The NRL Footy Show Is Copping It For “Racial Profiling” An Indigenous Guest

At this point in time it seems unreasonable to expect anything good to come out of hysterical masculinity vessels like The Footy Show. Still, even with their disastrous track record, you’d imagine they would be at least trying to not actively show their arses on national television. 

To no avail, though. Tonight’s show featured an Indigenous contestant and Broncos supporter, Michael Romelo, who won $6,600 in a game called ‘Pass for Pesos‘ (…hmm). 

So far, so borderline-good (a sombrero, mate? Really?), but host Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin had to go and bugger it up for everyone, didn’t he. 

After congratulating Romelo, Fatty said to him:

By all means, experience the moment of shock for yourself:

No-one in the audience thought that was a good joke. Romelo clearly wasn’t rolling around with mirth. And people on Twitter aren’t too bloody stoked on it either. 

@NRLFootyShow did fatty just imply all Indigenous people drink alcohol? @joewilliams_tew. This bloke needs to be sacked.

— Michael Vincent (@Tjakkamarra) June 1, 2017

Paul Vautin should be stood down @NRLFootyShow & made to publicly apologise to all @IndigenousX ppl. Racial profiling is racism @Channel9

— Joe Williams – TEW (@joewilliams_tew) June 2, 2017

My lord. That poor guy, he was probably a big Vautin fan until he got shamed on national TV like this too… Footy Show is a mess. https://t.co/21du7av7Lf

— Andrew Eddy (@AEddy6087) June 2, 2017

CH9 @NRLFootyShow showing what they really think of Indigenous community not their fake respect during Indigenous Round https://t.co/KsrXrAE6P3

— Jack Hockman (@JackHockman) June 2, 2017

Good grief! This is terrible! On all levels. Cultural appropriation and blatant racism. @TheFootyShowNRL https://t.co/u8TzYBCUGy

— Sharon Davis (@AETLCEWA) June 2, 2017

Apparently the Daily Mail are reporting that Vautin “says that same comment or variation on it to everyone who wins that competition“. Maybe – just spitballing here – maybe that’s not actually such a good idea, mates. 

Good grief. 

Image: NRL Footy Show.