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Sports desk: A controversial Australian newspaper cartoon of Serena Williams which was blasted as racist and sexist did not breach media standards, the country\u2019s press watchdog ruled Monday.<\/p>\nSports desk: A controversial Australian newspaper cartoon of Serena Williams which was blasted as racist and sexist did not breach media standards, the country\u2019s press watchdog ruled Monday.<\/p>\n
Melbourne Herald-Sun illustrator Mark Knight\u2019s caricature in September showed a butch and fat-lipped Williams throwing a temper tantrum, at last, the year\u2019s US Open after losing to Naomi Osaka.<\/p>\n
It sparked widespread condemnation across the world, including from Harry Potter author JK Rowling and the Washington Post, which likened it to the era of racial segregation in the United States.<\/p>\n
The Herald-Sun defiantly republished the cartoon on its front page in the wake of the criticism under the headline \u201cWELCOME TO PC WORLD\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Australian Press Council received complaints that Williams\u2019 depiction \u201cmay cause it to be an offensive and sexist representation of a woman and the prejudicial racial stereotype of African-American people generally\u201d.<\/p>\n
It said there was concern about her being shown with \u201clarge lips, a broad flat nose, a wild afro-styled ponytail hairstyle different to that worn by Ms. Williams during the match and positioned in an ape-like pose\u201d.<\/p>\n
But it accepted that the newspaper\u2019s intent was simply to depict her behavior as \u201cchildish by showing her spitting a pacifier out while she jumps up and down\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Council considers that the cartoon uses exaggeration and absurdity to make its point,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt accepts the publisher\u2019s claim that it does not depict Ms. Williams as an ape, rather showing her as \u2018spitting the dummy\u2019, a non-racist caricature familiar to most Australian readers.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Council did acknowledge that some readers found it offensive, but added that there was \u201csufficient public interest in commenting on behavior and sportsmanship during a significant dispute between a tennis player with a globally high profile and an umpire at the US Open final\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs such, the Council does not consider that the publication failed to take reasonable steps to avoid causing substantial offense, distress or prejudice, without sufficient justification in the public interest.\u201d<\/p>\n
The furor followed 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams smashing her racquet and calling the umpire a \u201cthief\u201d and a \u201cliar\u201d during her Flushing Meadows meltdown.<\/p>\n
At the time, Knight \u2014 who has a reputation for controversial cartoons \u2014 said the uproar was a sign that the \u201cworld has just gone crazy\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cartoon about Serena is about her poor behavior on the day, not about race,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Australia is a highly multicultural country but also sees occasional public dust-ups about the use of racially and sexually loaded language.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sports desk: A controversial Australian newspaper cartoon of Serena Williams which was blasted as racist and sexist did not breach media standards, the country\u2019s press watchdog ruled Monday. Melbourne Herald-Sun illustrator Mark Knight\u2019s caricature in September showed a butch and fat-lipped Williams throwing a temper tantrum, at last, the year\u2019s US Open after losing to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":52990,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n