Harry Connick Jr. was a guest judge on the Australian show Hey Hey It’s Saturday and took it as an opportunity to speak out against racism.
A team of men doctors, educated men, took to the stage in blackface and afro wigs to do a skit of the Jackson Five. The audience seemed to enjoy the performance and the host clearly thought it was hi-larious, but Connick wasn’t so impressed.
During judging, Harry scored the performance as a zero and told the audience that an act like that would never make it past television censors in the United States. After the commercial break, the host gave Connick a chance to explain why this would be considered offensive in the United States.
Some Aussies have stated that they feel Harry was being too politically correct and I am just amazed by this response. I know we have a big readership from Australia and I’d really love to hear your thoughts on this. Is blackface considered a socially acceptable act in Australia?
Minorities there are treated terribly, especially the Aborigines – they use a slur when talking about them, this isn’t 100 percent but it’s fairly pervasive. Also, Harry is from New Orleans and has seen racism up front his entire life. I think it’s safe to say he saw something wrong, responded to it in a polite way but I he certainly didn’t like it and wasn’t going to let that pass without comment. If the Australian’s have a problem with being called out they shouldn’t act like boors.
How a producer let that happen is beyond me, it was disgraceful.
Yeah, I’ve been researching this more, just in the past few minutes. I had no idea.
Thanks for writing this Wendie. The comments on this post are my favorite. There’s so many “u spelt that wurd wrong so you’r an retard LOL lame is this relevant suck,” comments you can forget how smart most of our readers are.
It’s the end of a work day (on a Friday) and I’m trying to get out of the office and go to a show, so that comment came out unclear. I meant there are so many of those shitty comments in *other* posts, not this one. The comments in here (for the most part) are insightful, heartfelt, and intelligent.
It’s nice to read what y’all think for a change.
I was brought up in Sydney, which is one of the most multicultural cities in the world. I live in an area which is about 60% Asian (mainly Chinese, some Korean), and I have NEVER witnessed any racism against them. I’m not saying Australia is perfect, but I lived in the US for two years and racism everywhere I went. I was absolutely shocked by people walking around with racist t-shirts on and EVERYONE, even educated people, talking shit about Mexicans and black “thugs”.
You have to understand the target audience of this tv show. It is targeted at the lowest common denominator. The show is an embarrassment and a joke.
Please don’t assume that you know anything about Australian culture based on that clip. For the most part, we are very successfully multicultural. There have been a few incidents with intolerance to and from Lebanese groups, but other than that, things are pretty nice and most people get along.
I’m kind of amazed by your perspective. I am an American (from the Northeast) who has lived in Australia for the past year or so. I lived in Sydney for a while and have now been in in Canberra for a few months and racism and xenophobia are massive problems in both areas (more so in Sydney, I think). I don’t find that racism is much of an issue in Northeastern America…maybe in the South but views wary depending on which area of the country you live in.
I definitely think Australia has a problem with discrimination. I’ve noticed a lot of people who hear my accent and are immediately rude. There are so many commercials about Australian products for Australian customers and people advertising that they have entirely Australian staff. There have also been attacks on Muslim students, most Australians I know make fun of “wogs” or the amount of Asian people living in certain areas. I think the discrimination is something you don’t realize if you grow up here but as someone who has recently moved here it is very obvious to me. I’m here because my boyfriend in Australian but am planning to get out of this country as soon as I can.
Fair enough. I have many American friends, and my husband is American, and they all agree with me about the racism thing being equally bad, if not worse, in America. My friends are from Chicago, Maryland and New Mexico. I suppose it depends where you live. In my part of Sydney, we don’t have a problem with racism. I’ve never personally witnessed it. Obviously, though, this country has diverse views, as does America.
When I was in America, even educated people often made comments about Mexicans and (less often) African Americans. I saw people with t-shirts displaying all sorts of racist bullshit, like “You wear your X and I’ll wear mine,” heard songs like “N**ger Hating Me” and met a man who was a member of the KKK. I’m just saying, if you are really going to claim that Australia has a problem with racism, take a look at yourself first.
Maybe, like me, you’ve had the benefit of living in a part of your country which is not affected by racism.
As for racism against Muslims, I agree that this definitely exists, but comes from both sides. Among some Caucasian and Muslim groups (mainly young men), there is a lot of mutual hatred. It’s my understanding, though, that similar problems exist in many multi-cultural cities. I’ve never personally witnessed this myself.
As for the anti-American stuff, I have to cop to that. My husband has been the target of anti-American sentiments. That is the only form of xenophobia which I can honestly say I have personally witnessed. It’s usually young, uneducated, nationalistic men who are anti-American and there’s no excuse for it.
Honestly, I think you’ve just become upset become you perceive that someone has knocked America. God forbid anyone would say anything bad about America, but Americans can say what they like about who they like and think it is their God given right to do that. My husband is American and I lived in America for 10 years. I think if you are absolutely honest, you can in no way say that Australia is so racist – be honest now. Especially more racist than America!!! You would also have to admit that a lot of the racism is between the same ethnic groups. All of the apalling behaviour toward Indian students you will so is from other Indians in the community. The (stupid) guys who did the incredibly stupid skit were also multi-racial – so where is the take on that? Honestly, I think Americans bring a lot of the bias on themselves because they can’t take a joke. Australian humour is sarcastic, surely you should be used to it by now. I truly do not believe that you have had pervasive discimination against you simply because of your accent, I simply do not believe you. Maybe it’s just you. I think also that maybe you haven’t lived in the States for a while or are just incredibly biased, because America also wants jobs to stay in America – why can’t Australia be the same? Seriously, why are you still here if it is so incredibly horrible to be here? Doesn’t make sense. I loved America and Americans and would still be living there but for wanting my children to grow up in a safer environment. I’m sure you’ll argue that point as well. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out … :)
Hey Jinxy – have you ever even been to Australia? That is such a broad statement. I think you’ll find that Americans have distorted this whole thing and are acting all put out and offended – which anyone with even half a brain should be, but I find it almost laughable that there are so many opinions on various webites and news services about how offended Americans are and how this would never happen in America – which you know is complete crap. I absolutely do not dispute that this should never, ever have gone to air – even. I do however have a problem with people such as yourself coming on and claiming to be a higher authority and so above all of this. I watched the Gong Show the very next night and there was a guy on making jokes about Michael Jackson and about Princess Diana’s death etc., what do you have to say about that?
