Harry Connick, Jr. upset over MJ and Jackson 5 "racist" stage act

I don't think Michael Jackson would have watched this and thought blackfaced shuckinh' and jivin' was "funfilled entertainment". I think he would have been hurt by the white face as well. He couldn't win for losing! I think the Jackson family being pointed out would be especially hurtfull to them.

You don't have to be black to discern that this was demeaing to black people. Who can't tell when someone else is being hurt? It's called empathy. Even if for some reason one can't understand or take the time to undrstand why someone is offended when their race is being mocked to the point of of disdain you should take their word for it, it keeps the peace.
 
They knew what they were doing, they called themselves the Jackson Jive. Jive being a slang term used by blacks or about blacks.

I think someone would have had to actually be born yesterday not to know the history of
black people in America and how that modern day minstrel was totally unaldultered RACISM.
In an ealier post these educated fools asked the producers if it was ok so they had some idea. The point of that is "when in doubt, leave it out". It is offensive and racist when appearance, culture, situation, speech etc is of anybody caricaturized to the point of buffoonery and mean spiritedness, thus perpetuating hate and disdain.
Couldn't agree more. They knew it was offensive, and not just to Americans. They didn't care. I think they knew they'd be causing a big commotion but did it anyway.
 
The "stupid program" you're referring to is one of the most popular shows in Australian HIStory. Hey Hey It's Saturday is a feel-good, light-hearted show where a lot of characters come together and have a lot of fun, and it went for 28 years, and this was the two reunion shows. The reunion shows had incredible ratings, lots of people love the show, so please don't call a show with 28 years of wonderful history a "stupid program", because you couldn't be more damn wrong. Daryl , Jackie, Plucka, Ozzie, Red, Livinia, Russel, they're all great characters, so it is absolutely disgusting that you brand the program "stupid" when it's just filled with fun, genuine people out to entertain Australia.

As to my take on the Jackson Jive skit: here's a link I found http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,28383,26182943-10229,00.html

This shows that while quite a few in Australia were offended, a lot thought there was nothing wrong with it. A lot of Australians don't know about the taboo of "blackface", or even that it was any different from say using green face paint or blue or something. It was just a tribute, done in good fun, not meaning to be racist or anti-black or anything like that. In fact, the Jackson Jive consists of Indians and Lebanese men - who, if you've been listening to the news, are part of ethnicities which have been the victim of racism recently. So why would they try to be racist to blacks? It was done in good fun, but connick whoever he is felt he had to try to drag the show down, try to paint it as something racist, when we're dealing with two different cultures here! Done in america (as I have now learned), that act would be considered racist. But in Australia, for a majority of people (see the link above), it was just seen as a light-hearted tribute. Different social-cultural contexts!!! And that makes all the difference.

And why should we australians have some obligation to know every detail of american culture. It's not like all americans know every detail of chinese culture, or saudi arabian culture - incidents where tourists offend people of these cultures occurs all the time. The skit was not racist in its intent, and thus to interpret it as racist is unfair both to the Indian and Lebanese men who performed it, and to Hey Hey.

I'm so upset that Hey Hey has had to go through this. It is a great show, and to see it attacked so mindlessly by people who don't appreciate Australian cultural mentality (again, see the link above) really is upsetting. The Hey Hey gang was there for a fun-filled reunion, and to see them dragged through the mud is horrible. I just hope Hey Hey comes back, and this political correctness gone mad, never-ending FALSE accusations just stop. The show is for people of all colours, that's why Indians and Lebanese men were performing on it. And it is NOT racist.

BRING BACK HEY HEY FOR GOOD !!!
1.
The blackface caricature in American theatre was done for entertainment more than out of malice. Does that make it less offensive?
Similarly, when Rosie O'Donnell went all "Ching Chong", she was doing it for fun. So it's not racist then? Well, it was offensive to me as a Chinese.
Fun-filled? So simply with the 'innocent' intention of having fun, people don't have to be held accountable for any stupid things they do or say?
They used to print 'funny' cartoons in newspapers, typecasting Chinese with the buck teeth and line-eyes, and African Americans as having huge lips and a bottle of alcohol in one hand, etc.
Check this out: http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/menu.htm
A LOT of racist things in the past were done for fun. Blackfaces, racist cartoons and comics, children's stories with racist undertones. So in your opinion, they're all fine because they weren't created by the KKK...merely by people who just want to entertain, get laughs and make a buck?
 
