Another Sexist Cartoon

A cartoon published and later removed by The Indianapolis Star, who apologized, came under fire for mocking Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford. The cartoon trivialized her calls for a fair hearing about her alleged sexual assault by Brett Kavanaugh by showing her asking for “roses, sparkling water, and a bowl of green M&Ms.” The cartoonist Gary Varvel has a history of controversial cartoons.

The cartoon is an example of how when women come forward with sexual abuse accusations they are often trivialized and mocked. In addition to mocking Ford, his reference to her asking for a bowl of green M&Ms is also quite inappropriate since there has long been an urban myth of green M&Ms being aphrodisiacs. In addition to the cartoon being sexist, Varvel’s drawing of Cory Booker plays on the sambo stereotype since he’s drawn to look goofy and dumb while all the other Senators look serious or unamused. It is just another example of how the cartoon is part of a heteropatriarchy system that attacks victims of sexual abuse.

Another one of Varvel's cartoons.