Hey Hey’s Jackson Jive explain: why we did it

Lance says:

05:41pm | 08/10/09

While it was certainly viewed as inappropriate and insensitive (particular given Jackson’s recent death and recent media attention regarding racism in Australia) by a lot of people, I think with many similar jokes/skits etc you need to look at the intention behind it. I don’t think you guys intended to be/are racist, and therefore I certainly don’t think you guys performed the skit as some sort of slight against black people. It’s unfortunate people get all PC and haughty over what was simply meant to be comedy, and it’s funny how all these same people don’t make any noise when someone like Dave Chappelle (who I think is HILARIOUS) makes jokes about white people.

Steve says:

05:41pm | 08/10/09

It’s not offensive in Australia because we did not systematically travel the world kidnapping people before forcing them to work for no pay on the basis that because they were black they are not really people. If Americans have a problem with it because they used to put on black face paint and mock their former slaves that says everything about them and absolutely noting about us.

Bryndal says:

05:51pm | 08/10/09

Steve - what about the Islanders bought to Australian to cut cane - not on a global scale but slavery none the less. Whoops - did I have my black arm band on!

Nevyn says:

05:52pm | 08/10/09

I feel it’s probably offensive, but only after Harry Connick Jnr acted so upset. Until that time nobody was worried, everyone laughed. Sorry, that’s so much crap, I honestly don’t think it was meant to be offensive nor was it, if Harry is so pissed off, tough, harden up, but people, don’t be offended just because he was.

Max says:

05:59pm | 08/10/09

“forcing them to work for no pay on the basis that because they were black they are not really people.”

oh yeah - except for the locals but they where classified as fauna in those days right Steve?

L.Wilson says:

05:59pm | 08/10/09

It was meant to be a TRIBUTE to Jackson, not an insult.  This has been blown WAY out of proportion.  Is every thing we say and do now up for debate as to whether it is racist?  Don’t step out the door in the morning, MY skin colour may offend.

Nothing would have been said here at all, if Harry Connick Jnr hadn’t said something, purely because he is an american, and it is an issue in America.  I think Harry is a great artist, but i do believe that he started this.  Aussies wouldn’t have cared.  The Jackson Jive have nothing to apologise for.

Allan says:

06:01pm | 08/10/09

I would of thought that the atrocious medicare system in the USA should of been of more import to H.C.  than five medico’s taking the piss out of a well known entertainment family.
Shame H.C. didn’t apologise for the USA and Wall St financiers for causing the Global Financial Crisis.
Perhaps you should of done a skit on Madoff!
Talk about thin skinned.

Steve says:

06:06pm | 08/10/09

Bryndal - thats completely true, but it was indentured servitude, not slavery (and it was on a very small scale). The absolute horror and extent of US slave labour is a massive issue in that country, as it should be. Similarly the treatment of Australia’s Indegenous population is nothing to be proud of. Connick was perfectly entitled to voice his opinion against something that from his background is extremely disturbing. However, in the Hey Hey context the black face paint meant nothing more then those Doctors trying to look stupid and take the mickey out of Michael Jackson. It is not our responsibility to import US sensitivities to US domestic issues.

Daniel says:

06:18pm | 08/10/09

I think the skit was funny. It was light hearted and in the spirit of the show. The makers are terrified of geting sued and thats whay this show was most likely taken off air. I think people should get over themselves and let this show come back on TV if it rates. If not we will get more crappy shows like reality TV and big brother etc. The media is to blame for this hype as always.

Jenny says:

06:21pm | 08/10/09

Lots of entertainers take the mickey out of lots of celebrities daily in shows, including Elvis, The Beatles ,Micheal Jackson and Stevie Wonder.

Just because one “sensitive” American person wants to voice his opinion doesn’t make the skit any less funny.
Stevie Wonder has had so many people take the mickey out of him, and he hasn’t been offended or protested against it.
People, just LIGHTEN up and accept comedy at face value.

Bryan says:

06:28pm | 08/10/09

Gags Hey Hey thought were funny 20 years ago were funny 20 years ago. That’s why they aren’t around anymore and deservedly so.. Daryl should know better. What next? An admission such as Letterman?

Elle says:

06:28pm | 08/10/09

Given the way new media works(the YouTube factor), Connick had to cover himself for when the clip does the social networking rounds. When the Jackson family have milked publicity to make a fortune for a long time, they are fair game. Read something many years ago in a UK publication that said we’ll know when we are truly multi-cultural, which is when all are genuinely treated equally and no concession is made for race, colour or origin. So if I poke fun at someone race is not an issue. If I get mad at someone race is not an issue.

melina says:

06:34pm | 08/10/09

If you guys observed the jokes that occured during the days of student politics you would probably not vote for some of the current pollies or buisness people in our political class.

They certainly ring true for many comments and actions amongst SOME right wing political groups and unfortunately they   do probably have the same viewpoints today, they just hide behind their credentials.

That’s where the “nice ‘bigotry is in Australia .

These guys are all of ethnic backgrounds and the above article speaks for themselves, they are committed health professionals who are contributing members of society!

JK says:

06:35pm | 08/10/09

It was a gag performance for an entertainment show, racist? no chance.

Benjamin says:

06:47pm | 08/10/09

Educated, elite, medical specialists; yet none of whom seem to have heard of minstrelsy.

That they included a “Sri Lankan-Australian, ... an Indian Australian, a Greek Australian, an Irish-Italian Australian and a Lebanese Australian” is immaterial.

This is a purportedly multicultural excuse for a very old-fashioned form of racism.

I refer them to that modest education resource, Wikipedia, which notes, inter alia, that even black Americans were themselves co-opted into blackface shows: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show.

Raj says:

06:50pm | 08/10/09

Absolutely disgusting. I’m sorry, but just because it passes a medical school revue that does not mean it is not offensive. Having concerns about it beforehand and making a careful decision just makes it look even worse ! Maybe CBP should be made aware of the “skit” so next time any of the “Jackson Jive” attempt to enter US territory, customs can lay their own brand of humour and light heartedness on them by denying entry…

Tony says:

06:55pm | 08/10/09

Bec - haven’t you bought your departure ticket yet ?? 

In your other posts you said that you were out of here - why haven’t you gone ??

How about seeking out the Chaser’s Jackson Five clip as well - and have a might spin out on the implied ‘racism’ in that skit as well - it will do your head in !!  Obviously you lack any sense of Australian humour - our country would do much well if you left.  Adios (omg - thats now offensive to spanish people)

TB says:

07:03pm | 08/10/09

It was in poor taste. Especially because of MJ’s recent passing…. I’m surprised how many Australians don’t realise how offensive it was. But it was the boot polish face. Any other part of the performance could have gotten through without all the controversy, but boot polish face is a no-no. It’s embarrassing.

DJ says:

07:05pm | 08/10/09

How on earth anyone see’s that as a tribute is beyond me.

Dave C says:

07:30pm | 08/10/09

Did anyone notice that on the same Hey Hey Its Saturday show they crossed live to Australian soldiers fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Those men are there to stop extremist Muslims (The Taliban) impose an extreme form of control over the people of Afghanistan and also to stop the Taliban before they can attack Western Nations again.

Well considering the reaction by the likes of Bec and Raj those troops just should give up now. If people are not allowed to impersonate black dancers (ie the Jackson Five) without being called Racist and then the entire nation being referred to as Racist and people such as Raj saying they should be denied entry into the USA….. then sorry it looks like we already have Taliban Rule by the PC brigade.

Essentially the PC brigade do not want us to enjoy the right of freedom of speech in this country . I dont care if its the Chaser, Sam Newman, Kyle Sandilands and now this If you dont like something DONT F#*^ing WATCH IT.  Before long dangerous PC thugs who are shocked and outraged are going to want things banned and if you disagree you are branded Racist/Sexist/Ageist/Homophobic/Speciesist etc ....

Is this what we want in Australia every time someone offends a minority???

God I hope not or else really we may as well send the troops home and let the Taliban take over now.

Stuart Brown says:

07:30pm | 08/10/09

Gee..
An awful lot of people need to lighten up!

Relax people and see the humor!

We celebrate all the differences in people in this country!

And to the Doctors good on you!  You shouldn’t be apologising.

Yes lets bring back Hey Hey permanently and showcase real talent and silly humor rather than stupidity that seemed acceptable in these overly PC times like the rubbish that is Big Brother.

bec says:

07:41pm | 08/10/09

Tony, I think you are raving. More to the point, you seem to have confused patriotism - which entails with it the civic responsibility of speaking up whenever there is something rotten afoot in your country - and nationalism.

It’s not even an Australian sense of humour - it’s a crummy pastiche of old American bigotry.

Steve says:

07:51pm | 08/10/09

Great article.
Storm in a teacup given fuel by the media.

JOY MCKENZIE says:

07:53pm | 08/10/09

How on earth can Harry Connick Jnr say that australia takes the mickey out of african americans when ROBERT DOWNEY JUNIOR DID EXACTLY THE SAME THING when he played in TROPIC THUNDER….he wore a wig and had his face painted black and took the negros off to a TTT what a hypocrit…I for one wont be buying his records…good riddance harry….

Mike says:

07:56pm | 08/10/09

This would not be making any publicity if it was not for Harry Connick. It was intended on being light-hearted and as a tribute to MJ and the guys have even come out to say they are sorry for being inappropriate when they were not at all. Anyone that cannot take a joke and begins to crap on about racial issues is taking this far to seriously. Come on Australia, are u serious?

Colin Baker says:

07:57pm | 08/10/09

Ah the hypocrisy of Harry Connick Jnr. Check out the skit on Mad TV (http://bit.ly/fQtHG)
Over the years many an imported artist have been somewhat bewildered by Aussie humour. Sometimes their comments should be kept to themselves.
As was said previously, if Harry was not on the show, there would be no story!

AT says:

07:59pm | 08/10/09

Suresh,

As uni students 20 years ago you “should have known better”, as middle-aged professionals you have no excuse, no defence.

Your “skit” is racist and crass and cheap, then and now.

I’m not sure why you list the ethnicities of your fellow performers, but tell me what you think of this; if I wanted to do a send-up of you guys I’d portray the Anglo-Celtic Australian as a beer-gutted bogan in thongs and stubbies with beer permanently in hand. You, the Sri Lankan-Australian would be picking tea leaves with the dulcet tones of Kamahl wafting across the fields. The Indian Australian would display all the those Peter Sellars mannerisms at his call centre job. The Greek Australian would, of course, be a greasy grocer. The Irish-Italian Australian would be a flamboyant imbecile and the Lebanese Australian would always have doof-doof music pounding out of his pocket rocket and “fully sick” would be the only words he speaks. Funny? Racist? Harmless?

I’m certain it’s not harmless. My mediocre portrayal of you guys reduces you to stereotypes, strips you of your identity and stifles your ability to assert yourself, as yourself. Imagine if you were the subject of that sort of “fun” your entire life. If generations before you had endured the same sort of crap for their entire lives. Can you even begin to imagine how hard the struggle would be to break free of those “jokes”? What an oppressive ordeal it would be kicking against the pricks who define you as nothing more than a two dimensional caricature for of some “harmless fun”?

Ignorance of the law is not a defence against crime and “should have known better” is not a defence against racism.

Dave says:

08:03pm | 08/10/09

No need to apologise, mate. Nothing to be sorry about, nor was it a mistake.

It was a glorious piece of vintage Red Faces - slightly risky,  very funny, clearly a send-up - and who more worthy a target than the Jackson machine - by a bunch of enthusiastic mates of more chutzpah than talent.

The life-blood of Red Faces is just that - we make fun of ourselves and each other, with gusto.

Don’t worry about Connick, he’s a tool. As for the lame self -indulgent outrage of local posters, pffft. Tomorrow they’ll be after a fresh witch-hunt. They wouldn’t know racism unless it bit ‘em on the bum.

As for the bloggers of US and elsewhere - who gives a toss.

You keep that act, lads. And power to Hey Hey for having the front to do its thing for us once more.

Thank you and goodnight

Walter says:

08:17pm | 08/10/09

Guys. Well done last night. Your post is appreciated but unnecessary. People need to get perspective and really ask themselves what they are accusing you off. There was no bad intent there last night. I saw humour and a group of guys celebrating a landmark show. For those so quick to judge and slander, take that first flight into the 3rd world, USA etc and go and fight real racism rather than taking cheap, easy and meaningless shots.

Heléna says:

08:23pm | 08/10/09

don’t worry Suresh - no one would have found it offensive if Harry Connick Jnr had not taken offence (I do think he was quite justified in his opinion - given his perspective - however it is a shame you both were included on the same show)

the flash back from a black to white Michael Jackson from 20 years ago was very funny!

Adam says:

08:30pm | 08/10/09

It’s time we grew up as a not just a country, but an entire world. We need to evolve to the point where we see paint and funny dancing rather than implied racism. Context, people. If they start insulting them, you know, with words and actual meaning, then go ahead and be outraged. Till then, I’d be more worried about the global economic crisis.

mick says:

08:48pm | 08/10/09

Don’t worry about all the buffoons, thin-skinned twats & race hustlers loudly having the vapours. The act was honestly meant & the vast majority reasonable people know & understand that.

gayle says:

08:56pm | 08/10/09

Geez, the way you all jump on the band wagon beats me… it was all in fun & that’s about the size of it. There are worst things happening around Australia that should be high lighted instead of a comedy segment,  eg; employment, Interest rates… As I see it - it was “GREAT” publicity for “Harry”, It certainly put his name back in the news !!!

Tegan says:

08:58pm | 08/10/09

maybe a little offensive due to the timing - as for that British women downing on Australia - that’s where I am annoyed. Australians are sterotypical however that doesn’t mean we are racist.  In relation to the skit, Harry Connick Jr suggested that the 6 men were portraying African American men as buffoon which what I was amazed that this link was made.  Australian’s have come along way and I lived in the UK for nearly 6 years and experienced more stereotypical views of Australians than in Australia itself.  My nickname was Muriel - as in Muriel’s Wedding - why you might ask well - because of my accent! Talk about judgmental and narrow-minded - I don’t even have a strong accent and it wasn’t long b4 people thought I was British - hmmmm do I feel oppressed - NO - I went with it cause I can take the piss out of myself!