The Daily Weekend News Oct 9

Moonwalk by Michael Jackson - Excerpt

Jackson was right about being a good example. We see this in songs like We are the world, we are the children ... It also shows us just how shy and vulnerable he was, and how well he writes even in this short passage.

"The goody-goody image in the press". It wasn't until a couple of years after MOONWALK the book that Jackson really became known as ... bizarre ... and another couple of years before my peers picked it up.

With original Foreword by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, a new Introduction by Motown founder Berry Gordy, and an Afterword by Michael Jackson’s editor and publisher, Shaye Areheart.

“I’ve always wanted to be able to tell stories, you know, stories that came from my soul. I’d like to sit by a fire and tell people stories – make them see pictures, make them cry and laugh, take them anywhere emotionally with something as deceptively simple as words. I’d like to tell tales to move their souls and transform them. I’ve always wanted to be able to do that. Imagine how the great writers must feel, knowing they have that power. I sometimes feel I could do it. It’s something I’d like to develop. In a way, songwriting uses the same skills, creates the emotional highs and lows, but the story is a sketch. It’s quicksilver. There are very few books written on the art of storytelling, how to grip listeners, how to get a group of people together and amuse them. No costumes, no makeup, no nothing, just you and your voice, and your powerful ability to take them anywhere, to transform their lives, if only for minutes.” –Michael Jackson, in Moonwalk

From the 1988 edition:

Megastar Michael Jackson’s singularly brilliant career and intensely private lifestyle have become a magnificent obsession for millions of rock fans and celebrity watchers throughout the world. His double-platinum singles rocket to the top of the music charts with a velocity equaled only by the inevitable accompaniment of wild rumors about his eccentric personal life. Now for the first time, Michael Jackson breaks the fiercely guarded barrier of silence that has surrounded him in a remarkably candid and courageous book — Moonwalk.

In this intimate and often moving personal account of Michael Jackson’s public and private life, he recalls a childhood that was both harsh and joyful but always formidable. Michael and his brothers played amateur music shows and seamy Chicago strip joints until Motown’s corporate image makers turned the Jackson 5 into worldwide superstars. Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 have combined sales of over 200 million albums. He talks about the happy prankster days of his youth, traveling with his brothers, and of his sometimes difficult relationships with his family over the years. He speaks candidly about the inspiration behind his music, his mesmerizing dance moves, and the compulsive drive to create that has made him one of the biggest stars in the music business and a legend in his own time. The Guinness Book of World Records lists Thriller as the biggest-selling-album of all time.

In Moonwalk, Michael Jackson shares his personal feelings about some of his most public friends…friends like Diana Ross, Berry Gordy, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Fred Astaire, Marlon Brando, and Katharine Hepburn. He talks openly about the crushing isolation of his fame, of his first love, of his plastic surgery, and of his wholly exceptional career and the often bizarre and unfair rumors that have surrounded it.

Illustrated with rare photographs from Jackson family albums and Michael’s personal photographic archives, as well as a drawing done by Michael exclusively for this book, Moonwalk is a memorable journey to the very heart and soul of a modern musical genius.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/20819145/Moonwalk-by-Michael-Jackson-Excerpt




Michael Jackson: the song, the album, the movie, the making-of

REVOLVER: There’s life in Michael Jackson yet. Since his untimely death four months ago, ***** has become the biggest- selling artist of the year, but all those people rushing to reacquaint themselves with this weird musical genius by buying his albums represent just the preparatory work for the real ker-ching event that will arrive in two weeks, writes BRIAN BOYD

For the past few weeks there has been a team of guards outside a Los Angeles recording studio, where the finishing touches were being put to a new Jackson song, This Is It , which he had planned to unveil at his first London 02 show.

The song has been completed sans Jackson, with new backing vocals from his brothers. From the little that has leaked out about the song, we know it will be a big, barnstorming, orchestral affair, drenched in maudlin sentiment, and will undoubtedly go straight to No 1 around the world.
This Is It is being released only as a “radio single”, meaning you won’t be able to buy the single or download it. The security is such that it’s not being released to the press before its first radio airing next Monday.

There’s a good reason why the press aren’t getting the song and why it’s not being made available to buy: these four minutes are worth millions.

The radio single is being used to trail the album of the same name, which goes on release on Oct 26th. This Is It will be a double CD affair. One disc will have the original master recordings, including two versions of the new song; the second will have previously unreleased versions of Jackson’s songs (remixes, etc) as well as a new spoken-word poem called Planet Earth , which will be really nauseating, but never mind.

