Hey Hey faces the music
"If I knew it was going to be part of the show I definitely wouldn't have done it," Harry Connick Jr tells Daryl Somers. Did Hey Hey manage to make it into 2009 after all?
- Published by David Knox
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In the lead up to the first Hey Hey reunion there was a huge section of the audience screaming for live variety back on television. And they were right. They got it with last week’s seamless reunion show.
And there was another part of the the audience who reminded us the show had ended its 28 year run because it had arguably passed its use-by date. After the second reunion show, they may also have a point.
The Red Faces ‘Jackson Jive’ revival, which saw 5 men in black face -and one in fake white- might have been better left to the archives, particularly given the show had Harry Connick Jr. as a guest.
Connick Jr., who hails from New Orleans, sat grim-faced through the sketch, scoring it 0 points.
A polite Connick Jr. said, “Man if they turned up lookin’ like that in the United States….”
“You’re right actually,” replied Daryl Somers.
“It would be like Hey Hey, there’s no more show,” said Connick Jr.
The issue was so significant it resulted in an on-air discussion between Connick Jr. and Somers later in the show.
“It didn’t occur to me afterwards. I think we may have offended you with that act,” said Somers. “And I deeply apologise on behalf of all of us. I know that your countrymen …that’s an insult to have a black face routine. So I do apologise to you.”
“Thanks Daryl,” replied Connick Jr. “and I just want to say on behalf of my country, I know it was done humourously, but we’ve spent so much time trying not to make black people look like buffoons, that when we see something like that we take it really to heart. And I know it was in good fun and the last thing I want to do is to take this show to a down level, because you know how much I love this show and this country….. I feel like I’m at home here.
“If I knew it was going to be part of the show I definitely wouldn’t have done it,” he said.
“But thankyou for the opportunity. I gotta give it up to Daryl, because I told him at the break, ‘Man, you need to speak up, as an American. Not as a white American or as a black American, but as an American I need to say that.’ So thanks for giving me the opportunity.”
For better or worse, Hey Hey remained true to its history on both of its reunion specials.
Yes it brought back broad variety, spontaneity, madcap live television. It took us back to simpler times before recessions, terorrism and when the word entertainment became closely aligned with SMS votes and eliminations. To have strided into the GTV9 studio like they had never left was an achievement in itself.
But amid the nostalgia both shows were also punctuated by jokes about people’s appearances and race, particularly with the cartoons and subtitles scrawled on the bottom of the screen. Last week an overweight Red Faces singer had to endure the words “Deflate him” supered over his performance and references to “Super Mario.” The boy who smeared Vegemite over his body was branded “It’s Michael Jackson.”
Surely a contestant going on Red Faces knows they are in for a ribbing.
But the question in comedy, as other television shows are currently finding, is where to draw the line. While we are seeing a number of incidents of media running stories on distatesful comedy before the audience has had a chance to respond, it is also worth asking what post-mortems the Hey Hey team did after its first show before staging the second.
Hey Hey was also at pains to point out it had progressed to a modern era, with email, Facebook and Twitter. But does that include its comic sensibility too -or would that be a sell-out?
For Nine the questions it faces will be driven more by economics than morality, or any lack thereof. How will it package the show moving forward? Dismissing unanswered questions about its on-going cast, the show proved it has legs and an audience, which would seem to override politically incorrect hiccups. After all The Footy Show is still here…
Meanwhile it seems clear there remains a ferocious majority of Middle Australia that adores Hey Hey and a polite minority happy to acknowledge its comedy as part of their youth.
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- Tagged with Hey Hey It’s Saturday, Hey Hey the Reunion, The Footy Show
95 Responses
What I personally found worse was that once Harry Connick Jnr had had his say during the RF segment, Daryl didn’t really acknowledge it by continuing on with the act by showing the old footage as well. He could have just cut it short there and then, told the producer to bring in the next act, but no, for the sake of a few laughs he persisted with it (and laughed along).
