The fact of the matter is the skit happened, learn from it, get over it and move on.

Here is the main difference between the Jackson Jive skit, and the Mad TV skit: Connick Jr was PLAYING A WHITE MAN.

Have people got it yet? “Look at him, criticising blackface, when HE once performed in blackface!” does not work, if the person you’re talking about has never performed in blackface.

Why is it that the so called ‘white people’ are the only ones that can be racist???

Their own ignorance is an issue for them. I like to think Australians are pretty educated on world events, and most people could have seen this issue coming a mile off. Besides, America is bigger and more important than us, so it would be stupid to ignore their sensitivities; thats just life in the big city.

WHY ?,,,,..I mean it Why should we ?

They know nothing about us, are happy to know nothing about our history, it is not taught in their schools and it would be a lucky thing if any American could point out Australia on a world map, let alone their own country.

so why in the hell should we really care what the USA thinks about us, when really they are not thinking about us.

Look at the pot calling the kettle black !! Any black Americans that I have met here in Australia, all comment that they are treated over here in Australia far better than they are treated at home.

Racism is alive and well still in the old U S of A outside of Hollywood.

So personally I don’t give a Rats &*%^#! what they think about us.

Whoopie do, as with all first class bullies the Americans and the English fall like the proverbial brick wall on that irritating country, Oz. As if to show the world what a wonderful people they are. The classic case of the pot calling the kettle…..
So far has political correctness come that I am not even allowed to use the old saying. For fear of being thought racist.

It might be a good idea if along with the fact that Australia is a completely different mind-set to the above mentioned countries, we acknowledge our racism towards our indigenous people is manifestly disgraceful. I’m not talking about an event like Crunalla (or however it’s spelt) because red-neck hoons, yobbos a f/wits
appear in all societies.

To me it is astonishing to see so many Australians groveling to America, tail between our legs, because they don’t like it. Personally I would rather see our country really come to grips with our racism towards our own black Australians.

Agreed!

Again, in the Connick case, he was among black men and a leading part part of *their* particular act.

If you’re a guest of a black group on a show that is aired, you are hardly offending your guests.

I saw the HHIS clip on Youtube and thought the skit was crass and tasteless and in no way amusing, but not racist and certainly not as demeaning as the Mahatma Coat depiction on the Cricket Show years ago. Now that curled my toes.

The sketch (which I didn’t see live) I understand was an update of one the same group did twenty years ago on the show, with the difference that then “Michael Jackson” was also in blackface - that, I assume, was the joke. I don’t think there was any racist intent on the part of the participants, or of HHIS. Quite simply, no-one realised how attitudes had changed and in particular (and the point of the Crikey editorial) that via the Internet this could be seen around the world where it might be seen in a different light and could become a cause celebre.

Whatever, it’s being seen internationally as yet more evidence that we’re a nation of insular, racist hicks.

Moral? I dunno… How do you guarantee that a sketch you put to air (particularly when comedy can frequently be edgy) that is acceptable in your own society will not cause a furor somewhere else in the world? Should you even try to do this?

As for the clip of Connick impersonating a black preacher, he was doing so in the company of blacks, thaus was evidently an accepted part of the act in that situation. Hardly the same as a crude attempt to portray “blackface”.

Recognising differences in behaviour and attitudes between different ethnic backgrounds is not in itself racist unless you assume that any differentiation whatsoever is to be proscribed. Zionists have made an art form of criticising anybody who disagrees with them as being racist, and the racist epithet is overworked. The critics should have “Bex and a good lie down”.

It should be noted despite the Channel 7 beat up 80% of the respondents to their online survey found no offence.

If you’re not aware of why it’s offensive, you haven’t been paying attention.

Of course now the rest of the world (which HAS been paying attention) thinks we’re all a bunch of unreconstructed racists. Claiming ignorance isn’t an excuse, either, it just makes us look like a bunch of ignorant unreconstructed racists.

If your answer is no, then let’s all agree it was a bit in poor taste and move on with our lives.

If you are outraged and scandalised by the very concept of black face, then may I direct your attention to the Dutch tradition of Zwarte Piet, which was notably absent from the article above. You’ve got bigger fish to fry!