Jennifer Saunders: ‘Absolutely Fabulous racism accusations are misunderstanding’

Jennifer Saunders denies the casting of a white comedienne as a supposedly Asian character in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie is racist.
The film, based on the beloved British sitcom set in the world of fashion, was hit by by controversy in December last year (15) when it was revealed that a ‘Japanese’ fashion designer named Huki Muki would be played by Scottish funnywoman Janette Krankie.
Critics, including Asian American comedienne Margaret Cho, hit out at the film’s producers for the decision, branding it an example of the old Hollywood practice of ‘yellowface’ casting – hiring a white actor to play an Asian character.
However Jennifer insists that the criticism is all based on a misunderstanding, and that the fact Huki Muki is played by a white actress is part of the joke.
“The whole film is about people being what they’re not,” she told Britain’s Guardian newspaper. “I’d always thought it was going to be Janette because I just thought that was hilarious. Huki Muki is a brand, she is the designer and she looks a bit Japanese, but the moment she opens her mouth she’s from Glasgow. It was just a silly little joke – in no way are we pretending she is Japanese, no yellow makeup or slitty eyes or any silliness.”
In the wake of the controversy, Margaret wrote on Twitter, “I love AbFab but #YELLOWFACE is something I cannot watch – I just can’t. It’s sad when heroes are no longer heroic. Too bad. #racism.”
However Jennifer believes the modern phenomena of people expressing outrage on social media is getting out of hand, saying, “This nonsense that everyone can be offended by the idea of someone else being offended by something. It’s just ridiculous.”
It is perhaps apt that the Absolutely Fabulous movie should be the subject of a storm of controversy on Twitter, as the feature itself satirises our reliance on social media.
And Jennifer says that technology is moving so fast that like her and Joanna Lumley’s characters Edina and Patsy in the film, she struggles to keep up with the modern world, adding, “There is so much that’s new, I don’t think I can take any more.”
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie is released in the U.K. on 1 July (16) and in the U.S. on 22 July.