"Better than any words": Aussie mum's inspired response to controversial Leunig cartoon
An Australian mum has hit back at the popular cartoonist Michael Leunig’s depiction of motherhood that ruffled feathers.
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age were under fierce criticism last week when it published the cartoon that showed a woman pushing a pram while looking at her mobile phone, oblivious to her child on the ground behind her.
Now, Perth mum Paula Kuka has addressed the outrage that was felt by many Aussie mums when they saw the cartoon for themselves.
Kuka has shown the reality of what mums such as herself do on a daily basis.
The image was posted on her personal Instagram account common_wild, which shows two images. One is titled “what I did” and the second comic is “what you saw”.
Kuka wrote a powerful caption for her drawing, outlining the rage she felt after seeing the comic.
“I spent yesterday feeling a little angry and powerless about a particular cartoon by a well-known Australian cartoonist,” she wrote.
“Today I realised I might be angry, but I’m not powerless. This is my response.”
Many mums quickly agreed, including celebrity mum Carrie Bickmore.
“Thanks for sharing this @common_wild. Love it,” Carrie wrote to her 670,000 fans.
“Tip of the iceberg of what parenting entails, the two minutes you check your phone because your child is in the pram and you can finally reply to a message you received 4 hours ago one handed whilst running another errand …” one woman commented.
“This is better than any words,” another agreed.
Many were quick to say that Leunig’s comic was “condescending” after seeing the comic.
There was a poem attached to the drawing that read:
“Mummy was busy on Instagram
When beautiful bubby fell out of the pram
And lay on the path unseen and alone
Wishing that he was loved like a phone.”