Harry Connick Jr. Clashes with Blackface Jackson Family on Aussie TV
Apparently enough time had elapsed since Michael Jackson's death that a cheeky comic tribute to him and the Jackson 5 seemed in good taste. At least it seemed that way a troupe of Aussie TV performers, who rounded out last night's performance as the "Jackson Jive" in full-on blackface. The crowd ate it up, but an American judge who knew better ground the show to a halt until somebody apologized. Video after the jump.
It wasn't supposed to be like this for Harry Connick Jr. or the iconic Aussie variety series Hey Hey It's Saturday, for whom the midweek show represented a much-anticipated reunion special. But there they were: The Jackson Jive, all Afro wigs and black face paint, led by their late superstar brother, Michael, done up with a pasty clown visage and aviator sunglasses. Not cool, said Connick: "If they turned up looking like that in the United States, it'd be like Hey Hey There's No More Show," the crooner spat, giving the group a score of zero in the episode's mock-talent competition. (The Aussie judge beside him was much more forgiving, allowing for a smile and a 7.)
The host brought Connick -- who'd appeared on the show before -- back out after the break for an official mea culpa: "I know that to your countrymen, that's an insult to have a blackface routine like that on the show, so I do apologize." Connick thanked him, adding, "I know it was done humorously, but we've spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons, that when we see something like that, we take it really to heart." As if this weren't the year two-thousand-and-freaking-nine. "If I knew that was going to be part of the show, I probably - I definitely - wouldn't have done it."
Our Aussie moles tipped us to the full video below, but feel free to skip ahead to 2:15 if cringeworthy ethnic tone-deafness is NSFW, or if you just want Connick's priceless reaction, or both.
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Yes Justin, I would say most of us thank God you are not in Australia, in ANY capacity.
You deride Aussie's for being a 'so-called developed country', yet you write from one of the most institutionalised countries in the western world. Your upper house of Parliament is still, despite votes & reforms against it, largely filled by hereditary positions. British media, schools, businesses are still run by a 'good old boy' network that would make an American redneck drool, and of course let's not forget all of nice old Duke of Edinburgh's lovely racial gaffs, all around the world!
It was an insensitive, poorly thought out skit, but that's all
:
From the Guardian in the UK:
To Australia, the world's most savagely self-parodic country, where there is news of an important breakthrough in race relations.
We lay our scene on long-running Australian TV variety show Hey Hey It's Saturday, which finished in 1999, but was back on air for a reunion special on Wednesday night - along with celebrity guest Harry Connick Jr.
As is the custom on these kerrazy studio programmes, the singer was roped into the judging panel, passing his views on - among others - a musical comedy troupe introduced as The Jackson Jive.
Now, having watched the Jackson Jive's act, Lost in Showbiz can tell you that they bring almost nothing new to the lame old business of impersonating Motown's most dysfunctional family. But I guess their USP is that they perform in blackface. Isn't that darling?
Not according to Harry, oddly, who marks them zero (the Australian judge to his right comes through with a 7. "I thought you were very cute"). "Would you give them anything for turning up?" asks the bemused host. "Man, if they turned up looking like that in the United States …" comes his guest's retort, "it'd be Hey Hey There's No More Show."
Seemingly oblivious to the point being made, the host cheerily points out that this is a comeback of sorts – the Jackson Jive in fact performed this act on the show twenty years ago. You know, in the olden times of 1989, when blacking up was totally acceptable.
Anyway… If you take a look at the mind-boggling video clip, you will note that we rejoin the show after the break, during which the host seems to have had a somewhat unconvincing epiphany.
"I noticed that when we had the Jackson Jive on," he says to Harry, "and it didn't occur to me till afterwards, I think we may have offended you with that act … I know that to your countrymen, that's an insult to have a blackface routine like that on the show, so I do apologise."
Very good of him. In Australia, of course, it is perfectly acceptable, and we thank the nation for yet another important contribution to the annals of human culture.
I'm still waiting for these so called racially liberated American's to show me their national official apology to the African Americans for the hundred of years of slavery and other form of racist abuse.You would think being so loud in their anger at a silly skit by multicultural Australian's, they would protest loudly to their own government to make amends. Nah, who am I kidding, American's are too busy trying to be the moral police for everyone else in the world rather then looking in their own back yard.
