Written by Marcela Balart

The ability to make people laugh is a superpower. Thanks to social media and streaming specials, comedy as an art form is more accessible than ever, and in some cases, catapulting acts to celebrity status. 

Given today’s cancel culture, how does one dodge a faux pas when your livelihood is based on walking that fine line? 

Last week, comedy rock band Tenacious D, while on the Australian leg of their Spicy Meatball Tour, found themselves on the other side of that line.  

During the performance, frontman Jack Black, of School of Rock fame, had a cake brought onstage to celebrate bandmate, Kyle Gass’, 64th birthday.  

When Gass joked about the attempted assassination on former US president Donald Trump, the dark birthday wish turned into a PR disaster, in more ways than one.  

The gaffe instantly went viral and faced backlash from fans and public figures alike, including a Victorian Senator of the United Australia Party calling for the deportation of the comedy-rock duo. 

We take a closer look at the events that followed.  

Making a statement 

One of the most important things to do in a crisis is to act quickly, as there is often a small window of opportunity to come back from an error. The timing of a response will depend on the severity of the incident, but the general rule of thumb is to take swift, but measured, action.   

Just over 24 hours following the show, both Black and Gass issued individual statements on social media.  

Gass took ownership of his gaffe. He made it clear he was in the wrong and apologised for the lack of judgment and hurt inflicted.  

Black also issued a statement at the same time that condemned the behaviour, which was unsurprising given his public support for President Joe Biden’s election campaign and his own elevated career.  

What fans didn’t see coming, perhaps, was the cancellation of the tour and the band’s future plans. Black went as far as to say he was “blindsided” by the comments, clearly distancing himself both from the gaffe and Gass himself, possibly to prevent any further reputational damage by association. 

With the US Presidential election just a few months away, the low-brow comment made headlines at a tenuous time in global politics. There may yet still be more fallout for the band to endure when they arrive back on home soil. 

Australia’s hall of shame 

Australia has a long history with gaffes and we’re quick to call them out with little tolerance for out-of-touch comments or callous jabs made at the misfortune of others.  

In 2012, 2GB’s Alan Jones was recorded saying the then Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s father had died of shame because of her political “lies”. The broadcaster faced immense backlash from politicians and the public, including pushes to boycott his radio show and take him off the air.  

In 2014, the then Treasurer Joe Hockey had the gall to tell Australians a new $7 increase in doctor fees would be no more than “a couple of beers or one third of a packet of cigarettes”.  

The sports arena fares no better. Last year, CEO of the Newcastle Knights Phil Gardner, having just spoken about the importance of its women’s side, then likened the length of a good speech to a woman’s skirt – “long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep you interested”. With no room for misogynistic comments, the Knights edited out the gaffe from the recording that was later uploaded to its website.  

And let’s not forget the recent actions of outgoing Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci who, earlier this year, thought a nationally televised ABC Four Corners interview was the right time to attempt to discredit the recently retired ACCC chairman. To make matters worse, he infamously walked out of the interview after asking the reporter to leave the comment on the editing room floor.  

After the fallout 

Unlike Banducci, Gass and Black did not walk out of the show. They continued with their performance without issue and patrons were none the wiser. Instead, they took the issue ‘offline’ to pick up the pieces before responding to the incident.  

But the plot thickens. Gass has now deleted his apology from social media less than a week after issuing it. The fallout is two-fold. Not only has it given the story a second life in the media, it also calls into question the sincerity of his original apology.   

With Black critcised for essentially abandoning his bandmate and friend of 30 years, the retraction is fuelling rumours of a rift between the two musicians.  

So, while the initial statements from Gass and Black may have helped stem any further reputational damage, this story is not yet over, and only time will tell how it will impact the band’s future endeavours.  

When’s the last time you reviewed your organisation’s issues management plan?  To discuss how IMPACT can provide issues and crisis support, contact Victoria at victoria@impactagency.com.au.