Caroline Wozniacki imitated Serena Williams’ notoriously voluptuous body in an exhibition match against Maria Sharapova this past weekend.
The Danish tennis star stuffed her bra and skirt with towels to mimic Williams’ famous curves. The move gained some laughter from the audience and even amused fellow tennis star Roger Federer.
This isn’t the first time “Woz” has mimicked Williams. In December 2011, she pulled a similar stunt while dancing on court to a Rihanna song.
Other players have done similar impressions, including Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick, who stuffed their shirts and shorts to give the appearance of the WTA Player of the Year’s body.
While the audience may have enjoyed Wozniacki’s impression, few in the blogosphere and elsewhere were laughing as critics thought the impersonation to be in poor taste or ineffective.
USA Today ‘s Chris Chase wrote , “If you’re going to be Serena, hit your return with ferocity and glare at a linesperson.”
Others took it a bit further and blasted Wozniacki for her racist antics.
Katie, a feministing writer wrote :
“Given the history and current-day context of racialized standards of beauty, and the hypersexualization of people of color, when a white woman makes fun of a black women’s body, especially in a way that hypersexualizes her and draws on the stereotype of black women’s big butts, it’s racist.”
A tumblr blogger wrote:
“So a white woman can do something like this, but Serena Williams can’t crip walk to celebrate a victory? Wozniacki stuffed her bra and underwear so that she could appear like Serena. It may have been done in ‘jest,’ but I love how people can can turn a black woman’s body and sexuality into a caricature. However, we should not have the autonomy to celebrate any successes of our own.”
Do you think Wozniacki went too far with her impression, or are people being too sensitive?
