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.
Kay..im 27.
My point is, Hey Hey is on and it has rated. If there are comedy programs on Aust TV that were actually any good then they could be used as a yardtsick against Hey Hey.
Unfortunately S&S, GNW, Rove rate really poorly and the humor is sporadic or non existent (i.e Rove). Rove is the worst and his laugh at anything studio audience is even worse..Kevin Rudd PM thing is sooo not funny, but they keep dragging it on. Hungry Beast is total and utter crap, undergraduate, political science major crap.
Please someone show me this cutting edge humor that puts the Hey Hey style of humor to shame.
Now I realise some Aust drama could be considered humor based on how laughable it is, but i’m talking about shows that were designed to make us laugh.
I am not saying what Hey Hey did was right but just saying” it’s sooo not 2009 humor and” it’s sooooo a dinosaur” is fine, if you can show me the alternative, this cutting edge 2009 humor.
I can’t believe the poor comments some people have mentioned regarding the Jackson Jive being racist,interesting to note that most of them are non Hey Hey fans interesting that It’s these sorts of comments that continue to keep society from making a step foward…………On more of a positive note well done to Daryl and the gang on another great show,no surprise the ratings were great.Now Channel 9 is up to you,obvious choice if you ask me.Money or not
Lol, has the whole world gone mad? There was absolutely nothing racist about that act. I personally found it lame and unfunny like the rest of the show, but to suggest that it displays racial prejudice is just absurd. If you saw something racist in the act, then that’s your own doing, because there is nothing inherently racist about painting your face a particular colour and dancing.
Dictionary.com (courtesy of Random House) lists three definitions of racism. I have edited them to make them more concise.
1. Belief that race determines cultural or individual achievement
2. A policy of government based on fostering such a doctrine
3. Hatred or intolerance of another race
The act in itself meats none of these definitions, unless you want it to.
On another note, the reason why this act is considered largely acceptable in Australia and not in the US is that deep racist undercurrents still exists within American society (hence why the election of Barack Obama was such a big deal). Here in Australia racism exists within certain bogan trash minority groups, but the election of a black Prime Minister wouldn’t be seen as so revolutionary. This is why most of us feel completely comfortable with entertainment like this, because we know that neither the show nor the performers would ever attempt to impart a racist message. Most of us therefore understand that painting your face black and dancing is just that – painting your face black and dancing. If certain reactionary groups want to read some kind of racism into this, they should feel free to. The rest of us will just sit back and watch in peace, because after all – the colour of one’s skin should never be cause for concern!
David, here’s an idea. Why don’t you stop posting articles about these pathetic controversies and then we can all pretend that they didn’t happen and live in happiness. It’s really irritating having to endure people complaining about them. Firstly, I fail to see how the act was in any way racist. It was simply an act featuring people parodying a Jackson Five performance. What part of it was racist? What part of it portrayed black people in an offensive way? I think that sadly we have become so politically correct that even just a mention of black people or anything else “offensive” for that matter gets perceived as racist, sexist etc.
e.g.
Jane Doe: “So which person is he?”
John Doe: “He’s that black guy over there.”
Jane Doe: “That’s racist!”
I hope people of Australia are not surprised about CH9.
These are the only black faces you will see on the network!
@Buzz – I genuinely think they didn’t see the controversy coming. Maybe its just me, but nothing about Hey Hey suggests a level of sophistication behind the scenes, and certainly not in front of the cameras. The whole creative team seems to be so out of touch that they just let it go through to the goal posts without another thought.
Who cares. Its all for publicity.
Lallo…… How old are you? What comedy do you like? Do tell! What do you do for fun? Spicks and specks racist In the title, yeh right only cause you want it to be. You seem to know lots about all those shows. Dont like it, theres a off button on the remote. Better still maybe sell your TV.
I thought the act was a bit silly really,they could have done a different act, it was a good laugh any how!
It was good of harry to sick up for himself and Darryl to say his bit knowing that he was only doing what was right.
It was a good show, they need to work on different things in the future if they are ever to bring it back on air rather than living in the last century.
Dooga @ 10.46: are you kidding me?! I have no doubt the producers knew exactly what sort of train wreck they were causing – HCjr + minstrel lookalikes? = Publicity gold. Darryl may have been out of the loop, but still, someone knew exactly what would happen.
oh how I love online ad banner networks.
I’m seeing a Nat Geo med rect top right with an African face and the title of the show is Taboo.
