An Australian cartoonist has defended his depiction of Serena Williams at the US Open, after the image went viral and was criticised as racist and sexist, according to the BBC.

Mark Knight's newspaper cartoon showed Williams jumping above a broken racquet next to a baby's dummy. Critics said it used racist stereotypes.

The cartoonist denied it was racist, saying he had intended to depict only the tennis player's "poor behaviour".

Some also said Knight had "whitewashed" Japanese player Naomi Osaka.

Williams sparked controversy during her loss to Osaka, whose father is Haitian and mother Japanese, when she accused the umpire of sexism and being a "thief".

Knight's drawing was published in Australia's most-read newspaper, the Herald Sun on Monday, and referenced Williams's outburst and showed the umpire asking Osaka: "Can you just let her win?"

It has been strongly defended by Knight and the newspaper's editor, Damon Johnston, who denied the cartoon is racist or sexist.

"It rightly mocks poor behaviour by a tennis legend... Mark has the full support of everyone," he said in a tweet.

Critics, including author JK Rowling, compared the cartoon of Williams to past racist caricatures of African-American people.

"Well done on reducing one of the greatest sportswomen alive to racist and sexist tropes and turning a second great sportswoman into a faceless prop."

Another critic said:

"You couldn’t be more racist if you tried - and you reeeeeaaally tried. Using those classic sambo tropes- enlarged lips, overexaggerated body parts to depict Serena as hyper masculine- next time just use an old ad from the 1800s- no one would notice the difference in your racism"

Others on social media pointed out that Osaka, who is mixed race, had been drawn as a white woman with blonde hair.

The National Association of Black Journalists in the US denounced the cartoon as "repugnant on many levels".

"[It] not only exudes racist, sexist caricatures of both women, but Williams' depiction is unnecessarily sambo-like," it said in a statement.

The 1899 children's book, The Story of Little Black Sambo, featured derogatory racial depictions - such as characters with thick red lips.

Knight said he had "no knowledge of those cartoons or that period", saying on Tuesday that "the world has just gone crazy".

"The cartoon was just about Serena on the day having a tantrum. That's basically it," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Knight also rejected a suggestion that he would not draw a similar image of a man. As evidence, he tweeted his recent cartoon of tennis player Nick Kyrgios.

By 12:15 GMT on Tuesday, both his Twitter and Facebook accounts had been shut down.

http://www.todaysecho.com/man-who-drew-serena-williams-cartoon-accused-of-racism/

There is nothing racist about that cartoon, it was an accurate depiction of what happened in that game

Seen

It's racist

The above will stand as long as those quoting me do not know the origins of this depiction of blacks(Africans).

I think its creative tho... Wedding MC

;l

Racism palaver everywhere

BruncleZuma:
It's racist

how

Buhari or lie Mohammed hasn't said anything about this

but when they draw Trump cartoon that is not a Racism abi blacks always playing victim cards

Not half blown racist to me. It could be anyone drawn there.

it is actually a racist drawing. Serena drawn like a jigaboo caricature. Black, big fat nose and lips.
Naomi was also drawn like a slim white girl. Even though she is mixed and a little thick.

Anduku:
There is nothing racist about that cartoon, it was an accurate depiction of what happened in that game

Bros wetin happen?

Racism?? I don't see any

So what should we do now?

I still don't understand what people normally mean by racial discrimination up till now.

"Can't you just let her win?" LOL

These australians are the worst set of racist whites, they think everyone is like the aborigines they robbed off their land

Imagine turning osaka to a white blond too, meaning her natural heritage doesn't fit his intended message of better white

In my opinion, I don't see the cartoon depiction as racist.
It's a cartoon for Peter's sake, the characters doesn't have to look exactly like them.

I blame buhari for this, if he wasn't lifeless, all this wouldn't have happened

Serena Williams should take it easy with all this opposition forces that are intimidating her both at the tennis pitch with a view to having a punch of her.

She has won all the biggest tournament in tennis history.

Let her cool off her temper, obey tennis laws and then close out a successful career.

Thank God she is married and have kid and with sucess, fame and money, the sky is already in her arm.

I thought racism is only in football but I am beginning to learn that tennis and sports generally have their own share of racism.

Anduku:
There is nothing racist about that cartoon, it was an accurate depiction of what happened in that game

Really? I have never seen a blonde Afro-Japanese before!

lifestyle1:
So what should we do now?

fry watermelon.

Mercurypanther:
fry watermelon �

With what?

With the floods and police and school fees... I can't be carrying this matter for head abeg.

Anduku:
There is nothing racist about that cartoon, it was an accurate depiction of what happened in that game

so that Japanese lady is blonde Huh?

This happened days ago, but Nairaland mods would rather post stupid stories like..


"why do girls fart?"



Mumu people...