An Aussie cartoon suddenly became the center of attraction or rather center of controversy in the sports world. Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper, on Monday, published Mark Knight’s cartoon portraying tennis superstar Serena Williams as what JK Rowling described as-“racist and sexist tropes”.
During the match against Osaka, the Japanese power player, Serena received a warning from the chair umpire for violating a rarely enforced rule against getting coaching from the sidelines. Shortly after, she denied cheating and smashed her racket in frustration which causes her to be docked a point. The umpire later docked her entire game after the protest against him and demand for an apology.
Knight, who already has the reputation of controversial cartoons, was criticized from far and wide on the social media displays a butch and fat-lipped Serena jumping up and down on her broken racquet. In the cartoon umpire is seen asking Osaka, “can’t you just let her win?”
US sports writer, Julie Dicaro did a cutting retort asking the cartoonist back, “Where was this cartoon for all those men who have broken their rackets over the years?”. Knight responded to this by pointing out to the unflattering portrayal of Australian male tennis star Nick Kyrgios ”behaving badly ”. He asked not to bring gender into it when it is all about the behavior.
The Herald Sun reprinted the cartoon on Wednesday defending itself with a special front page railing. It featured Serena alongside with the cartoons based on Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.” If the self-appointed censors of Mark Knight get their way on his Serena Williams cartoon, our new politically new correct life will be very dull indeed”, the paper prints on the front page.
