'Racism 101': Controversial cartoon depicts Serena Williams as 'angry black woman,' Naomi Osaka as white blonde
Much has been made of U.S. Open umpire Carlos Ramos’s controversial penalties against Serena Williams during Saturday’s women’s singles final against Naomi Osaka, who was ultimately crowned champion. Some say Ramos was right to penalize Williams for calling him a “thief”; others say she was merely standing up for herself, pointing out that male tennis players have faced less harsh penalties for more egregious behavior.
Sunday’s news that Williams has been fined $17,000 for court violations in the match has been criticized by her supporters as adding insult to injury — but it’s nothing compared with a vicious new cartoon published by the Australian tabloid newspaper Herald Sun.
My toon in today’s @theheraldsun on #SerenaWilliams @usopen pic.twitter.com/didwtQg1R5
— Mark Knight (@Knightcartoons) September 10, 2018
The image has gone viral after being circulated by the cartoonist who created it, Mark Knight, whose depiction of Williams as a supersized, stereotypical “angry black woman” and the Haitian-Japanese Osaka as a white woman with blond hair has been roundly slammed as racially insensitive and offensive.
While Williams is drawn as a furious, overly bulky woman caught midtantrum — evoking a number of racial stereotypes — her opponent has been transformed into a slim Gwyneth Paltrow type.
About as subtle as Fran Drescher’s voice 🤦🏿?♀? https://t.co/VM23b4XnlI
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 10, 2018
WooooW. the stereotypes jumped OUT!
you even turned osaka into a white blonde woman to push your 'angry black woman agenda' https://t.co/LF6PI0ufQI— vic sanusi (@victoriasanusi) September 10, 2018
Australia your media is full of parasites.
Drawing Serena in a way that depicts masculinity & the mammy archetype is very essence of misogynoir & erasing Naomi’s blackness by her hair being straight & blonde shows women need to be white to seen as good & heroic is racism 101. https://t.co/de7skKrDj8
— Tobi Oredein (@IamTobiOredein) September 10, 2018
Hey Mark bruv you should totally submit your latest masterpiece to the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia in the USA. I think it would be very well received!
— Steve Hewlett (@StevieHewla) September 10, 2018
Hi, can you please tell me why Naomi Osaka is white with blonde hair in this picture?
— Teresa McMahon (@TeresaITV) September 10, 2018
Did you mean for this to come off as racist as it does? Because it was a punch to the gut. Felt like I was looking at an archived cartoon from the 1930s. Wow…. just, yeah…. wow. Whatever point you were trying to make, you revealed a WHOLE LOT more about you, than Serena
— Pam Keith (@PamKeithFL) September 10, 2018
What's worse, completely whitewashed Naomi Osaka or… Whatever untalented & racist Mark Knight came up with? You choose. https://t.co/3NLYEhiwzX
— Bactérie (@Soso_sulfur) September 10, 2018
Holy crap. This Serena cartoon is racist AF & reminiscent Jack Johnson cartoons in 1910. Mark Knight should be fired. But any Herald Sun editors that would allow this, should fire themselves first. https://t.co/Usgd7pWH8b
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) September 10, 2018
In 100 years' time, this cartoon will be viewed no differently than old images of Jim Crow, or the newspaper cartoons drawn of Jack Johnson. Mark Knight has just drawn his way into the history books. https://t.co/QWwduSkJbk
— Charles Thomson (@CEThomson) September 10, 2018
Though the overwhelming response was one of outrage, some Knight supporters defended Osaka being portrayed as a blonde because she has bleached tips. That argument didn’t hold water with some critics, who pointed out that, in reality, Osaka has curly hair and dark skin and has thus been “whitewashed.”
Knight has remained unapologetic about his controversial drawing, telling one critic to not “bring gender into it” because he previously drew tennis player Nick Kyrgios as a “tennis brat.”
Well Julie here’s a cartoon I drew a few days before when Australian male tennis player Kyrgios at the US Open was behaving badly. Don’t bring gender into it when it’s all about behaviour. I’ll accept your apology in writing😁 pic.twitter.com/NLV0AjPGsY
— Mark Knight (@Knightcartoons) September 10, 2018
Williams and Osaka have not yet publicly responded to the cartoon.
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
Political slogan tee strikes at NYFW: ‘Vote for Cynthia’ Nixon
The Victoria’s Secret model is what society sees as the ‘beauty ideal.’ Here’s why that’s a problem.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
