Ab Fab Film Accused of Racism

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The Ab Fab Film has been accused of using “yellowface” after casting a white actor to play a Japanese character

The character Huki Muki, a Japanese fashion designer, will be played by Scottish comedian Janette Tough, best known for playing Wee Jimmy Krankie in various eighties TV programmes.

Last month, Tough was spotted filming scenes with Joanna Lumley, who plays magazine editor Patsy Stone. Tough was wearing over-sized sunglasses and a short black wig. The Telegraph says the style is very similar to that worn by Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese writer and artist known for her fascination with polka-dots.

Many fans are outraged at the casting.

Korean-American actress and comedian Margaret Cho, accused the film of “yellowface”, which she described as “when white people portray Asian people.”

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She expressed her outrage on Twitter:

Many of Cho’s 400,000 twitter followers shared her outrage.

Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French, the executive producers of the Ab Fab movie, and BBC Films are yet to comment.

Other celebrities who will appear in the film include Kate Moss, Emma Bunton and Jerry Hall.

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie will be released on 1 July.

 

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