Having made its debut back in 2005, Squidbillies is one of the longest-running Adult Swim shows still in production, having even secured its Season 13 renewal before Season 12 aired in 2019. In a somewhat shocking turn of events, however, Squidbillies will be moving forward without its longtime star Unknown Hinson, real name Stuart D. Baker, who was fired from the adult animated series after he made offensive social media posts concerning country music legend (and secret Buffy producer) Dolly Parton.
Following the publication of a news story in which Dolly Parton expressed her support for the Black Lives Matter movement, Unknown Hinson went on a tear on Facebook with posts in which he referred to Parton as a "slut" and a "Self-Racist." (More below.) After the expected backlash that follows those kinds of posts, Squidbillies co-creators Dave Willis and Jim Fortier released their statement in which Hinson's termination was revealed. In their words:
That decision, regardless of the reasoning, sets up a gigantic change for Squidbillies, for which Unknown Hinson has voiced the backwoods lead character Early Cuyler for its entire run. Considering the trucker hat-wearing patriarch has been a core part of the show, it's kind of a mystery how Squidbillies will move on in his absence. To remove the character altogether would likely anger more fans than those who are already peeved that Hinson got fired. But then to replace the musician and voice actor would also invite its own criticisms, depending on who was brought in.
Though all of the posts have now been deleted, Unknown Hinson's angry posts started with this response to the news story about Dolly Parton's BLM allegiance:
So, now this freak titted, old Southern bimbo is a BLM lover? Remember, slut, Rednecks made you a Millionaire!
At some point after that message was posted, Unknown Hinson's post was deleted, which set him off on a cancel-culture rant against liberals, calling them "un-americans," and asking them to unfriend him on the social media site. That thread ended with a final message about Dolly Parton, as read below (complete with that "speach" typo).
Can't speak your mind on here, huh? So sad to see in the land of Free Speach! One last note: Dolly Parton is a Self-Racist!! There. Done!
Amidst the backlash against him for posting those messages against Dolly Parton, Unknown Hinson went public with an apology for having reacted so strongly out of anger.
Dear friends, I just want to say I apologize to Mrs. Parton and anyone else if I offended you with my comments. I was simply offended by her words, 'Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No.' I suppose that set me off and I'm sorry I used some harsh, inappropriate language in my response. Once again, I regret my actions and I am deeply sorry. I love you all and I thank you for hearing me out.
Lest anyone forget, Squidbillies is the one Adult Swim show that featured a vocal performance from David Allen Coe, a musician beloved among outlaw country fans, but also one that has long been criticized for some of his songs' racist language. Coe has always denied the racism accusations, however. One has to wonder how that woman who freaked out hard about Adult Swim would feel about all of this.
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more on Squidbillies' future and what the creators will do following Unknown Hinson's firing. No date has been announced yet for Season 13 on Adult Swim, so it'll be interesting to see how long it takes for those new episodes to arrive now. While waiting, head to our 2020 Fall TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning episodes are coming soon.
