Still Fresh And Funny In Australia: Blackface
"Hey Hey It's Saturday," an Australian variety show that ran for 28 years, recently aired a reunion special in which they brought back some classic bits, including this performance by a Jackson 5 tribute group called the "Jackson Jive." You know what never gets old for the folks on Prison Island? Blackface! Oh, how they chuckle! Somewhat less amused was American celebrity judge Harry Connick, Jr., who helpfully explains at the end of this clip that those of us in this country "have spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons that when we see something like that we really take it to heart." Indeed.
In contrast, the UK's The Black and White Minstrel Show ran until 1978. Take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoYOraDt1_k
Why are they dressed up like mariachis but singing a Brazilian Samba? This is so wrong, it's actually a parody of itself.
Could that have been intentional? WTF?
Definitely not intentional but, seriously, where's the peyes and tzitzit?
*cringe*
Classy move on Connick's part, though.
If that right wing twerp is elected in Virginia they can perform at his inaugural ball.
From the comic geniuses who brought you Yahoo Serious….
Do you ever notice how Australians can't get out of their country fast enough to travel almost as soon as they can get a passport?
I guess I am more surprised that the Gong Show lasted for twenty years in Australia.
Or that this is the best gig Harry can come up with.
Daryl Somers (the host) makes it seem like blackface is not an issue in Australia and that there's no history of it being used in a derogatory manner. That's a lie and pleading ignorance is absolute bullshit.
Also: I'm not going to argue this isn't awful, but given how few people of African descent live in Australia, I can't say I'm surprised.
The funny thing is that there is complete reversal. Our regular mockings of Asians and Indians would never go over there….
But only because their history with Asians is almost as fraught as America's race thing. Also the War is still pretty well-remembered and it involved a lot of unarmed Criminals being beheaded by Japanese dudes.
And you don't need to be of African descent to have dark skin.
It's not ignorance; it's racism. Australians are some of the most repulsive racists in the world. Just ask what's left of the Aboriginals.
Well, Ron Obvious, aren't you a charmer!
I am an Australian. I am also an Aid Worker. I have worked in many countries across the world (including Australia, Sweden, Angola, Swaziland, Liberia, China, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam and Tonga), and I have learned the following:
1) When you make sweeping generalizations about members of a country, you look like an idiot. (This point is particularly salient for you.)
2) Every country I have ever lived in has members who engage in repulsive politics: i.e. politics which protect certain citizens, and which exclude, demean, and vilify other citizens.
3) Every country has enlightened citizens who are embarrassed by racist and demeaning behavior of the other citizens .
4)Yes, I agree with you, the Indigenous Australians are fucked. (FYI – only "racists" still call them Aboriginals, which you would know if you actually cared about their plight and weren't just making a pithy comment on a blog to make yourself look good.)
Actually, there are ever-increasing numbers of people of African descent in Australia, especially from the Southern African states.
the biggest turnoff for me was always how they say, "How-ewr Yew Going?"… well, that and Rupert Murdoch.
How about Rudy from the Mighty Boosh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZQJTNNw0co&feature=related
Too funny to be racist??
Sort of racist? But after you've had a character in wood-face, who knows. Or naan-face, in Old Gregg.
Michael Jackson is looking faaaaaat!
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/03/19/1016519809826.html
In defence of Australians…I'm p*ssed off and ashamed about this skit. But please don't categorise a whole nation as racist because some f*cktard in TV land thought this was funny and put it on a prime-time TV show.
This was a huge show in the 80s and 90s until it got axed 20 years ago. Channel 9 is suffering serious ratings decline here so they decided to drag out the festering corpse of what used to be one of the station's highest rating shows…Hey, Hey it's Saturday (but on a Wednesday… wtf?!).
The only good thing to come out of this dross will be that 'Hey Hey, it's racism day' will hopefully be taken off the air for good.
Most of us aren't racist, but the target audience for this shite are the type of people who think Two and a Half Men is the greatest show to ever come from the US, so I wouldn't expect a high intelligence level.
Don't hate us, we're good people (mostly). Besides, I'm pretty sure there's still a fair bit of racism going on over there (the KKK are still active, right?) maybe you've just got wiser TV execs that make sure the whole world doesn't know about it…
This is extremely upsetting.
Australian racism in 5 easy links:
WHITE AUSTRALIA POLICY (1901-1973)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Australia_Policy
STOLEN GENERATIONS AND TREATMENT OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE (approx 1890-1970)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_generations
CRONULLA RIOTS (2005)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYiAAxZWyys
RACIST BASHINGS OF INDIANS IN MELBOURNE (ongoing)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/16/2687254.htm?section=justin
I love my country, but we've got a loooooong way to go.
I don't want to incur too much commenter wrath. It was stupid, backward and offensive. But to judge a nation on a bad decision by a commercial tv network to air controversial material… come on! The pot calling the kettle black? (too soon?)
Full disclosure: I am Australian.
We're cool. Speaking as someone who spent eight looooong years silently thanking her friends from parts elsewhere for cutting her slack re: the Bush era, I feel you.
Just the same: THANK YOU FOR BREAKER MORANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you. And you are welcome. Though in fairness I can't really go claiming credit for Breaker if I refuse to take responsibility for Hey Hey.
I have always found Canada and Australia to be amazing alternate reality versions of America. All three are massive geographic areas, populated by natives (indians, aborigines, indigenous people, whatever you call them) and the colonized/invaded by settlers from Northern Europe in the last 200 years. Isn't it odd how different these three countries are given the similarities of their origin?
Here's a classic case of Americans trying to impose their cultural values elsewhere. This was an Australian programme intended for Australians.
We don't have that horrendous history with black people that you have, and hence the whole blackface thing doesn't strike most of us as "racist". Sure, we wouldn't do that in the US, but as I said, this ain't the USA.
What most of you don't understand is that the humour in this piece was the fact that Michael Jackson tried to shun his black heritage and worked endlessly to make himself "white". It is a tragedy, but also laughable for its sheer absurdity.
It strikes me as intersting how so many of you people have made racist anti-Australian comments too. Nice one, folks! Fight "racism" with racist hate… pathetic.
Australia isn't a racist country, tho like all nations there are dark pockets here and there. But when we look at how, even in 2009, there's so much of an issue over race in the USA, it's hypocritical to criticise Australia where race relations are generally good, from the USA where people are still routinely categorised as "black", "white", "hispanic" etc cetera. Over here, we're all just "Australians".
"What most of you don’t understand is that the humour in this piece was the fact that Michael Jackson tried to shun his black heritage and worked endlessly to make himself “whiteâ€. It is a tragedy, but also laughable for its sheer absurdity."
You speak of Absurdity yet in no way realize the fucking trashy Irony of this statement alone. You know Michael Jackson? what you've read or what you've seen on Televison makes you an expert on his thoughts and Feelings? oversimplified bullshit. No rational person believes Australia to be somehow more racist than any other western country, but any rational person who follows current events ,Has been to Australia, uses their brain or has Australian friends would say that Australia Does have some pretty deep scars. Then you have the nerve to add
the word "… pathetic."
to this shit
"It strikes me as intersting how so many of you people have made racist anti-Australian comments too. Nice one, folks! Fight “racism†with racist hate"
Australian is not a Race, I don't think any one was talking about lynching Australians. Defensive Much?