Look up “MAD” television on YouTube. Harry Connick, Jr played a black minister in a skit.
You have any more apples and oranges comparisons that you want to share? Go, ahead, try to mount a successful argument that a white guy (Harry Connick, Jr. of all people) playing a black minister in a skit is comparable to a white group of white Aussies putting on black face and essentially dancing a jig for a tittering (white) audience.
*a group of white Aussies*
Just need to point out that their ethnic backrounds were Lebanese, Sri Lankan and Indian….
Actully, he payed a white evangelical minister. He wasn’t pretending to be black. That was all you.
*played
excuse the typo.
regardless of the inappropriatness of that act (which it was) they really sucked talent wise…i could not even see what was supposed to be funny about it.
That show looked like a cheesy set out of the 70’s
because the show was from back in the 80’s and 90’s i think haha and they just came back for 2 episodes and they tryed to make the set look old
Alright let me start up by saying that Hey Hey It’s Saturday was shit when it was on air back in the day and if they decide to bring it back after this reunion crap I will probably slit my wrists.
This was just a reunion special it ran over two weeks and I didnt watch it because Daryl Sommers (the host) is a complete tool and I hate it. (p.s. they didn’t even air the reunion on a Saturday wtf?)
Euuugh now that is out of my system.
Ok I have to be a bit careful to not offend anyone. First up i think these boys probably didn’t think that what they did would be considered racist. We don’t have many African Americans here so I doubt it is something they would have thought about. If they did the same thing taking the piss out of Australian Aborigines though I doubt they even would have made it past the trial rounds to get on the show.
So that is where I am going to place the blame. Even if these guys just saw their act as taking the piss out of Michael Jackson, (which IMO is in poor taste considering the guy only just died), and not an act of racism, surely the shows producers who are trained for this kind of thing (viewer sensitivity etc) should have seen alarm bells ringing. I don’t think the guys should have made it onto the show I am sure that there were much better acts.
Harry Connick Jr is somewhat of a regular to Australian shores and he wouldn’t have said anything unless he was really pissed off about it and I am glad he did.
I’m from the UK, but lived in America and Australia for a while, and Americans (sorry guys) are really super tight about racism.
Like to most people a black person is called a black person, a white person is called a white person. Same in Australia, however in America, they’re either incredibly non-racist and make points of not being racist, or very racist.
Some places I’ve been in America I was shouted at for being white by blacks, whereas other places really didn’t care. And unfortunately the ‘white’ areas I visited, no black people were shouted at – I never heard bad language towards them, I only heard white racist slurs being used in ‘black’ areas. And funnily enough you never hear whites complaining about the racism we receive….
…That’s because we spent years being racist and immoral against black people. Duh?
you totally didn’t bother reading, did you?
What a ridiculous comment. Why is it unfortunate that you never heard white people shouting at black people in white areas?
I’ve lived in America all of my life, and I’ve never received racism for being white. That’s not to say that it’s never happened to anyone, but to say it’s more prevalent than racism against blacks is totally inaccurate.
Oh, I don’t know about that. I lived in Louisiana for a number of years and there was certainly overt racism aimed at whites. I experienced it as a teacher in my classrooms, at the grocery store, at festivals. . .pretty much everywhere we went. Racism goes both ways in America and that’s why we’re super uptight about it.
I’d have to agree with Mal. Yes, you may have received some racist remarks in the south, but that the south is a huge breeding ground for racism as it is, because of the history. However, this doesn’t mean that racism against white people is more prevalent, I would bet my life that racism against black people is still, far and above, more common.
Does anyone hear Jewish people complaining?
i live in pennsylvania. i’ve been called a cracker and maaaaany other racist names by black people. the reason we’re so uptight about it here is that the blacks shame us constantly about slavery. whcih last i checked was done and over with many generations before mine and theirs. so why the blame still? why can they get away with it? because there are so many groups ready to call foul and reference previous white intolerance. people need to move on on both sides already.
For god’s sake we’re talking about a terrible generalization (racism) and already four different people have called the South ignorant, racist, hicks.
Ahhhh fuck I posted that last one without finishing it!
The thing that shits me about this is that it highlights the fact that as much as we in Australia like to brag about how “multicultural” and “accepting” we are. It is total bullshit.
I hate racism. I don’t understand for the life of me how you can hate someone based only on their colour or nationality. I don’t understand how any intelligent person can do that. Especially my peers, I am 24 years old and I thought I was part of the generation that understands and that loves each other and that doesnt hate based on race, sexual orientation etc but I am so wrong. I feel like I am in the minority and it worries me.
When we elected our last Prime Minister he decided to say “sorry” to the Australian Aborigines for all our past indiscretions towards them and I was like “fuck yeah finally we ruined their lives and they are STILL paying for the damage we caused them” I went onto a myspace forum about it and was absolutely sickened by the amount of young people who were all “that’s bullshit we didn’t do anything why should we say sorry for something that happened over 100 years ago”
Bottom line. I apologise on behalf of me and the Aussies like me who are embarrassed by that sketch and the producers warped decision to air it. It was stupid. It shouldn’t have happened and we all have a long way to go.
That being said don’t add “racist bastards” to the list of reasons not to come to Australia (you know along with killer sharks, snakes, spiders and jellyfish)
I think I kinda made us sound like rednecks who hate everyone. That’s not true. I am just pissed off that this problem isn’t going away as fast as it should be.
If you are in Australia and some whitey says something racist to you just tell them to get back on their convict ship and fuck off back to Great Britain coz thats where all us Whiteys came from :) Penal Colony FTW!
I’m gonna play devil’s advocate here and throw this out there.
