Posted on 10/08/2009 10:35:33 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
THE most entertaining entertainment story in the world yesterday was an oldie but a goodie: backward and racist Australians had been caught red-handed in a blackface race scandal, live on TV.
The Nine Network on Wednesday night happily put five men in black-face makeup and fake Afros on TV.
The skit was part of Hey, Hey It's Saturday's popular - and, as it turns out, aptly named - Red Faces talent show, and the story went global because the guest judge was Harry Connick Jr, a Louisiana crooner whose father was district attorney in the race-torn city of New Orleans for 27years, and whose band includes a half-dozen talented African Americans, who then had to go on and play.
In the US, a white man with a black-painted face is a minstrel or a "blackface". Minstrels toured the American South in the years before the civil war. The performances were deeply racist. Connick Jr said he could not believe he was seeing the act on TV here.
Snap polls on the internet, including News Limited blogs and Twitter, suggest many people thought the Hey Hey skit - the Jackson Jive - wasn't racist, but a harmless, indeed funny, tribute to the Jackson Five.
One of the performers, Suresh de Silva, told News Limited's The Punch website: "The worst consequence of what we did is that the skit has raised the question of are Australians racist. We're genuinely horrified that our mistake could cause people to think that.
"I'm Sri Lankan-Australian, there's an Indian-Australian, a Greek-Australian, an Irish-Italian-Australian and a Lebanese-Australian. We're all Australian.
(Excerpt) Read more at theaustralian.news.com.au ...
The Performance (repeated from 20 years ago) Video.
When the Host, Somers expressed regret if they had offended the crooner/actor/talent show judge and quickly apologized; Connick responded in part, ..."but..we've spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons, that when we see something like that we really take it to heart."[huh?]
Connick was reported not giving up his day job as a judge; even though he said if he had know the act was part of the show, he would not have appeared. The show dominated ratings...a hit. A reported 2.73 million people tuned in for the three and a half hour broadcast and renunion.
I met an Australian couple on the Eurostar from London to Paris. We talked of many things, but in part about terrorism. At the end of the conversation, the woman said: "Americans are just too PC."
You can tell Harry Connick Jr. wants to be black pretty bad. Much cooler than being a dorky white guy. I’m surprised he hasn’t tried make up.
Why is it white men in black face is offensive, but the Wayans brothers in white face in a movie titled “White Chicks”, isn’t offensive?
FX has been playing “White Chicks” like it’s the only movie they own, and frankly I find that more than a little offensive.
What exactly is a "race-torn city"?
Wow. They even have hyphenated-Australians. Who knew?
I thought the “go to” racism of Australia was toward those from Tonga.
If those five beat up on each other they would be perhaps imitating Chicago residents.
One where a small percentage of the population is made up of stubborn white folks who refuse to leave.
Second racist article today......I would say a media blitz is on the way...........Obama really really wants the government takeover of healthcare to go with the banks, auto industry oh no wait, that was Hitler too, right?
I guess the "family hit pieces" on Sarah Palin & family could be classified as acceptable buffoonery.
That quote just appears all wrong to me.
Apparently HC Jr was in blackface on SNL a number of years ago according to an article I read. Selected outrage from this fool.
I know off subject but it was why I was in Aussie News:
New Zealand Business Confidence Jumps to 10-Year..
...fourth year in a row, New Zealand has been ranked second as the easiest country in which to do business in a World Bank survey. The report ranks 183 countries based on ten indicators that measure the time and cost of government requirements in starting, operating and closing a business, trading across borders and paying taxes..
Seven broad policy initiatives to a business-friendly environment:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0909/S00279
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,,26182907-5003422,00.html
Harry Connick’s blackface skit...
the old tape of Harry Connick Jr (not in black face but wearing an Afro and playing a preacher)
They actually had MC Hammer appear on their show while one of the Tunnels was impersonating his "Can't Touch This" dance routine. Everyone had a good time and MC Hammer was laughing.
Here they are immitating Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. These guys were hilarious...
日本＊ピング＊ (kono risuto ni hairitai ka detai wo shirasete kudasai : let me know if you want on or off this list)
“White Chicks” is actually a very funny movie. I just watched the video this article is about, and I think people are missing the joke there. They kind of put a twist on the older version, this time with MJ coming out in white face. People are making too big a deal about it.
Now, I'm outraged.
I’m soooooo tired of the racist label already.
MMMM......MMMM.....MMMM
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