A Protected Species !

There has been world wide uproar over a cartoon in an Australian newspaper that depicted tennis star Serena Williams having a meltdown at the American Open.  The women's movement found it offensive because Serena had her African/American characteristics emphasised and some viewers complained that the cartoonist deliberately introduced a subtle shading that conveyed an " ape " like image.

Television viewers who watched the American Open saw the match interrupted when the chair umpire intervened because Serena's coach was in the audience and " coaching " while the game is in play is prohibited.   This led to a heated altercation in which the umpire was called a " liar " and a " cheat ".  Serena smashed a racquet and all this was far removed from the " etiquette " usually associated with tennis.

That same cartoon would probably never have gone to print in an American newspaper.  The status of African Americans in that country is too strained for a cartoonist to take such liberties and editors would instantly reject it if offered.  Here our sensitivity is directed at people of Aboriginal background.  Depicting an Indigenous person - male or female - in an unflattering way would bring a strong public reaction.

A lot of the heat directed at this cartoon seems to be because the person unflatteringly depicted - is female.  It has become very noticeable that women bristle if the way they are shown in commercials can be construed as " stupid " and that is now portrayed by the male character.  The story lines are carefully constructed to avoid situations where the female character exhibits characteristics which are unflattering.

The game of tennis has - over the years - produced many contentious male players who have interrupted play with their antics and they have been the subject of lampooning cartoons.  Many have been very unflattering, but they have passed without comment.  Incredibly, the creator of this Serena Williams cartoon's wife and children have received death threats posted on social media.  Women who have achieved fame and fortune from across the world have gone to the media to air their protests.

Whatever happened to our sense of humour ?  Serena Williams is probably the best tennis player the world has ever produced and her string of victories has been amazing.  But her melt down at the American Open certainly was fair game for the cartoon writers.  The objection seems to be that she is black - and she is a woman.   It seems sheer rejection that a black woman in a rage can be the subject of a cartoon which shows her unflatteringly.

That cartoon has now had world wide coverage.  The person who has maintained silence has been Serena, herself.  It is very likely that this cartoon is destined to reside amongst the collection of cartoons that have achieved fame over the centuries.  This world reaction is its own certainty of everlasting fame !