The lesbian star of Kath and Kim refuses to back down in the face of conservative backlash.
Magda Szubanski has refused to apologise for tweeting a photo of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s and his wife comparing it to a scene from the Handmaid’s Tale.
The Handmaid’s Tale is a book and television series set in a dystopian near-future in which women are treated as property of the state, with handmaids being fertile women forced to reproduce children against their will.
The photo which shows Prime Minister Morrison signing a book of condolence to mark the passing of Prince Philip, with his wife Jenny in the background wearing a high-necked black dress was accompanied by a caption from Szubanski which read “I genuinely thought this was a photoshopped Handmaid’s Tale meme.”
“But no. It’s 21st century Aussie life.”
I genuinely thought this was a photoshopped Handmaid’s Tale meme. But no. It’s 21st century Aussie life. https://t.co/S5NckoHv1q
— Magda Szubanski AO (@MagdaSzubanski) April 11, 2021
Supporters of Mr Morrison have slammed the Kath and Kim star for her tweet with Government MP Nicolle Flint calling the tweet, “appalling”.
“We do not want to be judged on our appearance or who we’re married to,” Ms Flint said.
“We’re sick and tired of being attacked for the fact that we are women.”
Szubanski has subsequently gone on to prime-time Australian television saying she won’t be apologising for the tweet.
Appearing on Channel Nine’s A Current Affair, Szubanski said it was fair to make a comment about what the Prime Minister’s wife may believe.
Szubanski said, “If she’s going to have some sort of influence in public life I want to know, what are her values? What kind of a woman is she?”