Free Tv Australia – Code of Practice:
1.2.3 the Commercial Television Industry Advisory Notes, which are designed to help and encourage industry employees to understand and be responsive to community concerns about privacy, the portrayal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, cultural diversity, women and men, people with disabilities and commercials or community service announcements directed to children.
1.8.5 seriously offend the cultural sensitivities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people or of ethnic groups or racial groups in the Australian community;
1.8.6 provoke or perpetuate intense dislike, serious contempt or severe ridicule against a person or group of persons on the grounds of age, colour, gender, national or ethnic origin, disability, race, religion or sexual preference.
and I don’t really think this covers it.
1.9 Except for Clause 1.8.3, none of the matters in Clause 1.8 will be contrary to this Section if:
1.9.1 said or done reasonably and in good faith in broadcasting an artistic work (including comedy or satire);
Free TV Australia, First Floor, 44 Avenue Road, Mosman NSW 2088
or The Programming Department PO Box 27 Willoughby, NSW 2068
Yup, there’s certainly cultural insensitivity here .. on Connick’s part.
I’m sick of this rubbish: If I were going to dress up as Streissland, I’d don a big nose. If I were going to be Rosanne I’d wear a fat suit. If I were going to perform as Howard I’d wear a bald wig. If I’m going to play the part of someone who’s black, I’d paint my face black.
Get over it.
I”ll get straight to the point here.People are Way Too sensitive.Stop the whinging.I didnt see them disrepecting michael or any black person in any way shape or form.I cant see what all the fuss is about.
This was appalling and a major error of judgement from the producers.
It appeared from the showing of the old footage that they had speciallly dug up this act 20 years later, assuming it would go down a storm.
Made worse by Daryl’s apology to Harry that he acknowledged it was offensive to Americans, somehow failing to comprehend that it would also be offensive to a large number of Australians.
I shall certainly be writing to nine to make an official complaint.
The only plus I can see from this is that it will make it very hard for nine to commission anymore of this pitiful TV.
lallaloo @ 9.20 Try The Jesters on Movie Extra, 30 Seconds on Comedy or the new Safran show on ABC – you’r wasting your time looking for decent comedy on 7/9/10.
@ Richard W – I totally agree.
I didn’t see it last night but saw Sunrise this morning and the comments from some people were just unbelievable. So sad that we as a nation would accept this kind of racism – and be so uneducated about it at the same time.
middle australia – responsible for pauline hanson and hey hey
must be so proud…
For people who don’t understand the issue around “black face” maybe now is a good time to educate yourself around the origns on Wikipedia.
They were dergoratory connotations around them then and their is no reason for them to be reprised other than in a historical context, eg. The Al Jolson Story.
Personally I thought the sketch wasn’t even funny to warrant taking the risk – who remembers them from 20 years ago anyway? Their poor taste show why many people thing HHiS passed it’s use by date.
I don’t see why people are so surprised, Hey, Hey was a tired old format then and obviously 10 years later they have simply picked up where they left off. I tuned in for 5 mins. during their first re union show and saw Maurie Fields doing a tired old joke.
Was the skit in bad taste? Probably but then Hey, Hey is all about bad taste and unfunny jokes.
I enjoyed the first show for the nostalgia factor, and missed all the fuss last night. I don’t think anyone was out to be racist, but yeah it wasn’t a good look at all and certainly a big oversight by the producers.
The fact that Harry was on the panel brought focus and attention to something that may have just slid by unnoticed for some, and would have still been offensive for others who would have rung talkback radio this morning anyway. It was good that they apologised on air, and that’s the first thing that you should do when you’ve offended someone (even if you aren’t offended yourself. It costs nothing to apologise).
I don’t know if the show was cancelled 10 years ago, I believe the show called it quits. If you don’t like the show change the channel. Im black South African and I liked it. (well brown) Dad was Irish, mum South African, hence the name.
Tout – it’s different to Downey Jnr in Tropic Thunder because in that the joke was about the ridiculously extreme lengths he went to as an actor. The Hey Hey act has none of that depth or intelligence – it is a lame, tired, archaic, offensive sight gag. Much like Daryl Sommers.
@ lallaloo, very well said, Rove, Good News Week, Spicks and Specks etc. don’t appeal to me either. Hey Hey is what live variety should be like.
I cant belive you people… So you’re saying if Harry wasn’t there it would have been okay? This just proves how big racism is still in this country.
