Blackface Jackson Skit Stuns Connick Jr.; Others Call Him a Hypocrite

By PopEater Staff Posted Oct 8th 2009 06:46AM

An Australian variety show featuring performers parodying the Jackson Five while in blackface so outraged its American judge, that the program's host immediately apologized.

New Orleans native Harry Connick Jr. was serving as a guest judge on Wednesday night's 'Hey Hey It's Saturday' when he became visibly shocked by the skit, in which four men with afro wigs and dark make-up calling themselves the "Jackson Jive" sang and danced behind a Michael Jackson impersonator wearing white makeup. Watch it after the jump.

Connick gave the skit a zero and later confronted the show's host, Daryl Somers, about the taboo subject.

"I just want to say, on behalf of my country, I know it was done humorously, but we've spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons, that when we see something like that we take it really to heart," he told Somers.

Somers seemed to realize the mistake and immediately apologized to Connick personally.

"I know that to your countrymen, that's an insult to have a blackface routine like that on the show, so I do apologize to you," Somers said.

According to reports, the singer walked off the show after the skit and later said he'd wished he never agreed to participate on the show. "If I knew that was going to be part of the show I definitely wouldn't have done it."

'Harry the Hypocrite'

But just as he is being lauded for calling out the Australian group's insensitive skit, Connick Jr. is also being labeled a hypocrite by many. In 1996, the singer-actor played a preacher in a 'Mad TV' sketch where his skin appears to be darker than usual. While he clearly isn't in actual blackface, viewers of the clip are wasting no time calling him out on a double standard.

"Harry is a hypocrite of the highest order, typical shallow celebrity with double standards, do as i say, not as i do ..." posted AussieOz07 in the comments section of the clip, found on YouTube.

According to the AP, Anand Deva, the frontman of the "Jackson Jive" act, said it was not meant to cause offense but added he would not have performed it in the United States.

Public reaction to the performance in online forums was mixed. Some Australians said they were embarrassed such a racist sketch had been broadcast, while others said detractors were too politically correct and that the skit was funny.

Michael Jackson died June 25 at age 50.

Tags: blackface, harry connick jr., HarryConnickJr., Jackson 5, Jackson5, michael jackson, MichaelJackson

Comments

(268)

Thursday 08 October

By damien

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Don't they know you can only make fun of straight white male christans

By KC

HAHA-SO TRUE

By Robyn

Mr. Straight White Christian,

EVERYONE knows how offensive blackface is! This takes us all back to a place and time in our history that (hopefully) we are all ashamed of.
If you were really a Christian, you would understand that.
That was very noble of Harry Connick Jr.

By sugarobyno

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

What straight, white, male Christians do you know who have had the same painful history of African-Americans who decended from slavery? Did your great-great grandfather have to struggle just because of the color of his skin? Did your grandmother have to step off of the sidewalk because someone of another race was passing?
If you were really a Christian, you would understand why this is offensive...then again, many Christians of the past (and present) justified slavery and lynchings, by misinterpretting the Bible, so...

Tuesday 13 October

By Ray Perre

It must be the recession and people have lost more than jobs and money, they have lost their since of humor... What, can't make fun of blacks...have your heard Rock make fun of whites and his cracker jokes ??? They were well dressed and although they didn't dance as good as the Jacksons, they didn't do that bad an impersonation of them...and I really don't think they were trying to be disrespectful, they were just trying to be funny...

By kimluvsherboys

1996 to 2009? Almost 14 years later, and they want to call him a hypocrite? Maybe Harry grew up. The skit was without taste and class period. Good for Harry standing up for what he believes, and calling them out on it.

By n-yo-face

Get real! There is a big difference between Connick wearing NATURAL skinned toned make up in a skit portraying a person of African heritage respectfully and this Australian Afro wearing black shoe polish masked dance group. I am a black man and I can declare there is a major difference between the two. Harry's is not offensive at all in contrast to that travesty from Australia. I'm not surprised however. This is a country that has treated the Aboriginal people as poorly in their homeland as African Americans have been treated in America.

Still having said all that, I don't think these dancers meant to offend. They just should have been more sensitive to the issue and subject matter.

