Variety act in blackface on Australian TV

[Orang Utan]

i can't believe they didn't realise how offensive it was:

at least the host apologised. though those doctors should have done too.

 

[D'wards]

I've not been, but i understand Australian TV to be the worst in the world - good on Harry Connick Jr for pulling them up, in quite a sensible and adult way.

Isn't the actual Michael Jackson a black man in whiteface?

Now i'm confused, its just like a negative reality inversion

 

[Orang Utan]

michael jackson's dead dude.

 

[D'wards]

michael jackson's dead dude.

What? When did this happen?

Does the phrase "Bull in a China Shop" mean anything to you?

It's like Falco all over again

 

[Orang Utan]

it does, but i fail to see the relevance of the comment.
what about falco? he died ages ago

 

[D'wards]

I was referring to the prat on the Australian tv show - i'm sure he's black or mixed race, if you look close enough.

Obviously makes no difference to how disgusting and tasteless the whole thing is (not NOTW style reader quote "E's a black fella, and e LUVS IT, so ahh can that be racist?"), just was a bit strange in this day an age.

Surely the Aussies cannot have missed the anti blackface way of the rest of the world, and the fact its been thankfully absent from our screens for 30+ years now, apart from when they show the Spanish Grand Prix of course.

 

[Orang Utan]

which prat? there were six of them
still don't see the relevance of the phrase bull in a china shop

 

[D'wards]

It was a really crap joke about you announcing to me Michael Jackson had died in a curt way, with no bedside manner at all.

Happens a lot with my jokes

 

[Orang Utan]

i'm laughing now

 

[PursuedByBears]

I heard once that Australian TV is the most educational in the world in that it makes you turn off the TV and read a book instead

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

It was a really crap joke about you announcing to me Michael Jackson had died in a curt way, with no bedside manner at all.

Happens a lot with my jokes

Did you actually not know that Michael Jackson died?

 

[ajk]

Did you actually not know that Michael Jackson died?

Why were we not informed?

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Why were we not informed?

It was in all the newspapers.

 

[CherryRipe]

I didn't watch the show because it's shit and always has been - I live in Australia and I honestly don't think it's a racist country but there does seem to be a real insenitivity in the way people sometimes behave.

There has been the argument on Urban before about Australians use of terms like Paki. Pom etc - it's accepted here and I'm beginning to think that's a deep part of the problem. Even if one person finds the name unacceptable that should be enough that the words aren't ever used and it's up to the media to start setting some kind of standard.

The doctors in question have apologised - I'm staggered that supposedly educated men could have ever thought the skit was a good idea.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/heyheysorry/2009/10/08/1254701090911.html

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

I didn't watch the show because it's shit and always has been - I live in Australia and I honestly don't think it's a racist country but there does seem to be a real insenitivity in the way people sometimes behave.

There has been the argument on Urban before about Australians use of terms like Paki. Pom etc - it's accepted here and I'm beginning to think that's a deep part of the problem. Even if one person finds the name unacceptable that should be enough that the words aren't ever used and it's up to the media to start setting some kind of standard.

The doctors in question have apologised - I'm staggered that supposedly educated men could have ever thought the skit was a good idea.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/heyheysorry/2009/10/08/1254701090911.html

According to the clip, the same guys did the same routine basically, twenty years ago on the show - and won.

The only difference I could see with the way they were twenty years ago, was that the lead man was made up in an even more grotesquely offensive manner.

 

[CherryRipe]

According to the clip, the same guys did the same routine basically, twenty years ago on the show - and won.

The only difference I could see with the way they were twenty years ago, was that the lead man was made up in an even more grotesquely offensive manner.

I've just watched the clip and I'm fucking staggered that anyone could have thought that was anything other than extremely offensive.

I'm so fucking angry about that I'm writing to the station to complain - not that it will do any good.

Who ever passed that should be sacked - end of fucking story.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

I've just watched the clip and I'm fucking staggered that anyone could have thought that was anything other than extremely offensive.

I'm so fucking angry about that I'm writing to the station to complain - not that it will do any good.

