Julian Woods, a comedian described as “Australia’s king of dark comedy,” has drawn criticism after a September 11-themed prank video was poorly received by many of his followers.
Woods shared the video on Friday with his 439,000 Instagram followers. It shows him approaching an older stranger seated on a public bench.
“Excuse me… if science has flown us to the moon, where has religion flown us?” Woods asked the visibly confused man.
“Into the twin towers!” Woods replied, delivering the punchline.
He then opened his jacket, revealing what appeared to be a fake bomb strapped across his chest.
“It’s actually the 25th anniversary of 9/11 today. Did you know that? Well, I’m not a scientist but I am religious…” Woods said as he displayed the prop.
Julian Woods, a comedian branded “Australia’s king of dark comedy,” has faced backlash after a joke about the September 11 attacks in New York failed to win over many fans.
The alarmed man quickly got up from the bench and ran away as Woods began counting down from 10.
“Never Forget. 25th anniversary!” Woods wrote in the post’s caption, adding a plane emoji.
The stunt prompted a sharply divided response, with many commenters voicing their disgust at the video.
‘Stop making jokes about 9/11. I lost my uncle on that day,’ wrote one person, while another said: ‘Do you really think that is funny?!!’
Someone else commented: ‘I have good humor, and some 9/11 humor is funny if made appropriately, but this isn’t funny.’
‘Have some f***ing respect,’ wrote one angry person, while another chimed in: ‘Not cool. This is why the world’s corrupt.’
Some of the comedian’s fans insisted the ‘tasteless’ joke had gone too far, with some even unfollowing Woods’ Instagram account in protest.
‘Wow! I have no words. Love your stuff usually Julian, but you went a step too far on this one I’m afraid. Not offended, just shocked,’ said one fan.
Julian Woods posted a video on his Instagram page on Friday, in which he is seen approaching a stranger sitting on a public bench and flashing a fake bomb
‘Stop making jokes about 9/11. I lost my uncle on that day,’ wrote one person, while another said: ‘Do you really think that is funny?!!’
Another posted: ‘Sorry buddy, you crossed a line with this one.’
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One more said, ‘That’s actually messed up… I was living in NY then and it definitely wasn’t anything to be joking about.’
‘I just unfollowed you… You’re a disgrace to society and your family,’ wrote someone else.
Others were amused by Woods’ dark humour and felt that some were taking the gag too seriously.
‘This is brilliant,’ wrote one person, while another called Woods a ‘legend’.
One fan wrote: ‘Follow a dark humour page, then whinge about dark humour. Imagine that! Lighten up.’
Woods is well known for his ‘edgy’ comedy, having embarked on his Cancel Me World Tour last year, which he promised would be ‘even darker, bolder, and more twisted’ than his previous work.
He also faced backlash in July, that time for a miscarriage skit which saw him pop a balloon at a gender reveal party, only for fake blood to pour over his white outfit.
The social media prankster also made headlines when he was arrested at a Bali film studio in December, alongside British porn star Bonnie Blue (left). He was accused of flouting Indonesia’s strict morality laws in a porn probe
‘My own mother lost a whole tube having me and she laughed her a**se off watching that video,’ Woods told the Daily Telegraph in defence of the gag.
‘You can get a personal testimonial from my mum for each of the miscarriages she’s had and she found it funny.
‘I’m friends with women, I date a woman.’
The social media prankster also made headlines when he was arrested at a Bali film studio in December, alongside British porn star Bonnie Blue.
He was accused of flouting Indonesia’s strict morality laws in a porn probe.
Woods was never formally charged and was released from custody eight days later.
The comedian insisted that he was spending time with his longtime friend Blue socially, and was not filming pornograpy.
‘I didn’t go there to break the law,’ Woods told the Daily Telegraph.
‘I went there to switch off after a UK tour. I didn’t go there to make porn. There was no porn filmed.’