Graham says:

09:03pm | 08/10/09

In poor taste? Yes. Racist? I don’t think so.This skit was not designed or intended to convey superiority or inferiority of a race or group of people in my view. Did HCJr over react? No, because he comes from a society where history has created a very different view of this kind of thing, and where offence is taken for different things. Things happen in the US which are offensive to people in other societies, just as others do or say or act in other countries which we in Australia may not like.
Has Hey Hey got a future on TV? No, it is a museum piece which has been revived for the sake of nostalgia, and now it need to be put out of its misery.

jon says:

09:08pm | 08/10/09

A racist act by racist people in my opinion.
Australia should send all the racists back to their countries that they came from.
Within two seconds of the skit i went “oh my god what is this” and got my wife out of the kitchen to see what was going on. OR was that the intention of the network in the first place ?

rob says:

09:11pm | 08/10/09

stop the white jokes and white face masks.. its racist and offends me

Rishian says:

09:13pm | 08/10/09

“Jackson Jive skit on Hey Hey It’s Saturday to great acclaim”
Are you an idiot? That’s stretching it a bit.
Just because you’re black doesn’t make you not racist in your behaviour fool. and you’re a doctor as well.

shorie says:

09:18pm | 08/10/09

This has been blown out of all proportion.From an aussie HELLO it was a comody skit. Australians know whats wrong, right and funny, sorry Harry go home, you dont need a long neck to be a goose.

Natalie says:

09:33pm | 08/10/09

Funny how Aussies say they can laugh at themselves and can give as good as they get - yet here is a situation where we have been presented with a caricature of The Ugly, Racist Australian, and I don’t see too many Aussies copping it on the chin.

Boags says:

10:05pm | 08/10/09

As well as taking ” a fence “.... Perhaps Harry should take the ” GATE”  too and bugger off back to his land, the source of financial ruination, where Greed IS Good.
Oh,  the skit was not funny, nor was it racist.

peter says:

10:08pm | 08/10/09

HCJ was simply trying to save his own arse, he knew how it would be perceived at home and had to dissociate himself or the opinion-makers (journalists who like seeing their names in print, and get pleasure out of moulding the way society thinks) would have lambasted him.
Racism is abhorent, but that was not racist, it was “Jacksonist”. Lighten up people, and to the media, stop telling us all how to think!

addit: does this mean that the first talkie “The Jazz Singer” (which was on Foxtel recently) should be banned?

Maryanne Campbell says:

10:16pm | 08/10/09

I agree with Lance, look at the intention!  And Adam, Context, people, Context! I really disagree with you guys who think it’s a vicious type of racism! i don’t think so! Silly! Corny! certainly not deeply insightful humour but really let’s stop taking ourselves so seriously. AND it’s humour, sometimes it offends. I don’t really know why the performers feel the need to apologise, people could have simply switched it off. And Harry Connick Junior, you are a tool! And let’s face it, if he hadn’t of made such a big deal out of it, neither would have most of you!!!
Come on Ausssies, have some fun, we are all getting too PC about the wrong things!!!

Fran says:

10:28pm | 08/10/09

Well said Natalie. We are in total denial about our racism and hide behind the comedy label.

Lance says:

10:44pm | 08/10/09

@Fran and Natalie - There’s no doubt racism exists in Australia, you only need to look at (some of) the recent attacks on Indian students and the repugnant, third world conditions Aborigines still live in (not to mention government policy that is actively and openly discriminatory). The question here is whether the skit was racist, and the answer is no. I didn’t think it was particularly funny, and probably (inadvertently) in poor taste, but not racist. Besides, (and I’m not excusing our situation) you’d be drawing a very long bow to call Australia racist when you compare with A LOT of countries around the world.

Heléna says:

11:01pm | 08/10/09

sorry Natalie I don’t see the caricature??

it was a 2 minute skit by a group of men dressed up to look like the Jackson 5, nothing more

Malcom says:

11:16pm | 08/10/09

The Harry Connick Jnr “Drama” wasn’t the only incident that shocked me last night…What about people dressing up in duck outfits and the ostrich thing…People, animals have feelings to you know…this sought of thing deeply effects me i lose sleep over it

Wacko Jacko says:

11:21pm | 08/10/09

Get over it world!!!  We have all become so politically frigging correct that something that gave us a laugh 20 years ago isn’t allowed to be funny any more.It wasn’t degrading or racist or had any intention to be, it was just a bit of harmless humour in the spirit of the the 20 year reunion. Have we lost the ability to have a genuine laugh??? If they had worn clown suits would all the clowns of the world got up in arms about it…I don’t think so. No wonder the world is becoming so f….ed up if we can’t stop and have a laugh. And hey Harry Connick Jr…I used to think you were a bit of alright till I saw what a hypocritical wanker you are…loved the skit of you dressed up as a BLACK preacher and taking the piss out of all things evangelical.

julie says:

11:22pm | 08/10/09

bloody people overreact…. it was just a little skit that offended no one 20 years ago…. honestly, is there any humour left in our lives???? f..n society! (and sorry, as if america has any leg to stand on….. ppft)

Adrian says:

11:28pm | 08/10/09

“Out of the six of us, only one is Anglo-Celtic Australian. 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.”

That’s great guys - multi-ethnic racism. We’ve certainly come a long way.

To all the people saying “get over it, it’s just a bit of humour” - you don’t see the point. Try being someone in a ethnic minority living in a country where on a daily basis you see and hear “jokes” at your expense, based on dumb stereotypes. After a while it will get to you - and you’ll never see the “humour”. Never ever.

The skit was bad because in the US an entire genre of humour exists that sends up the appearance of African-Americans, and makes derogatory insinuations about their intelligence. African-Americans rightly hate it, and for that reason no-one does ‘blackface’ in America any more.

The fact we’re not in America doesn’t make the skit any better - and it’s not Harry Connick Jr’s fault this all blew up - it’s the producers of Hey Hey and the performers of the skit.

Anyone who starts bleating on about how ‘political correctness’ is stifling ordinary debate is really just saying “go away, I don’t want to think hard about this stuff, I just want to go on making lazy jokes about people that are different than me because I don’t care if they feel like sh*t when they hear them”.

Nina says:

11:38pm | 08/10/09

In this country there are people who experience multiculturalism by painting their faces black or when they put on an accent or make fun of other peoples’ accents etc.

wmilius says:

11:44pm | 08/10/09

Guys - you did a great job with the skit! if anyone took it on as racist, they should look in the mirror.

Satire is just that - satire! How people could be upset at your attempt to send up a worls famous entertainer??? I think people should be proud that you captured the essence of Michael and his crew so well - poor taste rests with those that are naroowminded and could not see the fun element in the skit!  Well done guys!!!

ed says:

11:57pm | 08/10/09

How is this racism? The Jackson 5 are Americans of African descent so their skin is dark and that is a fact. I would bet every single person watching knew who they were impersonating the minute they walked out, just because the act were black doesn’t mean it was racist. The guys were in no way portraying themselves as being superior or demoralising any race.
The show would have been better off without an ignorant twat like Harry Conick jnr acting like a mindless tosser..get your facts straight and start fighting actual racism that is so overtly present is the good old US of A….

elei says:

12:10am | 09/10/09

If you want to check out another form of racism that seems to have gone undetected the Today Tonight program of Wednesday 7th October is a classic.
The story presented was about what they see as ‘International buyers pushing up the price of local real estate’.  The most offensive part of the story was the report’s suggestion that buyers from China/Asia were part of the problem and with this they showed vision of local house viewings/auctions where people of asian background were prominent, if not the only ones there.  My immediate thought was - ‘how do they know that these people are not Australian? - could this story promote racial unrest between anglo australians and asian australians?  has anyone at TT considered these questions?’ 
I’m sure that the true background and purpose of the people shown in the vision selected for the story was not investigated - and here they were being presented as ‘subliminal evidence’ to back up the story.
As it was, at the tail end of the story they reported that the majority of property is bought by buyers from the USA.  Maybe they just couldn’t find any film in their archives of fat white people in bad tracksuits or even ‘badder’ hawaian shirts!!
What do you think - rascist/ignorant/stupid/ or, just don’t care.

pc says:

12:17am | 09/10/09

Hi Maryanne, To be honest the only reason I’m writing on this post is because you mentioned me. And with capital letters. Yes, lets stop taking ourselves so seriously because we clearly cant. I dont recall anyone laughing at australians except the rest of the world. And you are clearly taking that pretty seriously. So MC if you would like someone to not take you seriously, just holler. The punch can bring the cheese and I’ll take care of the crackers.

Mark says:

12:24am | 09/10/09

Attention seeking is the critical issue here, let’s divert to appropriate collective venting priorities such as employment, aboriginal rights, GFC. Game over move on!

Sam says:

12:26am | 09/10/09

Spot on Peter

Adam says:

12:29am | 09/10/09

America turned this into racism, just like they turn everything into racism. It’s either racism or ‘drugs are bad’. Or am I being stereotypical? Seriously, there are more skin colours than black. Would there be outrange if they were yellow? Or white? It’s alright if they make white people look ‘stupid’ instead of black people?

Brett says:

12:34am | 09/10/09

What you Dr’s said is 100%. And I like your ethos.
You are from many backgrounds but you have come to this country and succeeded and have adopted this land as yours. Guy’s like you would liven up any backyard B-B-Q. THAT’S WHAT’S IT’S ABOUT!
I congratulate you. Good luck in your careers.

Gorden says:

12:54am | 09/10/09

It’s alway’s about money. Connick jr is a jazz, blues singer. And relies on his income from that area. The Dr’s didn’t need the $100.00 4th prize.
What is the gain. Questioned answered there was no intent.
Connick you lost me.

Sam says:

01:01am | 09/10/09

Come on people. While I doubt the ‘group’ meant any harm or are racist, when has it ever been ‘okay’ for anyone to paint their face black for any reason.
I will agree that PC madness has been rife in the past few years but really, think about it. I grew up in the 70’s in outback SA and even then ‘blackface’ was not PC. This has not been claimed as racially offensive recently. 
Thats why you never see Golly Wogs anymore. (If you don’t know what they are it proves that ‘blackface’ was considered offensive pre 1980.)
The people allowing the act to appear need to have a long hard look at themselves.

Gibbot says:

01:09am | 09/10/09

Thanks Suresh for taking the bull by the horns and addressing the issue directly. Since hearing about the skit I’ve been a bit divided about how I feel about it, as you’ve inadvertently bought a blind pimple to the surface here.

I’m an Anglo Australian, and as such have no right to feel offended even if I wanted to. I understand that the target of your lampoon was Jackson, not black America, and even in that you weren’t malicious.  My issue is solely with the lack of respect afforded to a guest. It is the producers of Hey Hey that should be making a large apology for being irreparably stupid.

Harry Connick, from everything I’ve read and what I know of his music, is a stand up kind of bloke. He’s New Orleans through and through - a representative of the jewel in the crown of US racial integration.  New Orleans used to be a slave town. Now it’s a musical and cultural Mecca - a Mecca that was quite recently not only devastated by flood, but abandoned by the government of the day in its hour of absolute need. There is a sense of community and equality there that I suspect rivals anywhere in the world, let alone the US.

Blackface comes from a time when people were becoming aware that some of the most sophisticated and heartfelt music ever written was being created by black Americans. Unfortunately black Americans weren’t allowed in the same building as good God fearing white folk, so they were (poorly) imitated by white musicians wanting to cash in on market curiosity, and reinforce the stereotypes that would keep them in a job.

Your skit didn’t just offend Harry. It offended the members of his band. It offended his friends and family. As a guest he should have been afforded more courtesy, though that wasn’t your call to make. If Dr John had been there, the producers would have been turned into toads.

What happened wasn’t racism. It was insensitivity.

Dean says:

01:27am | 09/10/09

Given that you Australians are still oppressing your black minority population, it is understandable that you can’t comprehend the anger felt by the world over this. Only when you eventually join the 21st century will you see the light. How sad for you all.

Claire says:

02:14am | 09/10/09

I found it offensive and im a white anglo Australian. You wouldn’t see these racist stereo-types being used in America expecially on black Americans, Italian-Americans, Latinos and American Jews. It shouldn’t be used anywhere, it’s illegal.Your comment:

Christian says:

02:40am | 09/10/09

As doctors then what you did was inexcusable (especially the psychiatrist - what the hell were you thinking? Quit now.) Are you really pleading ignorance to what going Blackface actually means? Are you sure you are not aware that South Asian / Indian students have been the victims of racial attacks in Melbourne and Sydney? The Indian community is working to overcome racial incidents against them and you are undermining it by creating more tensions with the African community. Your intellect or position as doctors does not exonerate you from your culpability in this and what happens to people because of it.

Number1BadBoy says:

03:11am | 09/10/09

If the skit had actually been funny I could appreciate people defending it.
Come on - it was total rubbish.

Dave says:

03:23am | 09/10/09

Look, Australia and the U.S have totally different histories and different cultural perspectives.

In the U.S, this would have definitely been seen as FAR more racist and would have had much more serious consequences than it would here. And there’s nothing wrong with them for feeling that way or for us for believing what we believe from the different histories and perspectives we have.

As an American and someone in the media spotlight Harry Connick HAD to say something or he would have been crucified back home.

The skit wasn’t racist in my opinion. But in America, with their problematic past, that kind of thing IS seen as racist.

The storm in the teacup is caused solely by people who don’t understand the difference in cultures between us and the United States. IN some ways we are alike, but in others, we are a lot more different than many Aussies suspect.

Rob says:

03:43am | 09/10/09

I think we all know that it wasn’t mean to be offensive, it wasn’t meant to be controversial, and it wasn’t meant to be racist. There are always people who will go out of their way to find a reason to find fault with practically everything that people say and do ... no doubt I am going to be accused of being racist, which is no more logical than saying those doing the skit are racist. Harry Connick Jnr and whingers like him should go back to where they came from if they cannot accept Aussie satire and send-up. Aren’t there really more important things in this world to get upset about?????

awong says:

03:46am | 09/10/09

Racism occurs in all cultures.  You don’t have to be a white Anglo Australian to be a racist.  Irrespective of your ethnicities, you all should have known better to not do the same skit in the 21st century.  Leave it in the Med revues where they belong!

