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

[2bad]

I don't see this as racist but I'm not Hispanic. She's from Puerto Rico, right? Are piñatas part of their social history? Otherwise, I think it accurately portrays how rethugliklans will put on a blindfold and wildly swing at anything that doesn't fit their extreme right wing-nut ideology.

[loax]

More depection by old white men Republicans who feel a woman should be seen and not heard. This woman has more intelligence in her little finger, as well a a amazing experience. To denigrate her success in such an offensive cartoon just proves again the the Republicans just don't get it at all!

[trinity]

This is coming from a non-Hispanic who does not know the history of this paper, but I see this cartoon as highlighting the hate talk that has been spewing from Republicans and their supporters this last week. I think it reflects "their" (Republicans) racism towards Hispanics, not the cartoonist's. I think it mocks the stupidity of the Republicans and makes them look like a buch of backwards buffoons.

[jeremyemilio]

Yay, a literate! (You'll be very lonely around here, unfortunat­ely.)

[2bad]

Read the posts Sparky! Most of what's here don't find it offensive.

[jeremyemilio]

Hmmm... ironic that just a few days ago progressives were on this cite ridiculing republicans for their inability to 'get' the fact that Colbert was not one of them, but was making fun of them.

If you don't 'get' this cartoon, or understand just who is being ridiculed by it, then nothing I can say will help you. I will suggest, though, that irony seems to be a forgotten language in America in general, regardless of ideology or party identification.

[MsWright]

Btw:

Excellent Post Southernma­n..

[constitutional 1]

Pretty Funny...we need to quite being so hyper-sensitive

[Heru1]

what do you mean 'we' white man

[MsWright]

As i see the humor and cynicism in this cartoon

I also felt a pang in my gut viewing it for the 1st time..

When will people realize that the site of any one hanging from a tree is very painful, this country has a history of performing these acts against people of color.

Also where were the women's groups when Michelle Obama was being torn to shreds by the Illiterate Right....

[Bramble8]

Classy!

[jkredwine]

As a Hispanic person, I do not find this cartoon the least bit offensive.

Its making a good point about Republican treatment of Sotomayor while cleverly utilizing a culturally-relevant metaphor. The reality is that Sotomayor is proud of being latina and the metaphor only goes further to emphasize that.

Even if the pinata is originally of Mexican origin, the semantics of cultural nuances aren't really important here. This cartoon is not hateful and it is not inappropriate, it is using a cultural tradition to humorously express a serious political issue; in a way that is more reverent than racist.

Get over it.

[Heru1]

you are about as Hispanic as Pat Buchanan

[jorge999]

"As a Hispanic person, I do not find this cartoon the least bit offensive. .."

Are you really a Hispanic? From what planet?

[Liberalforsure]

Really?

[felidaeus]

I like how the commenters know more about your race than you do.

It's cute.

"You can't be hispanic! You don't agree with me!"

[dRwOOD]

I haven't read any posts yet - but as a Puerto Rican I do see the humor & irony and I understand any outrage...­. Being that it was in Oklahona does not help the situation. If this was a NY paper the satire may have come across differentl­y....

I guess I am getting tired the back & forth 2day

[dagdavid]

Come on now folks, the cartoon's message is clear: The republicans ARE treating her like a pinata and they deserve to be called out on it. This is not anti-Sotomayor, this is anti republican

[dRwOOD]

Yeah, I agree - and a lil side joke is that most ra cist can't distinguish a Mexican from a PR

[edwcorey]

Lots of profound ignorance around here. Isn't the pinata a MEXICAN tradition? Sotomayer's Puerto RIcan.

[Pendragon2008]

Please...t­he message of the cartoon is obvious. If it had been a white judge depicted as a pinata after the treatment Sotomayor has had in the media, then no-one would bat an eyelid. We are not only making mountains out of molehills, but threatening the First Amendment when we speak out against people speaking out.

[nana4g]

And what exactly does this cartoon speak out about? Is it a statement on what she may expect during confirmation hearings? If so, the choice of the cartoon is more telling of the mindset of the cartoonist and the newspaper that they chose this scenario in which to express what they think she will experience­.....I have news for them. After all this ugliness, all the ugly remarks, the offensiveness, the feigned outrage because they did not read her statement of 8 pages and chose to seize upon the introductory sentence, have not studied her judicial record, she will go to her confirmation hearings and all of those big, loud mouthed Republicans who have feigned outrage for political gain, will be meek and mild. She will respond appropriately and her responses and her demeanor will put them to shame. She will be confirmed and they will just have to live with it and accept responsibility for their behavior with the results of the next election.

[Heru1]

I have a First Amendment right to speak out against racists

[Lee Andrew]

Actually the cartoon is more than stupid:

Firstly its degrading.

Secondly, the judge of Puerto Rican descent and last time I checked, although I could be wrong, the Pinata reference is Mexican!

[nana4g]

It is amazing to me that some of us sit in judgement on what they perceive as the "intolerance of Muslims" when, in the last few weeks, they have behaved exactly as they judge others. It is ignorance and it is their need for "self preservation" that they indulge in all of this ignorant "humor" and "outrage" over absolutely nothing at all. Ignorance. It could have been a newspaper in Oklahoma or The New York Post, again. Ignorance is universal.

[Loki11467]

The real humor is how dumb the Okie Paper is considering as far as I am aware the Pinata is a Mexican tradition and has nothing to do with Puerto Rico! Errrrr wrong stereo type you pig.