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
he cant think its too bad…there are plenty of videos of Harry sending up black american’s on you tube…David if allowed…here is a shortcut to one
or just search Harry Connick Jnr preacher skit…hmm but its just another point
People need to stop screaming “political correctness” and go do some research on black face, it was never done “just for a laugh”. Weather you were personally offended or not is not the issue, this should never have been put on television. I feel very sorry for Harry having to sit through that.
Well Patrick the difference is that it’s not 1970 any more, and that kind of inherent racism, even if it’s not supposed to offend, reinforces stereotypes and has a whole lot of very bad history behind it.
It doesn’t matter how people intend it, it’s how a reasonable person could take it that’s at issue.
Really…They put on a blackface sketch..I bet it’s red faces all around. Hey Hey truly belongs in the last century.
Percy, you make a great post and I agree with you 100% that this more than just PC gone mad.
I do believe the group honestly did not intend to be racist in their skit, as they were merely trying to parody the Jackson Five and they didn’t mean to offend anyone. But the fact that in an interview the MJ impersonator has said they wouldn’t perform this in the US does make me think they knew on some level what they were doing was wrong.
However, the fact that blackface is such a taboo in the US, plus the producers would have known that one of the judges is a US citizen, they should have rubbed 2 brain cells together to clue in that perhaps this would offend HC Jr.
Sadly though, I can understand how most Australians don’t see the skit as racist/offensive, as they may not be fully aware of the history behind blackface and minstrel acts and want to label the backlash as PC.
@Paull
A tribute to the Jackson 5? I’m sorry but I’m sure if any of the Jackson 5 saw that they would have been offended. Sure the intention might not been racist – but that’s probably they weren’t exposed to the origins of “blackface”. If they used another symbol such as KKK hoods would people be rolling around in laughter?
What was the redeeming factor of that skit? What were people *actually* finding funny about it? It certainly wasn’t satire (Tropic Thunder).
@Reubot and Vic – I don’t think the skit performers left Hey Hey last night, put on their KKK attire and went and held a rascist meeting.
The performers are all from diverse backgrounds, some of them from minority groups ridiculed in the US. Its hypocritical of HCJ and the US to judge us over this. I love how they throw stones even though its their country that has the shocking history (and present) of how they treat minorities and anyone that is different.
They were on Red Faces to entertain, not have a racist rant. If anything, it was a paradoy on the bizarre Jackson family.
With the Earthquake in the South Pacific, this will soon be forgotten about, which will show this isn’t a race issue, but a reflection of society’s fickleness and willingness to be offended for the sake of being offended.
When I first moved to Australia, ten years ago, I was amazed at the subtle racist attitude the country had generally. It wasn’t aggressive, in fact they thought it was harmless gentle natured ribbing, and didn’t realise just how offensive it was.
Since then it has improved, but it’s never really gone away. But this incident shows just how narrow the improvement was.
Dearie me – one wonders what people of today would have thought about the Black and White Minstrel Show, Benny Hill, Dick Emery, etc, etc, from the 70’s!
All of these things are in the eye of the beholder and should be seen as whether the acts intended to offend or not.
I remember these types of acts being on Hey Hey all the time….and the Kamhal jokes are still stale too !!
the language and agruments in those american articles is so dumb especially defamer.
this world is way too PC. i am yet to hear of anyone that was actually offended by this. only ones that say that others should be offended.
but regardless of peoples opinions, the hey hey producers should have known that such an act would get this reaction. i know i did the second they came on. so they should get some blame.
Oh jeez, this is just so damn embarrassing. Nine, please so not revive this sorry excuse for a variety show. Just don’t even go there. It belongs in the past and it should stay there. People writing this off as “Just a joke” and “PC correctness gone mad” need to serioiusly educate themselves on the history of whites performing in blackface. It was originally done in the late 19th century- early 20th century to make fun of and mock blacks to a white audience and to assert whites at the top of the racial hierarchy. It is deeply offensive and racist and I am flabbergasted that an Indian doctor took part in it and defends it. Aren’t Indian students in Australia at the moment screaming that Australians are racist? Can’t wait to see what the Indian media makes of this. The barrage of criticism of Daryl, Jackie and the audience is justified in this case.
At least the world knows who and what ‘Hey, Hey’ is now!!
Dont you just love the media manipulation.
I’m so damn sick of this political correctness, it’s absolutely ridiculous!!! It was all in good fun, seriously haters, Get over it!
@Jay Jay: It’s not like Tropic Thunder is not without its wrongs, but at no point during the movie was RDJ using blackface to insult blacks. The whole point of the film is to point out how deluded Hollywood actors are, as opposed to anything about blacks.
Again, it’s a cultural difference that’s caused the uproar. In the UK for example, you would be labeled racist for referring to a black board as a black board, instead because the colour black is offensive you must call it a chalk board.
Now I hate racism and would never support it. But I don’t see how that act was racist. It was a tribute to the jackson 5, and if it’s going to be criticised then all Michael jackson tributes should receive the same treatment.
I hope this segment isn’t cut out of the eventual replay and dvd release.
it’s hard to take anything seriously with americans when it come to anything.
Nice one Mr Smooth (harry connick jr) You brought Political Correctness back into picture! The only thing i found wrong with it was it being too soon After Michael Jacksons death..
There’s a reason why jay jay.
It was satirical.
Whereas this was obviously not.
Oh puh-leeze, too much political correctness in the world now.
@Craig – I think you are spot on. Instead of forgetting Hey Hey and moving on, people are going nuts and it is still on everyones’ mind.
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 hwole Hey Hey is still a good beast.
I have to wonder if they (the show) planned this?
Normally this would have been an appalling act, but coupled with the recent death of Jackson, it’s just down despicable.
It’s so ludicrous that it’s almost hard to believe that they actually allowed the sketch on the show. I guess someone’s losing their job at Nine today.
Where was all this reaction when Robert Downey Jnr starred in ‘Tropic Thunder’ with a blackface? Is that different? Oh wait, its not, its just because Robert Downey Jnr is American and they don’t mind when their own people are racist.
I love Hey Hey and will defend it to whoever has a bad word to say about it…
…but Harry Connick was 100% spot on.
The minstrels date back to Jim Crow laws in America, a time where white people painted themselves up as black and performed like Apes and simpletons so racist white folk in the deep south could clap and further classify them as monkeys. It’s wrong.
What’s the big deal? Bit of black paint on a white face? It is! Trace the history of it, it’s shameful. They may have well just come out and called themselves N*****s. It’s of an era where thousands of blacks were hung from trees for sport.
The arguement of “lighten up, it was just a joke” doesn’t wash – No one from Nine meant to offend anyone, of course not! But they should’ve known that No One with the proper amount of brain cells finds a minstrel entertaining. It’s racist at it’s very core and Harry Connick made a lot of people out there proud with his remark! Daryl handled the apology very well and it was only a minor blip on what was a great show.
The arguement of “too PC” or “p**s off yank” doesn’t fly on this one I’m afraid, a minstrel is upsetting as it’s a reminder of the blood on America’s hands and in no way should we see those awful images of white painted as blacks to portray them as morons. It’s offensive in any part of the globe. Nonetheless, overall the show was great despite this hic-cup.