"I'm just a guy with a suit and a microphone. It's worrying how many people think I'm a real journalist." Williams says. Photo / Supplied
"I'm just a guy with a suit and a microphone. It's worrying how many people think I'm a real journalist." Williams says. Photo / Supplied
"I am racist". These words from Hamilton restaurant owner Girish Kuruvilla shocked the nation after he openly admitted to discriminating against fellow Indians applying to work in his burger bar.
Kuruvilla first appeared in the media last year after backlash over his hiring processes and subsequent online racial abuse reached a fever pitch, culminating in a Newshub article headlined: "Owner of Hamilton takeaway shop Refuel Jo admits 'I am a racist' after refusing to hire Indians".
Now, Kuruvilla is featured in an upcoming episode of comedian Guy Williams' new season of New Zealand Today. The comedy news show has previously garnered almost a million views per episode on YouTube and spotlighted the likes of flat-earthers, monkey-stealing zoo thieves and the woman behind the viral recording of Karen wanting her $20 back.
Asked about his most shocking encounter to date, Williams says Kuruvilla left him stunned yet determined to "humanise" the restaurant owner when he met with him in Hamilton.
Recalling the original headline about Kuruvilla, the NZ Today host says he couldn't shake the feeling that there had to be more to the man than the way he'd been portrayed in the news article.
"In NZ Today we get to humanise people," Williams tells the Herald. "People say stupid things but they also have the ability to change and have more nuance when explaining their side of the story."
Kuruvilla usually spends his time off playing the videogame Truck Simulator but he agreed to be interviewed by Williams. Photo / Supplied
So in the episode, Williams and his team set about gathering a group of actors of varying ethnicities, before asking Kuruvilla to rank them based on who he assumes is the hardest working to the least.
Williams puts his head in his hands as he reveals to the Herald "he ranked them from the Tall White Guy as number one to Brown Guy number last.
"He literally ranked them based on colour. It was unbelievable train-wreck television."
Refuel Jo is a late-night burger joint famous for its "party atmosphere". Photo / Supplied
From there, Williams switched up his approach and asked the restaurant owner to read back some of the harmful comments he has posted online.
"I think he realised that there's a TV camera in his face and we're getting him to read out his message where he calls an Indian person a member of a dog family. You can see the embarrassment as he can't read it out. I think he immediately knew he was in the wrong."
Williams says, ultimately, he sympathises with Kuravilla and "doesn't want to paint Girish as racist. He's a great guy but like all of us has the ability to say hurtful things."
In fact, he reminds Williams of "older members of my family who are from a time when it was not seen as a bad thing to stereotype an entire group of people based on a few dated assumptions".
And he says, in a way, "He reminds me of myself. And just like me, he needs to learn when it's not okay to make a joke.
"I think Girish was joking when he told Newshub 'I'm 500 per cent racist.' He said a lot of stupid things online without realising that they might not fly in 2022 and that everyone could see them."
Despite Williams' efforts, by the end of the interview, he shares he was no closer to understanding the root of Kuruvilla's prejudice against his own race, but he says at least the restaurant owner appeared to come away slightly more "self-aware and empathetic".
The puzzled host reflects, "the most bizarre part of the story to me is that I had to explain to Girish why his assumptions about Indian people were racist and wrong ... when he himself is Indian.
"If he wants an example of a hard-working and exemplary Indian employee he only has to look as far as himself."
The latest season of New Zealand Today takes Williams across Aotearoa in search of unique local stories. Photo / Supplied
The tale of Kuruvilla is one of many small-town Kiwi stories Williams tells this season. He also investigates a claim to the world's largest potato and presents the dramatic conclusion to the Raglan cat-killer mystery.
Reflecting on the show's popularity, Williams does worry viewers may not fully understand the satirical element of his series.
"Lots of people come up to me and say 'My grandparents watch your show and don't trust the news anymore and think the world is going to hell.'"
He cringes before adding, "I'm just a guy with a suit and a microphone. It's worrying how many people think I'm a real journalist."
Williams may only consider himself a "volunteer journalist" but it's fair to say he's one of the few prominent media figures committed to telling smaller-scale local stories. And, as evidenced by the massive number of views his episodes have picked up on social media, it's clear his content strikes a chord with the Kiwi audience.
"I started out attempting to blur the line between journalism and entertainment," Williams laughs.
