Harry Connick On Hey Hey: Blackface Peformance Offends Connick (VIDEO)

An Australian act's blackface impression of The Jackson Five did not impress celebrity judge Harry Connick Jr.

The American musician and actor was disturbed by the group's performance and sense of humor on Australian the variety show Hey, Hey It's Saturday.

Connick, a New Orleans native and jazz singer, gave the group a score of zero just after a fellow judge hit a gong and signaled an end to their act.

Connick didn't appear to be too upset during the judging portion of the show. But according to The Sydney Morning Herald, a backstage source said that Connick Jr. nearly walked off before the show was over.

The Herald reported that it was "arranged for Connick Jr. to voice his concerns at the end of the show."

According to the host, the same group of performers (they call themselves the Jackson Jive), won the same contest and did the same routine 20 years before. The only difference in the 2009 performance was that the lead singer playing the role of Michael Jackson was not in blackface. Instead of black paint, he wore white to mock Michael Jackson's lightening skin tone over the years.

While sending off the act, the host smiled and said, "We've got a lot of color on this show!"

Watch Harry Connick Jr's reaction to the "Jackson Jive"

Comments

[AussieBlogger]

It's a bit ironic isn't it?

Americans invent the Black Face routine, then Americans get offended by others doing the Black Face routine.

Is this not the pot calling the kettle black?

[Matt7]

Black face and minstrel shows, originating in America, were designed to denigrate blacks.

An evolved American, not himself affected, stood up in protest on behalf of his countrymen.

It's not ironic. It's an attempt to evade the issue. Apparently the "right" in America don't have the exclusive patent on "spinning."

[rsprags]

Thank Harry for standing up and speaking out whether it was racism which is based on ignorance; and finally, another form of racism was really at play during the show, during rehearsal, production, and the planning & development phase - this is being insensitive to the history and story of another ethnic group and/or race! The folks were immature and insensitive to the Jackson Family, MJ's Children, MJ's Friends & Fans Worldwide, and MJ's legacy! However, remember this group was emulating some behavior of insensitivity and disrespect shown by a small segment of American's that are full of hate and rage toward many etnic groups! It is often the same group that make the news screaming at President Obama and Speaker Pelosi-Remember You lie Joe Wilson!

[KismetAU]

Hi all,
I am an Australian living in the USA.

I have recently been doing a college course in Race, Class and Gender and was astounded at the treatment black people have received for hundreds of years in the USA, I also understand that black people here are very angry and white people are very guilty.

The skit on the show was 6 Australian doctors - 5 of whom who's skin was not what the USA would call "white".

The skit was not funny, it was appalling (It's the Gong show), but not racist. We do not have the history of slavery that you Americans have, we don't have the same racial division you still have here. Australia humor does take the mickey out of everyone, we find humor diffuses situations, brings people together of all colors in laughter.

Our gov has said "sorry" to Aboriginals. Aboriginals have many benefits in Australia - free education, housing, medical, jobs only forindigenous applicants, land rights, mining royalties paid to tribes.

So before Harry Conick Jnr (and the rest of the USA) huffs and puffs about racism, maybe people should look at Harry's Parody, listen to all the Black comedians earning their living making fun of white people etc. Ask themselves the hard questions.

If Australian "civil rights" are so far behind the mighty USA then WHY can my girlfriend gain permanent residency in Australia as my same sex partner and the USA won't grant us RIGHTS ?? HUH ???? whose behind in

[AussieBlogger]

Hey KismetAU,

"Aborigine" is a noun, "Aboriginal" is an adjective. So it would be our government has said sorry to "Aborigines" , not "Aboriginals".

Almost everyone gets this wrong, even Aborigines. As you're in the business of race, I'll use you as a conduit to spread the correct usage.

I agree with a lot of what you have said - BUT - the truth is our history with race is just as appalling as the Americans.

Our ancestors may not have enslaved Aborigines, (certainly not to the same extent anyway), but we certainly slaughtered Aborigines. Which is the greater of the two evils?

