Cartoonist Mark Knight is catching a lot of heat for his cartoon rendering of Serena Williams, which was published in Monday’s (Sep. 10) edition of Australian tabloid The Herald Sun.
The drawing comes after an intense final at the U.S. Open in which the 36-year-old clashed with umpire Carlos Ramos, who accused her of breaking the rules by receiving instruction from her coach in the stand.
https://twitter.com/Knightcartoons/status/1039017329030393856
Knight’s cartoon shows an extremely exaggerated caricature of Williams, with enlarged lips and a much larger figure, stomping on her tennis racket with a pacifier near her feet, suggesting that her conduct at Sunday’s U.S. match was childish.
The image of the 23-time Grand Slam winner has been labeled “racist” and “sexist,” and has drawn anger from all sides of the internet, even compelling Nicki Minaj to give Knight the “C**ksucka Of The Day” award on her “Queen Radio” show.
The drawing also showed Ramos saying “Can you just let her win?” to Williams’ opponent Naomi Osaka, who Knight falsely depicted as a small white woman with straight blonde hair. FYI: Naomi Osaka is NOT a small white woman with straight blonde hair. She is of Haitian and Japanese heritage, which has been pointed out by many users on social media who are nowhere near here for this cartoon.
The Haitian-Japanese player is blonde? Cool story bro.
— Rob AF. (@RobForbesDJ) September 10, 2018
You manage to be racist on several different levels here, not only in how you depict Serena, but also in erasing Naomi into a skinny blonde. Impressively shitty work.
— Ian Rose (@ianrosewrites) September 10, 2018
Honestly, he went out of his way to make her look like an animal. No way you can tell me someone at his level of skill doesn't see that he exaggerated this dude in a way that at least kept his likeness. Meanwhile, Serena's is so stretched, I wouldn't know it was her at all.
— Alla Prima Donna (@krissiscribbles) 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
How does Mark Knight still have a job? And who approved the cartoon? His racist depiction of @serenawilliams is sickening. A sober reminder how far we still have to go.
— Chiraag Bains (@chiraagbains) September 10, 2018
The levels of racism and black caricaturism is astounding. The person who drew this is garbage.
— dyango briones (@DyangoB) September 10, 2018
Nicki Minaj wasn’t the only celebrity to weigh in on the cartoon and call Mark Knight out for creating such a demeaning image to represent a black woman. Author J.K. Rowling also slammed Knight for his picture, calling out its racism and sexism, while ESPN commentator Jemele Hill said the drawing was “about as subtle as Fran Drescher’s voice.”
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
About as subtle as Fran Drescher’s voice ????? https://t.co/VM23b4XnlI
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 10, 2018
In an attempt to defend himself against accusations that he doesn’t hold male tennis players accountable for their outbursts during matches, Knight tweeted out another recent cartoon he’d drawn of male Australian player Nick Kyrgios.
“Here’s a cartoon I drew a few days before when Australian male tennis player Kyrgios at the US Open was behaving badly,” Knight tweeted, along with the cartoon. “Don’t bring gender into it when it’s all about behavior. I’ll accept your apology in writing.”
https://twitter.com/Knightcartoons/status/1039056385462349825
Some people pointed out that this isn’t the first time Mark Knight’s work has been deemed “racist.”
Mark Knight is a racist cartoonist. I won't share his work to blow his name up any further, but the Serena cartoon is not an isolated incident.
— Master 'Vazhe (@Savazhe) September 10, 2018
The argument over Williams’ passionate response to Ramos during the U.S. Open has centered on the question of whether Williams was treated differently because she’s a black woman.
After Knight posted his controversial image, one Twitter user revealed several instances in which Ramos seemed to essentially give white tennis players (male and female) a slap on the wrist for the same exact behavior.
Djokovic Gets Into Argument With Same Umpire Carlos Ramos at French Open, multiple violations did not result in docked point or game. https://t.co/qkZv2SNE7O
— Tinsley (@AgentTinsley) September 9, 2018
And here’s nick telling Ramos his umping is ‘fucking bullshit’ after being given a violation. No game penalty, no point penalty. https://t.co/7faFEqzSoW
— Tinsley (@AgentTinsley) September 9, 2018
Here’s one from Andy Murray and Ramos, a violation resulting in Andy shouting “stupid umpiring” which does not result in a point loss or a game penalty. https://t.co/lvgxcYe7Yr
— Tinsley (@AgentTinsley) September 9, 2018
Here’s Andy Murray literally kicking a ball at an umpire. Does not receive a a warning, a violation penalty, a point penalty or a game penalty. https://t.co/XTzc8asMMk
— Tinsley (@AgentTinsley) September 9, 2018
Another one of Vandewegh with two code violations doing … god knows what. No point or game penalty. https://t.co/uFMs9yVotk
— Tinsley (@AgentTinsley) September 9, 2018
Another Azeranka meltdown: two violations and loses her shit. No game penalty. https://t.co/BQIg6TePEo
— Tinsley (@AgentTinsley) September 9, 2018
Following Williams’ controversial loss, she was fined $17,000 from her $1.85 million prize: $4,000 for the coaching warning, $3,000 for breaking her racket and $10,000 for the “verbal abuse” she directed at Ramos, the United States Tennis Association said.