Good News. Fingers crossed the controversy spurs enough moronic moral outrage to stop the woeful Hey Hey ever coming back on air. I’m outraged if it helps the cause.
I just cringed – anyone who knows the history of blackface in ridiculing black racial stereotypes would know the whole skit was just off! It wasn’t even funny – there was little creativity beyond a visual gag.
To top it off – it was simply embarrassing to have that shown in front of an American guest you had to wonder what the producers were thinking. I hate to think what would have happened if they performed in front of a black American!
But I’ll give them credit, that was a great save in the end by having Harry talk about it. I’m all for less PC jokes (especially the ones highlighted recently in the media) but doing this doesn’t help the cause. I just hope this doesn’t go international!
I didn’t find it offensive…but I’m not black. To those who say it didn’t offend them…I’d have a guess that you’re not of a minority that has suffered at the hands of others either. Yes we may have found it funny…it doesn’t make it right. PC or not, racism comes in many forms, the same as sexual harrassment. Just because things were deemed okay in 1989 does not make them acceptable in 2009…ie. mullets, men with permed hair etc, etc.
I flicked over to Hey, Hey as Red Faces ended with the “Jackson Jive” returning to the stage and I immediately thought “oh sh*t.”
Black face is something only really funny these days in irony.
People think Hey Hey would be great to have back on but is this based on the show itself or memories of when they were younger and carefree eating McDonalds whilst watching Hey Hey as a kid?? I believe its the latter.
it was a music act and i would call it racist if they only came and sang and say or do any racist acts
My thoughts on the ‘Jackson Jive’.. it was too soon After Michael Jackson’s death.. That’s all, As for all the hippocrites calling for a Boycott and all that other meaningless crap, You don’t like it Change the channel!.
A Large Majority including myself think it’s just a group of people having a bit of fun, It’s the Stupid small majority calling it Racist.. Build a Bridge, Get over It! Cue the Violins!
Well, the only good thing to come out of this might be that 9 drops any consideration of reviving this program. Old fashioned, blokey, and out-dated; just like the network itself. And these are the same people who let Sam Newman ‘black up’ to impersonate Nicky Winmar – surely the entire network should be up before ACMA.
This is such an overreaction – this is Australia and this is our sense of humour. We take the you-know-what out of ourselves all the time. If Connick was American, would there be an outcry? No. If Australians appear on American shows, they don’t have a right to be morally outraged by its content. As Jed said, there was a movie called “White Chicks” which the Americans made. Where is the outrage? I am dissapointed that the whole thing have overshadowed what was a great show last night.
I was more offended by the fact the sketch wasn’t funny, also in all those best of Red Faces specials I never recall seeing this lot featured
Personally I wasn’t offended, but come on, move on people. I can understand why Harry was upset and angry, but if he wasn’t there it would have been a completely different respose. Grow up!
LOL @ all the people who come in here and other blogs/web forums and slam the so called “racist”segment on last night’s HHR special.
So we should bow down to the americans, and be like harry connick jnr, now? I don’t think so, yeah right it is ok for the americans to poke fun of themselves, but when another country does it, and they don’t like it, well, we will just bow down to them, apologize and do whatever they want, yeah right, I thought the segment was harmless fun, for the people who did or didn’t watch last night, get over yourself and go and play in the sandpit or something!!
I can’t understand why we always have to over-react all the time. I can’t believe we’re in such an oversensitive stage in civilisation where we all fall apart and condemn people for being honest. I mean seriously, look at the last week where we have apparently been “offended” by jokes about cyclists and then Michael Jackson. Its ridiculous. Maybe we should just quit comedy all together, take everything seriously and live our lives in cotton wool afraid to offend anyone. Australia’s meant to be the free country!
How is this different to Robert Downey Jnr in Tropic Thunder?
