Sotomayor Cartoon In The Oklahoman Comes Under Fire

Some women's groups are outraged over an editorial cartoon that ran in The Oklahoman newspaper on Wednesday - it depicts Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor strung up like a piñata with a sombrero-clad President Obama handing out bats to Republican members of Congress.

Jean Warner, the chair of the Oklahoma Women's Coalition, wrote:

She's served on the US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit for 10 years, heard over 3,000 cases and written over 380 opinions (but she's of Puerto Rican descent ~~ ergo the piñata image - right? wink, wink).

Not funny; actually stupid and damaging. A picture speaks louder than words and that cartoon sends a message to women of all ages: "Back off. Know your place. Or we'll take a stick to you and teach you a lesson."

Daily Kos poster OKC law dork wrote:

"I'm appalled that [The Oklahoman] would publish a cartoon showing a federal judge who happens to be a minority strung up from a tree... There is a vigorous racist block of voters in Oklahoma who harbor racist feelings toward 'Mexicans' (usually meaning anyone of Hispanic origin) that I believe this cartoon is catering to."

The editor of the Oklahoman, which is considered to have a conservative editorial viewpoint, did not return calls for comment.

Judge for yourself. Here's the cartoon:

Comments

[harriscrl3]

I dont see anything wrong with this cartoon particularly since I've seen much worse.

Carol

[ClipsNChips]

In ether case it's not offensive. It doesn't go any further than we have seen other comics depict the President or other members of Congress. Also the comic clearly shows how Republican Senators are reluctant to attack Sotomayor, now that they have the chance during confirmation hearings, because she would be the first Hispanic Justice and the cameras are closely watching.

Also, I thought Pinata's were a Mexican tradition not Puerto Rican.

[TLaw]

"Also, I thought Pinata's were a Mexican tradition not Puerto Rican."
-------
Come now. You know that there are those who believe that all Hispanics are Mexicans. They can not tell one nationality from the other and don't care to. In their eyes they are all ___ and ___ sigh....

[barrycourage]

Come now. You know that ignorance of particular cultural practices does not make someone a bigot or a racist. And people who jump on those who are ignorant are making a bigoted assumption that the uneducated people are racist.

[tinatoledo31]

GET OVER IT PEOPLE

[lilymarie14]

Oh, ok. Why didn't WE think of that?

Thanks for saving us from ourselves. IDJIT

[leduck]

I feel compelled to respond to this one because I am Hispanic
Mexican descent to be specific

People need to loosen up
I’m not offended by this cartoon at all
Let people express their views

I'm' neither in favor nor opposed to Sotomayor
I don't know much about her

Lighten up


but lighten up

[Killian92]

C'mon guys. . .this is funny. Look at the elephants' faces and Obama's "I dare you" look. I'm a big Sotomayor supporter, and really this makes a good point. Don't get too PC here. . .it's a frigging cartoon people.

[b8akaratn]

Yeah, it's so hysterical. It suggests that Sotomayor is an object able to be strung up and beaten with sticks for enjoyment. I can't stop myself laughing... Cuz beating women is funny, right? And because she's Latina, it's even more funny to bring in the piñata connotation, eh? Olé, let the laughing begin.

[proggirl]

The Oklahoman is bleeding circulation. This is nothing but an attempt at a quick fix on that.

[lrhoke]

All newspapers are bleeding circulation and that is a ridiculous comment.
I live in Oklahoma and know of wingnuts that consider the Oklahoman a "liberal
rag". The op-ed page does lean conservative, but they have been very progressive
in recent years on issues of diversity and immigration. They have spoken out against
many horrible things our legislature has done in the last month and I don't think they
were too worried about it impacting their circulation.

I am liberal, saw the cartoon before the controversy broke out and saw no problem
with it. Editorial cartoons usually aren't PC.

[amf angel]

Yes, piñata is a Mexican thing, not a Puerto Rican thing. BUT another point to make is that mostly CHILDREN are the ones that hit the piñata. Is this cartoon calling all those republicans (elephants, right?) children? =)

[statestreet2424]

Pinatas-Mexico
Cartoonist-Idiot (and racist and sexist)

[kissmygrits]

Horrifying. And, as a side note, just shows that all hispanics are the same to racists, considering puerto rican culture doesn't involve sombreros & pinatas - that's mexicans! duh!