Petrus Perspicacious says:

05:32am | 09/10/09

Interesting controversy, but here is my two cents worth of opinion.
1.  Harry please realise that you are in Australia and not in America and at least have the decency of adjusting to the local culture and not try to impose American values and sensitivities on a foreign culture. Don’t travel overseas if you are not willing to accept the uniqueness of local cultures of sovereign foreign nations! Keep your Big Brother attitude at the door please!
2.  Harry, here is a thought – If you were uncomfortable with the skit from the onset, why did you not Gong them? Is that not why the Gong is there to stop skits in their tracks! You have been on Hey Hey before and you knew the routine.
3.  Racism is a question of the attitude of one person towards their fellow human being and how the other person perceives what is said about or done to them. Racism is not a question of skin colour, and the ethnicity of the Jackson Jive performers is irrelevant. Some people might perceive the sketch as racist whilst others will perceive it as it was intended; satire. As Voltaire said, I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it. Mmm all this brouhaha sounds like democracy in action to me!
4.  Sri Lankan-Australian, Lebanese-Australian, Indian-Australian, Anglo-Celtic Australian? What are you - Australian? Or some foreigner who happens to live in Australia? Please keep the American PC nonsense in America! You are either Australian or someone who considers their foreign ancestry more important. Before you ask, yes I myself am a migrant to this country, but I would never identify myself with some foreign moniker first, but will always proudly identify myself as an Australian first and foremost.
5.  In the end the performers and the performance wasn’t really that good…..but then is that not the intent of Red Faces. Oops, did I just offend native American Indians with highlighting ‘Red Faces’? Silly me.
6.  Oh and before I finish, Kamahl you are widely respected as an Australian, as a person and as one of our best ever performers with a rare gift, but the jibes about you are because of something you once said, not because of your ethnicity or how you look. An expression which has now become part of Australian folklore and our vernacular….something to be proud of rather than to be offended by perhaps?

Oh, why are people so unkind?

Non torsii Subligarium
(don’t get your knickers in a twist)

Sarah Smith says:

05:32am | 09/10/09

I had the pleasure of living in Australia for a year in 2007. I came from Canada to spend time on the beautiful beaches and I must say the one thing that stuck out for me wa how OPENLY racist people were and I am not just talking about grandparents but Adults, teens and children. It was scary. Something like this little skit would never even air on Canadian or American Television ( and just to clarfiy our two countries are very different). Since I have been back in canada I have had this conversation with Aussies who now live here and they have told me that they themselves are shocked when they return home for a visit at the ignorance of their families and friends. I am not saying that there aren’t racist people in Canada just that as a society we frown upon it strongly and if you were to be in a setting with your friends and even say something like “that Lebo” people here would be shock and would call you out on the racist comment.

Ken says:

06:05am | 09/10/09

If anybody thinks racism is not alive and well and living in Australia read 90% of these blogs. Big country, small mentality. Any of you racists read a history book lately?

Jeremy says:

06:55am | 09/10/09

Australia is a country that is in total denial about being stuck in a racist timewarp. I didn’t realise how bad it was until I left the place and then came back. So many of my friends around the world are people of colour and I would love them to visit me in Australia, but I’m honestly worried about what they might be subjected to if they do. It’s horrible and embarrassing. I wish my beloved country would grow up. I’m just about the whitest Aussie you’ll ever see and my best mate is Nigerian. It sucks that I honestly know our friendship would never have occurred in the racist environment that prevails in Australia.

Andrew says:

06:58am | 09/10/09

Sarah Smith, so your country is 100% PC and noone there gets a joke, btw we dont give a rats what would show on American or Canadian TV, we dont live there and you dont live here, what we have on our TV doeasnt effect you. and if you havent noticed we shorten words up round ere, how is Lebo racist? might as well say that using the term aussie is racist, my god everyone is so bloody precious these days, go out there and do something with your lives instead of whinging about others.

Joey says:

07:14am | 09/10/09

The Jackson 5 all have relatively brown skin, not in any way black. And as if it’s necessary to paint your face in order to imitate someone. They didn’t even dress in the Jackson 5 costumes and the choreography was terrible and the singing was shit. I was extremely offended by the racist face-painting, but as an MJ fan I am more offended by the so-called “tribute”. They were not in the least funny - there is a difference from a parody and something intentionally offensive and tasteless. They didn’t even try to imitate the Jackson 5 properly; their face painting was obviously to make fun of the Jackson 5, and that whole “ironically, I’m a plastic surgeon now” thing… it’s not funny, and it is NOT a tribute to Michael Jackson.

Joan says:

07:35am | 09/10/09

Perhaps Junior used this opportunity to offend his hosts in order to avoid performing the second time. It seemed that he had overdosed on sleeping tablets the previous night, or had trouble recalling the words to the songs he sang.  On your bike junior.

TB says:

07:58am | 09/10/09

I thought everyone in this day and age knew that blackface was wrong.
It’s no longer an acceptable sense of humour and hasn’t been for a long time. It’s also why we don’t give golliwog dolls to children anymore, or call people Black Sambo.

Apparently 75% of Australians see nothing wrong with it.
It was an offensive skit, and people were offended. The result wasn’t a “storm in a teacup”  It was outrage on an international level.

The whole incident has shown Australia to be racially-insensitive, and then to worsen that situation Australians defend that humour. It’s appalling.

leisa says:

08:04am | 09/10/09

he’s absolutely right - aussies are being forced to lose our culture of a convict lot of larrikins who were able to laugh at ourselves together ..... people love to take offence at every little thing, it seems to give them some wounded sort of pleasure about how hurt they are being by others - the problem is yours, all this is meant in innocent fun - aussies are NOT racist they have problems with other races attitudes NOT their colour, religion or creed .... it is their desire to change the rest of us that pisses us all off ..... you wont accept australia as it was and then scream racism in response to every imagined slight ..... you are the ones with a huge chip on your shoulder that you brought from overseas.  australians have a playfulness about everything - last night I watched an american comedy skit by an african american about how stupid whites look while they dance ..... was it racist? we were all too busy laughing to even consider that!  see its only racist if the jokes are at everyone besides whites - how come jokes about us don’t bother us - oh that’s right we still have a sense of humour

Andrew says:

08:28am | 09/10/09

Exactly Leisa, America needs to realise there are other countries and cultures out in the real world, sure he had every right to be offended but also has to realise that what he may find offensive at home may not be the way it is overseas. If you were offended by it harden up a bit and dont take life so seriously, ill bet money that the morons most offended are in fact anglo saxon do gooders. Even heard on the radio an African immigrant man (although his name escapes me) telling the host that he was more offended by the fact that we felt the need to justify it and defend what in his own words was a funny act, that he had a good laugh at.

shabangabang says:

08:30am | 09/10/09

I remember a movie called white chicks, where 2 black men (Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans) dress up as white women. What is the difference between them doing that for entertainment and the Jackson Jive doing their skit for entertainment?

Rob says:

08:34am | 09/10/09

““AT says: ...I’m certain it’s not harmless. My mediocre portrayal of you guys reduces you to stereotypes,....”“

Yet what you have described happens on shows like Fat Pizza and others regularly.  And do you complain about that?

Do you complain about the portrayal of homosexuals on shows like Little Britain?

Within MINUTES of Michael Jacksons reported death, the internet was bombarded with thousands of MJ parodies and downright racist slurs posted predominantly by, wait for it, Americans. Shock, horror!
From another comments site…

“I notice that the American ventriloquist Jeff Dunham is touring here at the moment. For those that don’t know him, his headline act is a skeletel dummy called Ahmed the terrifying terrorist. “

No reaction about this…

Bunch of hypocritical & insecure twitters.

Andrew says:

08:40am | 09/10/09

shabangabang, didnt you know when its a joke at the expense of the anglo its fair game? personally i loved that movie the wayans brothers are a riot, but the total hypocrisy and self righteousness being espoused makes me crook.

Kristen Kam Keating says:

08:40am | 09/10/09

I don’t find the skit offensive (or funny), but I’m not black so ask someone else.

What I do find hilarious is the genius behind the idea of the “PC/Fun Police”. It’s perfect, I can say whatever I want about jews, gays or blacks then when I’m reeled in, just blame the fun police!!! HAPPY DAYS!!!

iansand says:

08:44am | 09/10/09

I think the furore over what is essentially a stupid, mistargeted bit of light entertainment says a lot more about Australia’s racism than airing the original skit does.  It shows that Australians are deeply ashamed of any manifestation of what looks like racism.  I think that says a lot about the lack of racism of the vast majority of Australians.

Loz says:

08:54am | 09/10/09

To anyone who thinks that the skit was racist, please check out the movies ‘White Chicks’ and ‘Tropic Thunder’.

I don’t think that there was any racist intent in that skit, though perhaps it was a little insensitive.

Liz says:

08:54am | 09/10/09

One of the joys of our country is that we have freedom to have our say,let’s not get the PC virus they have everywhere else.So things change,so the boundaries change but let’s get on with the important things like laughing at ourselves, seeing the humour in situations and solvi ng the problems we have like saving the River Murray,getting a proper Dental Service and building public housing.

Rob says:

08:55am | 09/10/09

....“My neighbors are African American, father is a minister and the kids are as straight laced as they come. I quizzed the dad on this skit, his comments were “I laughed and I laughed hard, anyone that tries to pin this as a racist act is just perpetuating an age old problem”.”...

Jim Daniels says:

08:57am | 09/10/09

There is a world of difference between donning make up to appear black and wearing “blackface”. Perhaps due to the budget restrictions of the Hey Hey production the performers chose “blackface” as a cheaper alternative BUT “blackface” is, was and always will be, offensive. I have no doubt that the performers had no malice but (say it with me, people)...BLACKFACE IS, WAS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, OFFENSIVE… get over that fact and perhaps you can have an intelligent discussion on the media manipulation of this ‘so called’ story. The fact that this has damaged our reputation overseas may not concern you one iota at the moment but don’t be fooled for one second that this will not come back to bite us in the ‘you know where’.
The most sickening aspect of this whole sorry event is the bogan Australians telling Harry Connick Jnr to ‘harden up’!  Why should he, if we cannot ‘harden up’ to international condemnation. These hypocrites should take a good long look in the mirror.

SC says:

08:58am | 09/10/09

TB: Nail. On. Head. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

This last couple of days has been more illuminating than any recent census. The upholding of this tripe as some sort of standard bearer for the “great Australian sense of humour (TM)” confirms exactly what I’ve always suspected. It’s founded on rudeness, insensitivity and xenophobia.

LEElax says:

08:58am | 09/10/09

Why must you point out color to entertain?  There are many different ways to be humorous, be creative.  There was such a lack of diversity in the audience that really suggests what kind of crowd this joke was for.  Especially mocking individuals who contributed to this world beautiful songs about love and togetherness. Let the past be the past and move towards ways of fun and fancy that is not insulting.  The same act came on the show 20 years ago.  I would have hoped that the country would have moved forward from that.

Charles says:

09:01am | 09/10/09

Being politically correct is a term that is characterised negatively in this post, whereas it is a term applied to all means of expression that seek to minimize offense to identity groups. A way of making the unaware aware of the impact of their actions.

There is a place for larrikinism and by all means laugh at yourself, but that does not mean you have to give offense to another in the process.  I offer the movie ‘Kenny’ and its success as evidence of that.

Considering the impact of one’s actions on others requires one to think twice before acting.  This might prevent insult or slur upon another identity group or injury from occurring - applying the adage an ounce of prevention..etc .  This might help Australia and Australians avoid significant negative impact, both economically and in the perception of the nation on the world stage (vis the uprise in racial attacks in Melbourne and the VIC Premiere’s efforts in repairing relations with India).

Andrew says:

09:10am | 09/10/09

LEElax, a lack of diversity in the audience? i saw an audience full of Australians now correct me if im wrong but the studio is in Australia is it not?

Bri says:

09:12am | 09/10/09

The only people who found this skit racist were people who obviously have internal issues with theirt own bigotry. Americans don’t seem to mind making fun of whites when they can or homosexuals - anyone who has ever watched an episode of South Park will see that they have offended with bigottry every minority on the planet - and deliberately so, but I notice no up in arms about that. “blackface” is an a dirty place in American cultural history, but here in Australia we have never had slavery. Australian’s are not perfect, we have alot of growing up to do - especially in the wya we treat our indigenous people, but we are also a very racial diverse country that has grown because of all of the cultures that have migrated to our country and we should be proud of that. Right now in America it is muslims who are facing discrimination and extreme bigotry, so before any American posts her and tells me my country is rampant with racism - take a look at your own country which is extremely homophobic and unaccepting of gays, muslims and other cultures you don’t understand.

bella starkey says:

09:22am | 09/10/09

i’m more concerned that Harry Connick Jnr has found a way to make himself relevant again.

Heléna says:

09:32am | 09/10/09

@Claire - but this isn’t America and we certainly do not want to end up like them

Lachlan says:

09:33am | 09/10/09

I co-directed the university law revue at UNSW in 2007 - we had plenty of humour playing on racial stereotypes, some of it quite risky. However I would never personally have gone the extra step of doing blackface for the simple reason it’s not a particularly clever, friendly or silly way to lampoon racial stereotypes. In fact, it’s just nasty and it brings back some really ugly racial connotations for many.

In addition, when you go and see a University Revue, you know that the humour is going to be pretty outrageous so there’s stuff you can get away with there that you could never in a million years put on a family TV show. Channel 9 should have had a lot more common sense in this regard.

non Hey Hey watcher says:

09:35am | 09/10/09

Who is Harry Connick ? Sorry I have no idea. Is he a media star? if so he needs all this attention to promote himself. Silly yes ,Racist no.

Tails says:

09:35am | 09/10/09

“Not to justify what we did, but one of the best things about Australia is the ability to laugh at ourselves.”

Problem is guys, you’re not making fun of yourselves.

David Hartshorn says:

09:43am | 09/10/09

Well said mate, but you don’t need to apologise, others (including “precious” Americans) need to build a bridge and get over it.

Meg says:

09:45am | 09/10/09

Interesting that if you look at reports from other parts of the world (america & britain mainly) it all degenerates into how backward australians are. Some comments here reflect that need to aussie bash also. I think being ‘openly racist’ is more a reflection on other places being well equipped with a raft of euphemisms that act as dog whistles for racist attitudes (see ‘welfare queen’ or ‘urban poor’ in USA for example) whereas we kind of blunder into it.  Australia is definitely not perfect and we do have trouble dealing with issues of race but we’re not the sole remaining racist outpost while everyone else is post-racial. To suggest that people of other ethnicities are in danger here from roving bands of racist, knuckledragging white people is a bit over the top. If this was taken out of the conversation and the key point - i.e. history of blackface - was focused on I would hope that fairminded australians would happily respect that this is offensive and go back to what we’re best at - making fun of ourselves.

not funny says:

09:53am | 09/10/09

The coroner confirmed that MJ had lost pigmentation on the face, hands & torso. I believe this confirms he had vitiligo which is a condition that causes loss of pigmentation. As some-one with vitiligo I think the “white face”  in the skit was in poor taste. This is a distressing condition, especially for a black person (which I am not).

