Harry Connick jn slams Aussies & sticks up for Jacksons.

I like the reaction of this guy but have to say I don't blame people when they do things like that. After all it's mostly the fans who know the truth while common people are usually manipulated by the media into believing in stereotypes. well, do many people know about MJ's vitilago? no, but i would't say it's their fault really. therefore I don't feel offended. These reactions could be attributed to the lack of info...

Is not just the guys face who is white, it is the other guys with their faces blacked, in the UK it would not be deemed "politically and racially correct" and wouldn't be allowed. My Mum remembers the black and white minstrel shows with men singing really nice but with blackened faces, they were not poking fun of anyone and were really good singers but they were stopped from performing as people are being now more aware of racism, also we had "golliwogs" on robertsons jams and they stopped that, they were cute little toy like pictures on the label but when you think about it the word golliwog ends with a very horrible and racist last syllable.

Well done Harry!

He did the decent thing. It's just a shame that the rest of the world doesn't have the same idea.

I was watching a couple of comedy shows here in the UK today and they are still making fun with the black and white comments. Things will never change. Not cool people.

@Harleyblonde - The word 'golliwog' is so degrading. I agree very racist and totally vile.

~StarLight~UK~ wrote:Well done Harry!

He did the decent thing. It's just a shame that the rest of the world doesn't have the same idea.

I was watching a couple of comedy shows here in the UK today and they are still making fun with the black and white comments. Things will never change. Not cool people.

@Harleyblonde - The word 'golliwog' is so degrading. I agree very racist and totally vile.

Yes I totally agree with you but my Mum remembers kids having toy golliwogs and nothing was thought of it, she had one and loved it and took it to bed every night like a teddy and none of my family are racist-she adores my Kenyan husband- he doesnt get most of the racist remarks but English is not his first language and a lot of English he doesn't know but sometimes to spare his feeling I have to lie and say I dont know what certain words mean.

dunno_it wrote:I like the reaction of this guy but have to say I don't blame people when they do things like that. After all it's mostly the fans who know the truth while common people are usually manipulated by the media into believing in stereotypes. well, do many people know about MJ's vitilago? no, but i would't say it's their fault really. therefore I don't feel offended. These reactions could be attributed to the lack of info...

It sounds like you have a "lack of info" as well. Of course you aren't offended, are you black? I am and it doesnt have anything to do with MJ's "vitiligo" which in my honest opinion, I dont think Michael really even had. But that's my opinion. Blackface was used back in the day as "entertainment" and it definitely was poking fun at the African American race. And anyone that appreciates Harry Connick Jrs "defending" of MJ and the Jackson 5 are just as much as fools as those idiots singing and dancing as J5 in blackface. Did you hear what Connick said>>"We have been trying to hard not to make black people look like buffoons"? Umm, excuse me? I'm sorry I didnt think white America saw us as "buffoons" and felt the need to protect our image. You've been trying not to make us look like buffoons?? Come on! Harry may have had good intentions but his comment offended me more than the J5 routine did. That's my two cents. And nobody attack me because I said I dont think MJ has vitiligo, that's my opinion.

I know plenty of white guys here in the UK who look like total baffoons-drunken louts in the town on a weekend and certainly act like them.

These guys did this skit 20 years ago and were asked to come back on for a re-union show. It was all a bit of fun form the past, no harm was meant by it and everyone needs to relax. By the way audience were not booing because of the skit, they were booing the guy (Red Simons) who bangs the gong to stop the act.

WanaBstartnSthn wrote:

dunno_it wrote:I like the reaction of this guy but have to say I don't blame people when they do things like that. After all it's mostly the fans who know the truth while common people are usually manipulated by the media into believing in stereotypes. well, do many people know about MJ's vitilago? no, but i would't say it's their fault really. therefore I don't feel offended. These reactions could be attributed to the lack of info...

It sounds like you have a "lack of info" as well. Of course you aren't offended, are you black? I am and it doesnt have anything to do with MJ's "vitiligo" which in my honest opinion, I dont think Michael really even had. But that's my opinion. Blackface was used back in the day as "entertainment" and it definitely was poking fun at the African American race. And anyone that appreciates Harry Connick Jrs "defending" of MJ and the Jackson 5 are just as much as fools as those idiots singing and dancing as J5 in blackface. Did you hear what Connick said>>"We have been trying to hard not to make black people look like buffoons"? Umm, excuse me? I'm sorry I didnt think white America saw us as "buffoons" and felt the need to protect our image. You've been trying not to make us look like buffoons?? Come on! Harry may have had good intentions but his comment offended me more than the J5 routine did. That's my two cents. And nobody attack me because I said I dont think MJ has vitiligo, that's my opinion.

didn't mean to offend you, really. Believe, i know TOO WELL what discrimination is cause I myself have been discriminated against for to long and i'm sick of it and have done a lot to fight discrimination in my society. So, well, I AM VERY WELL INFORMED... but I meant something different: i don't generally blame the people who believe in gossips around MJ simply because many of them don't know the truth, eating whatever the media cooks for them, that's all...

I heard about this and was pretty appalled. It was definitely in poor taste even if it was meant in fun. It might have been "acceptable" 20 years ago, but it most certainly is not now. I'm glad Harry Connick said something.