[escobar]

And, what is with the Black man?
Mitch McConnell R Ky is the one who is urging Republicans to take a swipe at her
That guy in the straw hat doesn't look much like Mitch.
The opportunity to present that image was too much fun for someone.
No wonder the people who would be inclined to read newspapers have become reluctant to do so.

[HesDanTheMan]

Just so I understand those who don't see anything wrong with this cartoon.
A couple in West Hollywood hang an effigy of Sarah Palin from their front porch at Halloween last year (making the NATIONAL NEWS) and the RIGHT is outraged, demading it be taken down and apologies be made.
Yet as long as it's a woman that you believe to be "liberal", selected by Obama, hanging in a cartoon with sticks being passed around and making her look like a pinata...well, that's all right - it's FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
So had the gentlemen who hung the effigy of Palin had her as a pinata, then it would have been all right? Or is it just as long as it's NOT a Right Wing Woman, then it's ok to go there to further promote violence against women as long as they're not Right Wing Women?

Help me to understand this please?

[lwilkerson50]

HesDanTheMan. Thx for your comment. My point exactly. Any type of hanging is wrong. Period. NO matter who the individual is. There is nothing funny about it. Not even if it is making a point. That symbolism is the wrong symbol to represent theri point.

I wouldn't even want to see Rush, Hannity, Beck, O'Reilly - with something hung around their neck and I can't stand them. So please people don't find humor in violence.

Again thanks to HesDanTheMan and others who are not promoting this.

[grn1]

cartoon of sotomayer=oklahoma palin effigy=west hollywood Fear of the unknown unknowns, none the less news orgs are thoughtless and tripe.

[HesDanTheMan]

Gee, thanks for "clearing" that up. (Enter Twilight Zone Theme).
No confusion left now.....?????

[w8aminute]

and there are those that say racism is dead....

[HopeGrenade]

Dude. She's smiling. She's not strung up. Just because there's a rope, it's lynch imagery. The republicans look worried because they know they're screwed if they try anything. It makes a point, but because it dares to play with racial stereotypes, HEAVEN FOREFEND, it's racist and evil. Get a life. It's Oklahoma. No one cares.

[sense11]

She's a Puerto Rican American, not Mexican. Any good points in this cartoon are diminished by Ignorance Ignorance ignorance.

[escobar]

Leave it to the Oklahoma school systems, they must have excellent remidial educational programs to enable such challenged people to achieve so highly in the workplace.
Morons nest and rule successfully in execuitive suites all over the country but seem to really thrive in the South. Guess being related to the right people and belonging to the same sort of sect helps a lot.
I suppose the editors and execuitives believe a good portion of their population is that ignorant.
This sort of stuff isn't going to do the GOP or the country as a whole any good.
The joke is on the dopes behind it.
This isn't at all typical of Oklahomans I have met.
The general population has been insulted.

[HesDanTheMan]

Another example of Bush's "No Child Left Behind" program!

[lrhoke]

Maybe you ought to check your spelling and grammer usage before you start
insulting others. SHEESH!

[Telemachus]

Oh, please. It's a fine cartoon. The artist is not suggesting that Sotomayor DESERVES to be bashed, only that Obama has set it up so that if she is, the Republicans will be obviously and unavoidably exposed as childish, blind (blindfolded), feckless stick-swingers. The pinata game is mainstream enough that anyone, Hispanic or not, should be able to recognize what's involved here.

Sotomayor is depicted as sympathetic and smiling -- she's not suffering and she's not scared.

Finally, the caption harkens back to Jesus' statement to the mob threatening the (alleged) adulteress: "Let him among you who is without sin cast the first stone." Again, he's not encouraging or supporting the mob's behavior; he's pointing out how foolish it is.

I wouldn't necessarily award Bok a Pulitzer for this one, but it's a fine effort. And it got YOU talking, didn't it?! :)

[lilymarie14]

go to www.bokbluster.com and look at chip bok's other toons and see if you change your tune

[HesDanTheMan]

Do you have a correct link? This one comes up "page not found"!