You don’t hate someone “based only on their colour or nationality”. You feel at odds with them because of the upbringing and habits that come along with it. There are a ton of people of arabic descent here who/behave act whiter than George Bush.. But when you get someone who fits the negative stereotype exactly, you can’t help but to admit that it’s a negative stereotype for a reason. Do a lot (not all) of arab immigrants smell? YES.
Do a lot (NOT ALL) of lower income black people succumb to drug use/trafficking, armed robbery, high drop out rates, unemployment, living off the system? YES.
These stereotypes are formed for a reason. You can’t ask how any intelligent person can think that? It doesn’t take intelligence, it takes common sense and a news chanel. When was the last time you heard about increased drug use, theft and murder rates in a ‘white ghetto’? Bring on the hate mail..
“Do a lot (NOT ALL) of lower income black people succumb to drug use/trafficking, armed robbery, high drop out rates, unemployment, living off the system? YES.”
So do the white people who live in those same conditions. The ghetto is the ghetto.
Here’s another question:
Do the schools in low income neighborhoods suck? Yes.
Is an education essential to growth and upward mobility? Yes.
This country has a history of segregated schools. The white schools always got the new books and best teachers. Things have changed in the past 40 years, but it takes a long time to change the foundation.
If you come from people who’ve been denied an education, it’s so much harder to be the one to pull your family’s entire future out of the gutter and succeed. Most college students have family support and have gone through good schools.
If every white person in America had to overcome the same obstacles faced by low income black families, you’d see that class has much more to do with the “racial” stereotypes you mentioned than any actual racial differences.
Not all college students have the support of their families…I come from a small town-white America and I had NO support for college. I had to find a way to fund school as well as my own life. I have been on my own since the day I graduated high school. No one in my family went to college. I have certainly managed to overcome multiple obstacles in order to complete school and did not ever succomb to being “white trash”. All people have choices regardless of where they grow up. I do not care if the person comes from the ghetto–They have choices!!! They can choose to rise above it or they can choose to be a part of it. And by the way–I agree, stereotypes are there for a reason. If you don’t want a label, don’t live up to it.
I said most, not all. I didn’t say it was impossible, I said it was very difficult.
Judging by what you’re saying, it was very difficult for you.
Do you think that most of the people you attended school with would have been there if they didn’t have support?
Do you think most of the people you went to school with would have worked as hard for it as you did?
They were imitating the Jackson 5.
The Jackson 5, are black.
End of story – this doesn’t support racism, this doesn’t even look or feel racist. They are acting – and acting as a black musical group.
Australians don’t support racism, they don’t promote it, and they certainly don’t encourage it.. we are against it just as much as any other country.. the reason this act wasn’t canned is because it wasn’t, WASN’T, racist..
People just need a better sense of humour.. : )
Did you listen to what he said? At all? Maybe it doesn’t look or feel racist to you, but it looks and feels racist to me, and I’m sure to many others. I suggest doing some research on the history of black face.
I agree with you belle I don’t think its racist. The jackson 5 were black so they painted their face black. If they’d been in America they wouldn’t have done it because the countries have different attitudes towards racism. BUT it wasn’t America its in Australia. Its the conflicts between blacks and whites that have made them so sensitive to racism and Australia just hasn’t had the same conflicts
Its not like they all came out eating watermelon and fried chicken, that would’ve been racist
(I’m from the UK btw)
they were just having fun and i agree with you on that. the issue here is the history of whites in blackface. do you remember when Ted Danson dressed in blackface for a roast? he was with Whoppi at the time and she was okay with it but most Americans, black and white were outraged.
um…isn’t robert downey jr. black?
It seems to me that it was pretty insensitive to even think up an act like that, let alone allow it get aired. My experience of white Australians is that unthinking racism *is* more pervasive in their culture. However, my experience of American society in general is that Americans are hypersensitive to anything that could remotely be construed as racism, and yet have the most racist society of all.
Australia is diverse, just like America is, in terms of culture, and what is acceptable. I come from a part of Australia where everyone is well educated and the multi-cultural system WORKS. Other parts of Australia have much more racism. When I lived in the US, I lived in Chicago, where I witnessed little racism, and a small town in Indiana, where I witnessed non-stop racism.
My point is, just as Australians have their racists (and I don’t think the idiots who did this skit, and who were of Indian descent btw, realised that they were being insensitive), so do all countries! Please don’t assume that Australia has any greater problem with racism than any other country. I think we do pretty well considering that almost all Australians live in areas with diverse backgrounds.
I’d like to see a bunch of Australian Aborigines get on TV in white-face and mock the Queen and her family in a way that was obviously demeaning.
Would the audience still be tittering? Maybe if the audience was full of Aborigines who dominated the country and marginalized and demeaned the whites who lived there.
But it still couldn’t have the same impact because the Queen and her family have never been a despised, displaced, largely exterminated people in their own homeland.
Good for Harry Connick Jr. for not going along with their regressive, contempible “humor”.
And Ella Dee, the fact that you can refer to “black” and “white” areas of America shows how pervasive racism still is here. And the fact that “you never hear whites talking about the racism that we receive” might just have to do with the fact that we receive so much less than blacks do.
Even the fact that we use terminology of color to describe people is a powerful testimony to the pervasiveness of racism.
“I’d like to see a bunch of Australian Aborigines get on TV in white-face and mock the Queen and her family in a way that was obviously demeaning.
Would the audience still be tittering?”
A: Most definitely yes! Whites and aborigines alike (although only whites would have the poor taste to be in a Hey Hey studio audience, it has to be said). Yu clearly know nothing about Australia culture if you think otherwise. We adore mockiing ourselves.
I don’t know, but it seems to me everyone overreacted here. I’m Mexican and well, I have a hard time understanding opinions on racism in the US. I think that society is too sensitive about it, but at the same time promotes racial diferenciation.
I think it’s just that there is a big difference with people who move here to Mexico, if they are Japanese, they call themselves Mexican after a few years, and the next generations are Mexicans with Japanese ancestors, that’s about it, and they don’t mention it unless you actually ask.