Jill says:

09:58am | 09/10/09

My reaction to the skit was based on the triggers that are mine alone - and the same for everyone above.  I thought the skit was in poor taste and the use of the wigs and the black face paint triggered memories of the black and white minstrels shows - certainly they were the costumes worn by white people of the day.  I felt that the skit was using the props of a racist era. 

My anger though is reserved for the Hey Hey team who made the conscious decision to seek you out and have you perform.  They are the ones who publicised this. 

I guess the test is, Was the skit demeaning of black people?  Well unfortunately the costume of wigs and black face pain underlines this. 

I feel that the reaction and debate about this is important and healthy for Australian society - it is what we do as people with the freedom of speech.

Australian has a record for being a racist society and for good reason - it is in our history and in our present. 

I have seen the comments from media people exclaim that this is satire but I don’t believe the skit is satire - nor do I believe that the skit allows us to laugh at ourselves - but at others.  I was not offended by what Harry Connick Jnr said - he is the white guy from the USA which is actually the same nation as the Jacksons - so in my mind he was absolutely correct in what he said.

John Major says:

10:07am | 09/10/09

If Connick had not been on the show nothing would have happend grandstanding hypocrite I say.

Velcro says:

10:18am | 09/10/09

Harry Connick Jr claims to LOOOVE Australia and also claims to be a good friend of Hey Hey because he had been on it about 5 times before. Then why would such a good ‘friend’ cause all this ruccus?

Ok, so he was offended. But if it weren’t for his demand for an on-air apology (which seemed more like an attempt to clear his own name of any guilt), one little skit wouldn’t have lead an entire nation being considered as racist and backward.

He could have easily expressed his disgust and disappointment privately to the producers and to the act backstage in person. (If a someone is offended by a friend, don’t they normally sort it out person to person, rather than berrate them in front of the whole party?) But no, he just had to air it out on national TV. Then the next day he defends himself saying that he had to speak up “as an American” and that he never actually accused those guys of being racist.

Harry, if you claim to love Australia as much as you say you do, then you could start off by apologising to us for causing this storm in a teacup.

Derryn says:

10:30am | 09/10/09

I don’t care what the performers have to say, this skit should have never gone to air.  I blame the producers.  This skit and the supportive reaction to it just shows how ignorant Australians are to other cultures and their history.  Shame on you Australia.  Good on Harry.  Your comment:

Derryn says:

10:37am | 09/10/09

“But to be honest, we thought that we didn’t get any complaints 20 years ago, and we didn’t get any complaints two months ago at the Med Revue, so we figured it was probably all in good fun.”

And these people are medical doctors!  Probably too busy to notice what was happening in the real world.

Sonny says:

10:39am | 09/10/09

Hey Hey, thanks for Red Faces. Its bold, no talent, crass, tasteless horseplay shows us just how silly we can be when we try. And yes, *that* is funny - even when the acts aren’t.

Racism? Pfft. Nonsense. Get a sense of proportion, you outraged little witchhunters.

Racism is the crap dealt out on the airwaves and blogs of America to Barak Obama as presidential candidate. Racism is beating up people cause they’re different. Racism is the systematic violent abuse of a people. 

Racism: its Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, Krystal Nacht and all the rest. Not a live act so lame its funny.

C’mon. They knew it was lame, you know it was lame.  The Jacksons have been figures of fun for, what, a decade or more - and all by their own antics. “Wardrobe malfunction”, remember that?

Racism my foot.

DEH says:

10:47am | 09/10/09

IMITATION is the highest form of FLATTERY, and if these guys didn’t think the Jackson 5 where worth remembering then they would have imitated someone else.
Have you ever noticed that when they want a mischievous child in a skit. They nearly always make the child a little red haired freckle faced boy. Do they call it racizm then.
The Jackson 5 are entertainers. They expect to be imitated!

TB says:

10:54am | 09/10/09

It’s not a case of Australia being racist. It’s a case of Australians being racially-insensitive. That means not realising when something will be offensive, or being willing to accept when it is.

Jimbo Jones says:

10:56am | 09/10/09

Spike Lee’s ‘Bamboozled’ - if no one has mentioned it thus far might be an educative piece of cinema for people who have no comprehension of why the image of people in black face alone is offensive.  Also, Hey Hey existed pre-internet, the context of the sketch is irrelevant when (all over the world) the image of these dopes in blackface is being presented on websites everywhere. The image itself is offensive - gettit??

Katie says:

10:59am | 09/10/09

The Jackson family are black. Michael had a white face. Is it not an obvious choice to make yourself look like the person you are impersonating ? If they were to impersonate the smurfs, I’m sure they would have painted themselves blue- what’s the big deal?

My family is Scottish, so I have red hair, pasty skin and am covered top to toe in freckles. Since I was a child I have received torment about my “ranga” appearance.  The media is full of snide remarks about “rangas”. Yet if this Jackson Jive were to have performed a skit featuring red heads, I’m sure they would have worn wigs and dotted themselves with brown makeup. Do you think this would have received the same reaction ?

To Harry Connick Jr., I understand that racism is incredibly offensive. But I don’t think anyone took that act as racist until you said it was.

A Jolson says:

11:15am | 09/10/09

nothing to explain - the skit was not that funny -  a bit cringe worthy - best forgatten

Where is the world at says:

11:17am | 09/10/09

So let me get this staight Australia is facing the worst drought ever.  I live in a state where i might as well drink my own urine because we a re facing crippling climate change and do not have water.  We are just emerging from A financial meltdown and we are worrying about a comment made by a B grade blues singer who is a hypocrite.  Lets get some balls, get over this little issue and face the REAL problems in our country otherwise we might as well count down the days that Australia turns to dust…...  WAKE UP AUSTRALIA

Gail says:

11:27am | 09/10/09

I can just imagine what Harry “what’s his name” Jnr was thinking while the skit was being performed…  “how can I make this about me… and capitalise on this to bump up his global recognition ...huh.. defend my country’s newly adopted post racist position”  anyway what does bafffoooon realy mean?  Maybe that what he was reminded of. 

It is wrong to be offensive (intentionally), but far far worse to take offense…!

I could be offended by suggesting this was an Australian view… as in “The View” Australian v’s American cultrue… surly it is a global view these days.

Jim Daniels says:

11:36am | 09/10/09

John Major says:

  10:07am | 09/10/09

  If Connick had not been on the show nothing would have happend grandstanding hypocrite I say.

He felt strongly about something, he spoke up… Geez in the Australia I live in that is to be applauded not denigrated. More power to Harry, I say. He handled the incident in a very gentlemanly & professional manner.
Again, the offence was in the use of “BLACKFACE” not the parody of the Jackson 5 or Michael.

pete says:

11:42am | 09/10/09

this boils down to a few things;
1/ A singer who has in the past done it and now says it would not be allowed to happen in his country, where coincidently Al Jolson is a musical icon
2/ media outlets in competition to channel 9 making hay while the sun shines because it is cheper to run this in the news ad nauseum than actually report real news.
3/ Us really not caring about how they do things in the good old USof A.

It’s OK he will come back, he needs the money

James Brown says:

12:01pm | 09/10/09

Looking at these comments, it’s obvious what kind of people watch Hey Hey it’s Saturday. Clearly the ignorant and stupid seem to find this moronic show entertaining. These ignorant people then seem to find a clearly racist skit… funny. They then tear into Harry Connick Jnr like it’s his fault that he took offence. Well guess what, he’s allowed to take offence. Any black person watching that show would take offence. The polls and comments all over the media at the moment are obviously from white Australians. Wake up you idiots, just because you don’t take offence doesn’t mean black people don’t take offence. It’s not your right to state the skit wasn’t offensive when you weren’t the target.  Then again, we all know what kind of people watch this show , lower class idiots.

TB says:

12:02pm | 09/10/09

Exactly. The offence is not in satire, parody, comedy skits, making fun of Michael Jackson, the Jackson 5 etc… all those things can be done in the name of comedy, no matter how poorly..

The offense is in the use of BLACKFACE.
That thing right there is deeply offensive to many people.

Australia…you didn’t know.
Now you do.

Don’t use BLACKFACE.

Ever again please.

John says:

12:03pm | 09/10/09

The facts are - the skit was a replay of something from 20yrs ago, it was a take off of the Jacksons as they were 20+ yrs ago, the people who performed it were from a multitude of racial backgrounds - the skit was funny not because it was depicting black people in a bad light - it was taking the P*** (excuse me) out of The Jacksons (black, white whatever they are). How come no one has complained about the movie “Priscilla Queen of the ....” which if you follow the same logic makes light of transvestites. Now I am not racist, not homophobic, anti gay, anti transvestite etc etc. I am an Australian and have been generalised as racist - now who should be offended. To all those people who have incorrectly labelled me a racist - in James Packers words F*** off.

leah Archimedes says:

12:06pm | 09/10/09

I can’t belive how many people are off the mark. Blackface is racist, you just don’t do it anymore whether it’s a joke or not YOU JUST DON’T DO IT!
Also, what was with putting a picture of Kamahl on the screen during the skit? Any person who thinks that is not racist is a complete moron and should not be considered Australian. I’m embarrassed by the comments on here, I wish we wern’t such an ignorant country.

Eliza says:

12:15pm | 09/10/09

Australians are NOT racist. How can anyone claim that? I’m an asian - australian. I wasn’t born in Australia. Some of my best friends are black.
We watched the show Hey Hey and thought that it was funny.  We didn’t even think that it would raise the issue. It WAS the REUNION show. So what do you expect. When you see your old friends from school at the reunion, we normally talk about what we had done and remembered this and that…etc. So when they said they were going to do the REUNION Show so you would expect to see some of old faces/performance and that really reminded you of the past/happy moments back in time. “Hey Hey..“had showed the tape of what these guys did 20 years ago and Daryl made it so clear that they were on the show 20 years ago, and will do the same thing today that they did 20 years ago.The intention was NOT to hurt anyone feeling in terms of race/color of people. If anything, you could see it as a tribute to M Jackson. Famous people get immitated ALL THE TIME.That is why they stay famous. People make comments/jokes/immitate Obama all the time. People get dressed up like him, pretending to do silly stuff, that you can see on tv sometimes. People get dressed up pretending to be Elvis, and dance silly and sing terribly too. It was fun and we laugh at it. When we watch this on tv, do you really think of the negative thought towards Obama/Elvis? No we dont, we just laugh and we know that we still love Obama/Elvis. This is the same scenario that happened at the “Hey Hey”.Look at their faces they were all smiling. How can you interpret that this is racism. They are doctors too. They chose to be a doctor, I believe that they will never ever have the thought of being a racist. I can not believe to hear all about this crap in news. It is nothing to do with the racism at all!!

MB says:

12:20pm | 09/10/09

With all due respect to all these overly sensitive WHITE people saying OMG I’m so offended for black people… your missing the other side… why is NO ONE outraged at the use of white face paint. That was clearly mocking those with white skins? You can’t sit there and say its racist and just object to the blackface… unless you’re trying to discriminate against caucasians.

Ranga says:

12:23pm | 09/10/09

If we accept that Aussie humour takes the mickey out of everyone, then isn’t it racist to NOT to do so?

Peter says:

12:23pm | 09/10/09

I read a story about how the interest rate rise in Australia was widely reported in America - mostly accompanied by images of Crocodile Dundee, Koalas and Kangaroos. Is that racist? I can’t say it offends me, many probably would be, but it just shows that they are out of touch, just as the jackson jive performers were out of touch by not realising that blackface was so offensive to some Americans.

phil says:

12:34pm | 09/10/09

if you are white it does not matter what you say about any other culture you are still tarred with the same racist brush.

Leo says:

12:35pm | 09/10/09

Not suprised. The life expectancy of abroginees in Australia is 45 years. These performers were doctors. Not suprised at all. People of back skin were treated as flora and fauna as recent as 1966. As these performers were from various back grounds, they should have known better.  They had qualifications, but no education.

Janet McDonald says:

12:45pm | 09/10/09

Enough.  Mr Connich if you are so thin skinned go home,  America has got to be the most rasist country in the world.  Do you notice in America nobody can be just Americian.  They have got to be African American, Italian Americian, Native Americian, Chineese Americian and the list goes on, even though some families have been in the USA for generations and really it’s obvious where some people come from, that you don’t have to mention it.  Thank God i’m an Aussie.  My Greats migrated here over 100 years ago, and even if i just got here, once i became a citizen i wouldn’t add the old and new counties together.  This i believe is what feuls racism.  You should enbrace the counrty you live in.  Don’t forget where you came from, bring the good with you, leave the bad behind.  What ever country you live in permentaly or become a citizen of that’s your nationality, because that’s your choice to be there. We do have racism in Australia - please tell me a country that doesn’t.

Marcwolf says:

12:46pm | 09/10/09

Who remeber Weird Al Jankovich with “Eat It”  he parodied MJ and there was not a world wide screaming and remorseful chest beating.
I am sure that if we are PC enought we can find fault with any area of comedy.

Guy David says:

12:50pm | 09/10/09

Notice how most of the people who seem to think that the routine was ‘fine’ are the least literate responders? It’s almost as if there’s some sort of correlation…

Njoki says:

12:54pm | 09/10/09

It was the black boot polish. Has anyone looked at a picture of the Jacksons (four) lately? Is their skin tone anywhere near as “jet black” as potrayed in the skit? Has it ever been? The Afro wigs, Jackson 5 music plus perhaps some foundation makeup in different tones and no doubt we would still have grasped what they were trying to achieve. But the black boot polish?

Guy David says:

01:05pm | 09/10/09

Isn’t it funny how Australians are so quick to lambast Americans for being ignorant towards the rest of the world, yet as soon as the situation is reversed, we try to tell people, “This is Australia, we don’t care what you do over there!”? We talk about Harry Connick Junior’s supposed hypocrisy, (even though he’s not in blackface and it’s ambiguous whether he’s imitating a black or a white man) and yet completely fail to observe our own. And how, in this modern world, can people be ignorant of the connotations associated with blackface? The American Civil War? Martin Luther King? The civil rights movement in America? Do none of these events mean anything to anyone? Has our education system really failed us so badly that we’re totally unaware of a 100 year period of slavery, death and depravity? And even if we are, do we really believe ignorance is an excuse?

What if the situation were reversed, and an American variety show had a comedy sketch that depicted Australians as thong wearing, crocodile wrestling bogans? Would Australians be fine with that? Would they be understanding? Would they be telling people to “just lighten up”? Somehow I doubt it.