By Sal

Your right about that. It's open season on straight white males. The commercials on TV are terrible. One display's a husband as a "HORSES ASS"
The wife is sitting talking to the rear end of a horse. Try that about a woman, a black, a gay and the company would be out of business.

By aussie

you yanks are such a bunch of self righteous hypocrites...you say its taboo to make humour of one race yet you feel no remorse to go and obliterate other races when you call it a war...get over yourselves...you are not the moral standards that the rest of the world is to be held accountable to...bloody hypocrites..

By Doug

Very good point Damien. It is acceptable to make fun of white people today, i.e., White Men Can't Jump, White People Can't Dance, etc.,", but our society has become so overly sensitive that you can't make jokes at all unless it's about whites, Asians or Mideasterners. I am black but find the brainwashing of America to be the real insult. Blacks have been blessed to come to this continent; even to begin as slaves sold by their tribal leaders (slavery is alive and well today in Africa), this is the promised land. Blacks may one day learn to do for themselves but remember that white people have plenty to complain about regarding what black people have done to their culture. Let's be accountable. Black folks should man up and be productive and stop blaming whited for everything that we have done to ourselves. Blacks have it much better here than in Africa - admit it and do something with yourself.

By dappy

Vote down Vote up Report this

I think some key words here were "TRYING to not make black people look like buffoons." Try, try, try again............ If you watch the news at all, this is a daunting task - probably unattainable.

By Jacky

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

Doug, my friend you are an "IDIOT", "all that black people have done to white culture". Are you friggin kidding me. If you want to talk about the degradation of a culture, maybe you should pull your head out of your ass and do some research. It's a damn shame a white person can recognize bad taste and you apparently a fool fresh off the ship can't. WE all should be thankful of the opportunities we as Americans enjoy, not just black people. I agree sometime blacks are hypersensitive about race issues, but that's a work in progress and maybe someday SOON, we as a nation will get past this hurdle, but in the meantime, stop kissing ass and being a f-ing punk call bad taste what it is "offensive" intended or not.

By BeckSux

Are they funny? Only when preaching morality and then proving their hypocrisy (i.e., Sanford, SC, Vitter, Ensign, Coburn, Limbaugh (3x Divorced), Gingrich (3x Divorced), Jimmy Swaggert (Prostitution), Craig (soliciting gay sex), etc., etc....

By BUBBA

THIS IS A JOKE PEOPLE.IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN DAVE CHAPELL JOKE'S OR SKITS OR ANY COMMEDINE ACT.I AM SO SICK OF HEARING ABOUT RACISIM IT MAKES ME SICK AND IT'S ONLY GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT THAT BLAMES EVERYTHING THAT DON'T GO HIS WAY ON RACISM.GET OVER IT!!!!!

By toupree

Nothing is funnier and we all laugh at 'the whitest white' jokes, black, white, yellow, brown...everyone. Why>? Because those jokes are funny, probably racist too, but funny. Parodying in blackface is one of the oldest forms of humiliation, is NOT funny, and I think that show really sucks. I have always loved Harry C. Jr., and showbiz is showbiz I guess,but do the Aussies really think that stuff is funny? Don't get out of the bush much, do they? How does it feel when the shoe is on the other foot now? Sheesh, can't believe I just sunk that low....

By jeff

There's nothing funny about straight white male christians. All they do is complain on AOL message boards all day. Get a job.

By truthat1stsight

if you look at the historical precedent for use of blackface make-up, you might begin to understand how offensive it could potentially be.
the paint just wasn't needed. the afros alone would've been okay.

By steve

Way to go Harry, in America this, in America that-- yes, we would give them counseling, have them appear on Oprah and say how sorry they, go to sensitivity training class etc... Makes me sick!!
People are turning into a bunch of wimps!Blackface offensive , only because white people did it. And to hear about slavery- still?! Shut the hell up. It was my ancestors who fought and died in the civil war to free the slaves so stop shoving this to in my face.

Friday 09 October

By elite

Don't know when making fun of anyone had to be offensive. Not only was the act offensive, but it was bad. You can tell the intent of the act because they didn't even take the time to practice.

By editor

rotflmao... everyone is allowed to be racist except whitey...

Page 1 of 14