Who ever passed that should be sacked - end of fucking story.

Different places, I guess. It's like Connick said: if that had happened in the US, the TV show would be off the air the next day.

 

[D'wards]

Did you actually not know that Michael Jackson died?

Of course i did - was having a shave when it was announced on the radio (i remember where i was) - it was all part of the crap joke.

 

[al]

According to the clip, the same guys did the same routine basically, twenty years ago on the show - and won.

The only difference I could see with the way they were twenty years ago, was that the lead man was made up in an even more grotesquely offensive manner.

I think that was a 'joke' - that if they had performed it 20 yrs ago MJ would have been in blackface as well....

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

I think that was a 'joke' - that if they had performed it 20 yrs ago MJ would have been in blackface as well....

If you watch the whole clip, all six minutes of it, the presenter does say that the same group were doing the same routine 20 years ago, and they show a clip.

I thought that was astonishing as well - that no one on the production team thought hang on a minute, what might have been 'funny' 20 years ago perhaps is no longer acceptable in this day and age.

How did it get past a whole production team?

Are they all so racist and backward that not one of them thought to say, Hey, guys, this is the year 2009, maybe this isn't a good idea?

 

[kyser_soze]

Aussie telly and radio is pretty chronic tho. A whiles back someone sent me a link to a radio phone-in show in the Kyle style, which had a mum and teen daughter on. Usual bollocks about drugs/sex etc, and when the teen was introduced she was clearly distraught. Questions start, and she's asked 'Have you ever had sex?' mother says 'no'...silence, and then teen says 'Yes, I was raped 3 months ago, and I told my mother about it.'.

This is a paraphrase, and I've asked a mate to resend me the link.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

I think that was a 'joke' - that if they had performed it 20 yrs ago MJ would have been in blackface as well....

I showed it to my kid. She said, "I bet once the producers saw Connick's reaction, they shuffled the elementary school chorus dressed as golliwogs scheduled to be the next act, quietly out the back door.'"

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

If you watch the whole clip, all six minutes of it, the presenter does say that the same group were doing the same routine 20 years ago, and they show a clip.

I thought that was astonishing as well - that no one on the production team thought hang on a minute, what might have been 'funny' 20 years ago perhaps is no longer acceptable in this day and age.

How did it get past a whole production team?

Are they all so racist and backward that not one of them thought to say, Hey, guys, this is the year 2009, maybe this isn't a good idea?

I wonder how that middle judge felt: the one that gave them a 7. At least the other aussie judge had the good sense to give them a 1.

 

[fogbat]

<snip>
Are they all so racist and backward that not one of them thought to say, Hey, guys, this is the year 2009, maybe this isn't a good idea?

Welcome to Aus, mate

 

[two sheds]

I showed it to my kid. She said, "I bet once the producers saw Connick's reaction, they shuffled the elementary school chorus dressed as golliwogs scheduled to be the next act, quietly out the back door.'"

 

[untethered]

You'd think people would have enough real racism to worry about without having to make complaints over a lighthearted variety act. Not my cup of tea personally but it was clearly intended as an affectionate tribute rather than a spiteful parody.

After all, I doubt many people would have a problem with a group of black entertainers performing a "whiteface" act. Maybe they should.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

You'd think people would have enough real racism to worry about without having to make complaints over a lighthearted variety act. Not my cup of tea personally but it was clearly intended as an affectionate tribute rather than a spiteful parody..

Well, it's as Connick said. A lot of people have fought long and hard, to eradicate an acceptance of the portrayal of black people as being buffoons.

 

[untethered]

Well, it's as Connick said. A lot of people have fought long and hard, to eradicate an acceptance of the portrayal of black people as being buffoons.

Presumably Michael Jackson wasn't among them.

 

[ymu]

Prezactly, Johnny.

What's "real racism" untethered?

 

[untethered]

What's "real racism" untethered?

It says a lot about how far this country has come that you even need to ask the question. And that reflects the reality that largely speaking racism is a spent force in the civilised world.

1980s throwbacks complaining about minstrel shows are sadly the exception that proves the rule.