Chris Lilley has apologised for posting a video on social media of his Angry Boys character S’Mouse titled ‘Squashed N**ga’ at an insensitive time.
A fan-made remix of the original video, which features Lilley wearing Blackface make-up dressed up as his rap character S.Mouse, was posted on Lilley’s socials just days after the man who ran over and killed Indigenous boy Elijah Doughty was cleared of manslaughter.
S.Mouse’s song ‘Squashed N**ga’ is about a boy who is run over by a truck and it was immediately slammed online for its timing and overall offensiveness.
Days after man who ran down Aboriginal teen was sentenced to 3 yrs, @ChrisLilley posts blackface vid "squashed n-": https://t.co/tgL3WuP18M pic.twitter.com/lVn2hrfG2t
— I'm @Ketanjoshi.co on Bluesky (@KetanJ0) July 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/BriggsGE/status/891131616763953152
Following criticism, Lilley took the post down and switched his Instagram, with 250,000 followers, to private.
He then took to Twitter to share an apology which said the video was, “not connected in anyway to current news stories.”
“I apologise for any hurt caused by this misinterpretation.”
https://twitter.com/ChrisLilley/status/891203760361357312
The apology has been slammed for being a blatant non-apology.
Aussie hip-hop duo A.B. Original responded immediately writing, “We didn’t ‘misinterpret’ your videos racism. We responded correctly.”
“You re-posted it as if it served some kind relevance. This is YOURS.”
Local MC Remi also responded to the apology tweeting, “Another version of the story? You don’t even have the decency to own your disgusting behaviour. Shame.”
It comes less than a month after the New Zealand Government withdrew Lilley’s series Jonah From Tonga from television because it, “perpetuates negative stereotypes of Pacific people.”
“The fact it is pitched as comedy doesn’t make that any more acceptable”.
Lilley didn’t respond to that and he’s yet to respond to any of the criticism surrounding his non-apology.
We didn't 'misinterpret' your videos racism. We responded correctly. You re-posted it as if it served some kind relevance. This is YOURS. https://t.co/WKLG0aiUvm
— A.B. Original (@ABOriginalBAM) July 29, 2017
And @chrislilley if you're ignorant to the situation, it only brings the superficiality of your black characters further into question.
— A.B. Original (@ABOriginalBAM) July 29, 2017
It's not satire it's racism. You're not punching up or exploring nuances of culture or story. You're King Billy Coke bottle. – @briggsge
— A.B. Original (@ABOriginalBAM) July 29, 2017
Another version of the story? You don't even have the decency to own your disgusting behaviour. Shame
— Remi. (@remikolawole) July 29, 2017