Probably not much difference, but at least as a slave, there is still some hope of eventual freedom. With a bullet in your head, you're stuffed.

No Tasmanian Aborigines left today. All dead. Our ancestors killed them. All of them.

The only difference between us and the Americans on racial history is "scale".

Sorry, nothing to be proud of here.

[nadiworld]

Look......It doesn't matter whether we're talking about Afro-Americans, Aborigines, Indians or any other people of darker complexion. It’s surely a no-brainer, if people were hurt (offended) by it then clearly there's no virtue in it. The skit wasn't a serious representation of the Jackson 5 (as the red faces segment is a goof talent contest much like the Gong Show or SNL). So the argument that they were serious about the performance just doesn't wash. I watched it and am quite sure it was just a thoughtless spoof. Although it’s pretty hard to believe in this day and age that most Australians are not familiar with American culture, as we watch more American TV shows and Films then our own. And to say that people like Harry Connick don't ‘get’ out humor is ridiculous. For all those Aussies that still don't see what the fuss is all about.....Blackface cabaret is and was a racist form of entertainment at the expense of all African Americans. Whether Australian TV Producers, Amateur Talent contestants or ill-informed bloggers think so or not..... Just the global outrage since the show aired should be enough of an indication itself.

What’s even more pathetic than the skit itself is that a national poll was done through the media and 80% of Australians polled thought the sketch was fine.

... a truly sad day

[AussieBlogger]

Hey NadiWorld,

I'm a 46 year old white Australian male, and I consider myself to be very well informed.

I can remember watching the Black and White Minstrel Show on TV when I was a kid. It was a British show according to Wikipedia.

Now as an adult, and until the Hey Hey It's Saturday episode, I had no idea that "Black Face" was especially negative or demaining.

I would have thought it would be about as offensive as making fun of an Indian's accent (sub-continent that is). I'm not downgrading that either - my wife is Indian.

But it seems there is a significantly greater level of offense with Black Face. It seems that from its origin, it was intended to be demeaning to African Americans - unlike impersonating an Indian accent, which is generally just intended to take the piss.

I seriously believe there is an aspect of this offense to which Australians are oblivious. Remember, we're Australians, not Americans. Similar, but not the same. We can't be expected to possess all American knowledge just becuase we watch Gilligan's Island when we were kids.

So its not such a sad day, in fact there is a silver lining.

A bit like the innocence of a child; this is an aspect of racism that we've had little or nothing to do with, and which has largely passed us by (until now). And that can't be a bad thing.

[boycottrightwingthings]

I would have reacted the same way, though I am not black, it is deeply offensive to most Americans of any race and especially fans of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5!! To make fun of our beloved King icon in any form makes me very angry. Michael Jackson was an awesome person and entertainer and to this day I am still not over the death of that awesome human being. RESPECT MJ and his great family please!!

[Aussie611]

First I must apologize for not reading all the messages. There isn't really any need to. I am always astounded at peoples thoughts on racism, what it is and what it should be. Was the blackface skit racist? The answser is no. If it was done in America it would be, most certainly. Australia has different racial problems to America, blackface is not one of them, that's why you'd see it more often than not in Australia. This is not to say Americans should not be offended at it what so ever. On the contrary, Americans should be offended at it because of it's own past using blackface. To accuse another country of being racist because of it, only proves that America is still ignorant of other countries. Will America stop eating hamburgers and beef produce, to placate the Hindus? There are 965,000,000 Hindus in the world, far more of them than there are Americans. Will America stop their children paying cowboys and Indians? Playing this game is stereotyping a minority group in your own country. Will America stop celebrating Christmas? You must show compassion for the multitude of other religions. There are a plethora of other situations where, not only America but other countries live differently. If you Americans want to be upset over it, fine, by all means. But don't call us racist because of your previous racist actions. It just shows your ignorance. The world really truly does exist past the shores of the Pacific and Atlantic.