The full album, including the single, will be on iTunes on October 26th. While there’s been no official confirmation, you can bet the radio single will still not be available as an individual download. To own it, you will have to buy the double album.

That’s why the security is so dramatic. The song is the only thing people really want from the “new” album – most of the rest consists of previous releases or remixes. As long as the song is “locked”, it looks likely that the This Is It album will be No 1 at the end of the year (The only serious contender will be Susan Boyle).

But Jacksonmania doesn’t end there. There is also a This Is It film, which has been cobbled together (err, lovingly assembled) and which details all the events in Jackson’s life between April and June of this year – mainly rehearsal footage for the 02 shows. There was a bit of legal argy-bargy about who actually owned these 100 hours of footage, but the two main players, the Jackson estate and AEG Live (the promoters of the 02 shows), struck a deal with Sony Pictures and handed over the tapes for $60 million (€41 million).

The Jackson estate flexed their muscles, insisting that the film could “not include any footage that puts the superstar in a bad light” and that they had approval over the final edit.

Sony Pictures has gone into warp speed marketing overdrive with this. The first thing it did was announce that the film would be released to cinemas for a strictly limited two-week run only. (It goes on release in the same week as the This Is It album).

Tickets to most of the US screenings have already sold out, and Europeans are being advised to go to the official site (www.thisis ittickets.com) to order tickets.

Cinemas worldwide are already arranging 24-hour screenings of the film in order to keep up with demand (the two-week timeframe is being rigidly enforced). Still unannounced is the distinct probability that the film will be out on sell-through DVD in time for the Christmas market.
So, there will be no escaping Michael Jackson in all of his multimedia guises over the next few months.

And apparently they’ve just finished a The Making of the “This Is It” film DVD.

The This Is It single is released to radio stations only on Monday. See listings page 20 for details of the Man In the Mirror Michael Jackson tribute shows in Dublin’s Olympia this weekend.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/theticket/2009/1009/1224256235163.html






Today in
Michael Jackson History

1970 - The Jackson 5 began a five-city East Coast tour at the Boston Garden in Boston, MA.

1998 - The BPI certifed the album "Janet Jackson" double platinum.


2001 - Quincy Jones' autobiography was released. In the book Jones describes his work with Michael Jackson.

MichaelJackson-WithQuincyJones.jpg

Michael with Quincy
 
Its just rediculous. When these kind things occur it seems like society has progressed at all.
 
Obviously cause there is nothing else much to discuss... fans are taking this out of proportion and making this thread popular when at the end of the day, no racism was intended.

That's the point people are missing. YES it was disrespectful towards Michael but racist? NO. They were mocking Michael's skin disease, it had nothing to do with race! Bad taste, was I annoyed? YES. Racist? NO.

You have to understand the nature of the segment which is about tasteless acts with no shame or talent who perform for a few seconds to get laughed at.

America has the history of the "black face" where they were INTENTIONALLY racist, not Australia. The act had nothing to do with race in Australia and what Americans have done regarding the black face has nothing to do with Australia.
 
Obviously cause there is nothing else much to discuss... fans are taking this out of proportion and making this thread popular when at the end of the day, no racism was intended.

That's the point people are missing. YES it was disrespectful towards Michael but racist? NO. They were mocking Michael's skin disease, it had nothing to do with race! Bad taste, was I annoyed? YES. Racist? NO.

You have to understand the nature of the segment which is about tasteless acts with no shame or talent who perform for a few seconds to get laughed at.

America has the history of the "black face" where they were INTENTIONALLY racist, not Australia. The act had nothing to do with race in Australia and what Americans have done regarding the black face has nothing to do with Australia.
 
Still think it wasnt neccersary. It has been blown up into a big thing but there is a reason for that...that kind of thing isnt meant to happen now-a-days, even if they were just targetting Michael Jackson.
 
I'd like to share with you all a story. I don't know if it's a true story, or just folklore. But the story is about the first Australian Aboriginals shot and killed by European settlers.

When the European explorers first saw the native inhabitants of the continent that would come to be known as Australia, they presented them with bags of flour as a peace offering. The Aboriginals had never seen flour before, nor had they ever seen white people before. But they had these bags full of white powder sitting in front of them and a group of men with white skin looking at them, waiting to see what they'll do. So the Aboriginals picked up the flour in their hands and rubbed it all over their face and bodies so to appear white-skinned like the Europeans. This was probably a nice gesture. They were probably trying to relate in some way to the white people. But the Europeans didn't take it as a nice gesture. They took it as disrespect and shot the Aboriginals for wasting food and making a mockery out of this peace offering. From them on they just shot Aboriginals at sight.

