The full title of the play, ‘Kafka’s Dick’, is never mentioned in the review. Not even at the bottom of the article, where ticket information is given. Doesn’t seem like it makes the article very informative.

Theater critic Nelson Pressley avoided the propriety issue in the article by writing that “the comedy hasn’t been seen much stateside — could it be that puckish title, which refers to Kafka and a male part of the anatomy?…”

The Post seems to still live by the principles of the respected publisher Eugene Meyer, who died in 1959, and who once decreed that “as a disseminator of news, the paper shall observe the decencies that are obligatory upon a private gentleman.”

The Post doesn’t have a style book for words that can’t be printed, “so writers and editors are on their own in making calls on vulgarities,” reports Erik Wemple, for the Washington City Paper.

Admittedly, Post editors don’t seem entirely sure about that decision. “That was a call we made that day. I’m not sure it was the right one, I’m not sure it was the wrong one,” says arts editor John Pancake.

In contrast though, the Weekend section printed out the full title. “’Dick’ isn’t a kind of thing that to my mind…we needed to run by the higher-ups,” says Weekend editor Tracy Grant.

The Post had already refused to publish a story about “The Vagina Monologues” a few years ago.

Source: Washington City Paper through Poynter Romenesko