At least here in Australia we have stepped up to the plate, recognized our past wrongs and apologized.
I have to agree with Yank Aussie (and yes, Yank is a humerours racial slur, like Pom, Kiwi and..well actually any other racial nicknames DO sound racist, so I will stop there!)
Yes, this was an insensitive act, & yes, the producers should have realised that something that was funny 20 yrs ago may not be so overlooked today in our overly PC world. But if there is no racism intended, is something still racist? Or just stupid? Obviously each of you will decide for yourselves.
As for this forum, people here are trying to say that America Or Australia or England is hypocritical, more racist, or has a worse past than the other. I call on you to name one country in the WORLD that doesnt have a shameful racial past, as well as current race problems & divisions & racist individuals or groups. Pretty much any country that had a native population displaced by European settlers had that native population stomped on, & most of them still live worse off (Australian Aboriginies, American Indians, New Zealand Maoris etc). England has an entire political party (the BNP) which is whites-only, and there was South African Apartheid, which apparently now is all over? Hell, even countries with entirely black populations have different races/tribes trying for genocide on each other. Much of the western world has spent the last 60 years being conditioned to hate the Germans, the Japanese, the Russians, the Chinese, & the Muslims (though I guess that isnt specifically a racial thing), & now the North Koreans (& possibly the Chinese again, I cant keep track).
So until you can proudly say that your country lives in racial harmony (& killing everyone who isnt your colour doesnt count!), pull your head in & get out there & fix your own backyard, before you worry about the neighbours!
Europeans and the USA have 90% of the worlds wealth and resources even though they compose only 10% of the worlds population, and much of this wealth and power came from slavery. The justification for this horrible inequality of wealth and power was then, and continues to be today that the USA and Europe are the 'wise custodians' of these resources.
In a world where western science has proven without a doubt that all human beings are biologically, intellectually equal, these western cultures are still as ignorant as ever.
What hope is there for human progress when the attitudes in the most technologically, militarily and economically advanced nations is still that 'its all in the past' 'other people did it too' and 'its not hate full if we don't see it that way'.
This is not a subjective issue, as individuals and societies accountability for ones actions is key. Without accountability there can never be real human progress. Part of that accountability is taking responsibility for the past, the only way that can be achieved is through awareness of that past and by showing empathy and respect for those who have been wronged.
The use of people in comical, exaggerated 'black painted face' as entertainment in western society, comes from the cultural attitude that blacks and other dark skinned peoples are inferior. Historically they had to be shown as inferior as justification for enslavement.
Any western society that still has these 'painted black face' characters within their society are showing that they are perfectly willing to put aside accountability for the past injustices and the suffering of OTHERS, when the images make them laugh.
Where is the 'age of progress' western societies were supposed to lead the rest of the world into? When these societies are unwilling to make even the smallest sacrifices for that progress.
db
Trust American WANKERS to to blow something relatively innocent out of proportion. The media loves this crap, and make a fortune out of it. WHEN ARE AMERICANS GOING TO STOP INTERFERING IN EVERYTHING????? You hypocritical, arrogant pigs need to sort yourselves out before you criticise, condemn, invade and exploit the rest of the world for your own selfish and political satisfaction. No wonder the world hates you. FUCK OFF!!!!
Yank Aussie: The issue here is not about blaming Aussies for what happened on that show.
It's about pointing out that ALL western societies that choose to continue showing these degrading characterizations of blacks as fools (or any other similar degrading characterizations of minorities) , are showing their unwillingness to make even the smallest sacrifice for the sake of showing accountability for past wrongs. That accountability is key to any real human progress.
If western societies, who have 90% of the worlds wealth and power still are unwilling even in 2009 to become the worlds leaders in real human progress, then what future can we expect for our species?
Oo yes, because we all know that the British media is a real bevy of intellectuals. Granted the Guardian is one of the more respected (or least trashy, depending on ones position, though I find it to be fairly opinionated & out of touch).
Though considering your previous rants, I guess it would be right up your alley.
Seth are you suggesting we watch movies for history lessons? Okay, where's my 'Dancing with Wolves' DVD?
"if there is no racism intended, is something still racist?"
Well, that's a short argument: yes. People can be just as racist out of ignorance as out of venom; in fact, there's a fair argument to make that the former kind is by far the more prevalent.
