I can’t hold my breath any longer. Every day, I hope that, upon looking at the Star’s illustrations, I will find a depiction of a woman who is normal, active, thinking and human. Today was the last straw.

Under Peggy Byrne’s column about re-acquainting herself with her great-aunt at a wake is a cartoon depicting a “stereotypical” female with a mini-skirt and more-gigantic-than-is-humanly-possible breasts standing passively by a grave while a fully clothed, not particularly well-endowed male is asking her out on a date.

WHAT DOES THIS CARTOON HAVE TO DO WITH THE COLUMN?

Last week was even worse! Known to some as “the week the Star drew racist pictures of black people saying ‘chill’ or wearing dunce-caps,” I find it suspicious that no apologies were made for the outright violently sexist cartoon which appeared on Friday. The cartoon depicted yet another “stereotypical” female with more-gigantic-than-is-humanly-possible breasts being shot through the mouth.

A timely appearance, this cartoon was printed shortly after a man in a nearby county was convicted of “involuntary manslaughter” for “accidentally” shooting his girlfriend through the mouth in what was deemed as “sex play.”

How this disgustingly graphic depiction of violence against women could pass the eyes of the editorial board (much less the mind of the cartoonist) without so much as a wince shows the innately sexist personality of the Star.

Last, but not least, was the cartoon about the ISA referendum. This cartoon seems innocent enough at first glance. It contains a white guy, a black guy, a rat guy and a female. Equal representation, right? However, all three of the male characters in the cartoon are shown in active stances with fists raised. Guess what the female is doing? No, she’s not getting shot, picked up or having problems keeping her breasts inside her shirt. She’s sitting passively with her arms around her knees, looking cute.

Of course, no female would ever do something active, intelligent or positive for the society except sit around supporting the actions of men. This is the impression this cartoon gives to Star readers.

Last year, women were never shown in cartoons. A reader complained, and now we have the benefit of seeing women depicted as purely dispensible, under-sexed, over-endowed, mindless, passive do-nothings. Gee, thanks, Northern Star!

Does anyone else notice these things?

Julia D. Stege

S.A. Welfare Advisor