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Billy Crystal's Blackface: Sammy Davis Jr.'s Daughter Says Late Rat Packer Wouldn't Have Been Offended

Billy Crystal

First Posted: 03/ 1/2012 10:33 am Updated: 03/ 2/2012 4:46 pm

Sammy Davis Jr.'s daughter Tracey Davis has spoken out on Billy Crystal's Oscar blackface controversy, and she insists her late father wouldn't have been offended.

"I am 100 percent certain my father is smiling," Davis told The Hollywood Reporter. "Billy previously played my father [on Saturday Night Live] when he was alive, and my father gave Billy his full blessing."

Davis also noted that she knows Crystal's impressions come from a good place.

"I know the mutual love, respect and admiration that you had for each other and for his kids, Jeff, Mark and I," she continued. "Thank you."

Regardless of Davis' feelings on Crystal's decision to appear in blackface during the first five minutes of the Academy Awards, others didn't take the impression as lightly.

"Shows just how far we've come since Billy Crystal appeared in blackface," comedian Paul Scheer tweeted when Octavia Spencer took the award for Best Supporting Actress in "The Help."

For more, click over to The Hollywood Reporter.

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Sammy Davis Jr.'s daughter Tracey Davis has spoken out on Billy Crystal's Oscar blackface controversy, and she insists her late father wouldn't have been offended. "I am 100 percent certain my fat...
Sammy Davis Jr.'s daughter Tracey Davis has spoken out on Billy Crystal's Oscar blackface controversy, and she insists her late father wouldn't have been offended. "I am 100 percent certain my fat...
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Crisdean Wulver
"Deficits don't matter." --- Dick Cheney
07:06 AM on 03/12/2012
Watermelon Man trailer (Godfrey Cambridge in white face):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC_rYYnD05s
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Crisdean Wulver
"Deficits don't matter." --- Dick Cheney
06:56 AM on 03/12/2012
Sammy Davis Jr. - Rifleman episode: Two Ounces of Tin
http://www.hulu.com/watch/94335/the-rifleman-two-ounces-of-tin#x-0,vepisode,1,0
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
nitwitsRus
my udder username is...
09:08 AM on 03/07/2012
Hay Billy!
next time try
Lenny Kravitz?
might be more believable
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
loggerboots
WELL RETIRED UAW.
12:34 AM on 03/05/2012
After all the botox Billy kinda looked like FatFace.
05:44 PM on 03/04/2012
con·cord/ˈkäNGkôrd/
Noun:
Agreement or harmony between people or groups.
A treaty.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
guy girl
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
05:23 PM on 03/04/2012
Poser suck ups like Paul Sheer are so obvious.
04:24 PM on 03/04/2012
Why is the media labeling this blackface. Al Jolson was blackface. Crystal as Davis Jr., Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder and Hammond as Jesse Jackson was sincere acting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhavaXOynO8

The link above is blackface and actually has a song titled Merry Minstrel Men!!!!
02:45 PM on 03/04/2012
Those who would be offended, if the act WAS offensive, are not. It's those who feel they need to be offended for the poor unfortunates who raise a fuss.
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Waiting4Something
I've gone by the point of caring
11:28 AM on 03/04/2012
The original story that I saw criticizing Billy had only one complaint from one person - an unknown (to me), white, bald, middle-aged comedian named Paul Scheer tweeted some snide comment about it. No one else even broached the subject. It was a non-story reported by some cub reporter who had nothing else to do.

Of all people on this earth, I don't believe Billy has a racist bone in his body. On the other hand, in the brief moments he was imitating Sammy, one of the lines in the skit said they were going to "kill Hitler." I believe we should seek out all people named Hitler...related to Adolf or not...and apologize to them. It is the politically correct thing to do.
04:11 PM on 03/04/2012
How old are you?  We are not at a play date.  You should apologize on you own behalf, if you feel guilt.  I don't care about Adolf Hitler.  I don't have blond hair and blue eyes. My skin would not have been white enough for him.  Adolf Hitler was an evil, vile, pedophile and murder.  Had he concord the world there would be no USA home of the free.  There is no such thing as collective political correctness behavior.  Nor is this a Communistic country.
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Waiting4Something
I've gone by the point of caring
04:58 PM on 03/04/2012
So, you aren't able to recognize sarcasm so you start attacking? Did you even read the comment? I'm certainly glad Hitler didn't "concord" the world so you could have the freedom to misunderstand and misrepresent someone's comment. You can apologize to me for your embarrassing reply.
04:59 PM on 03/04/2012
Billy Crystal wasn't joking about everyone named Adolf. Context is very important here.
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Waiting4Something
I've gone by the point of caring
05:00 PM on 03/04/2012
So you aren't going to apologize for your embarrassing mistake?
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Waiting4Something
I've gone by the point of caring
05:07 PM on 03/04/2012
I didn't think so. It's a shame that you have embarrassed yourself like this in a public forum.
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RobJames
Common sense is the genius of humanity
04:40 AM on 03/04/2012
It's an impression. Darrell Hammond played Jesse Jackson on SNL for years. It's not like Billy Crystal painted his face black and went out on the Oscar stage to do a minstrel act.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Lindstr7
01:17 AM on 03/04/2012
Stupid HuffPo. That was not blackface...where are your historians, you look like ignorant boobs with headlines like this.
09:49 PM on 03/03/2012
I don't understand what the big deal is, Crystal used to do Sammy Davis Jr. on SNL back in the 80's, and I don't remember Sammy Davis being offended when he was alive. But of course we live in a PC world (circa 2012), so everyone gets offended at everything these days!
04:30 PM on 03/03/2012
I have seen real blackface in film - think Al Jolson or google him if you have not heard of him. Crystal was not performing blackface.

He was just made up to look like Sammy Davis Jr. - he was wearing brown make-up, not black, and his lips were not exaggerated as it is done in the offensive blackface that I have studied about in college. The skit was not funny but it was not offensive and it was not blackface comedy.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Treehuggindirtworshiper
Steward of God's Creation
12:25 PM on 03/03/2012
It's only offensive if you allow it to be.
05:13 PM on 03/03/2012
If Cain would do something intending to mock, degrade, or exploit another person because their race it would be wrong. Even if you didn't see the intent. Even if you didn't see the harm in it.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Treehuggindirtworshiper
Steward of God's Creation
11:16 PM on 03/03/2012
You saw mockery, degradation and exploitation. I saw a wonderful tribute to a much loved and missed entertainer. i don't know anything about this Cain who ever he or she is.
10:35 AM on 03/03/2012
Herman Cain would have to do "White Face.". It would be corny. The joke would be on White people.
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RobJames
Common sense is the genius of humanity
04:41 AM on 03/04/2012
Dave Chappelle used to do that...It was actually pretty funny.