0/5

Chris Lilley apologises after ABC talent criticises video posting

Comedian cops an online backlash for reposting an archival video, but denies it was related to recent news events.

Chris Lilley got a rude reminder that the first rule of comedy is timing.

The comedian apologised yesterday after posting an archival music video Squashed N***a on Instagram, featuring his Angry Boys character rapper S.Mouse.

Reaction was swift online, with some branding it tasteless, given a controversial verdict was only recently handed down over the death of Indigenous teenager Elijah Doughty. The 14-year-old died in Kalgoorlie in August last year while the driver was given a three-year sentence for dangerous driving.

ABC talent were amongst those who took to Twitter to slam Lilley, including Cleverman creator Ryan Griffen, actor Tysan Towney and Black Comedy / The Weekly regular Adam Briggs.

Briggs said, “I know someone who follows me will have Chris Lilley in their contacts – tell him, from me; ‘Chris, go f*** yourself you tactless gronk.'”

Cleverman creator Ryan Griffen said, “And while a lot of us mourn the death of young Elijah, this guy releases a song about a black kid getting run over. F*** @ChrisLilley”

Cleverman actor Tysan Towney said, ABC, HBO & BBC should all drop Lilley content. “So Chris Lilley just blocked me after he posted a satire vid. A blackface video of him rapping about being run over,” he said.

Lilley began blocking individuals before deleting his social media accounts -they were later restored with an apology.

https://twitter.com/ChrisLilley/status/891203760361357312

In the past Lilley said of his comedies, “I don’t go into it thinking I need to push boundaries, it’s about stories and characters.

“I find there’s no point thinking, ‘Oh people will find this funny or find that funny’. If I think it’s f*****g hilarious then I’m going to go there.”

Earlier this month New Zealand’s Maori Television dropped Jonah from Tonga from broadcasting amid concerns over its.

7 Responses

  1. Final paragraph incomplete?
    “Earlier this month New Zealand’s Maori Television dropped Jonah from Tonga from broadcasting amid concerns over its.”
    Its… what?

  2. The ABC got itself into this situation by promoting “comedy” and their own peculiar take on it. I can’t see why we have to fund this sort of thing. It isn’t advancing culture or the arts one jot and is only giving more ammunition to the many critics of the ABC. As someone who has worked with Indigenous young people to improve their fitness and self esteem I find it dismaying that a network which likes to think of itself as inclusive and a leader in promoting a positive image of indigenous culture can be associated with someone like Lilley. It isn’t funny, it isn’t satirical and it isn’t cutting edge. It is just disgraceful.

  3. While I’ve never liked his brand of comedy, I’ve tried to believe what he has said about what motivates him and lies behind his ‘challenging’ characters. The timing of this re-post makes it hard for me not to feel it was a deliberate statement about the tragic Doughty case, and an insight into Lilley’s real motivations.

  4. I don’t get how this man is thought of as funny, his shows are abysmal attempts at racial stereotyping in the name of humour are just plain bad

Leave a Reply