[mascara22]

I'm not sure how to respond to that because it doesn't make sense. Just because someone doesn't know that a minority group finds something offensive does not make that minority group petty for being offended. I'm sure if you paid attention you would find Australians of African descent who were highly offended. Thats the thing about minorities. They are a small representation of the population and their opninion is not always heard.

[mascara22]

Besides being a terrible impersonation of the Jackson 5, it was obviously offensive to Black people in general. Australian and Amercian alike, this was offensive. This was not makeup used to portray the appearance of members of the Jackson family. This was "black face" used in the 1800's when Black people were not allowed in a "white theater." The White actors used shoe polish to make their faces black so they could play characters in plays that mocked Black people.

People who think that anyone offended by this is just being sensitive need to wake up. It is not acceptable to simply shrug your shoulders and wonder why Harry made a big deal out of this.

[AussieBlogger]

I'm Australian. Harry is of course right, it is offensive, so why do it? I'm white, and my wife's Indian. If I even hear people doing a fake Indian accent I get pissed off and get stuck in.

But not only is this offensive because of the racial aspect, it's also highly offensive to Michael Jackson, his family, and his fans. Not that I am / was a fan of Micael Jackson, (musically yes / person no), but I believe we should respect the deceased - especially the recently deceased.

That said, in terms of the big picture, while we're not perfect in Australia, we are one of the least racist nations on the planet.

Also, we don't have many African Americans here of course, so we're not as in tune with what's acceptable and what's not acceptable in African American send up humour - although you'd have to be a bit of an idiot not to have seen this coming.

God bless America, and thank Christ for Australia.

[boycottrightwingthings]

I take offense that you say his music, but not MJ as a person! Michael Jackson was one of the greatest humanitarians of all time, in the Guiness Book OF World Records having given the most money to charities! He saved the lives of many children, and gave love and emotional support to people like Dave Dave who was burned by his own dad and who considered MJ as his real dad! Bela Farkas has a liver and a life, thanks to Michael Jackson! He got orphans cleft palate operations as a part of project smile and they were adopted afterwards! I could go on and on and on, but there is a word limit! Let me say that MJ was so good that he was taken advantage of by extortionists, but still continued to help children even after that! So WHY don't you admire him as a person?? He was much like Jesus!!

[beproductive]

Harry Connick is a great example of what a thinking, feeling, compassionate celebrity can do, at home and abroad, to elevate the human race. I'm proud that he is an American, and glad he got the chance to make his point in a strong, but non-insulting way. Crank down the volume. This is a genuine human being.

[BH Dude]

Just because something is "culturally acceptable" does not make it right. I have traveled to many countries and observed attitudes and stereotypes. The idea of black people being something other than human is pervasive.

America has dealt with issues of race since the 1600s. It is a part of the fabric of our culture. We have gotten a lot of things wrong. But this is one case where we are now ahead of the rest of the world.

[nadiworld]

Yes folks, racisim is alive and well in Australia.

OhMyOhMyOhMy says: “I have yet to hear of a black Australian being killed simply because of his or her color” not sure under what rock you’ve been living under, but I live in the state of Queensland which has the highest number of Aboriginal deaths in custody. Sound familiar?

Here are some basic facts:

The White Australia policy intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia from 1901 to 1973.

The Stolen Generations (also Stolen children) is a term used to describe those children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian Federal and State government agencies. The removals occurred between 1869 and 1969. In some places children were still being taken in the 1970s.

As early as 1804 the British began to slaughter, kidnap and enslave the Black people of Tasmania. The colonial government didn't consider the aboriginal Tasmanians as full human beings, and scholars discussed civilization as a unilinear process with White people at the top and Black people at the bottom.

The only TV network that has Asians, Blacks or any other obvious ethnic group as anchor-people reading the news in Australia is SBS Television. All others have White Australians with only a few exceptions.

Aborigines didn’t get to Vote in their own country (Australia) until 1967.

American-bashing does not deflect the argument of racism existing in Australia it only galvanizes it.

