The sketch on Tonightly with Tom Ballard has drawn concern from gender advocacy groups. Photo / screenshot
The sketch on Tonightly with Tom Ballard has drawn concern from gender advocacy groups. Photo / screenshot
A week ago Don Burke was outed as an alleged sexual harassment perpetrator, now he's already become the subject of a daring new comedy sketch show.
ABC's new late night talk show Tonightly with Tom Ballard has premiered with a jaw-dropping opening episode, featuring a spoof gardening segment promising to teach viewers how to grow an alleged sex harasser.
Feminist comedian Greta Lee Jackson — who rose to fame with her the Skitclub viral video Activewear — performs the satirical skit complete with a flowerbed backdrop and watering can in hand.
Jackson's intention is to satirise the misogynistic culture existent in film and TV however, the controversial sketch has drawn concern from some gender advocacy groups.
Australian TV personality Don Burke has denied allegations of sexual harassment and bullying. Photo / Getty
Shaan Ross-Smith is the director of the Mate Bystander Program, linked to Griffith University, which travels Australia educating communities on gender inequality and recognising abuse.
"It's fraught with danger doing satires on this stuff," she said.
"No one would do satires on paedophilia but in Australia we have this acceptance that it's OK to make jokes about things like this."
Don Burke was the host of Australia's Channel Nine gardening and lifestyle show Burke's Backyard for 17 years. Photo / Getty
And the searingly en-pointe humour is enough to make even the most hardened viewers squirm.
"Today in our garden we're going to be talking about something very special: how to nurture and grow an alleged sexual harasser in the film and TV industry," said Jackson, 33, in a disarmingly cheery tone.
The comedian then takes viewers through the "conditions" which must be present to help a allow a sexual harasser to thrive.
These include "unfettered access to a lot of women" who have aspirations to succeed in the film and TV industry and most importantly, "a climate of denial".
Handy hints are even suggested for weeding out troublemakers who may make a claim.
There's "industry standard" techniques, explained Jackson, such as telling complainants they "can't take a joke".
"This is particularly effective because not only in the woman now plagued by painful memories, she's also paranoid about her sense of humour," she said.
However, if things do get out of hand, Jackson suggested there's always a "good" retort in statements such as, "it was OK in the 70s", "I choose to live as a gay man" and "I have Asperger's", referring to comments by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey and Burke respectively, when the men were all recently accused of sexual harassment.
