‘Low hanging fruit’: ScoMo roasted for ukulele stunt in 60 Minutes interview

The response to Scott Morrison’s upcoming interview 60 Minutes with Karl Stefanovic has been swift and brutal.

Scott Morrison will be showing off his ukulele skills in an upcoming interview with Karl Stefanovic, set to air this Sunday.

A promotional video for the 60 Minutes feature showed Scott Morrison playing the ukulele while singing April Sun in Cuba by Dragon. He’s also joined by his wife, Jenny Morrison and two daughters, Lily Morrison and Abbey Morrison who also sing along, with Stefanovic also present at the dinner table.

Scott Morrison takes on the hit song ‘April Sun in Cuba’ … well at least the chorus. Picture: Channel 9.

Introducing the clip, Today host Ally Langdon joked: “I think he learnt that in Hawaii, didn’t he?” The playful jab was a reference to Mr Morrison’s much criticised family holiday he took in 2019 as catastrophic bushfires swept through multiple states.

The scandal was rehashed in November last year, when Mr Morrison falsely claimed he had texted opposition leader Anthony Albanese that he was taking the trip. Mr Albanese refuted the claims and cited messages that proved Mr Morrison had disclosed that he was taking leave with his family but did not say he was travelling overseas.

Just one of the critical responses directed at Scott Morrison for his ill-fated family holiday to Hawaii. The mural is by artist Scott Marsh. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images.

Reacting to Mr Morrison’s ukulele performance on social media, many Twitter users also took in the Hawaii reference, however their reaction was less forgiving.

“Ok, did not expect to see Scott Morrison busting out a ukulele on 60 minutes and singing April Sun in Cuba,” wrote one comment.

“Breakfast TV already making obvious Hawaii jokes,” a second said.

“Such low hanging fruit to remind everyone that he went on holiday when the country was burning and lied about it,” one person commented.

“Scott Morrison probably picked up the ukulele while on holiday in Hawaii … while Australia burned. #scottythefailure,” another user wrote.

“Maybe the PM was actually playing the ukulele in recognition of the upcoming Feb 14 – the day Captain Cook was killed by Hawaiians,” shared ABC journalist, Tali Aualiitia.

Get out. https://t.co/mLkH10beXH

— Samantha Maiden (@samanthamaiden) February 11, 2022

Everbody: "This can't get worse"... Scott Morrison: "Hold my beer"...*takes out a ukelele*....#ScottyTheCompletePsycho#auspol@60Mins#AlboForPMhttps://t.co/ZJ22iMpctV

— John Coates (@JohnCoatess) February 10, 2022

Maybe the PM was actually playing the ukulele in recognition of the upcoming Feb 14 - the day Captain Cook was killed by Hawaiians 🤷🏽‍♀️

— Tali Aualiitia (@taliaualiitia) February 11, 2022

Get you a Prime Minister who can do both (sing the same verse of April Sun In Cuba twice) pic.twitter.com/AQ8at4Gzpb

— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) February 11, 2022

Quite staggering that not one of Scott Morrison's media advisers asked "What's the first place that people associate the ukelele with?" before going ahead with that scene. #auspol

— Alexander Grant (@AlexGrantOz) February 11, 2022

Political commentator and Sydney Morning Herald columnist Peter FitzSimons also commented on the bizarre clip, and compared Mr Morrison’s musical stunt with former US president Bill Clinton playing the saxophone at a 1992 campaign appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show. However, he hinted that the ukulele was perhaps a less impressive instrument.

“I defer to those with marketing nous, but the footage of the PM playing the ukulele and singing on the 60 Mins promo I’ve just seen, seems … unlikely, to shift a vote in his direction?” FitzSimons wrote.

“True, Clinton revived his prospects playing the sax but … this was the ukulele.”

Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Sally McManus also shared the brief video, writing: “We need to brace ourselves for how far he will go the more desperate they get.”

I defer to those with marketing nous, but the footage of the PM playing the ukulele and singing on the 60 Mins promo I've just seen, seems . . . unlikely, to shift a vote in his direction?
True, Clinton revived his prospects playing the sax but . . . this was the ukulele.#Auspol

— Peter FitzSimons (@Peter_Fitz) February 10, 2022

Mr Morrison’s 60 Minutes feature is expected to touch on some of the more contentious moment’s in his run as Prime Minister, as the country awaits the official date of the 2022 Federal Election.

The interview with Stefanovic will cover his ill-fated trip to Hawaii, his highly-criticised comments that “as a father” he could emphasise with rape victim Brittany Higgins, and the strain of Mr Morrison’s political career on his family, with his wife Jenny sharing insight into their relationship.

“There was a time where I couldn’t help, you know, feeling resentful that I was doing it alone,” she says in the clip.

“It was something that we had both wanted and then it was only me experiencing it.

“But time is a great-leveller. And as it went along, I learned to cope better and accepted it and that way the resentment could go, because that wasn’t good for our relationship.”

Originally published as ‘Low hanging fruit’: ScoMo roasted for ukulele stunt in 60 Minutes interview