The Jackson Jive

[ShyGuyInChicago]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jackson_Jive

This was a sketch in an Australian show called Hey Hey It's Saturday. It featured a group of medical students portraying Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 in blackface. Harry Connick, Jr. a New Orleans native was a judge and condemned the sketch saying that such a thing would never be acceptable in America and he gave the sketch a 0 though he stated that the people involved were simply unaware of the connotations blackface have in America. In America Connick was defended. In Australia not so much. He was accused of judging another culture by his cultural standards and many Australians claimed that there was nothing wrong with the sketch at least with respect to racism and prejudice.

In my view Connick was right to speak out. I feel that mocking people of other races and ethnicities is not acceptable because it treats them as less than human and reinforces that attitude. Not to mention this particular sketch would have especially offended me because I am black.

What do you think?

[huginnmuninn]

i think that any type of racial discrimination is wrong but i also think that different cultures beleive and behave in different ways but we shouldnt judge other people by their culture either which i believe is as wrong as racial discrimination so this is a tough one... so as long as they dont play any show or somthing like that over here and the black people in austrailia dont mind alright but if they bring it over here its disrespectful

[Sith Lord 13]

What about blackface ITSELF is inappropriate?

In America, it's got some bad connotations, but the act itself? What's wrong with it? It's not hurting anyone. I say America should take a page out of Australia's book, and stop worrying about things that don't actually hurt people, and instead start worrying only when people actually start doing discriminatory things.

[Amnesiac]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jackson_Jive

This was a sketch in an Australian show called Hey Hey It's Saturday. It featured a group of medical students portraying Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 in blackface. Harry Connick, Jr. a New Orleans native was a judge and condemned the sketch saying that such a thing would never be acceptable in America and he gave the sketch a 0 though he stated that the people involved were simply unaware of the connotations blackface have in America. In America Connick was defended. In Australia not so much. He was accused of judging another culture by his cultural standards and many Australians claimed that there was nothing wrong with the sketch at least with respect to racism and prejudice.

In my view Connick was right to speak out. I feel that mocking people of other races and ethnicities is not acceptable because it treats them as less than human and reinforces that attitude. Not to mention this particular sketch would have especially offended me because I am black.

What do you think?

Look, at the end of the day, it's some weird Australian TV show. I don't see why Americans have to get so riled up about it, it's not broadcasting over there. Australians haven't been through the same racial tension that Americans have, so they take less offense at "provocative" comedy such as blackface. It's just not as embedded into Australian culture as it is into American culture.

The United States and everyone else involved have more to worry about than some random blackface comedy skit on an Australian TV show. I really couldn't care less.

[ShyGuyInChicago]

What about blackface ITSELF is inappropriate?

In America, it's got some bad connotations, but the act itself? What's wrong with it? It's not hurting anyone. I say America should take a page out of Australia's book, and stop worrying about things that don't actually hurt people, and instead start worrying only when people actually start doing discriminatory things.

Pretending to black/of African descent when one is not is deemed to be offensive because it has been used in the past to mock black people and reinforce negative stereotypes so it is deemed to be inappropriate in any context whether offense is intended or not.

[Sith Lord 13]

Pretending to black/of African descent when one is not is deemed to be offensive because it has been used in the past to mock black people and reinforce negative stereotypes so it is deemed to be inappropriate in any context whether offense is intended or not.

You just said it yourself. "Because in the PAST". So there is nothing intrinsically wrong about blackface.

[ShyGuyInChicago]

You just said it yourself. "Because in the PAST". So there is nothing intrinsically wrong about blackface.

Yes, but it reminds us of the past and the hurt that is caused as well as its effect on society. I am black.

[Sith Lord 13]

Yes, but it reminds us of the past and the hurt that is caused as well as its effect on society. I am black.

1) In Australia, they have no past of such an event. Ergo, your justification for finding something wrong with that skit on those grounds is invalid.

2)You didn't experience that past. It wasn't a personal offense. So why are you taking offense at it?

I feel the level of sensitivity in modern America has gotten out of control. A joke is a joke. Unless it's intended as an insult, why take it that way?

[ShyGuyInChicago]

1) In Australia, they have no past of such an event. Ergo, your justification for finding something wrong with that skit on those grounds is invalid.

2)You didn't experience that past. It wasn't a personal offense. So why are you taking offense at it?

I feel the level of sensitivity in modern America has gotten out of control. A joke is a joke. Unless it's intended as an insult, why take it that way?

I feel that blackface mocks black American culture which is foreign to Australians so I disagree that the fact that Australians find it inoffensive matters more. I take offense because I am being mocked and such jokes say that it is funny to be black, and that is what comes to mind.

[Sith Lord 13]

I feel that blackface mocks black American culture which is foreign to Australians so I disagree that the fact that Australians find it inoffensive matters more. I take offense because I am being mocked and such jokes say that it is funny to be black, and that is what comes to mind.

Why take offense where none is meant?

[ShyGuyInChicago]

Why take offense where none is meant?

Because of the past and what it has meant for black people. It is kind of like the N-word. It is frowned upon for white people to use it even as a term of endearment because in the past they used to degrade black people and when white people use it it brings up those feelings. To be clear I feel that no one should use that word regardless of race because of its ugly history.

[Sith Lord 13]

Because of the past and what it has meant for black people. It is kind of like the N-word. It is frowned upon for white people to use it even as a term of endearment because in the past they used to degrade black people and when white people use it it brings up those feelings. To be clear I feel that no one should use that word regardless of race because of its ugly history.

Why? If offense is not meant, why be offended?

[ShyGuyInChicago]

Why? If offense is not meant, why be offended?

Because most people have meant and do mean offense when they do and say such things. If you are not a person who is part of an group that has been historically subjugated then it is usually hard to understand.

[huginnmuninn]

Because most people have meant and do mean offense when they do and say such things. If you are not a person who is part of an group that has been historically subjugated then it is usually hard to understand.

every race has been discriminated aginst by somone in the past and in the present .

http://ironicsurrealism.blogivists.com/2010/07/06/new-black-panther-king-samir-shabazz-youre-going-to-have-to-kill-some-crackers-youre-going-to-have-to-kill-their-babies-video-transcript/

[Scooby Dooby Drew]

Oh joy, more controversy over blackface, people should just learn that all you're going to do is offend everybody and their uncle by doing that v.v