I mean, you have all this labels (African –American, Mexican – American, Italian – American…) which I don’t see the need for. If there is really supposed to be no difference in treatment from race to race, why is it that you need those labels for? Isn’t that just promoting a differentiation and facilitating racist actions? Why is it that you can’t simply call everyone American? Plus, I mean I’ve seen several formats that have race as a check box.
I work at a call center that takes calls from the US, and they just passed on a bomb threat format, in which oddly enough there is not only a place to write what they say, where they say the bomb is at, but there is space for race, if you could only explain to me how is it that you can determine race over the phone I’d be so glad to understand this stupidity.
I don’t really get the whole “melting pot” metaphor, I think it’s more like a salad bowl where you can actually see all the elements and separate them if you want to.
Why is it that you can’t simply call everyone American?- true that.
Why aren’t the Caucasian ones labeled European-American or British-American and so on….?
In my experience, I have never met an Australian person who didn’t have racist tendencies, and I live in the U.K. I don’t think this was malicious, the guys involved are obviously just plain ignorant to the connotations of their performance.
You must not have met many Aussies.
I think the difference may be that we are open about racial differences without getting all hung up on political correctness.
This is not to say I condone the above skit.
I am married to a Metis man and having a mixed race baby. I am clearly rascist because I find a ‘blackface’ character, Jonas, on a show called ‘Summer Heights High’ funny because he is representative of people I have met. The same actor also portrays a gay teacher (funny!) and a stuck up private school girl who was just like me(funny!)
There is a New Zealand show called ‘Seven Periods With Mr Gormsby’ that has a minstrel show as the climax – SHOCK, HORROR it is performed by both Black and White actors in blackface.
Actually, anyone who is oversensitive about race, sexuality, weight whatever should watch Mr Gormsby – it is very refreshing in a world where you have to refer to ‘blackboards’ as ‘chalkboards’ because of racial connotations.
sorry for overposting, my computer keeps crashing. I will step away now…
off topic, i’ve seen summer heights high a few times, never seen the “blackface” character he does, but it is an extremely funny show.
I didn’t like the above performance but I think that Aussies are unfairly being represented here.
I know from traveling that our sense of humour is a different to other cultures.
Im interested to see if you guys are all offended by the show ‘summer heights high’ which was shown in Canada and possibly the US this year. The main star, comedian Chris Lilley plays a gay drama teacher, a spoilt privateschool girl and a Tongan remedial student in dark makeup. I find it hillarious and not offensive at all. My mother’s Tongan workmates love it.
Also what about this clip – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT1SAukgH6I
from THE NEW Zealand show ‘7 periods with Mr gormsby.’
at least 75% of the peformers are maori – does that make it different?
Does anyone else think that Belle has an absolutely skewed sense of perspective?The Blackface minstrelsy trope has long been considered offensive. They just as easily could have imitated the Jackson 5- the songs, the dance without the Blackface. In fact, I think that would have heightened the level of humor. It could have been a somewhat dignified “send-up” of a prominent American musical institution. Instead what was presented was an absolute mockery. It was crude. Belle, if this is your idea of “humor”, you might be interested in checking out episodes of The Black and White Minstrel show. It is the type of humor that would appeal to you and to people like you. It doesn’t take much effort to see that you are a part of a very problematic majority culture that has systematically marginalized a mass segment of minorities. Does the Stolen Generation sound familiar to anyone? Anyone?
Question for the Aussies out there…
Americans had our civil rights movement which posed new legislative rights for black Americans in the 60’s. Prior to that America had Segregation. This started after our Civil War, when slavery was abolished. White southerners and others rebuked this via the Jim Crow laws (I think this is accurate, please correct my history if I’m wrong) and said that blacks and whites had to be separate from one another… but had equal rights. Yeah right, sure they had equal rights. *sarcasm noted* Thus, the invention of the legal term Segregation. Finally in the 60’s civil rights leaders like MLK jr. helped other leaders and the Supreme Court to call bullshit on this idea and changed our laws and abolished Segregation. Finally.
I remember watching a documentary about the aborigines that talked about how this sort of Civil Rights movement didn’t happen until the 1970’s in Austrailia. The comment about the youth in Austrailia saying this happened 100 years ago threw me. So my point/question is… when was your civil rights movement?
We’re sensitive about race in America NOW… but in the 70’s and even the 80’s racist shit was tolerated. It was wrong, but now we’ve evolved, hopefully, and will have more constructive conversations about race in the future. I HOPE. What about Australia?
To my knowlede, there hasn’t been a ‘civil-rights movement’on the same scale as that in the US, I think possibly because the percentage of whites to Aboriginals is totally different, and any demonstrations would be much much smaller.
in one of my uni classes one year we had an African-American exchange student who was very political and kept confusing us. I used the word ‘chook’ in a comment once and he rose to his feet, pointed a finger at me and said “I don’t know what you just said, but it sounds derogatory and rascist.”
I felt terrible, but all I had said was ‘chicken’, in relation to the chicken that was clearly lost and pecking outside the window.
LMAO!
You see guys, this is JUST what I mean, you see it everywhere.
There’s a saying here in Mexico,
“el que tiene hambre, en pan piensa”/”those who are hungry, think of bread” (literally)
so, basically, you are so obsessed with trying not to ofend any one that you get offended by things that are not meant to ofend you
A referendum in Australia in 1967 gave Aboriginal Australians citizenship of Australia and the right to vote. Before this point Aboriginal Australians were technically classified as flora and fauna, not persons.
What a load of bollocks. You all realise he probably said that because he knew the sketch would hit the internet in a few hours and he tried to be politically correct for all those back in America who would go berserk shouting “RACISM RACISM” because obviously we can’t make jokes about people’s skin colour. Ever.
Really? You think he didn’t find it offensive, but decided to pretend he did so as not to piss off people who saw this on the internet?
You think that makes more sense than an American being offended by behavior that’s actually offensive in this country?
sounds cruel but it might be true. who knows.
It’s really sad you said that… how cynical. I’m not from the US, I’m Canadian, and we’ve got our own record of civil rights abuse. When I see something like this sketch, I feel a gutteral repulsion to it, as I’m sure any self-respecting non-racist North American would.