And what about these ridiculous, juvenile assertions that dressing up in whiteface is just as racist. Really? Do you really believe that? Show me the 100 year period where white Americans and white Australians were indentured to servitude at the hands of rich black land owners, where our entire identity was erased and replaced with a gross, prejudicial caricature. Guess what: you won’t be able to.

My suggestion to the people who think this was acceptable and that everybody else needs to “lighten up”: pick up a history book and expand your minds a little. You might *gasp* actually learn something!

Ranga2 says:

01:33pm | 09/10/09

Good on you guys, I didn’t see the show but seriously world, lighten up!
Ranga, this little Ranga agrees with you and holds no gruges against Chris Lilley!
A well written explanation, I feel for you that you were forced to write it! Wouldn’t it be cool if right now was like sliding doors and we could see what reaction we would’ve gotten if harry wasn’t there!!! I don’t think the blogs would be full of Hey Hey right now!

Ian says:

01:40pm | 09/10/09

People seem to be forgetting that they’re playing the Jackson 5, the Jackson 5 ARE black and DID have afro’s.
So before people bring out the race card just remember who these guys are portraying; because obviously, Harry Connick Jerk didn’t take that? into consideration when he started running his mouth.
If he hadn’t pointed out that the skit was “racist” than nobody would’ve said anything. The woman sitting next to HCJ came them a 7 and the audience told Red to give them a 10 for gods sake. Nobody thought it was bad until Daryl had to apologise.

Another point that has been brought up plenty of times is that HCJ and Robert Downey Jr. both painted their faces black and had afros, to portray an African American and neither of them ever got any backlash from it. So why are these poor guys copping it all?

mark says:

01:43pm | 09/10/09

I think everyone realy has missed the point that Harry Connick Jnr was offended by blackface, not people dressing up like a black man…I think Australia needs to learn what blackface is..if your unsure look it up on wikipedia…

ChelseaLee says:

01:54pm | 09/10/09

I think everyone just needs a nice refreshing cup of Lighten Up.

Those involved in the skit should by no means have apologised. Those offended by the skit have too much time on their hands to analyse what had innocent intent. (Or no mind of their own, making them vulnerable to the whims and opinions of any smooth singing American superstar who wants to make a spectacle.) Get a hobby and stop your whinging.

Better yet, why not channel your ridiculous self-pitiful energy and do something for the people suffering - I mean REALLY suffering - in Samoa, Indonesia, and the like. The world would be a much better place.

Charli says:

02:00pm | 09/10/09

I read somewhere that on U.S. show “The View” Whoopi Goldberg called the whole thing disgusting and immoral.
So then I guess it wasn’t disgusting or immoral when she did exactly the same thing years ago, when she encouraged her then-boyfriend Ted Danson to dress ‘blackface’ to a charity night?

Venise says: says:

02:03pm | 09/10/09

The whole thing was an exercise in tastelessness, stupidity, HTF did it get past the dress rehearsal to begin with?

However, WTF is everyone doing down on their knees about American precepts? The two most vocal beat-ups have been from England and America, yet which of the two countries has the worst track-record of dealing in Black African human beings? To prove how innocent they are not (don’t forget black African racism is alive and well in the United States) they delight in showing Oz up as a land of third world provincialism. And as anyone who has ever been to school will testify to, children always rush to be on the side of the biggest bully.

True to form we Australians rush to grovel at the feet of America, of all people
by sticking up for…wait for it. A member of America’s Deep South, awash with cant. Certainly he has every right to feel bad about his own country’s rotten, rotten race record. But why do we have to take on board his problems of shame?

In case it has escaped everyone, Australia has our own uniquely shameful race record. Sure, it doesn’t manifest itself as little black ‘samboisms’. ‘Yas
miss, Ah done know master’. Or do you all think our very own indigenous people actually enjoy living in the despair and squalor which is their lot?

It sickens me to see ignorant fools taking on board everything American. Most especially their failures. And do not forget the flack coming from England whose own track—record in slavery was utterly repellent.

DG says:

02:18pm | 09/10/09

@  Max 05:59pm | 08/10/09   “oh yeah - except for the locals but they where classified as fauna in those days right Steve?”

That’s not quite right - the Aboriginal population were not counted in the census, that’s not thee same as counting the people as Fauna. Aside from that the Aboriginal people (legally) had the right to vote (the same as the English), but they were actively discouraged from doing so. As an Aboriginal person I find it troubling that we cling to these myths when the is so much “real” history that we could point to to make our case. This extends to the others above that have made the same argument.

@Guy David: I think it was completely acceptable. I’m well aware of the history of racial discrimination both here and overseas. Personally, I didn’t think that it was racially motivated in any way. It was a reference to Michael Jackson. I respect the right for people to get upset about it, but as the same time believe that the group were well within their rights to perform that skit.

I can’t show you where white people are enslaved, but I can point to various parts of the world where white people are oppressed and evicted from their lands (see Zimbabwe) or doesn’t that count?

I strongly reject this growing trend of prohibiting anything that may offend any one. Either we are free to say something that may offend others or we are not. If the latter, it’s time to prohibit religion - because I find religion to be highly offensive (no I’m not exaggerating to make the point, I really do find it to be an offensive, divisive and discriminatory scam). Realistically, the religious population probably find my views about religion to be offensive. Now either we both hide our views, or we both retain the right to offend the other. Which do you propose?

If the later, we must accept the right of these people to behave as they did, accept the right of some to say they didn’t like it and wouldn’t do it themselves and the right of others to laugh at it. Now had they physically assaulted any one, or threatened violence that would be another issue.

I’ll ignore your “If you don’t agree with me you are ignorant” comment because I really wish to give you more credit than that, I’m sure it was just a heat -of-the-moment thing.

MJ of Brisbane says:

02:31pm | 09/10/09

I can’t believe the USA have hit us so hard with this. Can this guy email The View? Did anyone watch it? It was horrible to hear them slander us in such a way! I felt sick to my stomach when HCJ made that speech at the end of Hey Hey. And now look what it’s turned into. It was an outdated performance and the producers should be taking the blame for letting it on, not the whole of Australia.
I hope it all blows over soon, I am over it. We are not a racist nation

Axella Johannesson says:

02:36pm | 09/10/09

Let’s see… How well would it have gone over if they were doing a Jewish thing, and came out wearing big noses, as it used to be done to make fun of them?

Personally, I get that they weren’t deliberately trying to make black people feel bad. They just didn’t care.

It’s not as if they simply applied a bit of brown darkening makeup to look like a Jackson. No. They went for the cheap laughs by going with the old vaudeville-style blackface which was only ever intended to make black people look like stupid fools. And the production team would’ve known the difference, so to claim innocence in this day and age, is a load of rubbish. The very same network’s didn’t get away with it a few years ago on a show meant for adults. Why, then, should “family” entertainment expect to?

On a different note, for these “Jivers” to imply that they aren’t capable of racism because most of them aren’t of Anglo descent, is ridiculous. Any ethnicity is capable of racism!

Charles says:

02:37pm | 09/10/09

Coverage in the UK press demonstrates those living there (including Australians) consider this ‘skit’ to be in questionable taste also:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/lostinshowbiz/2009/oct/07/harry-connick-jr-blackface-jackson-jive
plus http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6865623.ece

I would have liked to believe that Australia is not racist, however events over the past 2 years prove otherwise - eveidenced in the above comments with slurs which I paraphrase as ‘take your American ideas & keep them to yourself’.

NS says:

02:42pm | 09/10/09

For me AT said it all… “Your “skit” is racist and crass and cheap, then and now.”

Blackface is deemed embarrasing and inappropriate fullstop. You may as well have all dropped your ‘grundies’ on national TV. What on earth possessed you to take us back to 1967 again when in the UK the BBC dropped the B&W minstrel show. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zj6o_DZfSw).

However it’s not your fault you were aired. Whoever made the final call to air had that responsibility and abused it.

BTW for anyone who hasn’t yet, read this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface

It’s time for some Australians to wake up, stop playing fence sitters, acquire some class and start leading by example. We need to become more progressive as a nation. Hopefully the population boom will sort a few things out over time.

Regina says:

02:49pm | 09/10/09

I think it’s a good ideal that people are bringing it up and discussing about this issue, which otherwise be left unsaid. The fact that it was not an issues reflects the indifference that people is towards Racialisim. It is fine to creak racialism joke (I do that as welll), it just need to be done with sensitivity.

Knowing that you will be at the audition and been on air, the issue of holdng such a peformance will require alot of thoughts and considerations. The are various kinds of people of diverse background, upbrings and beliefs. The audience 20 years ago, are no longer the same audience now. They have their own perception, the right to speak their mind, participant in journalisim, web posting and have their VOICE.

I’m sure it’s not an intention of racialism but it just happen that it is time for a major Discussion as Australian becomes mutilcultural and mature.

Warm Regards.

James says:

03:01pm | 09/10/09

Gee Australia has turned into a sad nation…..wheres the easy-going aussie sense of humour these days?? I dnt see how the skit is racist…..its not the first time its been done. Get a life people.

Phil says:

03:02pm | 09/10/09

So does that mean the likes of “White Chicks” i.e. people dressing up as white and taking the piss is offensive now. Should we go and attack Robert Downey Junior for his role as a ‘black’ person. It’s just ridiculous.

suzie says:

03:05pm | 09/10/09

http://www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com is hilarious and reverse racism against the majority. I feel sorry for white middle class men… now they really do have the raw deal in life - crap work, poor pay, taxes and bills, misrepresented as bogans. Americans and British do not have any concept about how everyone of every colour and culture is welcomed openly here. Unfortunately, indigenous Australians still have a massive gap between main stream Australians, but that is not for the want of trying for generations.

Daniel says:

03:22pm | 09/10/09

We should really teach Modern World History in schools (with American in it), so most of the commentates here would really know what they are talking about.

Blacks have come a long way in America, the struggle has been a really tough an emotional one. This skit, to them, is offensive, thus inappropriate.

What gives you the right to offend American’s just cause you don’t give a damn about them? Double standards much, you can’t call Asians monkey without and uproar here. Some people like to be called monkey (ha!), but the Asians is offensive, so we don’t.

Kris says:

03:32pm | 09/10/09

I am indian and have lived in Africa and the US. I am embarrassed that some of the idiots were indians and practising doctors at that. To the Australian sensibility it may not seem offensive. Just accept the fact that to any black person this is extremely offensive. I was pissed off when I saw it and then my feeling turned to utter disappointment and embarressent when I learned that some of them were Indians. To my fellow indians, i have only this to say. Learn to see things from other people’s perspective. Even if we didnt persecute black people there are some things that are completely taboo. This is definitely one of them. To white people I say this, even if you didn’t persecute anyone personally don’t use that as an excuse because black, jewish and indian and other people have suffered a lot at the hands of white. We have to live the consequences of this everyday still .. You cannot understand this. It doesnt go away. We cannot wish it away and this kind of crap is adding insult to the injury. Don’t make light of it.

Regarding comedy. There is comedy then there is insult. If you don’t know how to do comedy don’t do it. I have seen plenty of white people making fun of black people, indian, jews but without being racist or offensive.

To the Jackson Jive, just apologize and do something else. It wasn’t funny!

Joel says:

03:41pm | 09/10/09

I am sick of hearing about this. Its not news. It wasn’t racist. The media need to get back to reporting actual news stories.

Props to the boys for doing their skit again 20 years later, I hope i still know how to have fun in 20 years. Granted they weren’t as good this time, but that is a moot point. They had fun and tried to entertain people, that is all that matters.

Cory says:

03:44pm | 09/10/09

It was a good fun skit,  Racism no,  In the US it would be as you still have a race issue, but down under we seem to be able to have a beer after and joke about it with all.  Now Harry Connick Jnr was offended because as other posters have said, it has the USA remembering its past and your ashamed.
Why not look at the US movie Tropic Thunder ??  Ouch.

Geoff says:

04:01pm | 09/10/09

The ‘humour’ of the skit takes me back to the humorous fun of my school days in QLD.  Then, as now, it seems like a good portion of Australians don’t mind having some light comic relief at the expense of the ‘coloured’ ones.  I wasn’t that surprised when I hit University and then the workplace where that famous Aussie sense of humour didn’t let me forget I was a black man.  Funny names and ‘black jokes’ are all character building and it nice to know you’re noticed.  Black, is after all the funniest colour in the comedic rainbow.  I’m personally glad being black is funny, I’m glad some people think it’s a laugh.  45 years of knowing my place in a white man world is just so reassuring and thankfully, the black just won’t wash off, a real problem with ‘black face’. 
It’s not about Harry Connick Jnr or the Jacksons or America, it’s not a slavery thing (and yes Australia did ‘blackbird’ the Pacific and turned Indigenous Australians in slaves), it’s not political correctness gone mad, it’s not even a lack of a sense of humour… it’s about some people realising that it’s just getting a bit old and tired for those of us Australian who are black.  So the majority of Aussies don’t think it’s a bit of harmless fun isn’t the point.  Those of us who have been the subject of a life time of ‘harmless fun’ wouldn’t mind if everyone just gave it a permanent rest.  Being black isn’t an option to wipe on and off just for a laugh. 
I’m a born and bred Aussie so I sucking it up, harden up to so many of my fellow Australian patriots who don’t intent to offend when they have a little chucky at the thought of being black… cause I probably got another 30 or so years worth of it coming my way in a country that, god love it, won’t be changing anytime soon.  It might be a bit harder for me to ‘lighten up’ though… I don’t have the skin condition Michael Jackson suffered from….

Ted Kaboom says:

04:06pm | 09/10/09

I am from a ‘coloured’ South African background, born and bred in Australia.  Personally, I wasn’t offended by the skit at all but I do think we all know ‘black face’ acts are from a by-gone era and are considered racially offensive world wide, not just the US.  If the Jackson Jive team coloured their skin brown and kept the afro wigs, none of the furore would have happened.  No-one minds a send up but common sense should have prevailed.  Are we that naive not to know any better?

Reader says:

04:33pm | 09/10/09

Funny. White guys from upper-middle class families argue about Jackson Jive blackface performance. Hey you, anybody asked blacks what they think?

Blacks don’t care too much actually. They also have jokes about whites, so all this PC crap is constantly generated by crazy PC-nazi whites.

As to the racism, this word sounds like a word “sin” 500 years ago in Europe. So the best way to “win” against complaints is to agree that you are racist, communist and Maoist. Yeah, and that you study UFO.

