Paging through a Calvin & Hobbes compendium I remember why I love Watterson’s creation so much.

Yesterday and today I found myself shutting off the radio news with a reflex jerk at the vile and unnecessary gratuity of the content. Like Calvin’s dad, I feel I need to watch TV news from 10 meters away as I feel overwhelmed by full-frame shots of people’s tortured faces. TV coverage of the beheading of the Iraqi hostages stayed with me long after the event.

As someone who works in the media and constantly absorbs radio, TV, newspaper and magazine coverage, I’m surprised it is bothering me as much. Calvin says his generation wants to be shocked and titillated in the name of entertainment. “Give me vicarious pleasure from other’s misfortune” he cries. Perhaps like all satire that blunts the edge with a cloak of humour, Calvin & Hobbes offers the only advice – stay in bed late, ignore school lessons, pelt Susie with snowballs and curl up with a stuffed tiger.