Hey Hey: Global reactions
Updated: International media speaks up on the Red Faces sketch. Daryl Somers apologises again while Harry Connick Jr. issues a statement.
- Published by David Knox
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Following last night’s ‘Blackface’ sketch on Hey Hey the Reunion, it is triggering reactions from international media.
Meanwhile the Herald Sun reports the skit was approved by producers despite some questioning prior to the show.
“All six of us discussed this at length whether or not we should put this on because we realised it may be controversial,” said Dr Anand Deva, who played Michael Jackson.
“We did go to the trouble of checking with the production staff and they seemed to OK it.”
Dr Deva said he and his friends came from ethnic backgrounds and were all too aware of racism.
“Two of us come from India and one of us comes from Lebanon so we can’t afford to be racist to be honest,” he said.
“If we did offend him (Connick Jr) we truly didn’t mean to.
A selection of international responses follows.
NYMag:
Well, this is pretty awful. On yesterday’s reunion special for long-running Australian variety show Hey Hey It’s Saturday, a group of singers calling themselves the “Jackson Jive” performed a galling version of the Jackson 5’s “Can You Feel It” in blackface makeup, to predictable boos from the studio audience. Guest American judge Harry Connick Jr. took issue, thankfully, giving the Jive a “0” and telling the tone-deaf host, “If they turned up like that in the United States, it’d be like Hey Hey There’s No More Show.”
MovieLine:
Apparently enough time had elapsed since Michael Jackson’s death that a cheeky comic tribute to him and the Jackson 5 seemed in good taste. At least it seemed that way a troupe of Aussie TV performers, who rounded out last night’s performance as the “Jackson Jive” in full-on blackface. The crowd ate it up, but an American judge who knew better ground the show to a halt until somebody apologized.
Defamer:
But what did the crowd do when they stopped the music. They booed! Harry Connick Jr, one of the guest judges gave the team a zero score and the judge who gonged gave them a one, even though the crowd was roaring to give them a 10! One female judge gave them a 7 out of 10 because she is apparently ignorant or, beause she’s a sweet female sitting between two men judging a singing competition she thought she was Paula Abdul and took a handful of pill before the broadcast, so she didn’t know better. The amazing thing is that, as the show tells us, in 1989, the same group doing a very similar act won the competition! So, in 20 years, we’ve gone from this offensive form of comedy being wildly popular to being still popular with the masses, even though some people know better. In America, blackface is one of those things that you can only show if you’re talking about how awful it is because, well, it is pretty awful. Sure, there are culture differences, but it’s not like they don’t have black folks in Australia who would get pissed off by this.
Guardian (UK):
Seemingly oblivious to the point being made, the host cheerily points out that this is a comeback of sorts – the Jackson Jive in fact performed this act on the show twenty years ago. You know, in the olden times of 1989, when blacking up was totally acceptable. Anyway… If you take a look at the mind-boggling video clip, you will note that we rejoin the show after the break, during which the host seems to have had a somewhat unconvincing epiphany.
Newsweek:
Asked to appear on the Australian variety hour Hey Hey It’s Saturday as a guest judge, Harry Connick Jr. sputters in disbelief when a Jackson 5 impersonation group entirely in blackface appears onstage. He first gives the group a 0 scorecard for the performance while the audience boos; later, at about 4:40 into the clip, Connick launches into an impassioned race-relations lecture explaining why blackface is a bad thing. “If I knew that was going to be a part of the show, I definitely wouldn’t have done it,” Connick declares on live TV. The host appears genuinely surprised.
ChicagoNow:
Shame on the host and the other judges for trying to act like this performance was acceptable in any part of the world. I seriously had to look at the calendar to see if I had somehow gone on a really bad time travel a la HG Wells. Anyone considering coming forth with the Wayans-White-Chicks-defense, don’t even bother. There is no history of “whiteface” that comes anywhere close to the embarrassment that blacks suffered during this period in Hollywood.
Examiner:
Harry Connick, Jr. was both shocked and amazed at an act that was impersonating Michael Jackson and his brothers, as he acted as guest judge on the show, Hey Hey It’s Saturday, an Australian show. Connick gave the group a “0” score for the performance, as the audience booed; later, Connick gave a race-related speech explaining why black-face is a bad thing. “If I knew that was going to be a part of the show, I definitely wouldn’t have done it.’
The Daily Swarm:
Understandably, Connick was less than amused, giving them a zero out of ten and noting that the show would be yanked from the air in America. Really, we’d like to think it wouldn’t have made the air in 1989 either.
It was also reported on the BBC, The Times, The Mirror and The Sun in the UK.
UPDATED: Meanwhile a Nine spokesman issued a brief apology this afternoon. “It was never intended to offend and we regret any offence the Red Faces act caused,” he said.
