The Serena cartoon — too much, too far?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It mocks her behavior, which is what cartoons do. I don't see anything about it that is racially specific.

A satirical cartoon is not racist simply because the subject is a minority. To call it racist, people need to outline what specific racial aspects the artist is mocking.

Perhaps the use of sambo, antiquated, cartoonish features makes it racist in and of itself. But I would expect nothing else from people who actually reveled in such depictions of Black folks then and now.

Serena has frizzy hair, thick lips, and a big butt. Of course a cartoonist will exaggerate them, just like they’d exaggerate Trump’s spray tan, orange mop and squinty eyes.

And contrast that to the Whitification of the champion of the day, the mixed race, dark skin, frizzy hair Osaka. (She’s beautiful but not the Maria Sharapova/Anna Kournikova white blond of the cartoon).

How many times do people need to point out the cartoon wasn’t about the specific match or opponent. It was about Serena being a screaming crybaby, over and over again. Including in a match where her opponent was a blond Belgian. You really don’t have much going on upstairs, do you?

that's a river in Egypt that you are swimming down PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The cartoon was clearly racist because he depicted her as "angry black woman" using the big lips, and larger representation of her

Then Oaska was a blonde fair skinned woman, like come on.

How was this not blatantly racist?

Um...she actually was an angry black woman.

Where are all the angry men cartoons or is it only news when women are angry about mistreatment and unequal implementation of rules.

Men are supposed to be angry and aggressive, it's acceptable. Women are supposed to remain compliant, meek and demure. They are not to get to above their stations in life. Thank God we have a lot of women around to remind them as such, so as not to be so obviously sexist by men.

[Anonymous]

Not racist but very sexist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course it is obviously racist. Even leaving the depiction of Serena aside, why would the cartoonist turn Osaka into a thin blonde woman when in reality she is a very strong, broad Japanese woman?

+1

The caricature of Serena is arguably racist, but the depiction of Osaka makes it pretty clear.

There is nothing racist about the cartoon and by making the opponent a blond woman the cartoonist was underscoring that Serena would have behaved the same way against any opponent.

If anything, it’s racist to suggest Serena is some type of black nobility who is above reproach or caricature. She is far from belonging on any type of pedestal.

Or: here’s an angry black woman and her lovely opponent beautifully acting like a sane white lady.

Most of the top tennis players in the world are white women. The cartoonist was not depicting Osaka. He was depicting her oppponents generally, who have to put up with Serena’s efforts to intimidate them by whatever means are at her disposal.

Do some reseach before spewing your garbage. Serena is considered to be one of the sweetest tennis players on the circuit. They like her. Well maybe not Sharapova.

Sweet? Like when she told another umpire/ref “I’m going to take this ball and shove it down your throat?” That kind of sweet? Oh no, your right, it’s always someone else’s fault if she lashes out. After all true equality means being able to be a sore loser like a man, throwing man tantrums and abusing power like a man. Yes, let’s aspire to be equal in the worst way possible. Who knows, maybe we can really strive for equality and sexually assault or harass men and get away with it too. Equality for all.

Just admit it, you hate Serena Williams and it's not because she is black. You hate her because she is Black and damn good. If she was just Black and mediocre, you would be okay. You are like Navatilova who didn't want her to win her 18th grand slam, but she did and Navatilova despised Williams more. Get over yourself.


https://www.thesportster.com/entertainment/tennis-players-real-life-sweethearts/


https://urbanintellectuals.com/2016/02/15/serena-williams-gives-back-people-builds-3rd-school-jamaica/

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2656316-10-current-athletes-who-are-ridiculously-charitable

Nope. Serena is a great athlete. She’s a poor sport. You can be both. Stop telling people they hate someone because of their color it’s tasteless. This is about her composure on the court. You can dislike someone based on their personality these days. If you can’t see past color maybe that’s your problem. If she were damn good had some composure, sure, but Serena isn’t sweet, she said thrown her tantrums just like MCENroe, another classless tennis player. And BTW is it law all black women HAVE TO LIKE Serena? I sure don’t. Throw your color claims elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand how it’s racist. Serena looks like that. She’s not petite nor does she have done features. It has nothing to do with being black. Beyond is black but not large and more feminine. All players are minorities, so is it racist to everyone? Cartoons are suppose to be exaggerated. I think serena is talented but she lost and is pissed. Her ego got the best of her, it happens to anyone.

[Anonymous]

Beyonce*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course it is obviously racist. Even leaving the depiction of Serena aside, why would the cartoonist turn Osaka into a thin blonde woman when in reality she is a very strong, broad Japanese woman?

+1

The caricature of Serena is arguably racist, but the depiction of Osaka makes it pretty clear.

There is nothing racist about the cartoon and by making the opponent a blond woman the cartoonist was underscoring that Serena would have behaved the same way against any opponent.

If anything, it’s racist to suggest Serena is some type of black nobility who is above reproach or caricature. She is far from belonging on any type of pedestal.

Or: here’s an angry black woman and her lovely opponent beautifully acting like a sane white lady.

Most of the top tennis players in the world are white women. The cartoonist was not depicting Osaka. He was depicting her oppponents generally, who have to put up with Serena’s efforts to intimidate them by whatever means are at her disposal.

Do some reseach before spewing your garbage. Serena is considered to be one of the sweetest tennis players on the circuit. They like her. Well maybe not Sharapova.

Sweet? Like when she told another umpire/ref “I’m going to take this ball and shove it down your throat?” That kind of sweet? Oh no, your right, it’s always someone else’s fault if she lashes out. After all true equality means being able to be a sore loser like a man, throwing man tantrums and abusing power like a man. Yes, let’s aspire to be equal in the worst way possible. Who knows, maybe we can really strive for equality and sexually assault or harass men and get away with it too. Equality for all.

