The Hey, Hey skit (because Chewbacca asked...)

[Wolf Rider2]

In Australia, there was a show quite a few years back called Hey, Hey, it's Saturday. Well, Channel 9 decided to do a two-part revival, just because they could. Anyway, there was one particular skit performed which was a tribute to the Jackson 5, where people had their faces painted black, and one white to represent Michael Jackson. The video can be seen on Youtube, last time I checked it was one of the most watched.
Anway, Harry Connick Jr was there as a judge and gave it a zero, because he thought it was racist. Make your own decision.

Note: Australians have a strange sense of humour that only we seem to get. Except maybe the Kiwis.

[Eagle eye]

Originally Posted by Wolf Rider2 Note: Australians have a strange sense of humour that only we seem to get. Except maybe the Kiwis.

No, we don't get you either.

[Wolf Rider2]

Oh, ok. We're just really weird then.

[VulcanRider]

Is this the one? About 9 minutes long. The act is only 4 minutes & the rest is talking to Harry. I must be an Aussie at heart 'cause I LOL'd at it... When the host was reading Harry's award in his American accent, doesn't he sound just a little bit like Dr. Stephen Hawking's voicebox?

[Chewbacca]

Hey, hey that was funny!

I don't understand why there is controversy. Easy to guess Aussie's wouldn't get the U.S. historical connotations of black face, but why should it matter?

Lampooning and doing impersonations require make-up and costumes. If we excluded darker-skinned folks from such making fun of, that too could be called racist.

Would we use some sort of "color wheel" to decide whose skin is light enough to be made fun of?

[Wolf Rider2]

We do understand the connotations. There are still some problems over here concerning the Aboriginal peoples and how disadvantaged many of them still are, but it's just an Australian thing to make light of almost everything. It wasn't meant to offend. I mean, the day Michael Jackson died, half the people I know were crying! We just don't think of something like that as offensive because we don't notice people's races anymore. Australia is so multicultural now that we treat everybody the same way.

I'm pretty sure plenty of people make fun of us. I mean, Julia Gillard (acting PM when Kevin Rudd is away) recently visited America and the people she talked to didn't even think she was speaking English. Everybody laughs at the Aussies. And they think we're racist?

[Hivetyrant]

Just like most stupid stories, this IMO was nothing more than media hype.

Sure, a few people may have been offended, but the whole of America?

Please, if we have matured enough to accept "Black people" then we are mature enough to pick up on whats sarcasm/humor.

Look at any notable person speaking about the subject, they will tell you they both they, and everyone they ask, didn't see the issue.
The media did, and its easy for them to make it seem like everyone else in the world agrees.

/rant

[Wolf Rider2]

This is why we hate the media. Fear mongering, all of it. I personally had no problem with the skit, neither did anybody I know (except older relatives) but it got all that media attention because of Harry Connick Jr bashing it. I agree, Hivetyrant. Completely.