Again, to Americans (and others, and fellow Australians) reading these comments with their jaws hanging just off the floor, I can only say: be glad you're not here, where the tabloid media have not only spent the last two days debating WHETHER BLACKFACE IS RACIST... but seem to have concluded THAT IT ISN'T. I shit you not.
ALEX THE AUSTRALIAN - Newsflash: If you cause distress and offence, whether or not you intended it, the thing to do is apologise - not point fingers at past misdeeds of others. It's really quite simple.
Who decided that racism was not intended? Dude, racism is ALWAYS born of ignorance! So these guys and posters like you were ignorant about blackface being considered racist (a shocking level of ignorance in my view) - what has been your reaction upon finding out? Do you apologise? No, you simply dismiss the feelings of the people who have been offended and insist on your right to stay ignorant. Fine. But then don't get upset when right thinking people condemn you.
The Jacksons are huge contributors to global musical culture yet these guys decided that the only way to pay tribute to them was to apply the shoe polish (because after all, that is what all black people look like) and make them look like fools. You really think the Jacksons were flattered by this so-called tribute? How is it a tribute to make people look like morons? I am sorry Alex, whether or not you are worldly enough to know it, the depiction of black people in this way IS considered racist in most of the civilised world (and not just America). Black people do not appreciate being portrayed as buffoons for your amusement - can you understand that? The fact that there was slavery in America or Apartheid in South Africa is no justification for what happened just a few days ago on Australian TV, to much amusement from the audience...none of it is (or was) right. Can you understand that?
As a black man, I am just glad to live in a country where today, such behaviour is roundly condemned and not defended. I am glad that in Britain today, the overwhelming majority of people consider it unacceptable to depict a race of people as fools. Oh and by the way, the BNP are considered to be idiots and are not taken seriously by the overwhelming majority of the British. They exist but are so insignificant that as a black man in Britain, I give them no thought at all. Apartheid was condemned globally so to use it as justification for this incident is just stupid!! Sheeeshhh - what's the point?
To The Cantankerist: Thank you for your post dude. You are right, my jaw hit the floor a long time ago. I am just stunned by the thinking of many of the posters on here. I previously thought it was a generally accepted truth in civilised societies in this day and age that to depict another race in a humiliating and degrading way for amusement is racist - clearly not, as far as a disturbing number of Australians are concerned. I assure you, no black person I have spoken to about this is in the slightest bit amused. The reaction is generally one of deep disgust.
Yes, from time to time, stupid things like this occur in Britain and the US (every society has its idiots). The difference is that these things are roundly condemned by society generally when they do occur and the message is that this behaviour is no longer acceptable. That does not seem to be the case in Australia and that is truly sad....
As an Australian who has lived in the UK for 10 years, and recently returned. I have to say two things. One, I cringed when that skit came on. It was so obviously insensitive and uncool. It's not about political correctness but plain insinuation. I watch some of the old black and white movies on late at night on ABC, which are mostly 30's to 50's American movies, and the earlier you go, the more you see African Americans as servants. When I first went to New York, there were masses of black kids looking for a dollar by working the trolleys. The US has moved on. The UK had race riots in Brixton to Notting Hill in the 60's, after emigrating to work the tube, and facing a very hard time. This brings me to my second point. Both countries have societies learning to take responsibility for their attitudes to race. It means that you dissolve the distinction, so that its simply about the individual and their ethics, the concept of difference destroyed. Many Australians have I'm afraid missed the point, and would be advised to not protest too loudly I know there wasn't intentional malice. But ignorance is no excuse. History matters.
Wow. Who'd have guessed that the Australians would have such an inferiority complex that they would rally behind anything Autstralian, even something so shamefully racist.
Justin,
You are right, in that the people doing this act, the shows producers, & I daresay most of Australia were (and probably still are) ignorant of the fact that this style of 'blackface' is considered to be so offensive to blacks specifically, and 'right thinking' people in general. The show DID apologise when this was brought to their attention. I personally thought it was in bad taste in that the guy was dead, but realising that the act was a tribute (or mockery) towards Jackson, that was pretty much my only thought on it. Especially since I have seen several similar tributes & mockerys to any number of entertainers over the years, many of which use props or makeup to point out the fact that a person is black, Asian, Australian, Islamic or whatever. So I guess I could apologise on behalf of my country for using a method of tribute/mockery such as blackface, rather than say, just dressing up as the Jackson 5 & leaving it at that.