Daryl Somers told Sky News: “If there were any Australians who were offended … on behalf of the show I apologise.
“To most Australians I think it’s a storm in a teacup.”
Somers said he did not want to diminish the incident but said he believed it had been blown out of proportion.
“I think it was a light act … they were going to be gonged off,” he said.
Meanwhile Harry Connick Jr. has issued a statement to the Daily Telegraph which in part says:
“I have watched the media storm that has erupted over my reaction to the Hey Hey blackface skit.
“Where I come from, blackface is a very specific and very derogatory thing. Perhaps this is different in other parts of the world, but in the American culture, the blackface image is steeped in a negative history and considered offensive.
“I urge everyone in the media to take a look at the history of blackface to fully understand why it is considered offensive.”
You can read the rest here.
Source: Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun
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- Tagged with Hey Hey It’s Saturday, Hey Hey the Reunion, Sky News
126 Responses
wow its been taken too far.
Bring back hey hey .
I think we should put this down to a cultural mis-understanding. There was clearly no malice intended, and the group was made up of mostly non-white people.
This kind of thing doesn’t happen too often between american and australia because our cultures are becoming increasingly similar, but we shouldn’t rule it out. I think the americans are being too harsh and unforgiving towards us. We’ve been great allies to them for many decades and supported them through tough times, and I think they should put this skit into that context.
Paull, you can do a tribute to the Jacksons without putting on black makeup.
I’m stunned people are trying to defend this act – especially the ones saying “it’s only a joke”. What eactly was the joke? Once we take out the blackface, what was supposed to be making us laugh?
And for the people trying to compare this to Tropic Thunder – the whole point of that was that the deluded (Australian) actor was doing something stupid and borderline offensive, as pointed out by the actual black cast member.
This was purely racism, and deeply shameful.
Its seems not a week goes by with out a person being offended by one thing or another. Whats happening to us? Whats happening to our sense of humor? That was Not racist. Whats next banning all comedy! Its becoming a very very sad world. We need to laugh, its good for us. If there was a sketch of a black person making fun of white people, would us whites be offended? Mm interesting! probably some would there always is. I know I would be laughing my head off. Hey Hey did nothing wrong. If harry had not have said anything would we be discussing this today? Me wonders! Storm in a tea cup.
I think the issue was the quality of the makeup.
It looked like they had smeared dark boot polish over their faces. So probably had too much of a historic resemblance to what occurred in America.
@bette streep: Actually, forget about the last post, all I’d like to say is to anyone who sides with Connick, check out the racially insensitive skit he performed 13 years ago, where he had to dress up as, and impersonate a black man.
@bette streep: What you’re saying is absolute nonsense. If you don’t like HHIS then just say you don’t like, instead of accusing the entire nation of Australia as a bunch of racists. The act was performed by 2 indians and a Lebanese, so if you have something against people from those nations, please let us know.
I for one am not racist. I hate racism and will always speak out against it when someone is picked on because of their skin colour- yet that sketch last night had nothing to do with skin colour! It was a tribute to the Jackson 5, yes in hindsight their black face paint was insensitive to another culture and I wouldn’t recommend it again, but to suggest that everyone who laughed or enjoyed the sketch was doing so because they were racists and had strong dislikes for black people. Because I can tell you know they weren’t!
We live in a multicultural country. do we really need to bring everything under a microscope every time someone is offended? if you dont like what you see then change the channel. no one is holding a gun to your head!!!
Well done Percy. Thank you for trying to set the context of this act. It is because of the behaviour of the southern states in America that an act like this is so offensive – it is because in the past, blackface was used as a political tool to make fun of African Americans and imply that they were animals/stupid/inferior. The Jim Crow laws have
Secondly – Tropic Thunder. The joke featuring Robert Downy Jr was focusing on the ridiculous lengths actors go to in trying to gain Oscar nominations – he had “plastic surgery” – he wasn’t putting face paint on and prancing around like an idiot, implying that all who are black are idiots. It is not the same thing at all, and in fact, the movie brings up the fact that many people in their version of Hollywood found it offensive. It was satirising actors like Russell Crowe who are ridiculously “method” in their approach. Personally, I found it more offensive when Angelina Jolie “blacked up” to make A Mighty Heart – there were many other women of colour who were more than capable of playing that role, so for her to use fake tan was more than a bit tacky.
Thirdly – not only was the act itself appalling, but the jokes that were made throughout – “Where’s Kamahl” (sorry if spelling incorrect) also pointed out how dated the humour on this show is. Similar to when the Vegemite skit from last week’s had “Michael Jackson” on the screen – again, tacky and dated and Racist humour!
I would have to agree 100% on the very first comment, it makes sense to stand up for your rights and beliefs.
Hey Bette – I was thinking of another act similar to that one – it wasn’t from the same people as last night. The one I remember was a few years after those guys.