Why I'm telling you this is because I think this story is an extreme example of people misconstruing an attempt by one group of people to match the skin colour of another group of people using some form of face paint or powdering. Whether it's blackface or whiteface. Don't overreact, especially if it wasn't meant as an insult which the Hey, Hey skit definitely wasn't. Granted, blackface has obviously been used to mock black people. But it wasn't in this case so just relax.
 
It was offensive when it was done back then and it is offensive now. And that "stupid program" shouldnt have done it especially if they dont know the american history behind it. im so glad H Connick dissed them because it disrespectful to portray any black person like that, not just MJ. i was not entertained...
 
Michael Jackson Guerrilla Theater Takes Over Salinas High

October 9, 2009


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Michael Jackson Guerrilla Theater Takes Over Salinas High[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20091009/NEWS01/910090326[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]By SCOTT MACDONALD[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]smacdonald@thecalifornian.com[/FONT]
It's noon at Salinas High School, and hundreds of students are in the courtyard.This is homecoming week, so a disc jockey is playing music. Songs like "Tutti Frutti" and "Splish Splash" lead into the 1980s hit "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

Then another 80s hit starts playing, and something strange happens. A line of students emerges, unannounced, from the edge of the courtyard, dancing in sync to "Beat It" by Michael Jackson. More students join them. Some Frisbee players, their game already in progress, surrender their spot on the grass as the dancing mass moves in.
People start to notice. A crowd circles the dancers, now at least 50 strong. Pictures are taken. People gawk.
What's going on?
It's guerrilla theater.

The plan, hatched during the summer and rehearsed in secret, was unveiled Thursday to an unsuspecting student body, for no reason other than the sheer joy of it.
In the courtyard, the scene looks like an 80s music video, especially since Thursday's homecoming celebration called for students to dress as if they were from decades past. The '80s are well-represented: Neon-clad students, some sporting leg warmers and headbands, dance in rough unison as the No. 1 hit plays over loudspeakers.
The song nears its close. All the dancers gather together, their hands aloft like a football team in a pre-game huddle. They yell "Cowboys!" and disband, melting into the crowd.

MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" starts playing. The Frisbee game resumes. The courtyard returns to normal.
"Everybody asks, 'Why did we do it?' " said teacher Merry Pratt, an organizer, after it was over. "We like to have fun. That's it.
"It was good for our spirits."

Pratt, along with fellow Salinas High teachers Patrice Parks and Brant Wilkinson, hatched the idea over dinner this summer after watching a video on YouTube of more than 200 dancers performing to "Do Re Mi" from "The Sound of Music" at a train station in Antwerp, Belgium.
The teachers recruited students, explained the idea during a hush-hush meeting, then held practices in the school's little gym. Four of them, at 7 a.m.

Pratt said about 60 students showed up to the first meeting, so she expected about 30 at the first rehearsal.
"All of them showed up. Every day at 7 a.m. That was amazing," she said. "They get nothing from this — except fun."

The rehearsals were led by Salinas High senior Katrina Ochoa, who knew the dance performed in the "Beat It" video. She became choreographer for the group, many of whom hadn't danced before.
Wilkinson was among those with no experience, and one of the 10 or so teachers and staff who participated.

"I'm not a dancer, and it shows," he said. "The advantage of having so many people out there is it kind of averages out."
The performance was documented with three video cameras — one from above in the tower, one in front of the dancers and one aimed at capturing the crowd's reaction. The footage will go to senior Andrew Decuir, who will edit it together and possibly post it online. Then students may get to review the performance of their principal, Sacha Heckmann, who came to one rehearsal and slipped into Thursday's performance near the end.

Senior Teagan Seeley, 17, who was dressed Thursday as Jane Fonda, said the secret performance wasn't kept entirely secret, but many people weren't expecting it.
"I think a lot of people were surprised," she said. "Most people looked a little shocked."

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Additional Facts[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Online[/FONT]
Check out photos and audio of the Salinas High School dance performance at TheCalifornian.com/Multimedia.
The YouTube clip that served as inspiration for Thursday's dance at Salinas High is at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k.
 
ABC News: Criminal Case Against Conrad Murray Could Be Imminent

On ABC news now:

The Los Angeles Police Department plans to present its criminal case against Michael Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, to the LA district attorney as early as Monday, a source told ABC News today.

