My editor felt that my cartoon is “insensitive” and chose not to run it, while international syndicate Cagle Cartoons picked it up.
The sad reality is that history’s most awarded female singer, who didn’t even reach fifty, had a career covered in drugs. Which goes to show that all the money, in the world, can’t buy happiness. But it certainly bought Whitney Houston more “hits”. Her death should be a wake-up call.
But, of course, it won’t be.
Update
In an interesting turn of events, my editor decided to run this cartoon a few days later.
Another update
The autopsy confirmed that Whitney had taken cocaine before climbing into the bath.
I cannot see why on earth this cartoon was classified as insensitive – huge posters featuring this cartoon should be stuck up all over areas afflicted by drug use ….. Jerm, it’s brilliant.
Comments I’ve received via other platforms:
“I think it is really in poor taste.”
“She didn’t care enough about herself or her daughter to give that shit up, so why should we care about her dying? She did it to herself. No one forced her to do it. Good ol’ Bobby didn’t care.”
“Your cartoon should be published. A lesson for all drug users. Sad but true.”
“That’s hardcore jerm.”
“it would have been insensitive if there was an arm or a leg sticking out from under the drugs. IMO, well done.”
I have nothing, nothing good to say about Bobby Brown & from what I’ve heard he’s a pig.
I think this cartoon has hit the nail on the head because it’s not criticizing Whitney – it’s only pointing out what she did with her life and how she trashed her incredible talent.
I’m a recovering addict and my reaction once I heard she’d died was that it was an over-dose. Brilliant cartoon Jerm. It’s the harsh truth of it all… All her success and talent and all the possibilities in the world, and still she couldn’t clean up her act… Tragic yes, but the outcry and public mourning is wasted on someone who didn’t care enough to save herself.
Brilliant cartoon Jerm.
The truth indeed :(
Insightful, but perhaps a bit too soon? She’s only being buried tomorrow, so I think it’s a bit early for many people to think about what you’re saying.
certainly doesnt help if you have a history of abusive husbands either.
ok drugs. but did Elvis preseely die from a cocktail of ten drugs in his body??? I did not hear the harshness about him that i am hearing about whitney .
jackie, were you following elvis’ death on the internet back then?
@ Jackie – Hell yes there were; I was living in Europe at the time and the newspapers were crammed with jokes, cartoons and negative obituaries about him.
i did not hear i or see it.t. in america all i heard was he was “The king” . I personally did not like the cartoon. . she did at least contributed to the music industry. She sang great songs. Just like elvis did. What they did. did not hurt nobody but themselves. So who are we to judge.
Hey jacoba, i see we both got the same name, only mine is spelled with a v.
jackie you’re on the wrong tabs,you’re not thinking straight.
Jackie – I don’t think anyone was judging – what you see here is satire.
i am thinking straight. i have heard nothing but outright mean stuff concerning this woman. don’t you know she has a daughter and relatives who are grieving and are most likely reading this stuff. How whould you like if a loveone of your who had a problem like her and people said the same things about your love one that they said about her? You would be ready to go off. oh well, this is america. Free speech.
jackie,
1 – Jerm is not an American cartoonist and is not based in America
2 – Don’t you know she has a daughter and relatives who wouldn’t be grieving had she chosen not to abuse drugs and destroy her life leaving behind her daughter? Nobody forced Whitney to abuse drugs – she did it on her own.
I don’t buy the “oh shame she had a problem, drugs just magically appeared in her mouth”.
This should be a lesson to the rest of us!
i agree 100%. But shes dead. shes gone. we can’t bring her back. why wasn’t all this said when she was living? she contributed to the music world with her songs. what she did to her body is between her and God..
We can’t bring her back but we can use her death as an example to the millions of impressionable teenagers who saw her as a role model. Don’t you care about them? Or would you rather pretend that drug abuse isn’t a terrible reality?