Australian Cartoonist Savaged for ‘Racist’ Cartoon of Serena Williams Meltdown

An Australian editorial cartoonist has come under fire for what many liberals are calling a “racist” cartoon of tennis star Serena Williams throwing a temper tantrum on the court.

Mark Knight’s cartoon, published on Monday by the Herald Sun newspaper, features a drawing of a rather hefty Serena Williams jumping up and down on her broken tennis racket like a child, in the midst of a temper tantrum. In the background a line judge is asking Williams’ opponent, Japan’s Naomi Osaka, if she could just let Williams win to end the tantrum.

The cartoon comes on the heels of William’s massive meltdown at the U.S. Open over last weekend, for which she was fined $17,000 for code violations:

“It had nothing to do with gender or race.”

Herald Sun backs Mark Knight’s cartoon on Serena Williams: https://t.co/i1NBGO8xJw pic.twitter.com/BTFONVWHh8

— Herald Sun (@theheraldsun) September 10, 2018

But many slammed Knight for the cartoon calling it racist, the Jakarta Post reported.

Though he deleted his initial tweet flogging the cartoon, Knight is not backing down from the drawing calling criticism of his piece “crazy.”

“The cartoon about Serena is about her poor behavior on the day, not about race. The world has just gone crazy,” Knight said in a reply to the criticism published in Tuesday’s Sun.

Still, Knight has come under withering criticism over the cartoon with many calling the thick-lipped facial features a “mammy character” and “racist.”

Knight was attacked by celebs such as Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, rapper Nicki Minaj, comedian Kathy Griffin, basketball player Ben Simmons, and many more.

The left-wing magazine Slate, unsurprisingly stampeded to its blog to call Williams a racist:

That racist Serena Williams cartoon is sadly illustrative of Australian cartoonists: https://t.co/bCtZaaicId pic.twitter.com/fYdwk1i3Wq

— Slate (@Slate) September 11, 2018

But, the “racist” accusation was echoed by hundreds more:

Here in the US, swift and angry condemnation of Mark Knight's Serena cartoon. National Association of Black Journalists calling it “repugnant on many levels" and "sambo-like". https://t.co/TtPcUmkND7

— Bridget Brennan (@bridgeyb) September 10, 2018

This despicable cartoon tried and failed to diminish the greatness & grace of @serenawilliams. Racism in any form is unacceptable. Push On @serenawilliams! #KeepHopeAlive! https://t.co/iNLQNZ4ek7

— Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) September 10, 2018

NABJ denounces Herald Sun cartoon of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka — https://t.co/xA5Nh8YwpS #USOpen @NABJSports

— NABJ Headquarters (@NABJ) September 10, 2018

Here’s why the Serena Williams cartoon everyone is buzzing about is racist: https://t.co/nPdEPTAGBE

— madebyhistory (@madebyhistory) September 11, 2018

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. https://t.co/YOxVMuTXEC

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 10, 2018

Hey @Knightcartoons just change your name to KKK Cartoons

Racist piece of shit! https://t.co/ODfeEe6D0g

— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) 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

It’s 2018 how is this cartoon considered ok? This is going back to the early Disney racist disgusting characterizations of Black People. Just dehumanizing. Then, you made #NaomiOsaka into a white girl with blonde hair ? This is not just an insult to #Serena but to all Black Women

— Etan Thomas (@etanthomas36) September 10, 2018

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