Murray remains the focus of a manslaughter investigation into the pop star's death. Another source told ABC News that while the DA may be presented with the case imminently, it's likely to take another "several weeks" for the DA to decide whether to bring charges against Murray. If they bring a case, they'll most likely do it via grand jury, but they could also charge Murray through a criminal complaint.

That means any indictment wouldn't happen for at least another month, and any trial could be about six months away.

This latest twist comes on the heels of the news that Murray may face arrest and could lose his medical license for a completely different case -- missing a hearing to explain late child support payments. Murray owes $13,000 in unpaid child support to a California woman. According to Clark County District Attorney David Roger, a district judge could approve an arrest warrant for Murray that's recommended by a family court hearing master within 10 days.

Attempts by ABC News to contact Murray and his attorney were unsuccessful.

Murray and those around him have been embroiled in a legal mess since Jackson's June 25 death, which was ruled a homicide caused by drugs administered by Murray.

Last month, Murray's girlfriend, Nicole Alvarez, was ordered to appear before a grand jury in Los Angeles. She has been called as a witness "in an investigation pending before said grand jury," according to a subpoena obtained by ABC News.

A spokeswoman from the Los Angeles District Attorney's office declined to comment to ABC News about the subpoena but a law enforcement source confirmed that this subpoena is for an "investigative grand jury."

Alvarez is cooperating with law enforcement, said Joseph Low, her attorney. Low told ABC that the court refused to give him any information about what case Alvarez is supposed to testify about and what subjects might be covered. The court also refused to verify that the subpoena is even legitimate, given that it was unsigned and undated. "It's not usual for lawyers to have this much trouble getting information," he said. "They told me my client should just show up."

A search warrant obtained by ABC News states that on Aug. 13, 2009 police looked in Alvarez's home and a car registered to Murray's sister and retrieved a business card with Conrad Murray's name on it, a piece of paper, a receipt and a medical invoice.

Alvarez, who reportedly gave birth in March to Murray's seventh child, a baby boy they named Che Giovanni, is a resident of Santa Monica, Calif. She has reportedly been Murray's girlfriend since 2005 but is not clear from the documents how she plays into the manslaughter investigation into Murray.

More than three months have passed since Jackson's death. While no charges have been filed in the case, a manslaughter investigation is continuing and a preliminary report released by the coroner in August determined that the singer's death was caused by a lethal combination of prescription drugs.

The Los Angeles County Coroner's office released a statement saying the late King of Pop died because of acute propofol intoxication. The office cited benzodiazepine effect as another condition contributing to his death.

Propofol and lorazepam were cited as the primary drugs responsible for Jackson's death. The statement noted that other drugs detected in his system were Midazolam, Diazepam, Lidocaine and Ephedrine.

The coroner ruled the manner of death a homicide.

The coroner's announcement followed search warrants showing that police found marijuana and numerous empty drug bottles at Jackson's home shortly after he died.

Two bags of marijuana, a bottle of the drug temazepam, which is used to treat sleeplessness, empty bottles of the sedatives lorzaepam and diazepam were discovered during the search. Police also uncovered four more empty pill bottles with no sign of what they may have contained.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment...acks on-doctor-conrad-murray/story?id=8790604
 
In response to the last few post, There are other things to talk about but this is imprtant
also, obviously not to you but to black people it is. something has to be said. Black people have had to fight for every single right: the right to be free, the right to go to school, the right to vote, the right to decent housing, the right to be part of a union,
the right to get a loan, the right to drink from the same water fountain as everybody else, to walk though the same entrances as everybody else, the right to be treated as human beings period not second lass citizens in the country in which were born. The behavior that those guys dispayed should be talked against or this second class citizendry could all gradually happen again if it becomes common to do so. Just because this kind of behavior doesn't affect you directly doesn't mean it's not racist. Just because you know of one black
person doesn't give you the right to tell all the rest of them to chill when they say they are offended.

Trust and believe, it is racist so stop saying it's not especially if you don't belong to that race. It's to everybody's benefit when we respect the sensibilities of others especially when it is known or becomes known what they are.
 
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I'm going to go out on a limb here. The more I think about it, considering that Americans aren't exactly known for their racial acceptance, this is like the pot calling the kettle black -- no pun intended. I can think of plenty of instances of racial stereotyping by Americans; and of LOTS of different nationalities. .. plenty ofF the top of my head even portraying Australians that could be deemed highly offensive, ala Matt Groening, Robert Downey Jr and Nia Vardalos. Foul, lazy, dirty, beer bellied, weird speaking , thick accented alcoholics? But it's all in good fun right? When anyone else argues it's the EXACT same in our culture in this exact context to the vast majority of the nation, it seems few will accept it?