Interestingly, though, in response to some of the other comments here, I remember about two years ago I visited the UK. I was honestly shocked by how prevalent racism was there. Particularly towards Eastern Europeans. It blew me away. I even heard someone actually use the word “chink” on a national TV show. Perhaps you guys are thicker skinned when it comes to political correctness, but pervasiveness doesn’t make racism okay.
I’m not being cynical, it just came to my mind. And yeah, in Europe -because I don’t live in the UK- people are more thick skinned when it comes to racism. I mean, I call my best friend a Paki, she calls me a Spic and we all laugh and go down the pub for a beer. And, as for Eastern Europeans… I’m not condoning racism but if you lived in Western Europe you might, at least, understand some of the complaints.
my sister-in-law is indian. we exchange “brown” and “white” jokes all the time. but that doesn’t mean that i’ll make those same jokes to some random indian or otherwise. and i wouldn’t want some one doing that to me. you’re able to do that with friends because you no there’s no harm intended. people are still sore about it because many people who will say shit like that do mean it maliciously.
Harry Connick Jr. is a class act.
Well said Carrie. Well said.
So as an australian, I just wanted to say that WE ARE NOT ALL LIKE THAT!
I think it was one of the most disrespectful things that I have ever seen.. but its not like we expected better from a show hosted by Daryl Summers.
So please don’t think we’re all like that.
Australia is a racist country at the core, but people here don’t call it racism. It’s just “their opinion”..
I hate it, and many others do too.
Don’t group us all together!!
Yeah – is anyone going to point out that the lead in the act was East Indian, and 4 of the 5 were Australians of multicultural backgrounds (i.e. not your expected WASPs)? You Yanks are uptight about this sort of thing, stop forcing morals based on the sins of your past on the rest of the world, we have our own to deal with – whoever above said an aboriginal-based sketch nver would have made it passed the censors was right. Different wounds for different societies, guys! It’s not that hard a concept the grasp.
Just to throw this out there to test the theory of “different wounds for different societies.”
Would it be okay, then, for an American TV show to use hateful Australian stereotypes of Aborigines for comedic effect? I mean, civil rights abuses against that group aren’t an AMERICAN problem. Oh darn… racisim is still racism, geography aside.
Yep, that would be ok. AT least Australians know we aren’t the centre of the universe. Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t realise all black people were Americans – oh, wait!
We’ve cleared up our civil rights violations – how about you?
oh.my.god
i too am australian, and can’t believe how ignorant you are about the amount of racism in australia.
the life expectancy of aborigines is 20 years less than that of the rest of the australian population, clearly not everything has been “cleared up”
I agree that the Aboriginal life expectancy is a huge problem, but please explain how their civil rights continue to be abused. Their situation is fucked because of 200 years of white Australian oppression, but what civil rights are CURRENTLY being violated?
Their poor living standards etc. are the result of history, not the present. In the present, Australia is desperately trying to make up for the crimes of our history.
“Would it be okay, then, for an American TV show to use hateful Australian stereotypes of Aborigines for comedic effect?”
The problem with your analogy is that the performers in this act weren’t using a hateful stereotype “for comedic effect”. The facial makeup wasn’t the POINT of the act, it was just part of the costume. The performers didn’t conceive this act to make a mockery of African Americans, or Aboriginals, or anyone.
The irony of this is that if Connick hadn’t made such a huge fuss and caused international news, most of the people who might be offended by it (Americans) would never have known about it, and therefore never have been offended.
Uh, sorry, but what the hell was the point of the act, then? I stand by my analogy.
the point of the act was to showcase the idiocy of the people, being the point of the skit ‘red faces’ (the segment in which the act appeared); to show a piece of history in that they were dancing along to a song that was popular in the 80s (when the act was first performed); to laugh at the fact that these med students have gone onto be successful professionals WITHOUT ANY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OR HINT OF RACISM. Can I point out here that the show is not a ‘talent show’ as some American TV shows have labelled it, it’s simply a show for Australians to perform stupid acts without any tiny minuscule quantum of talent.
The point of the act was for a bunch of guys to dance around singing a Michael Jackson song (badly).
There were no lofty points about an entire race being made. At all.
Uh, sorry to rag on this, but if what you’re saying is true and that ‘stupidity’ was the point (and not careless, unfunny racism) then why the blackface? Why was it necessary at all?
I mean, sure, I guess without blackface it’s just a bunch of dudes singing and dancing terribly, but they’re doing it IN BLACKFACE and that’s the most obvious and visibly offensive aspect of this act.
” we as americans have gone to great efforts to not make black people look stupid”
-Harry Connick Jr
nuff said
wow. i didnt even pick up on that.
Ive watch the youtube clip of Harry Connick Jr. on MadTV and there is no way you can compare the two. Even today Australia has a history of treating ther aboriginal population in a horrible manner. This is not to say all Aussie’s do so, but it to say the Aussie are being unfairly treated is poo poo.
Um .. the Aboriginal population is a huge problem. We’ve had right wing, left wing and moderate politicians all desperately trying to solve the problems of unemployment, lower life expectancy, domestic violence, child sexual abuse etc. in the Aboriginal areas. I live in Sydney, and I have met TWO Aboriginal people in my life. Most Aborigines live in townships in rural areas in the Northern Territory. The problem lies in maintaining their independence and right to autonomy at the same time as trying to fix the problems which were created by 200 years of white Australian fuckery.
It is an extremely difficult situation, but ALL Australians want to fix it. Get your facts straight. We are trying to make up for the wrongs of our forefathers. The problem now is not racism against Aborigines, but rather, the enormous difficulty in trying to change the current conditions which were created in the past.
So, please tell me exactly what we are currently doing in a “horrible manner” to the Aboriginal population.
Bloody Well Said!
I don’t think that there is a single Australian who doesn’t want to help the Aboriginal population, regardless if it means helping them assimilate into modern culture, or allowing them the freedom to choose to live in their traditional ways.
The problem is that its hard to know what to do to help without being paternalistic or punitative.
