The major advantage is that if you 'bookmark' a node in your personal nodelet you will have any additional answers available the next time you come back to that node. If you print it on paper, you will have what you've once printed but no additions that have been entered after you printed it.

I suppose it could be set up in a way that the printer-friendly option could be used more than once per node/thread.   ;-)

But seriously, I have wished for this option on occasion. Perhaps someone will come up with a nifty CSS solution as particle suggests.

--Jim

Update: You can (to a limited extent) append the  &displaytype=raw attribute to the URI of some areas of the Monastery and eliminate the banners and nodelet bar as mentioned by Corion. For details as to where it will work, check out DisplayType Raw by footpad.