Ted Kaboom says:

04:37pm | 09/10/09

Firstly, I don’t think anybody on the Hey Hey show were/are racists and I don’t think anybody is offended by anyone dressing up like a black person, just look at all the pretend homeboys walking the streets, however doing a ‘Black-face’ act IS racial and IS offensive.  It stems from the oppressor mocking the blacks and keeping them downtrodden.  To say it doesn’t mean the same is Oz is ridiculous, Nazi jokes mean the same here as they do in the US or anywhere in the world.  I am a dark skinned Australian who experiences jocular racial comments on a regular basis by people (friends included) who assume it’s a harmless joke.  Its not and it offends every time.  One of nation’s greatest asset is the ability to take the piss out of anyone from the local bogan to our politicians and celebrities but occasionally we do seem naive on these sorts of matters and embarrassingly end up looking like a bunch of hicks, still living in a white Australia.

Harry-the-Hypocrite says:

04:50pm | 09/10/09

How about blonde jokes, or women donning blonde wigs - or even guys in blonde wigs - portraying the “dippy-blonde” image? I am blonde, but do I get offended? No! All sorts of people are lampooned, be it blondes, women, Germans, Irish, Italians, New Zealanders, Gays, Lesbians, old folk, teenagers, Christians, Jews, disabled – the list is almost endless – yet there’s no world-wide outrage at all that! Where was the worldwide condemnation when Robert Downey Jnr painted his face black for his role playing an Australian Tropic Thunder? Or Eddie Murphy portraying a Jew in Coming to America? Or the movie “White Chicks” - amongst many such parodies.

Chris Lilley, one of Australia’s most brilliant comedians, has lampooned just about all groups; disabled, Asians, Aboriginals, the deaf, teenage girls, gays, and his Pacific-Islander character, Jonah, was brilliant! There was no international hue & outcry from any of those groups at his characterisations either. Because that’s what they WERE; characterisations!

And just to be ever-so-politically correct, if I’ve omitted any of Lilley’s characters, please forgive me; I wasn’t being deliberately discriminatory!

Lilley’s characters weren’t derogatory, just as hey-Hey wasn’t being derogatory. Hey-Hey was simply an imitation or characterisiation too (albeit not terribly comedic). You can’t imitate the Jackson 5 and keep your face white and your hair blonde! How stupid!

This whole Political Correct business has gotten so ridiculous, it will soon get to the stage where if African-Americans are the only ones not being parodied, there will be calls of racism and discrimination for NOT parodying them!

As for the greatest hypocrite of the decade, Harry Connick Jnr himself imitated and parodied a black minister from America’s South for a comedy skit on Mad TV. It’s available on youtube. So, if THAT isn’t the pot calling the kettle black. . . !

Oops, pardon the pun!!

Claire says:

04:55pm | 09/10/09

If a joke offends someone, it is no longer a joke. You cannot defend this by repeating the same trite argument of “lighten up”. The skit depicts an American band and incites allusions to an American issue (African-American race relations) so if performed in front of an American judge (from the south mind you) you would have to be completely ignorant not to anticipate a sensitive reaction. Australians need to grow up.

Neil says:

05:05pm | 09/10/09

OMG…. Connick Jr played the role of a shyster black preacher on Mad TV, an American sketch comedy television channel. The plot thickens!!!...so does the hypocrisy.

Lisa says:

05:26pm | 09/10/09

Oh HCJ, get over yourself, I didn’t find it racist at all and can tell you HCJ was pathetic thinking that, I will never watch another show of his ever and I hope Hey Hey Its Saturday comes back it was fantastic.

Ben Redman says:

05:32pm | 09/10/09

As harry connic jnr said
IF THIS WAS IN THE USA YOU WOULD HAVE NO MORE SHOW.
did we forget WE ARE IN AUSTRALIA NOT THE USA
do we have to be sensitive sooks like the yanks
get over it and harden the f$%k up
or I’ll sue ya

Fiona says:

06:11pm | 09/10/09

If Australia is such a horrible, nasty, racist country - then why do you live here?  I am seriously interested to know why you would live in a country you despise so much.  Can’t you move to a country that is not as ‘backward’ as poor little Australia?

This was written on another website: “Dr Suresh DeSilva spoke on behalf of his university friends, claiming that their multi-cultural backgrounds distanced the group from being racists.”—- Is this statement implying that only white-Anglos can be racists, but if you are from a different culture then you are not a racist?

Njoki says:

06:20pm | 09/10/09

To Reader (04:33pm | 09/10/09)

You say - “Blacks don’t care too much actually…”
It’s often unwise to make such blanket assumptions. There are as many views as there are blacks. The black race is not a homogenous group.

You say “They also have jokes about whites…”
If the jokes are offensive and / or derogatory, then that makes the perpetrators racist. As Andrew Bolt rightly pointed out in the Herald Sun today , racism is not purely a white man’s game.

Francine says:

06:23pm | 09/10/09

Maybe I live in a bubble, but I had never heard of the term ‘blackface’ until yesterday.  I did not know that painting your face really black was offensive to black Americans.  However, if these men had painted their skin a brownish shade, would it have been less offensive?  If you are going to dress-up as someone, you would naturally paint your face to mimic their skin colour.  If a dark-skinned person dressed-up as a ghost or a pale white-skinned celebrity, you would paint your face white - would you not?  Otherwise, the meaning would be lost.

Observer says:

06:58pm | 09/10/09

Desperately seeking a reason to be outraged and offended, so many people forget that **intent** is 90% of any misdeed… So the Sri Lankan with a whitened face is being racist against white folks, or is racist victimisation reserved for non-white folks? Hmmmmm…. The wafting smell of hypocrisy…

Rod says:

07:27pm | 09/10/09

Get a life, people please get a life. The fun police are pushing this barrow. Why can’t we just stop and enjoy our way of life without someone making a problem out of it.

Njoki says:

07:29pm | 09/10/09

Understand the cultural significance Blackface has in the US and you might begin to see why the skit should never have gone on air.

Some food for thought:
Should Magda Szubanski have been asked to “lighten up” when, a few weeks ago, Kyle Sandilands made the quip about the concentration camp?Afterall, Kyle could have been expressing his “Australian sense of humour”.

Was Kyle chastised because the majority abhor what the concentration camp represents historically or just because we detest his guts?

Should we be just as enraged then , given the history of Blackface in the US?

How do we decide when to assume the moral high ground and when to pass things off as simply “Australian humour”?

stevietee says:

07:39pm | 09/10/09

It was all mildy entertaining in the spirit of the reunion show from yester-year. The only new slant was the I white face for MJ which amde me chuckle. Nothing wrong with this in the context it was in. I was more shocked about HC jnrs outburst than I was about the skit.

Aleta Kilner says:

07:49pm | 09/10/09

So today we find out Harry has at sometime himself played a “black painted faced” priest. Not only did he then “upset” the American people he would have “upset” the church as well. Thats O.K. says Harry. I would think this is hypocrisy….... I was more interrested to see that the 6 med students from 20 years ago had all passed and gone on to be successful. As at that stage only 1 in 3 passed what an credit to them. And guess what they are all still best friends and still doing their Jackson Jive skit. Well that was until last Wednesday. To you the Doctors that are now the brunt of public opinion I hope that you can ride this storm and hold your heads up high.

cassie sturzaker says:

08:06pm | 09/10/09

oh come on they werent being racist, they were paying tribute to the jackson 5, so its ok for america to make a movie with Robert Downey Jr a white american man to dress up as an aboriginal black australian man and make fun of them all in the name of comedy for over 2 hours and getting nominated for his performance and the movie wasnt even funny and it wasnt tasteful yet its 5 men being the jackson 5 for less then 3 mins on a small skit, that wasnt even being racist and now its declared australians are racist!!  of for heavens sake, people grow up and grow a funny bone,

Gibbot says:

08:23pm | 09/10/09

I really wish posters would have the good grace to not bag out HC because he happened to find something offensive. You didn’t? Fair enough. To be honest, I wasn’t offended either, but I can understand why someone else would be.

HC isn’t some freeloading serial complainer. He is an invited guest to this country, and as such deserves a degree of hospitality that isn’t being shown to him now. I’m more ashamed of that than I am of the skit.

Ted Kaboom, Claire, Njoki and above all, Geoff -  excellent comments. Thank you. If only we could open our collective ears and listen every now and then.

Spinnifex says:

08:26pm | 09/10/09

As an Australian I think it would be best if we make sure we eradicate any mention of African-American (A-A) personhood, except in the strictest terms of formal politeness. No humour, no slang, no discussion, in fact no mention whatsoever of the ‘b’ word, particularly as an adjective for A-A people as in a ‘b…’ athlete, actor, writer. 

I happen to agree with Germaine Greer with her comment on this issue on the ABC QandA show this week. She wanted to know where was the outrage when men dress up as women, particularly older women, and ridicule them. Women don’t kick up a fuss when they are objectified, lampooned, ridiculed and denigrated by males putting on ‘female-face.’

How many times have you been to the local fancy-dress fund-raising competition and seen it won by the guy in drag?  More times than not, I bet.

Do we whinge? No, we get on with it. I also wonder what the contribution to A-A female emancipation A-A males have made in the past or are making now?

But I will be very sure to be very polite from now on. I will frown on any humour, good or bad,  about that particular segment of the American population. In fact they are all Americans and any particular background should be irrelevant and not be a subject for polite comment.

I may be engaging in satire, or straying into a form a racism of imposing invisibility,  but I do think I am being very sensible.

BB says:

08:45pm | 09/10/09

Kamahl suddenly realises he was a victim of racism decades later. He willingly went along Indian stereotypes - even appearing in the Pizza movie.

Wallace says:

09:10pm | 09/10/09

Mr Connick, may I ask you what the Bush Administration called the French nation not so very long ago?  “Cheese-eating surrender monkeys”, wasn’t it?

Most amusing. Went over very well on US networks I hear. Been to France lately?

Heléna says:

11:35pm | 09/10/09

@Claire - really?? someone? I’m sorry but anyone taking offence or wishing to censor what people say based on their offence need to sit down with a long tall jar of harden up

it incites illusions in your mind,  in mine it was men dressed up to resemble the Jacksons - nothing more

Supes says:

11:55pm | 09/10/09

Hang on a second, if not being racist means treating all races equally, why is it only OK to take the P&*# out of some races and not others. Surely by trying to “protect” certain races in this way the PC lobby are being more racist than any silly skit on TV.

Brad says:

12:01am | 10/10/09

I find it quite ammusing that if Harry Connick Jr. wasnt on the show, it wouldnt of even been controvertial..
Over reaction? I think so!

Greg says:

12:17am | 10/10/09

What a tragedy!  I’m going for a swim, clear my thoughts!

justanaverageperson says:

12:58am | 10/10/09

should white people be upset when dave chappelle impersonates a white man on his COMEDY skit show?

Le says:

02:08am | 10/10/09

As an African-American living in Ireland, I am absolutely disgusted at how people can “blow off” this incident. It’s very easy to brush it off because you don’t have much contact with African-Americans, but that doesnt make your comments or this skit any less hurtful.

It’s easy for you to laugh because their wasn’t one african-american in that audience or sitting next to you when you watched it.  If you knew the hurt and humiliation of the history of blackface, you wouldnt be so quick to say that everyone is just being too PC.

I can enjoy a joke as much as anyone else and we African-Americans have NO problem laughing at ourselves as a people, but what has really pissed me off is the COMPLETE lack of empathy of some of your countrymen.  I bet if I spoke with some of your aboriginal countrymen I bet they would have a different reaction to your attitude that racism doesnt exist in Australia.  You KNOW better, you know about the jokes that people say about white australians being descended from criminals !! 

YOU KNOW BETTER !!  YOU’RE NOT STUPID PEOPLE—WAKE UP !

These men are doctors for God’s sake..would you want a doctor who displayed such a lack of empathy for your feelings ??

They took an oath of “do no harm” and they didnt quite live up to it.  And by the way, if your are going to do a “tribute” to someone at least have the common decency to do it well. If that group advertised themselves as a tribute band and you paid to go see them, I guarantee all of you would’ve demanded your money BACK !  You are entitled to laugh at what you want and feel what you want, be just know that free will/speech comes at a price and the price may prove a bit costly for ya.

lele says:

02:57am | 10/10/09

And maybe instead of being mad at Harry Connick jr for what he said at the end of the show…and he was invited by the host to say something by the way…maybe you should ask yourselves…who is REALLY befitting from all this attention ??...THE SHOW !!  The producers knew damn well if they put a american jazz singer on the show and asked him to judge “performers” in blackface that he would have a strong reaction to it…COME ON !! Would they have had those performers on if one of the judges was someone like Eddie Murphy ???I dooooont think soooooo…. all the show is getting is alot of FREE publicity…guarantee you that the host and owners of this show are getting a whole lot money outta of this incident !!

Lin says:

09:04am | 10/10/09

Well I hope so Iele….great show! Hope one thin-skinned Americans opinion on an Australian show doesn’t spoil the come back of Hey Hey…
PROUD TO BE AUSTRALIAN!

Sandhya says:

09:41am | 10/10/09

Wasn’t it American Hollywood that came up with the movie ‘White Chicks’? If they think this skit was racist, how come that movie wasn’t considered the same? Not a fan of the show Hey, Hey…but didn’t see this skit as being racist. And I’m not from an Anglo backgorund. People don’t seem to get the Aussie humour…and somehow or the other, we are racist…racist for saying ‘amigo’, for performing a funny skit etc. In that case though, I reckon every single person in the world is racist to some extent. And then everyone is being a hypocrite.

Ginger says:

12:08pm | 10/10/09

I am an Aussie living in the USA.
The theory goes that whites are the only ones that can be racist because they hold the power and they can affect others who are not white. Black people cannot be racist, only prejudiced or discriminatory because they don’t hold power.

White people in American are SO guilt ridden about slavery, and the problem gets worse because since the civil rights movement in the US in the 60’s things have not improved for blacks. They call it white privilege - the society gives benefits to whites over everyone else, that’s the reason given why blacks are in prison, drop out of school, are in gangs, drug addicts etc.

Some black people believe that blacks should take responsibility for themselves, while some blacks blame it all on this white privilege.

All i know is black in the USA are very angry, all the time, and white people are really guilty. There is no humour in this situation. These are Americans, not Australians remember.

As for the skit, well they should have known better. The really silly thing is that many black people think that if their make up was not so dark it would have been OK, but because it was so black it was see as the old blackface.

Black people in the USA have a color scale, where they themselves see “lighter” skins as more attractive than darker skins. it’s called “colorism” and is common in many cultures - Asian especially.

I have heard many derogatory comments about white people come out of the mouths of black people, it’s OK to call whites, dumb, stupid, poke fun at their culture…but you can’t answer back or you are a racist and the WORSE thing you can call a person in the USA is a racist.

