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Hey Hey It's Failturday!
Oct. 9th, 2009 07:58 amFor future reference: a brief overview of minstrel shows in Australia. There are more resources; this was just the first reputable-looking source that popped up when I googled.
Context: traditionally crap, thankfully-long-cancelled local "comedy" show Hey Hey It's Saturday! was dug out of mothballs for a series of reunion specials. On Wednesdays, but whatevs. This week's special included a new version of a skit first run in 1989: five doctors blacked up to parody the Jackson Five.
(Technically, only four blacked up. The last one painted his face white. Because he was Michael. GEDDIT? Oh it is to laugh. Wait, laugh? I meant cringe.)
One of the judges -- think of a very low rent version of [Insert Country Here]'s Got Talent -- was American Harry Connick Jr. To his credit, he stopped the skit immediately, gave the group zero points, and said, basically, WHAT THE HELL, I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS WAS APPROVED, IF I'D KNOWN ABOUT THIS I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE THIS SHOW.
Cue controversy, as Australians set out to fill up bingo cards. Highlights have included "THERE IS NO RACISM IN AUSTRALIA / YANK GO HOME" (I know that US citizenship is a nationality not a race, but I still facepalmed), "WHY ARE YOU SO OVERSENSITIVE?", "THE AMERICAN PC POLICE ARE COMING FOR US!", "IT'S NOT LIKE WE WERE MAKING FUN OF ABORIGINES!", "FINDING BLACKFACE RACIST IS RACIST".
My favourite, so far, was "HOW IS THIS OFFENSIVE? LAST TIME I CHECKED, THE JACKSON FIVE WERE COLOURED." All this facepalming is beginning to leave a bruise. Also, apparently Connick Jr. once played a (white) southern preacher in an American skit, which is EXACTLY THE SAME if not MOAR OFFENSIVE.
Crikey has a good overview of the controversy, with a whole lot of bingo to be played in the comments. Here is the most current update from the mainstream media.
The network was, last time I checked, pointing out that it got really good ratings. The men who did the skit issued a classic fauxpology, highlights including "We are sorry you think this is offensive" and "as Indian-Australians, we cannot be racist against black people".
So now there are people claiming that Australia has no tradition of minstrel shows. This shits me off, as way back in first year uni, I wrote a paper on the history of popular culture in Australia, including minstrel shows. They were originally imported from the US, but believe me, we came up with our own. Sadly, I've moved house so many times since then that the paper and all my research has long been misplaced, otherwise I'd be going on a scanning frenzy. As it is, I am merely capslocking with rage a lot, and contemplating the foundation of my own micronation. I did consider moving to America, but then I remembered the health care issues.
SO MUCH FAIL, GUYS, I CAN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.
Context: traditionally crap, thankfully-long-cancelled local "comedy" show Hey Hey It's Saturday! was dug out of mothballs for a series of reunion specials. On Wednesdays, but whatevs. This week's special included a new version of a skit first run in 1989: five doctors blacked up to parody the Jackson Five.
(Technically, only four blacked up. The last one painted his face white. Because he was Michael. GEDDIT? Oh it is to laugh. Wait, laugh? I meant cringe.)
One of the judges -- think of a very low rent version of [Insert Country Here]'s Got Talent -- was American Harry Connick Jr. To his credit, he stopped the skit immediately, gave the group zero points, and said, basically, WHAT THE HELL, I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS WAS APPROVED, IF I'D KNOWN ABOUT THIS I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE THIS SHOW.
Cue controversy, as Australians set out to fill up bingo cards. Highlights have included "THERE IS NO RACISM IN AUSTRALIA / YANK GO HOME" (I know that US citizenship is a nationality not a race, but I still facepalmed), "WHY ARE YOU SO OVERSENSITIVE?", "THE AMERICAN PC POLICE ARE COMING FOR US!", "IT'S NOT LIKE WE WERE MAKING FUN OF ABORIGINES!", "FINDING BLACKFACE RACIST IS RACIST".
My favourite, so far, was "HOW IS THIS OFFENSIVE? LAST TIME I CHECKED, THE JACKSON FIVE WERE COLOURED." All this facepalming is beginning to leave a bruise. Also, apparently Connick Jr. once played a (white) southern preacher in an American skit, which is EXACTLY THE SAME if not MOAR OFFENSIVE.
Crikey has a good overview of the controversy, with a whole lot of bingo to be played in the comments. Here is the most current update from the mainstream media.
The network was, last time I checked, pointing out that it got really good ratings. The men who did the skit issued a classic fauxpology, highlights including "We are sorry you think this is offensive" and "as Indian-Australians, we cannot be racist against black people".
So now there are people claiming that Australia has no tradition of minstrel shows. This shits me off, as way back in first year uni, I wrote a paper on the history of popular culture in Australia, including minstrel shows. They were originally imported from the US, but believe me, we came up with our own. Sadly, I've moved house so many times since then that the paper and all my research has long been misplaced, otherwise I'd be going on a scanning frenzy. As it is, I am merely capslocking with rage a lot, and contemplating the foundation of my own micronation. I did consider moving to America, but then I remembered the health care issues.
SO MUCH FAIL, GUYS, I CAN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.