It's like a lot of you have it implanted in your minds it was strategically orchestrated to offend and that's that... You're looking at it through American eyes or non-typical Australian eyes. We don't HAVE the history of blackface to associate it with anything derogatory, I hadn't even HEARD of the concept so by that logic how can blackface be intentionally racist when it's racism is a completely foreign concept to us? My mum went to a dress up party as Oprah and painted her face black a couple of years ago with a black wig. There wasn't a single soul at the party who were all of mixed race due to the fact that my parents are both from different ethnicities and Australia is very multicultural... not a single person objected or was remotely offended by her. They thought she was great. No one would have even associated what she did with racism. Like I said, with this... it would not enter the typical Australian mindset.

Hey Hey it's Saturday is known for tacky humour. Even if the lead singer said he was aware of the implications of the act in the U.S, his act was aimed at an Australian audience. Connick declaring that he must "speak up AS AN AMERICAN" and if it had been IN AMERICA it would have gone off the air, I'm sorry to say is IRRELEVANT and to me a tad patronizing. The key word is "IF" and the key fact is that it WAS NOT. It was done in AUSTRALIA and I'm sorry to be so brazen, I'm sorry if you got offended, I do understand, BUT the whole world is not inclined to be sensitive to American taboos.
 
Firstly, the segment of the show where the 'Jackson Jive' were featured is a very light hearted bit called 'Red Faces'. It is not a talent quest or Idol/X Factor type show. It's all about lunacy and stupidity!

The 'Jackson Jive' act was certainly not meant to be taken seriously. What people have to understand is, that each country has it's own culture and history. Certain things that are found offensive in one country, may not be so in another. The 'Jackson Jive' were not making a mockery of people of African-American descent by any means. The black make-up used in the act was merely for effect as part of the act. Frankly, I think HCJ just used what he saw to get his 15 minutes of fame. It's what he's been after for 20 years isn't it!?[/QUOTE]

I'm going to go out on a limb here. The more I think about it, considering that Americans aren't exactly known for their racial acceptance, this is like the pot calling the kettle black -- no pun intended. I can think of plenty of instances of racial stereotyping by Americans; and of LOTS of different nationalities. .. plenty ofF the top of my head even portraying Australians that could be deemed highly offensive, ala Matt Groening, Robert Downey Jr and Nia Vardalos. Foul, lazy, dirty, beer bellied, weird speaking , thick accented alcoholics? But it's all in good fun right? When anyone else argues it's the EXACT same in our culture in this exact context to the vast majority of the nation, it seems few will accept it?

It's like a lot of you have it implanted in your minds it was strategically orchestrated to offend and that's that... You're looking at it through American eyes or non-typical Australian eyes. We don't HAVE the history of blackface to associate it with anything derogatory, I hadn't even HEARD of the concept so by that logic how can blackface be intentionally racist when it's racism is a completely foreign concept to us? My mum went to a dress up party as Oprah and painted her face black a couple of years ago with a black wig. There wasn't a single soul at the party who were all of mixed race due to the fact that my parents are both from different ethnicities and Australia is very multicultural... not a single person objected or was remotely offended by her. They thought she was great. No one would have even associated what she did with racism. Like I said, with this... it would not enter the typical Australian mindset.

Hey Hey it's Saturday is known for tacky humour. Even if the lead singer said he was aware of the implications of the act in the U.S, his act was aimed at an Australian audience. Connick declaring that he must "speak up AS AN AMERICAN" and if it had been IN AMERICA it would have gone off the air, I'm sorry to say is IRRELEVANT and to me a tad patronizing. The key word is "IF" and the key fact is that it WAS NOT. It was done in AUSTRALIA and I'm sorry to be so brazen, I'm sorry if you got offended, I do understand, BUT the whole world is not inclined to be sensitive to American taboos.

You are coming at this fron the wrong angle. This not US vs Australia or a silly show. Everybody knows what silliness is. This is about people
demeaning another people. Connick was speaking as an American because he knows the history of the USA and he knew people would be offeneded.

Those guys know what they were doing because they acted just like a minstrel show, if they didn't know it would have come out oa different way with different name,not "Jive"

By the way, nobody is saying the US is a Utopia of racial harmony it is not, if fact it was formed by way of racism anf free slave labor and even though we have a black president there is still much racial disharmony. Pointing outall the this wrong with the US (which is a lot) does not change he fact that severly offending another is not wrong. It's wrong everywhere.
 
