143. “In Pursuit of the Savage Bajoona”

March 15, 2009

Q: I’m looking for information concerning a National Lampoon article titled (as near as I can remember) “In Pursuit of the Savage Bajoona”. It concerns things in single women’s apartments that men should be wary of, one of which is the bajoona, a toilet seat that will not stay up. I’d like to find what issue the article appeared in. This would have been in an early issue, possibly late ’70s, early 80s.

A: According to several commenters, the article appeared in Playboy magazine, not in National Lampoon. James Kilpatrick or Nicholas von Hoffman, both of whom used to be on the “Point/Counterpoint” segment on “60 Minutes” back in the ’70s, are cited as the author, but a little Googling around confirms that it was Kilpatrick with “The Bijoona in 615” in the December 1972–January 1973 issues of Playboy.

Comments

I think it was in Playboy and I think it was written by Nicholas von Hoffman, a journalist and famous for the old 60 minutes point/counterpoint segment (model for the Dan Ackroyd "Jane, you ignorant slut!" bit in early SNL). I can't recall more than that. It was probably mid-70s at the latest.

—Dean MacKinnon

March 26, 2009 3:27 pm

That seems like a good possibility. Now if someone could just confirm that....

—Mark

March 26, 2009 5:20 pm

I read that article in Playboy sometime between fall 1965 and spring 1970; can't remember which issue. But I think the author was James Jackson Kilpatrick (who was also the model for the SNL sketch based on his "60 Minutes" debates with Shana Alexander).

—vcrogers

April 22, 2009 10:32 pm

That's good enough for me. Thanks guys!

—Mark

April 22, 2009 10:36 pm

This article appeared in Playboy magazine around late 70's. I have often tried to find the article agein, but no luck. You may want to start there!

—Jim

June 3, 2009 2:57 pm

http://www.wonderclub.com/magazines/adult_magazine_single_page.php?magid=playboy&u=PLBOY197307 This link will take you to the July 1973 page that shows the cover and articles including the "savage bajoona"

—Jim

June 3, 2009 3:06 pm

Here it is folks. Straight from the July '73 Issue of Playboy. IN SEARCH OF THE SAVAGE BIJOONA by James J. Kilpatrick

—Fargo

August 12, 2009 1:01 am

The following story appeared in the July 1973 issue of Playboy Magazine. My wedding was that July and I lived at my mother-in-law's for a week as we prepared for the wedding. It was the most hectic week of my life due to those shaggy toilet seat covers. I would not have survived except for this story. (Thank you JJK)

You can read Mr. Kilpatrick's original 1973 Playboy story here:

www.xto9.com/IN-SEARCH-OF-THE-SAVAGE-BIJOONA.pdf

—Fred

January 27, 2010 6:47 pm

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