@Thinker: “this is Australia and this is our sense of humour”. God help us then if our sense of humor is this lame.
I didn’t watch it but I saw the post mortem on Sunrise this morning. I agree with most of the comments here – it was in bad taste, offensive, and should not have went to air. Regardless of the intent (and I seriously beleive there was no malice behind it), this sort of ‘entertainment’ just doesn’t have a place in 2009. That there was an American judge from New Orleans on the panel is proof positive that the producers were asleep behind the wheel with this segment. Was there no meeting between the booking agents and the segment producers beforehand? No one piping up during pre-production saying ‘maybe we should rethink this’?
It just goes to show that Hey Hey is an outdated dinosaur, and that the humour that made this show popular in the 1980s is seriously unfunny and just plain unpleasant to watch now. Darryl’s bewilderment at Harry Connick Jr’s reaction says it all really.
This show is a dinosaur, it belongs in the past, and this skit just proves it. So glad I didn’t waste my time watching either of the shows. But then what else to expect from Nine- the whole network is living in the past.
And to make it up to the americans we must send another 500 troops to afghanistan and voluntarily resign from the G20, making it G19. Oh, and plus we must make sure our spell check on microsoft word is set to English (US).
I don’t support racism, in fact, I hate it, but I fail to see the racism in that act.
Even worse was the comments made on Kerri-Anne this morning, someone claiming “it’s not racist because we give them plenty of welfare when they get here.”
That comment sickened me worse than the original skit.
wow, i see why Aussies “humour” is not that acceptable anywhere else in the world…i was not a fan of the act at all, but i wasn’t offended either,
but then iam a white male that is not racist and do not see people of other race being inferior at all, I think the point iam making is that that those who cry the loudest, may have had similar thoughts in their past and now jump on the soapbox to defend, when they may have had bad thoughts, plus there are plenty of other examples that could be mentioned, that have never raised an eyebrow, I agree with the zero on all fronts and I think on the whole Hey Hey is still a good beast. I cant speak for howHarry Connick jnr, i dont know his past and dont know his oppressions, but if he is offended then iam sorry that he had to sit through the skit and he did well not to walk off
@ lallaloo… I’d hate to live in your household. You probably all sit around watching paint dry. You don’t seem to like any form of comedy.
As for Harry… he has every right to be offended when he grew up in a town where racism is high on the agenda.
Would this have been an issue if Harry wasn’t on the panel, probably not. But he Was on the panel. And it should be an issue even if he wasn’t on the panel.
It’s like saying you can crack racist jokes so long as there is no black people around. Or ‘let’s all make fun of the gays’ until Molly is around… ooops… so many double standards and points to be made. I’m just confusing myself and I’ll probably start to offend, so I’ll stop there.
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.
Racist, sexist, old fashioned and old hat. A perfect fit for the Nine brand.
I found it pretty offensive. Although I’m not sure if I found it so because it is actually offensive or I’ve been conditioned to think it is. Either way it’s not something that should be on tv these days I guess.
How can you people condemn a program for one incident? How many programs have had one incident in the past few years, God, how much has Californication caused a stir in the last few years?
You have to remember, this skit was performed by a third party outside of the show, sure the producers allowed this skit to be on air, however if they didn’t, we’d probably start discussing censorship. It’s a no win situation.
I don’t mind if the program gets a series or not, I’ll go on living my life either way, however Nine need more hits, thats no secret.
It would be interesting to get in the TARDIS and see if any complaints were registered when the act screened originally, are we just a bunch of namby-pambys that are scared of alienating anyone? I can’t see how it ha anything to do with black people, it was more to do with the fact MJ started out black… Now his recent death should have been more of a concern of performing the act.
Go back home…the thing is we’re not in America Harry and Australian’s can find something funny without seeing it as racist. What about 20 years ago when this skit aired on Hey Hey? Was there complaints then? Just shows you how politically correct we have become, when we can’t see past the appearance and see the humour. What about the Chasers and Kyle, they were much worse.
I thought it was more risky that it featured the now dead Michael Jackson than any racism. Even though I disagree with the reactions, I probably wouldn’t have allowed the groups performance to air.
It definitely is past its use-by date, seeing the reunions brought that into sharp relief. It certainly had a place on TV in its day, but no longer. Yes we need more variety TV, but new shows, not propped up old ones.
It’s like seeing the rock groups of your youth reform, most things are better left as a fond memory, not shoehorned into ill fitting leather garb and caked with makeup.