Does anyone else see the irony in the fact that in outrage over a RACIST skit these complainants have managed to come to conclusions about an entire CULTURE!? Those who object to racist generalisations and stereotypes should also object to the generalisations being made about people from an entire country.
Are we to assume that Michael Vick represents all Americans? Or Fred Phelps for that matter? OF COURSE NOT! Every culture has its shameful characters but this does not define the culture itself.
These guys do not represent all Australians. They performed on a tv show which was popular in the 70s and 80s — not respected in any way. Certainly not representative of average Australia.
The show is lowest common denominator television. By likening it to Australian culture as a whole, you’re really doing yourselves an injustice. If my whole opinion of America was based on an experience with television like The Hills/Britney doco/Kardashians, would that be a consistent representation of your society/racial history?
*Peeks in, sees the topic is about what may or may not be racist in another country, ponders it with both the black hate as well as the postmodernist hat on, and walks out whistling.*
I’m not touching this subject. My personal experiences as a black person in America and my philosophical leanings have me slightly at odds with myself, so I’m going to be a bystander.
I’m Australian.
First off this show sucks and all its performances are very toung in cheek and are supposed to be tacky and ‘funny’ not offencive. It is very well intentioned and the guys were just having fun.
Australia is very multicultural and bringing up Aboriginals is completely irrelevant and some of you Americans should really get off your high horses before you start slagging Australians for black oppression.
I think it has more to do with people saying that this isnt a big deal. and in an ideal world, maybe it wouldnt be. you could still do a jackson 5 impersonation, or even a ruse, but to do it with a “black face” i think changes the game. the reality of it is that people are still sensitive, and will continue to be so until others aren’t racist. and i just don’t think that will ever be the case. as i stated above, i can have fun with my friends who aren’t white, but we know where this is coming from and we all know that in the end, no harm is meant. other people don’t know you and thus don’t know that you aren’t trying to be mean. i don’t pretend to know much about australia and aboriginals, but the little i do know suggests that the overall treatment of aboriginals is not something that’s completely irrelevant. a coworker of mine, from australia, was one day called an aboriginal (in jest, although in poor taste, obviously) and i’ve rarely seen that kind of hatred in anyone’s eyes at that moment.
I am Australian and a huge fan of this site! Our country is very similar to America… you get your racist people, sexists, ageists, basically any kind of prejudice or discrimination you can think of, it exists everywhere. It’s such a shame that America gets to see so little of our culture that we’re judged based on a show like Hey Hey It’s Saturday. It’s like the world assuming that the Jerry Springer show is a good representation of the American culture – totally inaccurate, though a small percentage of the population DO fall into that bracket.
When Hey Hey It’s Saturday was on TV in the 80’s/90’s, it was a time when political correctness was employed by the minority…. now the show has returned 10/20 years later and they haven’t changed the formula in any way whatsoever
Many of us are decent, educated and enlightened individuals that haven’t found this type of “humour” funny since we were 14
ugh…Bogans
Hey Hey is bogan TV. It is SO HARD to explain boganism to non-Australians.
Just use the term “White Trash” and they understand.
But then they think its about money – what about cashed up bogans like Warnie and Crazy John and Big Kev? Or the REAL Kath and Kim who represent your working bogan?
You should be able to get a Certificate of Boganistics from TAFE.
Uh, America has cashed up bogans too. Do you think celebrities suddenly stop being white trash once they get some money?
Well that was my point, that to the Noth Americans I have spoken to rich white trash is just new money, but a CUB is always a CUB.
I laud Connick Jr. being forthright with his opinion. I don’t find the skit particularly offensive, but I can certainly understand why a lot of people would. It would have been interesting to see what the public reaction would be had Connick Jr. not commented.
The skit generated a huge public backlash both against, and in support of Connick Jr.’s comment.
I live in Melbourne, and I do feel that there is still a racist undercurrent in white Australian society. (Just as there is in any white society.) However, the majority of Aussies are very tolerant and liberal.
The host of the show did make an on-air apology.
No-one in Australia gives a shit about the skit, get over it.
Ah! So true. We haven’t had an antenna for 3 years.
—
As for racism in australia, i would say, its still prevalent in certain pockets.
A. Some aboriginals, hate everyone non-abo. They think the system is against them.
B. Immigrants hating whites, abos and others. EXAMPLE:
“Chinese parent: white people are bogans -they do drugs and drink. Lebanese are black. Abos are lazy.”
C. Whites hating on immigrants.
Whites bitching about how lebanese/middle eastern people bring, islam and terrorism here.
D. Whites hating abos:
think they are worthless pieces of scum, that should ‘ get-over-themselves’
this is a fairly regular form of humor in australia, maybe they were wrong to do a skit of an african american and think it would translate, but heres a question. when chris lilly is sending up those with a pacific background in summer heights high america liked it. if we were to use the same standards people should be outraged. maybe they shouldnt have used another countries celebrities. im usually quite a politically correct person but if we cant laugh at ourselves, what can we acheive anymore through comedy? americans seem to laugh at others, the english take some pride in getting a laugh out of themselves. maybe this skit would have been better recived had it not used micheal jackson and stuck to sending up a celebrity and nation which could handle it
As an Australian, I think that the skit was in poor taste.
I also wanted to point out that perhaps the reason why some people in Australia may not find it as racist as Americans is that we do not share the history that Americans have with black face ‘comedy’.
I do not think that the people who did the skit were attempting to be racist what I do think is that it is a great demonstration of how even the most educated of people (they were all doctors and the like) can be stupid in their actions.
I’d like to re-iterate on this topic with what a lot of the Australian posters have said:
1. the particular skit in Hey Hey It’s Saturday is part of a scene called ‘Red Faces’. Basically it’s members of the public who get up and do stupid acts and generally none of them are any good at what they do. Hence, you cannot use their poor skills as an excuse.
2. I’ve never heard of the ‘black-face’ comedy – never even seen it in Australia. I think we’ve had a much more subtle transition away from the racism of our indigenous population and as such we are generally less sensitive about this sort of thing. In saying that, IN NO WAY am I saying that Australian’s accept racism. Anyone’s who’s been here will know that we’re quite a laid-back nation.
