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“I am truly perplexed to learn this editor of the Australian newspaper behind the blatantly racist & misogynistic cartoon of my wife is a ‘Male Champion of Change’ 🤔,” Ohanian wrote on Twitter,linking to Johnston’s listing on the organization’s website.
“Is this supposed to be satire, too?” the Reddit co-founder, whomarried Williams in November 2017, asked the website’s female founder, Elizabeth Broderick.
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The Herald Sunof Melbourne, Australia came under fire for their cartoon, which was published Monday.
It was meant to depict the moment Williams got into a verbal altercation with chair umpire Carlos Ramos, whom she called a “thief” before losingto Japan’s 20-year-old Naomi Osaka. But because of how Williams was drawn, critics and activists made comparisons to the stereotypes seen inanti-black political cartoonsfrom the Jim Crow-era of America.
On Tuesday, Knight further continued his defense inan article published on theHerald Sun‘s website, saying, “I drew this cartoon Sunday night after seeing the U.S. Open final, and seeing the world’s best tennis player have a tantrum and thought that was interesting. … The cartoon about Serena is about her poor behavior on the day, not about race. The world has just gone crazy.”
Johnston also defended the cartoon, saying, “A champion tennis player had a mega tantrum on the world stage, and Mark’s cartoon depicted that. It had nothing to do with gender or race. This was about a bad sport being mocked.”
Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams.Julio Cortez/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Williams has yet to address the cartoon itself, but many on social media were quick to raise serious and critical questions about Knight’s cartoon.
In the background ofKnight’s cartoon, an umpire is seen asking Williams’ opponent to let the athlete win. It isn’t clear whether the drawing of the white and blonde player is meant to represent Osaka, who is the daughter of a Haitian father and a Japanese mother.
“Well done on reducing one of the greatest sportswomen alive to racist and sexist tropes,”Harry Potterauthor J.K. Rowlingtweeted, “and turning a second great sportswoman into a faceless prop.”
ESPN commentatorJemele Hillcalled the drawing “about as subtle as Fran Drescher’s voice.”
Other figures have defended Williams since, notably two tennis greats:Billie Jean King andNovak Djokovic, the 2018 men’s singles U.S. Open champion.
“Women are treated differently in most arenas of life,” wrote King in theWashingtonPoston Sunday. “This is especially true for women of color. And what played out on the court yesterday happens far too often. It happens in sports, in the office and in public service. Ultimately, a woman was penalized for standing up for herself. A woman faced down sexism, and the match went on.”
And after his win on Sunday,Djokovictold reporters, “I have my personal opinion thatmaybe the chair umpire should not have pushed Serena to the limit, especially in a Grand Slam final… He did change the course of the match. It was, in my opinion, maybe unnecessary. We all go through our emotions, especially when you’re fighting for a Grand Slam trophy.”
source: people.com
