Jonah From Tonga. Via Twitter
Providing yet more proof that no amount of backlash can stop a white male Australian comedian from achieving his dreams, Chris Lilley has just received a bunch of Netflix money to film a new series on the Gold Coast.Lilley, known for shows like Summer Heights High, We Can Be Heroes, and the controversial Jonah From Tonga has come under fire in recent years for regularly and unapologetically wearing blackface. Jonah From Tonga received heated criticism from the Polynesian community, members of which argued that it perpetuates racial stereotypes.Last year, only a few days after a white Western Australian man faced court following the death of Indigenous teenager Elijah Doughty, Lilley posted a video of his song “Squashed N**ga” on Instagram and Facebook. He argued at the time that the video had no connection to news or current events.Little has been announced yet about Lilley’s new 10-episode series, but you can only hope he sticks to playing white characters from now on. Queensland Premier Annastasia Palaszczuk said in a media statement that she was “delighted to have enticed” the comedian, who has mostly worked with the ABC, to the state. She said the new show would bring more than $6 million to Queensland’s economy.The Queensland Government has been spending millions on making the state attractive to overseas production companies, and its deal with Netflix follows lucrative contracts with Marvel to film Thor: Ragnorok and DC to film Aquaman.