A lot of the above defensiveness from Australians isn't becasue they want to defend their right to be racist (though we have those morons like everywhere else - they just dont like them damn foreigners telling them what to do!) but because they dont see why it has become such a big deal overseas. Bear in mind that Australia doesn't have a particularly large black population, & has certainly never had the racial riots that US & UK have. Maybe this makes us a bit naive, or backwards, depending on your view. So at worst to us this was nothing different to Americans portraying Indians as owning casinos, or the British portraying the French as rude (I'm not actually sure if this is a common stereotype over there - apologies if it isnt!). Yes these are still racial stereotypes, & probably not helping multi-culturalism in general, but they dont call for the condemning of the nation as a whole. My point is the act WAS simply (& obviously) poking a bit of fun at the Jacksons. And even if it was emphasising (not mocking) their race for the purpose of entertainment, could we not be just as upset at TV shows that portray Australians as slow & uncouth, or Germans as big drinkers Or people who use Arnold Schwarzeneggers accent to mock him? Or Jewish people as wearing a Yarmulke. Or black people at being good at basketball. Or French for being rude. Canadians as being polite (though I guess they may enjoy that stereotype!)
As for my posting & your reply Justin, I dont believe I 'dismissed your feelings' anywhere, & I certainly never intended that. I AM slightly offended that so many people see this one skit & say "Wow, Australians are all racist & backwards" but I realise that one has to accept that the world will mostly judge us from our media content. And I DO reliase that racism is born of ignorance as is pretty much every predjudice. But racism itself is an active predjudice, or belief, or action, whereas ignorance is just that - we learn, & we try not to make the same mistakes again.
And as for your comment about me using Apartheid to justify this act? Now who is being ignorant? I said "As for this forum"; most of that post was referring to the back & forth 'blame game' people were throwing around in this forum, not trying to justify the skit itself. In fact nowhere in the entire post did I justify this act, or racism. I simply asked a question, then pointed out that every country has racist elements
So yes, we will hopefully say as a nation "OK, blackface is offensive" (though knowing the general public I doubt it) & yes, we probably could have realised this years ago when the US & UK did. And yes, I find it sad and a little embarrassing that so many Australian on here are getting defensive as a race, rather than saying 'Our bad, we'll try not to let it happen again'. But I also think it unfair that so many people (not all of them, I know) take this one act & condemn Australia as a whole. This is just, for want of a better word, ignorant!
To argue that 'Australia' is racist or that 'America' is racist is simply generalising about an entire country, causing seperation and division between cultures which to me is simply another form of racism. Can't people see the irony in their comments? There is a point of contention here but some of the ways in which it's being dealt with is appauling. THIS HAS REALLY GONE FAR ENOUGH.
Anyone who thinks this skit is Ok is not only blatantly uninformed about race issues worldwide as well as Australia's racist history period. Shame on the producers for exhibiting their ignornace in approving this act and allowing it to go to air. No better than Sam Newman's idiocy when he painted his face black to parody an indigenous AFL player. Who said anybody with a degree, a medicine degree no less, was educated? How disgracefully embarassing this is. Even more so, that we had to subject someone like Connick Jr. to this shit. To his credit, at least he had the grace, intelligence and balls to make a stand against it.
I am American living in Australia since 1972.
Racism is rife in Australia.It is so institutionalized that I am not surprised your average Australian can't fathom what all the controversy is about.
We have many asian tourists come to our town, to harvest fruit. The general concensus is that "They don't spend enough money in town" and "They shouldn't be allowed to drive". Comments such as "they are filthy dogs" and "they are less than human" have been made.
As a American, I fully expect comments like "If you don't like it, go back to where you came from, you american scum". I also expect the average australian to be puzzled why that would be considered racist.
I like Australia.. I just dislike smallminded racists who think they can hide their inhumanity by claiming a cultural right to it, or that oppressing and belittling others gives them a claim to superiority, or is some way humourous.
Of course there are those who try the old "yes it was wrong but they did it too, so that makes it right" .. when what they really mean is "as long as it doesn't happen to us it's all right"
The Indians have been playing a dirty game of calling Australian's racist this year (there are financial/economic reasons why they are doing it) and I suspect Anand Deva's little stunt was part of it, a set up to make anglo Australians look bad, but it back fired on him.
