/NW0KqCd1Sw — Popehat (@Popehat) December 28, 2014

"God, can you believe this Duke lacrosse team!? My stars and garters." —Doonesbury next week — Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) December 29, 2014

Ha!

And we’ll end it with this:

@fnxTX @Popehat This Is What Doonesbury Readers Actually Believe — St. Rev. Dr. Rev (@St_Rev) December 29, 2014

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Related:

Twitchy coverage of UVA-Rolling Stone