Thanks, Daryl, for reminding us why Hey, Hey is no longer on air (and hopefully won’t be again). It’s dated! We’re now an international embarrassment (again). Harry Connick Jnr grew up in New Orleans, a mostly black city, so he had every right to feel offended. A lot of white Americans probably wouldn’t be bothered, so full credit to him for doing the right thing.
Amid all this “hey hey its dated” talk. Can some one please point out to me this new, cutting edge humor that should be on or is on Australian TV…? I am hearing crickets…
mmmm…
Good News Week..gimme a break. The most smug and unfunny show on TV. Where all the “comedians” spend the whole show laughing at their own jokes and trying to out funny each other with their razor sharp acidic wit, lol. Plus I can’t stand that big one on the show (i won’t mention names).
Spicks and Specks..yep, so “right now” the name of the show has a racist term in it + it is an acquired taste (typical ABC).
Rove..yep, their comedy is so new and hip that it is everything but one thing, actually funny. I don’t think i have actually laughed on Rove in years. Everyone says Rove is crap and guess what, it is.
Hungry Beast…ha ha, yer right. More ABC caviar humor. Only those with masters degrees or socialists need apply.
What else…burp TV or that other unfunny show that was just axed…
…im waiting..im waiting…please someone show me this new, ultra hip comedy/variety TV …im waiting…
this is all a publicity stunt people …Hello..what a load of BS….its all just to get people talking about this ridiculus show the next day ..honestly are people that gullible ???? i watch a tiny bit of the horrendus show which is stuck in the 80s last night and gagged the whole way through it….and what has happend to darryls nose?? it looks like micheal jacksons
Didn’t America make a film where two black men dress up as white chicks and and make them look like buffoons?? The movie’s called White Chicks, i thought it was funny. Didn’t think this skit was particularly funny, but that’s cos it was crap and has been done before, not because it was offensive. I want to use the phrase pot-kettle-….. but i don’t want to offend anybody.
@rick: Remeber that Harry Connick is from New Orleans which has been battling racism from the start. It may not of offended you but it was very offensive to American people in general.
Just say you were in the US in a similar situation, and you saw some Americans taking the mickey out of Australian Aboriginals, wouldn’t you be offended at that?
The Hey Hey Crew ridicule Molly for being gay on a weekly basis…where’s the outcry over that?
Oh that’s right….
Talk about iver-reaction from world [US] media… This is Australia, so get over it.
Frankly, I’m more outraged that they think Michael Jackson’s death was long enough ago to do the skit…
Since when does Harry speak for all Americans? They hardly live in a race tolerant utopia. If the group had been dressed as Arabs would he have been offended? If the group had been mocking homosexuals would he have been angry?
If Harry hadn’t been offended, would it even be talked about today?
This is such a non-issue. Its only become a race issue because Harry has made it one.
FYI Harry, you are in Australia, not America. If Darryl went on an American show and they had a skit about convicts, kangaroos and Aborginals, would the same rules apply?
Pretty dumb to put it on air and shows a complete lack of common sense. I don’t think it’s the greatest crime in the history of the universe but like bert newton stupidly calling ali ‘boy’, racially tinged words have a way of stinging that goes beyond calling someone an idiot or a tosser. Surprisingly, a moment of clarity this morning was Sunrise’s gossip guy who is american, said (paraphrasing) the blackface is insulting because of the History of it. The original intent was to make black people look dumb, childish, etc. In other words, enforce the racial heirarchy with whites at top and black at bottom.Strange a guy who usually tells me if britany spears is wearing underwear has offered the clearest explanation of why (although it wasn’t directly trying to insult someone’s race) it is an offensive thing to do.
Great review David. You can understand why Harry Connick Jnr was offended as an American, and why as Australians we don’t always share that sensitivity, because to a large extent we don’t share the US experience or thankfully that history. Is Hey Hey indulging in racist humour: yes and using every other (humourous?) prejudice & stereo-type know to man (& woman). It’s always done that as most of the show certainly appears off the cuff so the cast grabs at immediate gratification. Is it an indulgence for a simpler time? May be a more niave time.