Tell him what you think of his attitude, don't blame the rest of Australia for this idiot from India.
Hey they obviously didn't realise the political significance the "blackflace" routine has in the US, and how offensive it is to African Americans. I don't think they intended to offend anybody, and for what it's worth, they apologised.
Morally it's no worse than the highly popular Ali G, or the highly offensive yet even more popular Borat. Apart from being lame, I don't see the difference between this skit and the various "blackface" characters performed by The Mighty Boosh.
why is that all these "offended" people are unable to explain what is offensive when you ask them? could it be they don't know and are only repeating what they think they should rather than what they really think?i have yet to hear someone explaining why it is offensive other than "you can't do that in america", last time i checked i was in australia! I can't recall any australians bringing africans here to live as slaves, the only country i know to do this was america, we do not share their guilt.
Connect The Dots:
You're right! How fiendish those Indians have been! Getting themselves bashed and beaten up on so many occasions over the last couple of years! But this one, this Anand Deva, was BRILLIANTLY devious: he set the trap by performing this risible sketch on the show TWENTY YEARS AGO, so that he could revisit it on this reunion show and embarrass honest Australians in the eyes of the world!
Here's something I'm wondering: is there a point at which conspiracy theorists look down at the arguments they've put forward and say "wait a second... I'm a total nutbag!"?
Fair dinkum, I pose the question whether the people on here saying they are Australian are ACTUALLY Australian. Its really easy to put "IM AN AUSTRALIAN' in front of what they write to enforce their views.
Seriously though, most of the people defending this skit are actually not saying it was okay. What they are saying is how hypocritical you yanks are. The noise being generated by the yanks here and on your so called chat shows is beyond belief. To have a go at Australian's must be a real easy way to condemn some one else rather then look in their back yard.
I'll say it for the third time. WHERE IS THE OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL APOLOGY FROM AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT FOR ALL THE WRONGS THAT HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED ON AFRICAN AMERICAN'S? Here in Australia we voted in a Prime minister, among a variety of reasons, who promised to say sorry to our Aboriginals, and guess what he did and was widely applauded for doing so. So to brand Australian's as raciest is simply wrong and maybe all you loud mouth opinionated yanks should hang your own heads in shame.
As an african american, I did find the Jackson Jive skit somewhat offensive especially coming on the coat tails of Michael Jackson's death. That skit wasn't much different than something Al Jolson would do or a minstral show. Personally I think black people can be the butt of a jok ethe same as any other race. When its done as honest parody or social satire it works. But I think blackface simply turns most people off. It would be like dancing around with a swashtika and throwing people in fake ovens with a laugh track in teh background. It would just be a hard sell as far as comedy.
Robert Downey Junior did walk a fine line in the comedy he did, but I think in his case when he pretended to be black, the make up was done well and the humor was more about how insane hollywood is. It was more about how out of touch his character was with reality that he didn't relize he might be crossing the line into an offensive area. It was more a case where he himself was the buffoon, not he making fun of blacks in a racist manner. It wasn't so much just poking fun at black people in a negative way like a minstral show.
These jackson jive fellows seemed to be wearing the darkest mud they could find just on their faces. All they needed was the white lips. In teh old days blacks were often depicted as black as tar with huge lips and ape like features. I think if the make up had been done better ( face neck and hands) and they did it as true impersonation or parody, maybe it wouldn't have been offensive. I don't think they meant to be offensive at all , but the end result was not good.
Australian American humour is VERY different. Harry, all those other Americans and some of the Australian public who got "offended" are being waaaaay too sensitive. This show is aimed to entertain the AUSTRALIAN public, not to offend anyone. Also, the people who completed the act are not 'bogans' but are highly educated people gradutaing as specialists in the field of medecine (cardiologist, radiologist, neurologist), these people's intentions are not trying to offend anyone with this act, but are simply reliving a moment.
Harry Connick stated, "If you dressed like this in American, ohh man..", yeah in AMERICA, but which country are you in Harry? Yes. AUSTRALIA.
Think about it, if Harry Connick (American) wasn't judging none of this controversy wouldn't have happened. The other 2 judges (Australia) do heavily criticise the act, but not even close to the extent of being emotionally offended, making this act a world wide headline.
Come on Americans, please think rationally before critisicing this act and realise that is an AUSTRALIAN tv show not AMERICAN.
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