Monday, December 26, 2016

Kansas City Star editorial cartoon pegged to my father's death criticized as "bad taste" by a reader

Via Heimlich`s Latest Maneuvers by Dan Oldenburg, The Washington Post, October 31, 1989:
On the wall of his Heimlich Institute office at Xavier University in Cincinnati, (Dr. Henry) Heimlich has framed or tacked up about 20 cartoons starring his maneuver. There`s one of a young doctor at a theater, slipping his arm around the shoulder of a nurse beside him. The caption: "Young Heimlich`s first maneuver." Heimlich loves that one.

  Via the Star's letters to the editor published yesterday:

Tasteless humor

Generally, I give The Star high marks for its Opinion pages, but I was disappointed Dec. 21 because of two cartoons showing bad taste.

Lee Judge must certainly be one of the best political cartoonists working. But his cartoon showing a character and the headline, “Heimlich inventor dies,” setting up Judge’s caption, “And just when the Chiefs needed him,” is an offense to the memory of a dedicated physician, recently deceased [first reported on December 17], who contributed to public health.

On another page, a syndicated cartoon mocked the recently deceased Zsa Zsa Gabor about her multiple marriages. Timing alone makes this offensive to the family as well as to thousands of fans who appreciated her performances over multiple decades.

Both were unfortunate and lame attempts at humor. 

Bob Campbell
Lawrence