Comments on: Is Serena Williams the new Sarah Baartman?

By: Kelly du Rand

Kelly du Rand — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:32:47 +0000

I was searching the net to see if i buy a copy of a famous statue of saartjie baartman that my mom had and came across this article. I think its ridiculous to compare the occasional racist comment and usual bitchiness about any celebrity to what sarrah baartman went through. Maybe its because I am from South Africa and have been to where her remains were reburied after Nelson Mandela demanded them back. Youre generalising what america, western influence, the entire world’s perception on a few comments and historical references.

By: Zinzi

Zinzi — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:01:38 +0000

Dan, your comment got me wondering…. Have you ever referred to, or even considered John McEnroe (King of the Coutrside Tantrum), or Marat Safin (that beautiful Russian Rager) to be thuggish? Have you ever considered the lovely Maria Sharapova, with all of her grunt filled strokes, and arguments with refs to be ‘threatening or aggressive’? If you haven’t then I think that only emphasizes the point the author is trying to make. Think about it, really.

By: Dan

Dan — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:02:00 +0000

Threatening and aggressive seem perfectly apt adjectives to describe Serena Williams bullying behavior at the U.S. Open when she spewed curses and threatened to stuff a tennis ball down the throat of a diminutive line judge.

It’s impossilbe to empathize with the author’s sense of grievance and ideology when she illustrates it by lionizing the thuggish Serena Williams.

By: jason

jason — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:09:05 +0000

I think muscle girls are beautiful.

By: links for 2009-07-12 « Afrodescendiente

links for 2009-07-12 « Afrodescendiente — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:00:50 +0000

[...] GlobalComment » Is Serena Williams the New Sarah Baartman? (tags: black-body-politics serena-williams race feminism ass) [...]

By: Mr. Trend

Mr. Trend — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 17:40:05 +0000

To echo RMJ, Whitlock is one of the worst sports “journalists” out there, and offers some of the worst high contrarianism this side of Camille Paglia.

That said, your article is great, and dead-on.

By: Mark Farnsworth

Mark Farnsworth — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:40:29 +0000

When Serena was due to meet Sharapova in the Wimbledon final some years ago (i think it was 2004) the Sun’s headline was Beauty and the Best. You do the math. However I would say that the Williams sisters are held very dear by the majority in the UK and since 2000 there has only been one Wimbledon final not to feature at least one of them.

By: NancyP

NancyP — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:44:17 +0000

Who wants to watch top-ranked tennis players that aren’t aggressive etc.? 50 years ago, women were playing a dainty game. No more – power serves, please! I think that it is great that the Williams sisters look like they pump iron and do all-around athletic prep as well as tennis-specific training.

By: Monica Roberts

Monica Roberts — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:37:01 +0000

To give you an idea of just how thoroughly the Williams sisters have dominated ‘Williams-don’, the only years in this decade a Williams sister failed to win the tournament were 2004 and 2006.

Serena was upset in the 2004 finals and Venus lost in the 3rd round to Jelena Jankovic.

By: RMJ

RMJ — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:37:11 +0000

Jason Whitlock is a notorious blowhard – it’s no wonder he’s employed by Fox News. It’s amazing that Williams’ backside is policed and exoticized while her astounding accomplishments are minimized or dismissed.

Great article.