New Outrage: Gary Varvel’s Christine Ford Cartoon – updated

An editorial cartoon by Gary Varvel for the Indianapolis Star, about the demands set before Christine Ford would appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, has brought outrage via the social media.

“… you should be ashamed for allowing this to run.”

“Absolutely disgusting. Who thought this was appropriate to run?”

The Daily Dot highlights a selection of those offended in the Twitterverse, along with a couple defenders.

 

The Indianapolis Star published the cartoon Sunday September 23 and on Monday the 24th:

An editorial cartoon we published Sunday in the print edition of The Indianapolis Star offended many readers, and I want to address those concerns.

Our editorial pages, which include columns and cartoons, strive to present diverse opinions across the political spectrum. In Sunday’s paper, for example, Varvel’s work ran next to another syndicated cartoon that presented an opposing view.

 

Andy Marlette‘s opposing viewpoint below.

 

The Indianapolis Star editor continued:

The cartoon did not meet our high standards. Our – and Varvel’s – intent was not to attack Dr. Ford. “My cartoon was focused only on Ford’s demands, not on whether she was telling the truth,” Varvel said. “This is a point I should have made clearer in my cartoon. As a husband and father of a daughter and granddaughters, I take sexual harassment very seriously.”

The full Indy Star apology.

The image of the offending cartoon above was taken off Twitter from the Daily Dot article. As far as I can determine the cartoon has been erased from all official Gary Varvel sites.

 

update:

Paul Berge, in the comments section, asked:

Would Varvel have been better off having Blasey Ford’s lawyer rattling off the stipulations instead of Blasey Ford herself?

Maybe – A. F. Branco makes the same point, in different setting with the lawyer talking, and doesn’t seem to be attracting the same indignation that Gary is receiving.