[not2day2]

Dear Germaine,
The only problem with the stolen generations is it is not happening enough today - up to 80 percent of Aboriginal children are bring sexually abused in remote communities, it is a national disgrace that
these children are not taken into the care of the state.
Everything else you mention is ancient history, If Aboriginals don't want to die in custody(usually suicide) they should take some resonsibilty for themselves and not commit crimes with a jail term, unfortunately it is a cycle of abuse - the abused become the abusers.

[OhMyOhMyOhMy]

The most offensive thing I can think of is to be called racist by an American.
America contributed significantly to the black/white race issues by importing the Africans to be slaves
The Ku Klux Klan emanated from America. White people in America still run around with sheets over their heads
The White Australia policy was nothing compared to the segregationist policies of the U.S. As far as I know Australia has never had black only locations, simply because of colour.
I have yet to hear of a black Australian being killed simply because of his or her colour
America exported 'blacking up' acts all over the world. If they cringe because it is still seen then that is their cringe not ours.
America also exported the Jackson Five and Michael Jackson all over the world.
In both cases Americans made a lot of money from selling these acts. Too late to complain
This skit was never intended as a slur on any race, colour or creed. It was simply intended as a send up of an entertainment group that has been parodied the world over. The members of which continue, even after the death of their most famous member, to provide further fuel to continue being parodied.

While Harry may well have found it offensive that is his interpretation and his alone. He needs to assess the act on its intentions not on his interpretations and experiences from his life in another world separate from ours.

[Chalkeater]

Say what you will about our countries history, we exist in the present as a true melting pot. You're nation is almost entirely European in ethnicity. To the extent that you're not racist to people with African heritage is explained by the fact that you don't let them move into your country. You have a lovely nation from what I can see, but you're really not in a position to look down your nose at America on racial matters.

[Martoz]

It appears that you are not in a position yourself to look down your nose at Australia's racial matters. You are clearly ignorant in your assertion that Australia's ethnicity being made up entirely of those from a European background. Of gentlemen that actually performed this hideous sketch, only one was of a white european background. One was from India, another from Sri Lanka, one from Lebanon, so much for a lack of melting pot.

Perhaps you should go and visit, (as I have) and see for yourself before you make such an ignorant and ill-informed comment, or at least pick up some books and do some reading.

[Don J Ed]

As an Australian I'm deeply disappointed and ashamed that this sort of filth is still around in 2009 and on my favorite show. As a foreigner looking into America I've seen the hardship but the determination and grit to do away with racial stereotypes and to make right the wrongs of the past

Although there was no harm intended with the skit i do understand why it evokes these emotions it was bad and appealing decision for the producers to allow it on air

Harry hooray for standing up to your convictions. and WE STILL LOVE YOU

[nadiworld]

Wow...... PorkyDomesticus, ...!!!!

"don't come back" ? .... "don't tell us how to live"? ..... So your solution to someone being offended by a racially offensive blackface skit is to suggest that "we don't want your kind round here"? .... You no doubt speak only for yourself and perhaps some of the other arrogant and grossly misinformed Bogans (rednecks) that are the sad residue of an outdated culture. It’s interesting how incidents like this bring both the good and the bad of people to the surface for all to see.

[Smirk]

Bravo, and to think that the contestants are all physicians. And of course Australia's history is different. I wonder what kind of response a group of white Australian performers on the same show would receive if they wore wigs and dark makeup while pretending to be indigenous Australians.

[Don J Ed]

I'll tell you exactly what will happen the show would be taken off the air the next day and Channel 9 would TOLD to apologies our government will come out and condemn it and last but not least public backlash would be overwhelming.

[PorkyDomesticus]

Connick is an imperialist fool. We are not America, the skit was in a different cultural context, one not haunted by step n fetchits and lynchings, if Connnick doesn't have the intellect to realize he's not in the US then he should should not speak out on matters requiring an IQ higher than Jessica Simpson's. How American it is for you guys to go over to other people's countries and in complete ignorance of our culture and past tell us how to live.

PS

Dont come back Harry.

[BH Dude]

Perhaps you believe Australia does not have its own sins to answer for?