Just admit it, you hate Serena Williams and it's not because she is black. You hate her because she is Black and damn good. If she was just Black and mediocre, you would be okay. You are like Navatilova who didn't want her to win her 18th grand slam, but she did and Navatilova despised Williams more. Get over yourself.


https://www.thesportster.com/entertainment/tennis-players-real-life-sweethearts/


https://urbanintellectuals.com/2016/02/15/serena-williams-gives-back-people-builds-3rd-school-jamaica/

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2656316-10-current-athletes-who-are-ridiculously-charitable

Nope. Serena is a great athlete. She’s a poor sport. You can be both. Stop telling people they hate someone because of their color it’s tasteless. This is about her composure on the court. You can dislike someone based on their personality these days. If you can’t see past color maybe that’s your problem. If she were damn good had some composure, sure, but Serena isn’t sweet, she said thrown her tantrums just like MCENroe, another classless tennis player. And BTW is it law all black women HAVE TO LIKE Serena? I sure don’t. Throw your color claims elsewhere.

Thou protest too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The cartoon was clearly racist because he depicted her as "angry black woman" using the big lips, and larger representation of her

Then Oaska was a blonde fair skinned woman, like come on.

How was this not blatantly racist?

Um...she actually was an angry black woman.

umm.. you clearly missed the negative connotation that is associated with "angry black woman".

She did not in a sense open her mouth to look that angry, she carried herself very well-mannered and was not in the least bit as hostile as the cartoon represents.

So again... and exaggeration to "angry black woman", which all said did was verbally express herself, and broke the tennis racket (which normal....when a man does it)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand how it’s racist. Serena looks like that. She’s not petite nor does she have done features. It has nothing to do with being black. Beyond is black but not large and more feminine. All players are minorities, so is it racist to everyone? Cartoons are suppose to be exaggerated. I think serena is talented but she lost and is pissed. Her ego got the best of her, it happens to anyone.

its racist because if you look at the history in which black people have been portrayed in the 1930's.

Then you see Osaka, another woman who is of color, being portrayed as a blonde, and fair skinned...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand how it’s racist. Serena looks like that. She’s not petite nor does she have done features. It has nothing to do with being black. Beyond is black but not large and more feminine. All players are minorities, so is it racist to everyone? Cartoons are suppose to be exaggerated. I think serena is talented but she lost and is pissed. Her ego got the best of her, it happens to anyone.

I think she looks nothing like how she was depicted in the drawing.

During the Jim Crow era, black Americans were depicted in stereotypical ways--often smiling, with inhumanly huge mouths and large lips, sometimes dancing, sometimes aggressive. There is a lot that's been written about these images and the dehumanization of black Americans around that time, reducing them to caricatures in popular media. I'm not sure if it was intentional on the artist's part, but this cartoon certainly drew from that history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand how it’s racist. Serena looks like that. She’s not petite nor does she have done features. It has nothing to do with being black. Beyond is black but not large and more feminine. All players are minorities, so is it racist to everyone? Cartoons are suppose to be exaggerated. I think serena is talented but she lost and is pissed. Her ego got the best of her, it happens to anyone.

I think she looks nothing like how she was depicted in the drawing.

During the Jim Crow era, black Americans were depicted in stereotypical ways--often smiling, with inhumanly huge mouths and large lips, sometimes dancing, sometimes aggressive. There is a lot that's been written about these images and the dehumanization of black Americans around that time, reducing them to caricatures in popular media. I'm not sure if it was intentional on the artist's part, but this cartoon certainly drew from that history.

point blank period

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand how it’s racist. Serena looks like that. She’s not petite nor does she have done features. It has nothing to do with being black. Beyond is black but not large and more feminine. All players are minorities, so is it racist to everyone? Cartoons are suppose to be exaggerated. I think serena is talented but she lost and is pissed. Her ego got the best of her, it happens to anyone.

its racist because if you look at the history in which black people have been portrayed in the 1930's.

Then you see Osaka, another woman who is of color, being portrayed as a blonde, and fair skinned...

Honestly, I thought Osaka was Hawaiian when I first saw her. The judge looked white to me. I wouldn't necessarily have guessed Japanese or black but I wasn't really studying her that closely, either.. The opponent in the cartoon has tan skin and the hair is blond. Osaka's hair is dyed blond. As another PP stated, the focus of the cartoon wasn't on the judge and the opponent so I think the artist drew them more generically.

The focus of the cartoon was Serena who had been called out for throwing a tantrum well before this cartoon was published. It is a very unflattering drawing of Serena pitching a fit like a tantruming toddler with her baby pacifier dropped nearby. These types of drawings usually are exaggerated and are meant to make fun of the subject. Just look at all the cartoons out there about Trump....

Serena behaved badly and got called out for it.

[Anonymous]

Y'all welcome to see whatever you want just don't go strolling up to your black female colleagues and say, "Hey did you see that Serena cartoon, that was so on point" and then act all surprised when they aren't as amused as you.

[Anonymous]

If you lived under a rock but still knew 2 things about Osaka, you’d know her parents are Japanese/Black (may have known Haitian). To come here and defend the cartoon on the basis that “you thought she was Hawaiian” is idiotic. Goodbye.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Y'all welcome to see whatever you want just don't go strolling up to your black female colleagues and say, "Hey did you see that Serena cartoon, that was so on point" and then act all surprised when they aren't as amused as you.

I'm not black and I don't like the cartoon, either. It's too mean for my sense of humor. But people in the public eye have these cartoons drawn of them all the time.

Serena had a bad game and lost her temper. She's not the first athlete to do that and won't be the last athlete to do that. I'm sure that John McEnroe had similar cartoons drawn of him back in his day.

It's a part of being in the public eye I guess.