It wasn’t Daryl’s fault with the Red Faces act. He thought he was booking Hamish and Andy but got Amos and Andy instead!
You’ve got to be kidding me. They allowed an act to perform in blackface? In front of a visiting American guest? And it sent up a man recently dead and his family? The whole thing just beggars belief. Whoever alliowed this to air needs their head read. It has made its way to the US, apparently it is on the defamer website and is building up quite a head of steam over there. How embarrassing. HHIS has passed its use-by date, for sure. Channel Nine stuffs up yet again.
OK he found it distatsful, but I have seen worse, and to me it wasnt done in bad taste, it was just a skit on red faces, cmon, it is the 21st century, take it as it was intended, fun, I think Daryl did the right thing in apologising, it did offend Mr Connick Jr, but the media is beating it up into somethign it wasnt and isnt…………
Get over it Harry. You’re in Australia not America.
get over it
Harry Connick was spot on. This was pure racism.
The act made me cringe. I couldn’t believe that we are in 2009 and this passes for entertainment.
The producer of the segment should be fired immediately.
if an australian does something that makes it less racist than if an american did it? that’s news to me. being australian does not give us a licence to be ignorant. did they really not have any better material? is this the only way they could think of to get a laugh? i’m not really offended, just think it was stupid.
Here is the reason this show is past it used by date. Racism, Insulting, victimisation and degrading and just plain stupid. What an insult to our intelligence.
What’s this world comming to, we are all so sensitive about everything. When is this PC crap gunna stop. Did we all loose our sense of humor somewhere, if so can we please find it again. I am so sick to death of being told what i can laugh at by the do-gooders, who feel it is their right to pass their moral judgements on everything that happens. I read a comment this morning would it had been such a big deal had Harry Connick Jnr not said anything, the simple answer to that is no. People are going to make it an issue because they can, do they really care, no, but hey they get their face out there.
I didn’t see the first Hey Hey reunion but from what I saw of last night’s, that’s probably a good thing. Last night’s performance wasn’t just a sad indictment on the state of Australian TV but Australia in general.
In what century is five men in black facepaint dancing considered humourous? And who at Somers Carroll and/or Nine thought it would be a great thing to show I don’t say this as an offended party or member of the PC brigade — personally I saw nothing wrong with The Chaser’s Make a Realistic wish (the key difference being it at least tried a comedic and satirical idea) — surely this is yet another example of why it should have stayed dead.
David – big claim from you – ‘a ferocious majority of Middle Australia that adores Hey Hey’ . 2.5 million is a large TV audience not a ‘ferocious majority’. It was always a show that had as many detractors as defenders and spent the last half-dozen years as the TV equivalent of wallpaper – like the NRL Footy show is now – just something to have on in the background in the hope of something may happen – and I suspect a new series would quickly become the same thing.
During the Jackson skit there were subtitled and cartoon references to Kamahl, and audio references to Marcia Hines. Taken as a whole, it was an opportunity to make fun of people who have dark skin. And totally racist.
Nicely written David. It is interesting that Nine seems to have this as part of its programming DNA. I find Border Security offensively racist but its nothing in comparison to Nine’s Footy Show and what happened last night on Hey Hey
Thank you for a very articulate review David !
I’m part of the ‘polite minority’ and won’t be watching again.
Enough said.
Aside from the black issue the MJ act was just in bad taste IMO, I know there was a reason I didn’t watch the show.
BTW how much did they run over by, I heard it was almost an hour!
I did not watch either reunion show. Theres a reason that this show was cancelled 10 years ago.
the return for this show for these specials reminds me of a time I caught up with an ex for dinner, we chatted about good times and remembered the fun and the laughs, in the ensuing weeks, we discussed getting back together again, thankfully before we commited to anything we both thought long and hard about the reasons we were no longer together and decided to move forward with our lives, not backwards. The moral of the story, most of us remember Hey, Hey fondly from our younger years and yes from a time when things were simpler and we’ve loved seeing the gang and having a laugh with them again and remembering the good times, but as with most things in our past, there is a reason it is in the past and its best left there! Despite claims it has modernised Hey, Hey is not at all relevant in 2009 and should be left consigned to the TV history vaults.
HeyHey its over! Now its time to stop living in the 20th century. Can we all please move on???
Yes your never going to please everyone.When Sam Newman took off Nicky Winmar for example was fun to watch,then there was what followed afterwards