Connick Jnr. starts race row over tv skit in Australia.

I didn't find it particularly funny or offensive

 

It's not like Harry found this clip online and flew into Australia to make a statement. He was there, it would be wrong of him to not say anything if it really bugged him. He did preface it at the beginning by saying that it wouldn't be acceptable where he's from.

 

I don't understand the problem. That routine is highly offensive to Americans. Harry was invited on the show, he was offended, and he said as much. If you don't like it, don't ask his opinion and don't invite him back if that's the kind of skits you do.

Only thing I would say is if it's all Australian to Australians and such and on and on then why are they black facing American artists with an American on the show? That's just ignorant.

 

Nice thread Gakatron.

I saw this and thought it was a bit over the top on Harry's part.

I laughed when he said "we have spent years in America trying NOT to make blacks look like buffoons"

Ah, yeah, well said Mr Connick.

I love Harry Connick by the way.

 

Can I also make the point that Dave Chappelle and other comedians of his ilk can get away with racial murder because its in the name of entertainment and comedy.

So make of that what you will.

 

I don't know what the history of black face has been in Australia but he is right that that would be offensive in the US.

I don't think this is a big deal and Harry Connick basically said that he has nothing against Australians but was expressing his opinion about how that would be considered in the US.

 

How is it not a race thing? They painted their faces black and wore huge afros to make themselves look like black people. He was offended and wanted to disassociate himself from the skit. What's wrong with that? He has every right to be concerned with his image. That's his livelihood.

I just think it's weird that you're upset that he was upset when you don't admit it was an ignorant thing to do with an American on the panel.

 

I think you're getting too worked up over this. This wasn't Harry Connick sayign that Australians were racist just pointing out that they were being unintentionally offensive because they didn't know how an American would react. I can't tell from the clip if he forced the presenter to do an on air apology. It seems to me like the presenter decided to do an apology just because he chose to apologize to Harry Connick just to let him know nothing was intended.

All this seems like a cultural misunderstanding. Things like this happen and as similar as the US and Australia is there is still a lot that is different.

 

It was a tribute to the Michael and the Jackson's.

Obviously a bit ignorant on the producers of the show's part - but nonetheless they were doing it in the right spirit.

 

I'm not exactly sure what you would expect Connick to do in that situation. To me, only having seen the clip, it looked like the producers/host presented the opportunity for the apology. He even went as far as to play it off when it happened. You have to understand this would spark an 8 month long debate(to put it mildly) on racial prejudice across all networks and probably result in a handful of job openings over here.

Comparing it to chapelle or saying it was done in the right spirit are just easy outs. Chapelle could paint his face stark white and throw around racial slurs and it still wouldn't have the same impact this would have.

In the end it's just a cultural misunderstanding more than anything, it happens.

 

Which is exactly my point - why can HE get away with it?

He is American, no?

 

Because white people in the United States haven't been the ones persecuted for hundreds of years, but black people have... and, according to civil right activists, Dave is a great comedian. I think.

Same reason THIS is funny:
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"I do the same exact bit... same comedic timing... why can Chris Rock do it? Is it because he's black?"

 

Thanks for Dictating to me what should and should not offend me
Thanks for allowing me to submit to your obviously superior opinions and allow it to be my own.
Thanks for not allowing someone of my lowly station the opportunity to be offended by things that obviously I have not the ability to *Truly* understand


Wow! Just wow!

BTW - thanks for throwing in the . . . I-have-a-friend-who-has-dark-skinned-and-he-not-offended line in there. . . just made it . .. . just overly impressive. . . The story would not be the same without it.

Rocket River
"You name is TOBY!!!!"
"No . . .It's Kunta Kente!"
*SWACK*WHIP*BEATEN*SMACK*
"It's TOBY, BOY!!!"

 

I never said he would get away with it. There would undoubtedly be some criticism and commentary associated with it, but nothing remotely near what the above would cause. It's a matter of American history dating back to the colonies and the rise of slavery.

 

Thanks for clarifying.

 

I'm going to put it to you this way... I don't know too much, but I am not going to defend this... I try to stay out of this here D&D thingie, but...

In Mexico, there is this comedian... his nickname name is Zamorita... he's mulatto. I don't know his ancestry or if he were born in Mexico, but he is obviously "different" than most of the other comedians there because he's black, so he's cast all the time as the "attendant" and the "help" and the "waiter"... because he's black. Now, in Mexico, this racial stuff is accepted because there isn't an ACLU or just... heck I don't know... because there aren't that many black folks and so the few ones find a way to quickly be noted... of course they are. The comedy is different. In a show, they might be saying "Ay! Un sapo Negro!" (a black toad!) and it's funny... but no one gets offended down there. I'm all "WTF? Here in the states someone would be getting fired for something like that."

The point I am trying to make is that culture from place to place is different. Obviously, Australia has different "norms" and issues range in different hemispheres... but... I am not offended when they do "Mexican Telemundo" on SNL or if I see 'Mexican 300.' But I have learned not to say certain things about other people.

It's the culture and the place. Here in the states, don't try that. Spike Lee can make "Bamboozled" and it's OK, because he is presenting it in an "artist's manner." It's still wrong, but people in different places handle it differently.