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Those guys know what they were doing because they acted just like a minstrel show, if they didn't know it would have come out oa different way with different name,not "Jive".
This is where I must disagree with you completely :)
 
Marlon Jackson responds to 'Blackface' skit, thanks Harry Connick

Marlon Jackson speaks out on skit:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-...Blackface-act-We-thank-Harry-for-speaking-out

He says:

"Wow, and you want a comment from us about that? Man, if they turned up looking like that in the United States. They probably weren't trying to be offensive about it or anything of that nature with the family," he said. "We thank Harry for [speaking out], but we also understand that they weren't trying to be disrespectful for the family."
 
Political correctness bull LOL - look even they guy who objected said he knew its was done just for fun - ok SO KEEP IT IN ITS CONTEXT ! - jez - scared of getting suied? lol, look - the black and white minstels were offensive, not because white guys blacked up but because the tv wouldnt allow black people on tv yet would allow white to black up inplace of them originaly, that was what was offensive then - its all about the context !

now days u can't tell an irish joke unless ur irish etc, the world has become so over the top politically correct that people jump on bandwagons to look good, im sick of it, if someone says something deliberately to offend then its offensive if the content is meant as humor and they make it clear its humor and in no way a serious endictment of political or other view then whats the prob - god some people need to chill out, or are they just waiting for a chance to shout "oh thats it im suing u "!?? LOL

funny how the audience thought it was a joke n took it as just that ... a joke ! - PC overdose nonsense *sigh*


CONTEXT !!!
 
Political correctness bull LOL - look even they guy who objected said he knew its was done just for fun - ok SO KEEP IT IN ITS CONTEXT ! - jez - scared of getting suied? lol, look - the black and white minstels were offensive, not because white guys blacked up but because the tv wouldnt allow black people on tv yet would allow white to black up inplace of them originaly, that was what was offensive then - its all about the context !

now days u can't tell an irish joke unless ur irish etc, the world has become so over the top politically correct that people jump on bandwagons to look good, im sick of it, if someone says something deliberately to offend then its offensive if the content is meant as humor and they make it clear its humor and in no way a serious endictment of political or other view then whats the prob - god some people need to chill out, or are they just waiting for a chance to shout "oh thats it im suing u "!?? LOL

funny how the audience thought it was a joke n took it as just that ... a joke ! - PC overdose nonsense *sigh*


CONTEXT !!!

humour can be the greatest weapon. because it's subtle..and u have the luxury of nobody knowing what u r really thinking.

bottom line...it's gunna be hard to consider comedy as something that takes talent. and besides when you get into histrionics while posting, you look hypocritical. lol
 
Some of you just don't get it. nothing was taken out of context, it was more than a silly joke that why the group questioned whether they shloud do the skit or notbecause they were atleast aware of the potential backlash.

Obviously this kind od incident is not inportant to some of you but black people it is. Here is what I said before something has to be said. Black people have had to fight for every single right: the right to be free, the right to go to school, the right to vote, the right to decent housing, the right to be part of a union,
the right to get a loan, the right to drink from the same water fountain as everybody else, to walk though the same entrances as everybody else, the right to be treated as human beings period not second lass citizens in the country in which were born. The behavior that those guys dispayed should be talked against or this second class citizendry could all gradually happen again if it becomes common to do so. Just because this kind of behavior doesn't affect you directly doesn't mean it's not racist. Just because you know of one black
person doesn't give you the right to tell all the rest of them to chill or relax when they say they are offended.

Trust and believe, it is racist so stop saying it's not especially if you don't belong to that race. It's to everybody's benefit when we respect the sensibilities of others especially when it is known or becomes known what they are.
 
Hmmm, people here at work have been talking about this. Many different views. Like many have said racism here i the USA it still here and in my opinion more powerfull than ever. A young black man living in the south all my life ABBEVILLE, (LOUISIANA) i've seen my fair share of racism time after time. As long as the sun continues to shine racism will ALWAYS be here. It's apart of nature.
 
Um... did you even read my post? I myself commented on my ignorance on the subject, and that I didn't realise how racist "blackface" was until now. I didn't realise there was a whole history behind it. So what exactly are you "taken aback" by? :mello:

No need to be smart about it. Your post took me aback, am I not allowed an opinion? I'm surprised we're in 2009 and supposedly there's a whole country unaware of a big part of black history. Of course I read it. And I stand by what I said.
 