It’s all to do with white guilt. Only 13% of the US population are African American, so a hell of a lot of whites voted for Obama. Just like a hell of a lot of whites freed the slaves.

There are some very well educated Black authors in the USA who don’t agree with the white privilege theory, blacks label them “white pawns”, but really they are people that have “made it”

All American Black and White are just capitalists who want a piece of the pie - I don’t understand how Americans can question Australia’s civil rights discrepancies when they are the amongst the worst Western democracies…most all democracies acknowledge gay couples   and grant them residency to be with their partner…Oh no not the USA…i suggest they clean up their own backyard first.

I know the doctors did not mean anything by their act.

Use your brains... says:

12:38pm | 10/10/09

“Its just the Aussie sense of humour”...“harden up”...“we’re just taking the piss”...all comments indicating both ignorance of history (jesus, I knew about the history of blackface/minstelry and I grew up in NZ),  and arrogance towards any other culture. I think its time you Aussies grew up a bit…

Greg P says:

12:45pm | 10/10/09

I find it offensive that Harry Connick Jnr imposed his American cultural values upon Australia, with the arrogance that his values were superior to ours. Many things are offensive in one culture that are not offensive in another culture. However, you do not assume that your cultural values are correct and the other culture is incorrect, especially when you are a visitor in that country!

Joanne says:

12:46pm | 10/10/09

Watch out kiddies, next time you want to put face paint on and pretend your a GI joe and crawl through the bush, some American loud mouth   (oops sorry - was I not suppose to say that)  might accuse you of being a racist.

For all those that doned face paint and dressed up like Michael Jackson at his funeral…..you all must be racist too!!!!!  Theres on difference here.  Just make up to make someone look like someone else.  I did not see anyone making derogative comments about ethnicity during the act, they simply sung a song to get a laugh. 

It was not suppose to be serious.  Even one of the Jackson brothers commented that he understood there was no malace and just some group of guys trying to get a laugh.

It was so refreshing to see some aussie television, I am sick and tired of all the American and UK television shows that keep getting thrust upon us each night, even foxtel is giving us crappy US and British repeats now.

Why should we be so worried about what offends the Americans?  I find their ignorance to all that goes on outside their country offensive. 

They would not know what goes on outside their borders unless it is upsetting or causing harm to them.  I bet not once they would consider all the hurt and pain they are causing to nations around the world by their doing.

Joanne says:

12:48pm | 10/10/09

Watch out kiddies, next time you want to put face paint on and pretend your a GI joe and crawl through the bush, some American loud mouth   (oops sorry - was I not suppose to say that)  might accuse you of being a racist.

For all those that doned face paint and dressed up like Michael Jackson at his funeral…..you all must be racist too!!!!!  Theres on difference here.  Just make up to make someone look like someone else.  I did not see anyone making derogative comments about ethnicity during the act, they simply sung a song to get a laugh. 

It was not suppose to be serious.  Even one of the Jackson brothers commented that he understood there was no malace and just some group of guys trying to get a laugh.

It was so refreshing to see some aussie television, I am sick and tired of all the American and UK television shows that keep getting thrust upon us each night, even foxtel is giving us crappy US and British repeats now.

Why should we be so worried about what offends the Americans?  I find their ignorance to all that goes on outside their country offensive. 

They would not know what goes on outside their borders unless it is upsetting or causing harm to them.  I bet not once they would consider all the hurt and pain they are causing to nations around the world by their doing.

Carlos says:

01:09pm | 10/10/09

If that minstrel show you guys put on was meant to be a tribute then you guys really need to rethink your act. Just because you come from ethnic backgrounds it doesn’t give you an excuse to take the piss out of other ethnic groups. I reckon if someone went on Red Faces and did a sketch parodying Lebanese, Indians or Sri Lankans none of you would be laughing about it. It was clearly a minstrel show right from the shoe polish black skin right down to the dress sense. I wonder if anyone who is defending this skit is willing to defend The Chaser’s ‘Make A Realistic Wish Foundation’ sketch from earlier this year?

Dalma says:

02:19pm | 10/10/09

What a shamble - racist, bigots and holier-than-thou. Poor Kamel has been the brunt of many a hey hey show. People shouldn’t mock others and call it humor, let alone black humor !  That the skit was a Uni Med revue 20 yrs ago - shows these dunces haven’t progressed as far as originalty goes.Times have changed mates - get with it. MJ’s obituary isn’t over yet, so show some respect for the dead.Another thing, just because you are born in Srilanka says you are coloured - you can be of any race, colour or creed. Another furphy. That they are qualified practicing Doctors - say no more. Prehaps, they should be vets, or interns, or bullamakanka’s - they obviously have NIL social skills. Whatever do they teach at Med school ? Omygosh.

susan says:

03:42pm | 10/10/09

To the 6 doctors.  Congratulations on your success in life.  Men from mixed racial backgrounds, all being able to achieve success in their chosen field, as you said it - based on abilities.  This is the ultimate evidence that Australia is not racist. While your act may not have suited everyones taste, by definition there was nothing about it that was racist or should make people think Oz people are racist, just the opposite.  As Harry said- you coultn do it in america -well you didnt and he should not have imposed his personal opinions in judgement of our collective humour.  again my congratulations to you all.  If you haven’t seen it already, check out the comments in hot topics on the ‘the view’ american talkback show.  They have received the most amount of comments ever in response to their comments on your act and Australia not treating the aborigines well.  There has been an overwhelming reaction from Australians in support of your right to perform the act and pointing out the obvious - on racisim - america is the pot calling the kettle black.  I dont think you should regret having done the act, it has certainly polarised our opinion of ourselves as an integrated, non-racist society, particularly in comparison to America.  You have done us a favour by bringing this issue to the fore.  If every act, film, speech, article was canned if someone may be offended- there would be no entertainment industry.

Tom says:

04:04pm | 10/10/09

I can’t believe the UK and US media have taken this so much out of context, and couldn’t wait to label the whole of Australia as a racist and backward country. The people in the media who have branded us are the ones who have never been here and have no idea what Australians are like. They take the moral high ground but are displaying the same prejudice, arrogance and ignorance that created racism, slavery and black face in the first place!

The act was a tiny moment in Aus TV, for a segment in a re-union comedy show .. Red Faces was always intended to be silly, stupid & satirical .. not to be taken seriously !! It definitely wasn’t intended to be racist .. the act entertained some, underwhelmed some and obviously offended others ..
But to take one comedic skit out of context and label a whole country as racist .. well now, that’s racist!!!

Tom says:

04:04pm | 10/10/09

I can’t believe the UK and US media have taken this so much out of context, and couldn’t wait to label the whole of Australia as a racist and backward country. The people in the media who have branded us are the ones who have never been here and have no idea what Australians are like. They take the moral high ground but are displaying the same prejudice, arrogance and ignorance that created racism, slavery and black face in the first place!

The act was a tiny moment in Aus TV, for a segment in a re-union comedy show .. Red Faces was always intended to be silly, stupid & satirical .. not to be taken seriously !! It definitely wasn’t intended to be racist .. the act entertained some, underwhelmed some and obviously offended others ..
But to take one comedic skit out of context and label a whole country as racist .. well now, that’s racist!!!

Reader says:

04:11pm | 10/10/09

> Njoki says: 06:20pm | 09/10/09
> You say “They also have jokes about whites…”
> If the jokes are offensive and / or derogatory, then that makes the perpetrators
> racist. As Andrew Bolt rightly pointed out in the Herald Sun today , racism is not
> purely a white man’s game.

E.g. I’m offended by the fact that you argue with me - does it make you a racist?

Actually I don’t care about any offenses - people have to be stronger and stop behave like small children. Call me racist, RACIST or any other word you know - I just don’t care AT ALL.

Bruce Wayne says:

04:40pm | 10/10/09

Hang on a tick.

Is Connick seriously suggesting we should have been taking the Jacksons (various) seriously all these years? Seriously?

Meh. Jacksons shmacksons. Disco kitsch & the King of Schlock.

Ripe for parody. Full stop.

lily says:

08:40pm | 10/10/09

Just goes to show how dumb Australians are when they throw out Robert Downey Junior in Tropic Thunder. He was playing - get this - an Australian “white” actor that gets a skin graft so he can pass as a “black” soldier. Get it - a dude playing a dude playing another dude. He was in fact making a satirical portrayl of “white” attitudes towards “balck actors/characters” because not all black people go around talking like you a jive turkey sister. There is a difference between satire - like Dave Chapelle who in his dsguise as a white readers - is in fact a light skin african american pretending to pass as a white person. Aussies don’t get satire becuase your humour is still stuck in the 50s. White chick was making fun of Paris Hilton and yes even white people make fun of girls like paris hilton. There have been those suggesting aboriginals using white paint during religious ceremonies could offend white people - well when people of different colour kill off a whole tribe of white people then you can say minorities are too sensative - okay!!!

Derek says:

10:08pm | 10/10/09

What a load of nonsense. Harry Connick is a drop kick. I thought your skit was simply brilliant. (as was the whole show). Your skit was in no way offensive or racist. For those who think so, grow up and get a life.What s shame the world has come to this.
We desperately need a great show like Hey Hey. I think the ratings prove that. Bring it back Darryl. Well done Network 9.

annabelle says:

11:56pm | 10/10/09

meh

TeakLipstickFiend says:

11:57pm | 10/10/09

Something for all of you who think the skit wasn’t offensive:
http://www.derailingfordummies.com/

Though it looks like a lot of you have already bought this book!

Dave says:

12:38am | 11/10/09

This has nothing to do with solely American attitudes - I’m white, Scottish, I live in the UK, and I was bemused and genuinely offended by Jackson Jive’s crass display of insensitivity. It wasn’t funny - it was boorish, ignorant and inexcusable. Regardless of whether it was a reunion of an act from 20 years ago, no explanation can justify the actions of the individuals involved, and the TV channel that broadcast it. The whole episode demonstrates the contempt those involved have for people of black ethnicity. It’s high time that Australia and anyone else who wants to pass off this mindless, insulting behaviour as comedy drags themselves into the 21st century.

Wally says:

08:42am | 11/10/09

People have forgotten absurdity.

England gave us the Goon show,  Monty Python, Red Dwarf, Till Death us do Part, Spike Milligan’s Q series. The only one that was successfully copied by the US was Till Death us Do part, whicg became “All in the Family”.

In both of those shows, you did not laugh WITH the bigot, you laughed at them, because of their absurdity.

When Spike Milligan did “Mr Lalkaka” on the Goon show, you were not laughing at INdians.  You laughed at the absurdity.

When Spike Milligan did the sketch “pakistani daleks”, you are not laughing at Pakistanis.  It’s absurdity. And when he did the “Eurovision Joke Contest” you are not laughing at the Irish, Germans, Jews, etc.  It’s the absurdity.

I get absurdity.

and it’s absurd to claim that the skit on Hey Hey was racist.  THank god these “ethnic” australians absorbed the long history of Australian humour, which has absorbed humour from around the world.

American’s can’t do “Monty Python”, but it was huge over there.  They can’t do “Thank god you here”, when they tried to it tanked.  Yet it’s one of the most popular uploads to the US.

willowtree says:

08:58am | 11/10/09

“...because as ethnic Australians we should have known better ourselves.” Hang on, going by your names (as I can’t see your faces) you seem to be ethnic Indian, not ethnic Australian (that would be the Aborigine). I would have thought an educated person such as a doctor would know that, but then you didn’t seem to know that you were being a d*** either.

matty mac says:

11:21am | 11/10/09

there’s a difference between dressing up and painting your face in a caricature of a black american and dressing up and painting your face to look like the jackson five. the latter is in the same context as dressing as elvis.

David says:

07:19pm | 11/10/09

There is only one litmus test to apply in my view.  If the audience where a black audience would you have performed the same act?  I speak for many black people living in Australia who would have not bothered to stay to rate the act zero.  Everyones experience of racisim is different.  As a black man from England who understands the history of ‘black face’ like many I was offended and embarrased for a country I love. and ps.  please don’t belittle the issue and yourselves any further by explaining your own heritage.  how would you like it if i did an act that dipicted irishman scrambling for potatoes whilst the english watched on for entertainment.

David says:

08:00pm | 11/10/09

who invites someone on their show like New Orleans musician Harry Connick Jr to judge a number of amateur acts and then proceeds to present him with a bunch of guys jumping around stage painted up like minstrel’s???

It’s not like Harry Connick Jr had the choice to switch the TV off, he was presented a show and asked to comment on it. And surprise surprise he found it offensive.

Snarl says:

10:55pm | 11/10/09

The most astonishing thing for me about this incident is not that the skit was performed, but how defensive mostly white Australians become about accusations of racism. The majority of the comments on this article demonstrate perfectly the knee-jerk denials that are the typical public reaction to this kind of event. What do you have to lose by acknowledging that race remains an issue in Australia? To me, that indicates just how far we still have to go in this country.

Daniel J Wynn says:

01:44am | 12/10/09

Willowtree the comment that they are ‘ethnic Australians’ isnt saying that their ethnicity is tied to Australia, it’s saying they are of an ethnic minority and are Australian citizens. Even my 9 year old daughter understood that; and are we to now pick them apart over their grammer?

Honestly I’m not embarassed to be Australian I’m embarassed to be tied to any race that spews discriminatory garbage at a bunch of well-meaning performers putting themselves on the line to entertain you people. The joke could have been better thought through, but then the chasers produced some of the best comedy this country’s seen in years and they’re only remembered for the few jokes the media thought they could win some ratings out of reporting on.

Don’t come crying to me when the word ‘black’ or indeed any colour becomes taboo, and you sychophants see that you’ve reduced the world to a boring monotomy where everyone’s too afraid to do anything because some members of the public may disapprove.

Jacktar says:

02:57am | 12/10/09

Now i know why Vegemite brought out a new, light-brown coloured product…it’s a much more neutral, politically correct tone then BLACK!!

“Chris”, it must be such a burden for you being in the minority and one of the few ” marchers” in step wth the band. I don’t know how you do it with that HUGE chip on your shoulder.

John says:

03:46am | 12/10/09

When a group of non-blacks are able to get up in front of an audience in blackface make-up and NOT be condemned for it, that’s then the world will know it has truly gotten past racism.