3. This skit was first performed in the ’80s, when the Jackson Five were popular. They brought it back for their new shows – lord only knows why in the first place, but I’m going to say either to 1. follow up on each performer’s careers (all now have established careers as professional doctors); or 2. to laugh at their *still* inept performance. Would you honestly think an Australian TV show would purposely bring back a so-called ‘racist’ performance? I think not.
4. Before anyone brings up the Cronulla riots, I’d like to say that 1. that was a minority population of Australians, much to the disbelief of most of the world (and to illustrate, an ignorant visiting tourist saw my friend’s southern cross tattoo and assumed he was part of ‘those Cronulla gangs’ when he clearly wasn’t); and 2. there was a lot of issues going on with the community of that area – read the book “Girls Like You” by Paul Sheehan to learn about the gang rapes in that area that were conducted by minority groups with disregard and malice.
5. IMO I have no problem with the different cultures that enter Australia. We are very accepting of refugees etc and have learned to accept all the cultures that live in Australia. I think the problem is, however, that a lot of these cultures do not get the ‘Australian way of life’. And before you get angry about that, think about if you went to Dubai – would you walk around in a Bikini there? You would have to conform to the cultures of those countries, and as such, I think cultures that are moving into Australia should learn to live amongst us, and not try and set up their own little cities of their own culture – this is how problems with racism start these days.
phew. No one I’ve spoken to in Australia has a problem with what’s gone on on Hey Hey so I think we should all think of the skit in context of the program (yes, it’s quite poor quality), rather than taking it out of context.
The act wasn’t racist, because its intent wasn’t to make any kind of statement about black people. It wasn’t about “black people”, it was about Michael Jackson. The act itself had no malice by the people who conceived it, but an American imposed his own country’s specific historical context on the act. He interpreted it as bad because of where he’s from, but that doesn’t mean it IS bad in and of itself.
You have to understand that Australia doesn’t have the specific kind of baggage attached to blackface that America does. It doesn’t have the same resonance here. For a lot of people here this is probably just a costume (how else does one dress up as Michael Jackson? put on a sparkly glove and think people will know who you’re trying to be?)
Besides which, as others have said, these performers were not just “Australians” but people from various cultural backgrounds who are now Australian, including an Indian. Is it only offensive to impersonate a black person if you’re white? Or is it better/worse to be an Asian impersonating a black person? Who decides these rules?
It’s all just a spectacular beat up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQnGqdFO9EY
Please watch this video from The Herd, who are one of Australian’s premiere hip hop groups. It about racism in Australia…and it says it all.
I know it may be a bit of a challenge to understand their accents but listen to the lyrics…
Not all Australian’s are racist, but a majority are.
I was born in Australia, raised in Scottsdale, AZ and now live back in Perth, Western Australia. I am consistently shocked with the behavior of my fellow Australians. Since I was born here, I am Australian, but I was raised in the states so I have a very different perspective.
I have been reading all that is written here and find it a little ammusing.
I am an Aussie, now…but came from Ireland, and before that, the UK. I am well traveled and have recently come back from the US, where i spent some time, including St Patricks day in NYC. While in NYC on Paddy’s day i found myself drinking with a group of Americans who were wearing red haired wigs, green clothes and hats and were speaking in (bad) Irish accents while cracking Jokes about how dumb the Irish were (typical Irish jokes), so because i saw this first hand, I must take it that ALL americans are racists! Actualy no…i had fun, the jokes were old, but still funny and the beer was flowing nicely thanks to the yanks. NOW, before i go i want to clear up a couple of things…
1) Do not comment on the way us ‘Racist’ white australians have treated our indigenous population because i have met some native americans, the REAL americans, who told me plenty of horror stories of their own….we might need to hang our heads in shame for some of the acts of our ancestors, but you lot should hang yours much much lower.
2) Do not be hypocrites. There are countless yank movies where black (is that the right term…) comedians have dressed up as white folk for a comedy ‘skit’, but oh no, thats simply not the same thing is it?? Well, yes it is the same thing wether you want to admit to it or not. Everyone CAN be racist, MOST are not.
3) There is a world outside of the Good Old USA, no really, there is…and it has history (different to the USA’s history), it has opinions (we are all entitled to them, even us non americans) and some times, it just does things differently (and its differences that make us all so unique). Dont be Insular, take a different point of view maybe or look at things through others eyes, i do this all the time, makes me a better person i believe.
I know there has been a history of opression, intimidation and violence against different minorities in the USA over the years, but that has absolutely nothing to do with Australians. It has to do with Americans. So if your living in a glass house, you should stop throwing stones.
If youre referring to AUSTRALIANS as racist, painting us all with the one brush, then what does that make you??? Yep, Racist.
I’m Australian too.
In my travelling of the world there is one thing I have found in common everywhere and that is that the majority of the people from all countries are prejudice. A lot of the prejudice is race related, some socio-economic, but always there in every single country.
Half of the commenter’s above try to hide behind all of the political correctness in the world but the fact remains, whether they want to admit it or not, there is no country without a majority of racists.
I am an Aussie, born in Europe and raised here since I was 4years old (now 43). I come from what would be considered different race parents, Serbian and Hungarian, my sister married a Macedonian, and I have a beautiful son who is half African as does my other sister. This all said…. We are ALL AUSTRALIAN.
Of course there are racist people here, just as there are racist people all over the world. The difference being that the majority of Australia don’t care what colour you are or what religion you are, or what country you may be born in. The US discriminates people by simply using the phrase, African American, Italian American, Chinese American.. how many generations does someone need to live through to be classed as American??? We got Australian Citizenship when I was 14 and whenever I am asked what nationality I am I say Aussie.
Also Aussies do have a different sense of humour then other nations – we are laid back individuals who can laugh at ourselves. Someone mentioned (not sure if it was on this site) that in Australia we poke fun at wogs… I am a wog and you know what I use that term a lot to friends and family… trivialise a word and it doesnt have the same meaning. Which is what the African Americans do with the N word. I would never use this word, I don’t have the right to, but I do have the right to use the word Wog.
