Rachael Gunn, now known as Olympic breakdancer Raygun, has inspired a slew of memes online for her bizarre performance at the Paris Games.
Now social media users have flocked to TikTok and X - formerly known as Twitter - to share their latest comparisons with comedian Chris Lilley.
The Australian sketch comic, 49, is famous for portraying larger than life characters, with two - Mr G and Jonah from Tonga - sharing very similar dance skills to Raygun.
Videos have spread online comparing Raygun's, 36, dance number at the Olympics, which achieved zero scores, to comedic performances choreographed by Chris.
One clip showed the character Mr G, who is a dance teacher at a high school, performing cringe-worthy dance moves in class wearing various costumes.
At one point, he even donned a kangaroo mask and mimicked the Aussie animal hopping, an iconic dance move Raygun used in her Olympic performance.
'Aussie Olympic breakdancer Raygun vs Mr G,' the caption read, while another video shared a similar comparison on TikTok.
The second video had the caption: 'Chris Lilley's been real quiet since Australia made its Olympic debut in breakdancing.'
![Rachael Gunn, now known as Olympic breakdancer Raygun, 36, (pictured) has inspired a slew of memes online for her bizarre performance at the Paris Games](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/12/06/88429505-13734233-image-m-97_1723441426728.jpg)
Rachael Gunn, now known as Olympic breakdancer Raygun, 36, (pictured) has inspired a slew of memes online for her bizarre performance at the Paris Games
Other clips shared online compared Raygun's performance to Chris' mockumentary character Jonah who claims to be the 'best breakdancer' in Summer Heights High.
Fans of these memes flocked to the comments to agree with the comparison, with one person writing: 'Are we sure [Raygun] isn't Chris Lilley?'
Another said, 'Chris Lilley did better,' as someone else commented: 'I immediately thought of a Chris Lilley character when I saw [Raygun].'
A third added: 'FIRST person I thought of [was] Mr G!' while one user said: 'Haven't seen a closeup but are we sure that Australian breakdancer isn't Chris Lilley?'
![Now social media users have flocked to TikTok and X - formerly known as Twitter - to share their latest comparisons with comedian Chris Lilley, 49, (pictured)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/12/06/88429485-13734233-image-a-96_1723441424848.jpg)
Now social media users have flocked to TikTok and X - formerly known as Twitter - to share their latest comparisons with comedian Chris Lilley, 49, (pictured)
It comes as Australian taxpayers in the grips of a cost of living crisis have been left fuming after learning Olympic breakdancer Raygun received government funding to study the artform.
Raygun's failed routine at the 2024 Paris Olympics has been pilloried after she failed to score a single point and was mocked globally on social media.
The Sydneysider took up the sport in 2012 and obtained a PhD in 'breaking culture' prior to her highly ridiculed routine at the Games.
Raygun is a lecturer at Sydney's Macquarie University in the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature.
![The Australian sketch comic is famous for portraying larger than life characters, with two - Mr G and Jonah from Tonga - sharing very similar dance skills to Raygun. Pictured: Chris' mockumentary character Mr G](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/12/06/88429477-13734233-image-a-102_1723441475548.jpg)
![Pictured: Chris' mockumentary character Jonah from Tonga](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/12/06/88429501-13734233-image-m-101_1723441463200.jpg)
The Australian sketch comic is famous for portraying larger than life characters, with two - Mr G and Jonah from Tonga - sharing very similar dance skills to Raygun
Queensland Senator Gerard Rennick quoted Raygun's official Macquarie University profile in a Facebook post after she went viral, pointing out that she received taxpayer subsidies to study breakdancing at the institution.
And Aussies struggling to make ends meet are not happy.
'Lots of discussion about the Australian breakdancing representative at the Olympics,' Senator Rennick posted.
'I'm more interested in her actual profession. She attended Macquarie University for her bachelor's degree in contemporary music, graduating in 2009, and for her PhD in cultural studies, graduating in 2017.
'Raygun's PhD thesis focused on 'the intersection of gender and Sydney's breaking culture'... her publications include:
- The 'systems of relay' in doing cultural studies: experimenting with the 'Body without Organs' in b-girling practice
- Nocturnal Paradox: How Breakdancing Reveals the Potentials of the Night
- Where the #bgirls at? politics of (in)visibility in breaking culture
![Videos have spread online comparing Raygun's dance number at the Olympics, which achieved zero scores, to comedic performances choreographed by Chris](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/12/06/88429043-13734233-image-a-110_1723441543645.jpg)
![One clip shared online compared Raygun's performance to Chris' mockumentary character Jonah who claims to be the 'best breakdancer' in Summer Heights High](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/12/06/88429041-13734233-image-m-109_1723441538177.jpg)
Videos have spread online comparing Raygun's dance number at the Olympics, which achieved zero scores, to comedic performances choreographed by Chris
'In the same way breakdancing doesn't belong in the Olympics it's fair to say taxpayers shouldn't be subsidising Universities to study or teach it,' he continued.
'Nothing against break dancing by the way. By all means it's a fair recreational activity, but that's it. It shouldn't be subsidised.
'It also begs the question - just how many obscure and pointless courses do Universities offer that are subsidised by the taxpayer?
'It also goes to show just because you have a PhD in something doesn't mean you are any good at it.'
![Other videos showed the character Mr G, who is a dance teacher at a high school, performing cringe-worthy dance moves in class wearing various costumes and pulling similar animal inspired poses to Raygun](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/12/06/88429057-13734233-image-a-117_1723441591985.jpg)
![At one point, he even donned a kangaroo mask and mimicked the Aussie animal hopping, an iconic dance move Raygun used in her Olympic performance](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/12/06/88429053-13734233-image-m-116_1723441585118.jpg)
Other videos showed the character Mr G, who is a dance teacher at a high school, performing cringe-worthy dance moves in class wearing various costumes
In 2024, the federal government is providing $29.2billion in recurrent funding for all schooling sectors.
That includes $1.1billion over five years from 2023-24 and an additional $2.7billion from 2028-29 to 2034-35 for the first stage of reforms to the tertiary education system.
Graduate research students, like Gunn, have access to grants and funding to cover expenses relating to the conduct of their research or fieldwork.
While Gunn's specifics have not been made public, PhD students like the breakdancer can get up to $56,000 a year in tax-free government funding.
That includes living stipends of up to $35,000 a year, plus an additional top-up scholarship of approximately $21,000 a year.