It’s hilarious to see the USA and UK—these self-professed beacons of morality—pointing the finger of discrimination at Australia. The UK criticism cannot even be taken seriously, with the amount of violent Islamic immigrants their spineless government imports as a matter of appeasing minority groups at the expense of their natural citizens’ safety. I think a country whose media re-labels the word “Muslim” to “Asian” whenever Islamic crime takes place has a very REAL racism issue to contend with than the one they falsely perceive to exist in Australia. Your own backyard, boys. Take a look there!

And US criticism on the other hand is a joke too. Everything the USA preaches about racial unity is laughable. Give me a break! Can’t the US see that their feeble attempts to show the world their unrivaled shining example of a “racial unity” looks SO contrived and forced that it’s awkward to watch. In fact, it’s embarrassing to watch them pretend that the USA is a Utopian dream for all races and that if maybe they tell themselves that everyone is getting along, then, hey, it just might work out that way… maybe? uhh.. right? Wrong!  America is, without doubt, the country with the biggest racial segregation gap in the western world. It’s like they have attempted to crudely patch this problem together with craft tape and cheap glue. The racial divide in the US is immense and it’s precisely because of these kind of attitudes coming from white America regarding the Hey Hey skit.

Ironically, these attitudes only further the racial divide with white America’s “coddle the blacks” attitude. Unrealistic expectations from overprotective white Americans which will, in time, likely make it a crime to even look at a black person. Sadly, these people don’t see that they are creating SUCH a safety buffer around African Americans that whites ARE going to start treating them differently simply because there will be such social stigma created around what you can and can’t do around blacks. Whites won’t know how they are supposed to act around a black to avoid offending them. And it’ll come down to either keeping a long list of “what not to do around a blacks” memorized… or simply avoiding them altogether. Don’t believe it? Well, just you watch and see! It will surely happen if things continue at this rate. And if Americans believe that electing a pseudo-African American president (who is really Kenyan/Indonesian) suddenly makes them the most enlightened, racially tolerant nation on earth, then I’m afraid that’s just another cringe-worthy case of the American majority’s massive arrogance, self-absorbed egos, and not having a damn clue about anything going on outside their own country.  How dare the USA try to export it’s slavery guilt onto Australia and expect us to share their shame for the horrendous acts that THEIR ancestors committed!

Now, let me say that, YES, the blackface minstrel acts that took place were very offensive WHEN they were performed in the USA with the specific intention of making a mockery of blacks many, many decades ago. But regardless of how the modern PC dummies try to spin things, this Hey, Hey skit was simply NOT the same thing.  Whether the performers knew about blackface history in the US or not is irrelevant. And only an utter imbecile could correlate historic minstrelsy to a tribute act that took place in 2009, believing that both played out under indistinguishable circumstances. The same malicious intentions of minstrelsy were NOT present in this skit. The act was NOT intending to make a mockery of blacks. And anyone who believes so must be a gullible fool to think that these guys could perform an INTENTIONAL blackface act like those of the 1930’s on live television in this day and age and get away with it. Do not prove yourself a fool by repeating this argument ad infinitum, as it doesn’t hold up. You can try to use this to bolster a weak argument, but you know damn well it’s not the case.

The black minstrel shows are HISTORY. They are a thing of the past that simply no longer not exist in modern day society. Just as today’s African American population are not slaves, neither are they lampooned as minstrels like they were many decades ago. By the same token,  today’s white Americans are not slave-traders, nor do they perform intentional minstrel acts to mock blacks. In fact, far from it. Black entertainers are celebrated and idolized for their contributions to music and film - and this is evidenced by the performers in this Jackson 5 skit.

John says:

03:48am | 12/10/09

Coninued…

To move forward with unity, African Americans need to forgive the past and put their ancestors slavery issue to rest for once and all. They must stop looking for excuses to victimize themselves, finding any little reason to play the race card. What happened in the past happened.  Blacks, you cannot change history. By harbouring resentment, you keep your entire race held back. Understand that modern whites are NOT the same people that their ancestors were, and there’s nothing whites can do to change ancient history either. 

And white Americans really, really NEED to give themselves a break and let go of the long-held guilt over slavery. These acts were perpetrated by ancestors of your ancestors. You need to absolve yourselves of this guilt before you can understand exactly WHY the Australian perception of dressing up as a black person in black face paint is far different from the USA’s. Absolve and rid yourselves of the slavery burden that is NOT your fault and leave it in history. But PLEASE DO NOT try to reflect your guilt-ridden legacy onto Australians. Doing so is shameful and abhorrent. We don’t want to adopt your misery and carry it around like you do. We will not share guilt that we played no part in. Nor will we be labeled racist for refusing to share this legacy when America itself refuses to forgive itself over. Without doing this, the USA will never move forward in race relations.  If you wish to cling to your guilt, white America, please keep it to yourself but don’t expect Australia to change its perception of race and racism to match yours.

Times have changed. Americans need to let go of the past and embrace the now. Wipe your silly preconceived ideas about modern minstrel shows and blackface and place them in the annals of history where they belong. Realize that if modern-day white people dress as blacks (or vice versa) this is NOT cause for instant offense and is simply a tribute and entertainment. When blacks can watch an act like this and feel honored by the tribute rather than getting angry with misplaced offense, THAT is when the world will know races are unified.  Those people who argue that the “shoe polish” tone of the black make-up applied to the performer’s faces was darker than the Jacksons’ actual faces—it doesn’t make a difference what shade of black they applied. Even if it was lighter in color, the media stir still would have erupted simply because a group of “white men” were seen performing as African American men in dark face make-up. Please don’t claim that this media frenzy wouldn’t have occurred if the performers’ face make-up depicted a lighter tone. We all know that’s not true at all. Harry Connick Jr’s issue was raised over the fact that these guys were making blacks look like “bufoons”. Harry didn’t mention anything about make-up or specifics, so it’s evident he would have commented exactly the same way, even if the performers used a lighter tone of black face paint.

Furthermore, I think Hey Hey should intentionally do another skit with performers dressed at the Jackons in blackface makeup again. YES! You heard me correctly. They should do this simply as a statement to the USA that we will NOT cradle their guilt over slavery, and also to show that we do NOT share the same heightened tensions and sentiments regarding race as the USA does. I feel really sorry for those uptight Americans who cannot look at anything anymore without seeing race issues. That’s not post-racial America - it’s just a clear signal of heightened racial tension. Let’s face it… if there were no racial issues, then white Americans wouldn’t be minding their P’s and Q’s and getting so uptight when another country does something that threatens to topple their delicate house of cards, known as race relations. Sorry to be that threatening gust of wind, USA, but if you want better race relations, then build your house on stronger foundations. 

And now the US has to try and force their view on Australia about how to handle race-related issues, when they have no idea how to even handle it themselves! What a joke! USA, if you think electing Obama suddenly makes you “post-racial” your country is in for one HELL of a shock. Mark my words!

If the US took a more relaxed attitude to race, by freely allowing white people to dress as blacks and blacks to dress as white without judgment or silly media repercussions, like we CAN do in Australia (or at least COULD do, before the US Media intervened), then maybe the USA wouldn’t have such ugly racial segregation issues to deal with in the first place.

I’ll end this letter by repeating the sentence I started with: When a group of non-blacks are able to get up in front of an audience in blackface make-up and NOT be condemned for it, that’s then the world will know it has truly gotten past racism.

Think about it!

Henry says:

10:10am | 12/10/09

Fellahs you don’t owe anyone an apology. America racism is legendary - white on black; black on white and black on black. Anyone who visits the US regularly observes first hand what they get up to. We don’t need Americans [as fond as we are of them] dictating whats on our TV. Daryl you should have shown Mr. Connick the door. Get a life Junior.

Peta F says:

12:38pm | 12/10/09

I cannot believe these seemingly educated men believe that it is relevant to mention their own racial background as some sort of defense for their actions. I do not care if you are Indian, Malaysian or otherwise. The lead singer of this group seems to believe that his Indian heritage relieves him of any accusations of behaving in a racist manner. ANYONE can behave in a racist way, no matter what country they come from, racism isn’t just “a white thing”. I cannot believe the ignorance of his comments, he seems to believe that if he tells people he is Indian it gives him a free ticket to behave however he wants. IT IS NOT OK and I don’t care if you are Indian. Your comments and ridiculous defense only show that you are ignorant as well.

Tom says:

01:40pm | 12/10/09

As a kid, I loved my golliwog ...I loved the contrast of its eyes to its black face - it was beautiful to me, its bright, intense colours - my favourite cuddly doll. When I saw black people I was in awe of their physical beauty, strength, their dark skin. The white Americans perhaps saw that too, and instead of honouring it, they went about destroying, enslaving and making a mockery of it, causing generations of suffering, pain and hardship.

Then they turn around and offload their guilt and their issues onto us, label us racist .. just from one comedy act not to be taken seriously! Yes ..obviously they are still coming to terms with their bigotry.

Roger says:

04:30pm | 12/10/09

Taken from an American magazine;

Why is it that anyone can win a Grammy award, but only blacks can be in the Black Music Awards ?
A white woman could not be in the Miss Black American pageant, but any color can be in the Miss America pageant. If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships… You know we’d be racists. There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US .....  Yet if there were ‘White colleges’, that would be a racist college. In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights.  If we marched for our race and rights, you would call us racists.
You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you’re not afraid to announce it.  But when we announce our white pride, you call us racists.

Racism is alive and well in America.
Australians show their racist side by doing silly 2min takes on two bit TV shows.

Get over it people

Lisa says:

06:01pm | 12/10/09

5 years ago I went to a fancy dress party - along with 4 other mates, as the Jackson 5 & we also did a small skit.  I suppose that makes me a racist too. Amazing ! I had no idea I was. I went to the Michael Jackson concert (and paid to get front row seats!) I have most of his albums and I love the music of the Jackson 5.  And for the record, when I saw the skit on Hey Hey - I never once thought it was racist….just a tribute to one of the most talented artists in the world. Well done guys - I am sorry for you that a MINORITY have lost their sense of humour!

Whitey says:

08:33am | 13/10/09

Oh, so they are not real White man. They are what is known as Honorary White men. Trying to be white to get by. So thats even worse honorary white men trying to prove to the utmost of being an honorary white by intentionaly attempting to disgrace a black man. That what is called the lowest of the low.

Lucas says:

11:05am | 14/10/09

Without a doubt the black guys were the better dancers.

Schartos says:

02:52pm | 14/10/09

“Out of the six of us, only one is Anglo-Celtic Australian. 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.”

I don’t think it helps to identify yourselves like this. In my opinion you are simply Australians. Your ethnic heritage need not precede the fact you are Australian.

Most Aussies I think will agree that it’s easier if we Aussies simply think of ourselves as Aussies, no more or less. We can be proud of our ethnic heritage, it enriches all of us, but an Aussies is an Aussie, not an *insert ethnic term* Aussie.

I’m 7th Gen Australian. My line sailed in from England when the first free colonies opened for business. You wont find me calling myself Anglo Australian - I don’t associate with myself at all like that. Perhaps I’m too many generations deep? Where does that leave me? An Australian Australian? Imagine trying to pull that one off! Nope, I’m simply an Aussie, equal to all and any other folk who have come to live in and love this wonderful country of ours.

Mark says:

06:12pm | 15/10/09

Well done lads, Your 30 seconds on red faces was way more interesting than anything Harry Connick Jnr can muster! I dont care what Americans think because they are always pointing the finger at others, but never at them selves. WE ARE AUSTRALIAN and thats all that matters. No one can tell us who we are and what we stand for.  If I type “Jackson Jive” into youtube, there is 11 videos on the first page!!! If it was racist like the whole world of America says, why dont they censor it?????

Mark says:

10:53am | 16/10/09

Just because you’re not “white anglo -celtic” (whatever that even means) doesn’t mean its not racist. Brown people can be racist against black people too. I think the lesson here is that Australia is not particularly racist unless of course you are black. Just out of interest, how many black doctors do lot work with?

Appalling stuff guys. And you do know better.

Carter says:

03:28pm | 21/10/09

I don’t think there was anything wrong with this at all. The whole event has been blown entirely out of proportion, as the media and overly dramatic people these days tend to do. Grow up people and get over it! You watch people in the cinema and on stage act and portray those of other races every day for our entertainment, and no one seems to care. These guys were doing exactly the same thing, so what’s the big deal??
As said before   GET OVER IT!!!!!

Matt says:

10:30am | 22/10/09

I’m pretty surprised at the ignorance of people on this forum.
If you know the history of American “black faced” comedy then you would realise why it unacceptable. Blacks performers (actors, singers and even comedians) were not allowed to perform to white audiences and when white performers would paint there faces black it was to mock and belittle african americans who were considered second class citizens and nothing better then slaves.
There is a difference between ‘portraying’ a character and mockery. I think the Red Faces guys got it wrong even though they didnt mean to offend anybody. It doesnt mean Australia is a ‘Racist’ country just perhaps a bit ignorant to some of the lesser known history of America.

Jase says:

03:44pm | 09/11/09

I’m also pretty surprised at the ignorance of people on this forum.
If you know the history of Australian “red faces” comedy then you would realise why it is acceptable. Performers (actors, singers and even comedians) were allowed to perform to audiences and hello… free country.
There is a difference between ‘portraying’ a character and mockery. This skit was certainly not meant to offend. Regardless of what some people think.

Australia is certainly not a racist country. We have multicultural policies and have one of the best track records for human rights in the world .
As for knowing about American history. That’s calling the kettle black. The average Australian, is a lot more informed about American history, than the average American is. Why? Simple. We have a better education system, have a better health care system and better policies for dealing with human rights. Even our welfare system is superior.
So I am sorry, if you are offended by a joke. We have a saying over here ‘suck it up princess’....

Bonn says:

08:28pm | 24/01/10

@ Matt: Last time i checked we were in Australia not America, it is ignorant of you to think that everyone in Australia should be aware of the history behind Americas race comedy. But i doubt these men set out to “mock and belittle African Americans”, more like poke a bit of fun at a famous show biz family from 20 years ago, which generally wouldn’t be viewed in a bad light considering the fun media and Australians in general treat anybody high profile.

I Smell Poop says:

05:47am | 04/03/10

Hey Hey Hey Australia,
  Hasn’t anybody picked up on the facts about Harry Connick Jr.?
1.) He’s not a native of New Orleans.  He’s from Weston, Connecticut, where he attended public school from 1970-1982.  His picture is in all the yearbooks!
2.) His real father was never the District Attorney of New Orleans. Connick Sr. is or was one of the presidents of Sony Music and a stockholder in Sony Pictures.  He himself had a career in show business and appeared in the film ‘Let’s Make Love’ with M.Monroe and Y. Montand.
                                            Best regards,
                                                    I Smell Poop!