Indranee, I feel you misunderstood my post. By saying "it's not an just an American thing, it's a respect thing" I meant that the history of slavery isn't confined to America and that EVERYONE should know about it. It's human history and racial issues affect everyone. Therefore I found the skit disrespectful. That's what I meant. I'm actually worried that you misunderstood cos I've made like 10 posts in this thread stating my absolute disdain for the skit... and the ignorance of the media in my country. I hope no one else misinterprets my point :(

And I agree with you all the way. Education is paramount here. I would like to add that my high school did an extensive unit on the Civil Rights movement and the abolition of the Jim Crow laws, alongside my country's own history of discrimination in the White Australia policy of many decades ago... so hopefully education is moving more towards acknowledging bad happenings in the past to make way for a future of understanding.

StarSecret, hun, I got you. no worries :)
 
Unlike America where the African American community has gained such a powerful voice, we don't have strong 'non-white' voices in Australia.
Come on, after all that has happened since the 18th Century, the country only said 'Sorry' to the Aborigines last year - 2008.
We're still a very immature country, in my humble opinion.

What also pisses me off is that some people are saying that while the blackfaces weren't funny, the joke about Michael 'becoming white' was. That's like saying it's wrong to mock a Japanese person's eyes, and turning around to mock a Chinese person's eyes. I mean...I give up. People learn nothing.

well, I gotta say it's excellent that you said that "sorry". as far as I know, neither has America said sorry to African Americans, nor India to its Dalits.

we've all got a looooooong way to go, baby.
 
In response to the last few post, There are other things to talk about but this is imprtant
also, obviously not to you but to black people it is. something has to be said. Black people have had to fight for every single right: the right to be free, the right to go to school, the right to vote, the right to decent housing, the right to be part of a union,
the right to get a loan, the right to drink from the same water fountain as everybody else, to walk though the same entrances as everybody else, the right to be treated as human beings period not second lass citizens in the country in which were born. The behavior that those guys dispayed should be talked against or this second class citizendry could all gradually happen again if it becomes common to do so. Just because this kind of behavior doesn't affect you directly doesn't mean it's not racist. Just because you know of one black
person doesn't give you the right to tell all the rest of them to chill when they say they are offended.

Trust and believe, it is racist so stop saying it's not especially if you don't belong to that race. It's to everybody's benefit when we respect the sensibilities of others especially when it is known or becomes known what they are.

you forgot the biggest right they had to fight for:

the right to be considered more than 3/4 of a person.
 
I'm going to go out on a limb here. The more I think about it, considering that Americans aren't exactly known for their racial acceptance, this is like the pot calling the kettle black -- no pun intended. I can think of plenty of instances of racial stereotyping by Americans; and of LOTS of different nationalities. .. plenty ofF the top of my head even portraying Australians that could be deemed highly offensive, ala Matt Groening, Robert Downey Jr and Nia Vardalos. Foul, lazy, dirty, beer bellied, weird speaking , thick accented alcoholics? But it's all in good fun right? When anyone else argues it's the EXACT same in our culture in this exact context to the vast majority of the nation, it seems few will accept it?

It's like a lot of you have it implanted in your minds it was strategically orchestrated to offend and that's that... You're looking at it through American eyes or non-typical Australian eyes. We don't HAVE the history of blackface to associate it with anything derogatory, I hadn't even HEARD of the concept so by that logic how can blackface be intentionally racist when it's racism is a completely foreign concept to us? My mum went to a dress up party as Oprah and painted her face black a couple of years ago with a black wig. There wasn't a single soul at the party who were all of mixed race due to the fact that my parents are both from different ethnicities and Australia is very multicultural... not a single person objected or was remotely offended by her. They thought she was great. No one would have even associated what she did with racism. Like I said, with this... it would not enter the typical Australian mindset.

Hey Hey it's Saturday is known for tacky humour. Even if the lead singer said he was aware of the implications of the act in the U.S, his act was aimed at an Australian audience. Connick declaring that he must "speak up AS AN AMERICAN" and if it had been IN AMERICA it would have gone off the air, I'm sorry to say is IRRELEVANT and to me a tad patronizing. The key word is "IF" and the key fact is that it WAS NOT. It was done in AUSTRALIA and I'm sorry to be so brazen, I'm sorry if you got offended, I do understand, BUT the whole world is not inclined to be sensitive to American taboos.

look, I know what you're saying... but if the pot NEVER EVER called the kettle black, every little sin would always be hunky dory, okay?

it has to start somewhere. enough is enough. it's time to call EVERYBODY on their BS.

to me, these people considered what they were doing, knew what COULD happen, and went ahead with it anyway.

shame on them.
 
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