This skit was taken totally out of context as the performers were not having a go at African Americans or any other race per se and now they the performers and Australia have been branded racist by the over sensitive, self righteous and often hypocritical individuals portraying themselves on the moral high ground – I could stand in a garage, tell everyone that I met that I am a car, make all sorts of car noises however it doesn’t make me a car – Americans may have ousted the blackface as a routine and may have elected Obama as their president however that doesn’t truly mean that they have taken any true steps forward to address their inherit culture of racism.
In any society or nationality there is unfortunately an element of racism and that is why humans have independent thoughts, opinions and differences and luckily we are not clones, however Australians as a general rule are far less racist as a populace than America and some other nations.
America as a nation and culture are dysfunctional and bigotry, always trying to inflict their own twisted sense of morals on others – America you should be tried in The Hague for your continued practice of cultural genocide.
At the risk of getting all schoolmarm-y, welding a ruler, I encourage people who still don’t know what all the fuss is about to look at this page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface . It details the history of Blackface in America and why it’s so strongly associated with overt racism here.
Some choice quotes:
//Stereotyped blackface characters developed: buffoonish, lazy, superstitious, cowardly, and lascivious characters, who stole, lied pathologically, and mangled the English language.//
//Writes Eric Lott in Love and Theft: Blackface Minstrelsy and the American Working Class, “The black mask offered a way to play with the collective fears of a degraded and threatening—and male—Other while at the same time maintaining some symbolic control over them.”//
So, from it’s inception, Blackface trafficked in negative stereotypes and in reinforcing the superiority of whites. (Post Civil War the practice gets more complicated, as it became one of the few ways African Americans were allowed on stage – ironically required to perform in blackface themselves! They appropriated the genre to a certain extent and added a sometimes ironic edge to it, but their participation was controversial even then.)
Anyway, Blackface’s strong association with segregation, discrimination and negative stereotypes are undeniable here, and Mr. Connick is well aware of it’s history. He can only react to it from the POV that he *has*, after all – an American – and his response is understandable and laudable to me in that context.
To Americans, it’s a rejection of race prejudice. Plain and simple.
That the association of Blackface with racism has somehow gotten diluted overseas is suprising to me, and hard for me to understand, I admit. But I certainly give the benefit of the doubt that it’s innocent. I would hope in return that people who see it has harmless fun, might read the above link and see it from that POV, too.
That comments here have become some strange “You’re more racist than we are” contest is just sad. Every culture, every people, have a history of prejudice. It’s a human condition. But I don’t think any culture has to be pristine to have the right to call out prejudice in another when it’s seen.
Maybe less defensiveness, and more of an effort to see our own cultures freshly from another POV, would be more productive.
We all have room for improvement.
The skit was a group impersonatoring a musical band by changing their skin colour to look more like the original act is incidental to the impersonation; it doesn’t make race the joke.
The only possible ethnic commentary angle was that the person playing Michael Jackson – who is ethnically Indian – coloured his face white, a reference to the late entertainer’s fading skin colour.
If there hadn’t been a Red Faces judge from the old slave-holding, black-lynching American south or if they had of changed their skin colour, worn dreadlocks and tea cosies on their heads and sung a reggae song, there would have been no ‘race’ controversy.
This, to me, is not as shocking as it maybe to most. I am from the Netherlands where blackface as an act is widely accepted as part of our “Sinterklaas” (the original Santa Clause) festivities. Sinterklaas is assisted by a group of helpers who hand out the Sinterklaas gifts (and this is important, they’re his helpers, not slaves), these helpers named “Zwarte Piet” (or Black Peter” look very similar to the men in the video above. They are white men (and women) wearing black makeup and afro wigs and sporting 18th century style clothing. During the months before Sinterklaas, oktober and november up until the actual date, the fifth of december, images of Zwarte Piet can be found everywhere, as are actual people dressed up like him. This is a very important party in the Netherlands, every child is brought up to believe in Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet, every family, black or white celebrates it and racism certainly doesn’t come in to play. We just don’t see it that way, it’s a fun tradition, no harm intended whatsoever.
I have to apologise for not reading all the posts, but I have to laugh a lot at those “Ohh Australia is such a diverse and tolerant country” comments. Not only because the general attitude towards Aborigines and other minority group, but we are after all talking about a country that until what, 1975 had a “white australia” inmigration policy?.
Sure not every Austalian is a racist, but it wouldn’t hurt to recognise that AUstralia has a long way to go in terms of racial equality?.
There’s no such thing as the “White Australia” immigration policy. It’s a generalised term used to describe a series of legislation which indirectly discriminated against non-White immigrants. Given that Sydney’s population is 17% Asian, and has a huge Middle Eastern and Sub-Continental population, I would suggest that your idea about Australia as being an “exclusive” white population is flawed.
Who the fuck do you think you are making comments about things you don’t even understand? Of course Australia is not a living example of racial harmony, but we’re doing a pretty good job considering that we live in a very multicultural country, which means that we don’t just theorise about race, but actually see race-relations every day.
The thing that really pisses me off here is the attitude of people who have never even visited Australia behaving as if they are experts on our race relations. Doesn’t the fact that four out of five of the guys who did the MJ performance were of mixed ethnic backgrounds, and yet are simply “Australian” in their own eyes and Australia’s eyes mean anything? We don’t constantly dance around people’s ethnic backgrounds “Indian-Australian”, “Chinese-Australian” etc. We are all just “Australians” who happen to have a variety of cultural backgrounds and practices.
Come and visit Sydney. It’s a beautiful city and you might learn a thing or two.
You can’t judge our current view of diversity based on past generation’s abhorrent legislative policies. Comparing the latest statistics, Australia has a 70% ‘natural born’ population (born in Australia), whilst America has 86% native born citizens. I have to respectfully disagree with your argument on Australia’s ‘white Australia’ immigration policy, as I’m sure our foreign-born citizen rate of 30% would be a lot lower if this approach was still adopted (which it’s not, in any event).