It seemed that 2019 might finally be the year that 'blackface' became a thing of the past.
Aside from the most tone-deaf, closet racist Halloween enthusiasts, it felt a sure bet we could at least rely on those in the public eye to know the score - right??
Sure, people have been letting us down consistently this year with their links to 'blackface scandals', from the Governer of Virginia Ralph Northam to GUCCI,Swedish models and and even Katie Perry but you'd think they'd have begun to learn their lesson by now.
Enter: Chris Lilley - of Summer Heights High infamy.
Lilley is currently releasing a new series called Lunatics, and it's not looking good.
One of six new characters, Jana, is described by Netflix as a "lesbian pet psychic to the stars" from South Africa.
While some are suggesting the character could be a satirical look at trans-racialism, Lilley's past exploits don't have people holding their breath.
His series, Jonah from Tonga, was taken off New Zealand TV in 2017 after accusations of racism.
Needless to say, the internet did not react well to the news.
how does anyone have time for Chris Lilley, in this, the year of our lord 2019. the dude is exhausting— Alex Bruce-Smith (@Alex Bruce-Smith) 1554945995
Imagine if you were Chris Lilley and your "art" was so bad it was just a constant stream of lowest-common-denominater making fun of people.— Vaxine Beneba Clarke (@Vaxine Beneba Clarke) 1554938188
Wait, Chris Lilley got another show despite being such a bigoted asshole?— anna (@anna) 1554976583
...while others pointed out that personal growth on Lilley's part seemed unlikely...
I haven't seen his new show. I can't judge it yet but Chris Lilley's twitter page still sports pictures of his blac… https://t.co/GGFS9ikwhj— Jordan Raskopoulos (@Jordan Raskopoulos) 1554948066
For some, Summer Heights High seemed to been a painful reminder of less woke times.
Chris Lilley will forever remind me of those years in high school where I thought everything he did was racist but… https://t.co/nHk8PkuhPd— Yen-Rong Wong | 黃彥蓉 (@Yen-Rong Wong | 黃彥蓉) 1554938264
And there were those who wanted to sit back and watch Lilley's career self-combust...
Chris Lilley is gonna be eaten alive by a Netflix audience and I am here for it. https://t.co/cmrgLoxihC— Kara Schlegl (@Kara Schlegl) 1554940997
Looks like it might be a short-lived comeback.