Looks like there were more blackface performances on Hey Hey than I thought!!!
The people on here trying to defend Hey, Hey and even to go so far as to attack Harry Connick Jnr as a hypocrite are beyond belief and not worth responding to.
It was tasteless, no matter where you live, and is a brilliant illustration of why Hey, Hey should remain off the air. Daryl’s apology was half-hearted and unconvincing, which is nothing less than I’d expect from such an egomaniac.
Patrick wrote;- ” remember very clearly there was a similar act in about 89/90 where a guy came on Red Faces in blackface make up impersonating Michael Jackson. He had with him a conga line of artificial Golliwog dummies ‘dancing’ to Blame it on the Boogie.”
Patrick – this is the same act that performed last night! Didn’t you hear Daryl gush over the fact that the Jackson Jive performed on HHIS 20 years ago with the same act – And won?
The reason so many people are upset about last night is that it proves that Australians are still stuck in the 80s! What was acceptable 20 years ago is not acceptable today! The whole HHIS reunion shows are not funny , embarassingly dated and as of last night – clearly racist!
Sadly – the huge ratings it got will guarantee it’ll return in 2010 – and we will be stuck with the likes of HHIS, Brendan Fevola, Sam Newman and Kyle Sandilands!
Great!
wasnt it America that produced the movie ” tropic thunder ” only last year. and they call us racist!
I think it was pretty ironic that they were playing a song by the Jacksons about equality in races, and then Harry Connick Jr has a whinge because it is offensive. Connick is expressing the idea that we still need to segregate the races and treat coloured people gingerly as we might offend. If that is the case, then we should never show a coloured person on tv, because someone may not understand the context… so go ahead, remove every show that may express racism, Seinfeld, Family Guy, American Dad, South Park… by the way, these are all American tv shows… so if you have a problem with racism, you should fix it at home first.
Did anyone care when Robert Downey Jr played an Australian and dressed as a black man in Tropic Thunder?
The one thing that has shone brightest in this whole saga, is that those criticising HCJ have no understanding of what he is talking about. Robert Downey Jnr playing a blackman is not the same as a group of whitemen using blackface.
Maybe if you went and did a bit of research before criticizing others, you may prove to the world that you aren’t complete idiots.
But I guess that would be too much to expect.
I think that Harry Connick made a huge fuss out of nothing. There is always reference to colour both black and white in many media contexts. We cannot co-exsist with different races if we are always going to misjudge everything. In the movie White Chicks the Wayons brothers are black men who go around spray painting themselves as white girls in this comedy flick and so what – has anyone made any big deal about that? I enjoyed the movie I am not focusing on rascism. The late Al Jolson would wear black make up on his face when he performed mammie- anyone make a big deal about that?. I think Daryl has nothing to apologise about rascism exsists because people are always focusing on it.
In the words of Bette Midler… ‘F*** ’em if the can’t take a joke’
When I see this and read half of the comments here I’m embarassed to be Australian.
It’s time for us to get in step with the rest of the world on these matters and not keep ‘laughing’ them off.
Who knew Hey Hey would provide such an insight into our identity and beliefs.
Perhaps someone defending it can explain the humour in it to me because I don’t get what was so funny and/or entertaining.
(For the record I wasn’t offended, only embarrassed for Australian TV).
Complete Blowout!!! Get a sense of humour!!!
Frankie Fox > yes that’s a good point. All done for PR to sell CD’s and promote the show. Use what they knew (HHIS and Harry if the info that Harry knew about the skit before hand is right) would no doubt be construed as a “Controversial racial skit’ to do it. Gold.
I’m all for bringing this debate out in the open, but I think David K has good points about how their “Comedy” looks in this century (but I still say it’s a reflection in the mirror that has just highlighted through the actual skit and following debate where we are).
I commend them for being objective and pointing out Harry’s 1996 skit too.
It’s interesting seeing the reactions now to these things as to when Hey Hey was originally on air.
I remember very clearly there was a similar act in about 89/90 where a guy came on Red Faces in blackface make up impersonating Michael Jackson. He had with him a conga line of artificial Golliwog dummies ‘dancing’ to Blame it on the Boogie.
On another occassion Daryl also blacked himself up impersonating Louis Armstrong singing It’s A Wonderful World in a duet with Ricky May in about 87/88.
I don’t recall any complaint back then about those compared to the furious storm of last night’s show.
I guess if blame for last night should be made, it’s towards the producers who allowed the skit on air without realising that it’s a very different world these days compared to 20 or so years ago.
If Hey Hey was to come back in some form, everyone concerned will have to realise this whether they want to or not.
Americans are quick to judge every one else before getting their own backyard in order. Maybe it’s just to make them feel better about themselves.
BTW have these American commentators realised that the performers themselves in this skit are of mixed racial origin?