Poll: That's RACIST!!

[Icehearted]

For me the interesting part was Connick's reaction. I didn't have that guy pegged as being very sensitive about race issues.

I don't know if he was actually personally offended by it, but rather he saw what it was and made a comment about how it would be seen in america, and in general, he was right.

Yeah. When I first caught this story on CNN's website my memory ticked back to the whole Ted Danson incident, and that guy was dating Whoopie at the time, but people still flipped out about it way more than was warranted.

I know enough about that country to know that they differ greatly in their views on race, and so I can see how this could be innocent enough.

what do you mean by that?

I've heard some stories about how some Australians view race issues. One of the most prevalent being that for some there is a misconception about what slavery was like in this country. Another was the use of certain racially offensive words being commonly accepted among Australians when used by whites in reference to blacks.

White people do it here too and think it's perfectly okay (mostly the teen crowd) but it's exceedingly stupid, however accepted it may be. I don't care if they mispronounce the 'er' part with an 'ah' sound, it's ignorant, and it makes them sound like total imbeciles.

 

[PrinceoN]

Connick needs to go back to America, the ******.

This isnt making fun of "black people" so much as it is making fun of the Jackson 5, which, lets face it. They deserve to be made fun of. (And this is coming from an African-American man).

America seems to have made a complete 180 in terms of how it views race. 50 years ago people were far too insensative. In the present days, people are now far too sensative. The latter does not make up for the former people.

 

[TheRealCJ]

For me the interesting part was Connick's reaction. I didn't have that guy pegged as being very sensitive about race issues.

I don't know if he was actually personally offended by it, but rather he saw what it was and made a comment about how it would be seen in america, and in general, he was right.

Yeah. When I first caught this story on CNN's website my memory ticked back to the whole Ted Danson incident, and that guy was dating Whoopie at the time, but people still flipped out about it way more than was warranted.

I know enough about that country to know that they differ greatly in their views on race, and so I can see how this could be innocent enough.

what do you mean by that?

I've heard some stories about how some Australians view race issues. One of the most prevalent being that for some there is a misconception about what slavery was like in this country. Another was the use of certain racially offensive words being commonly accepted among Australians when used by whites in reference to blacks.

White people do it here too and think it's perfectly okay (mostly the teen crowd) but it's exceedingly stupid, however accepted it may be. I don't care if they mispronounce the 'er' part with an 'ah' sound, it's ignorant, and it makes them sound like total imbeciles.

Not really, Australians (particularly young Australians) are just as sensitive to race issues as as other countries (if you count South Africa).

The problem is, that most Australians are a lot less up-tight as a whole compared to most European countries or the US, so stuff that gets under the radar here as 'light-hearted' poking-of-fun gets viewed as 'impossibly racist' in the US.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

A grandelioquent 'Meh' is all you'll get from me on this matter.

 

[Slick Samurai]

People who think this is racist have no idea as to what racist is, it's just a joke. It's not even a joke in bad taste because I thought it quite funny. World is so screwed up right now when it comes to racism, that anything even remotely mentioning skin color is considered racist.

 

[Klepa]

I hate when people pretend to be offended at stuff like this just so they have something to complain about.

I think this pretty much sums it up. It's fun to be a victim.

 

[Icehearted]

Not really, Australians (particularly young Australians) are just as sensitive to race issues as as other countries (if you count South Africa).

The problem is, that most Australians are a lot less up-tight as a whole compared to most European countries or the US, so stuff that gets under the radar here as 'light-hearted' poking-of-fun gets viewed as 'impossibly racist' in the US.

Thing is the Australians I've come to know or have heard about weren't old farts. These were people in their 20's and 30's. I won't repeat the word I've heard them use for blacks, but it's also pretty offensive. I realize I am basing a great deal on consensus of a fairly small amount of people, but to hear them pretty casually use a variation of "the n-word" rather than saying back or African-Australian or whatever's politically correct... unless of course the Australian n-word is politically correct over there, which I am to understand is the case.

That brings me to something else, btw. I hate being called African-American. I think it diminishes me both ethnically and patriotically. I'm only saying this because when I just now wrote "African-Australian" I felt stupid, because being African-(insert nationality here) sounds stupid.

 

[TheRealCJ]

Not really, Australians (particularly young Australians) are just as sensitive to race issues as as other countries (if you count South Africa).

The problem is, that most Australians are a lot less up-tight as a whole compared to most European countries or the US, so stuff that gets under the radar here as 'light-hearted' poking-of-fun gets viewed as 'impossibly racist' in the US.

Thing is the Australians I've come to know or have heard about weren't old farts. These were people in their 20's and 30's. I won't repeat the word I've heard them use for blacks, but it's also pretty offensive. I realize I am basing a great deal on consensus of a fairly small amount of people, but to hear them pretty casually use a variation of "the n-word" rather than saying back or African-Australian or whatever's politically correct... unless of course the Australian n-word is politically correct over there, which I am to understand is the case.

That brings me to something else, btw. I hate being called African-American. I think it diminishes me both ethnically and patriotically. I'm only saying this because when I just now wrote "African-Australian" I felt stupid, because being African-(insert nationality here) sounds stupid.

Unfortunately, like the US, we have our backwaters and rednecks and idiots.

I live in a town that the more 'cultured' parts of Australia (mostly Sydney and Melbourne) consider a bunch of rednecks, and I've yet to hear that word used in ANY context seriously.

We've been getting a lot of flak the last few years, what with the Cronulla riots, and the 'racially charged' bashings of Indian students (in Sydney and Melbourne, repsectively). One of the problems is, when you've got a major country with about the same number of people living in it as the Greater L.A. area, the crazies and idiots stand out a lot more.

 

[HandsomeJack]

I seem to recall a Waynes Brother's move called "White Chicks" that noone seemed to flip out about...
Personally though, I dont think this was meant to mock black people so much as a man who is percieved by many to have been a black man who tried to divorce himself from his racial identity.
If it is only demeaning of a specific person, it is just poor taste, if it is meant to demean a group of people it is bigotry.
The "20 years ago" spot actually got a laugh outta me though...the hop-line did me in.

 

[Chrissyluky]

that was a really bad joke and not remotely funny but i think im going to pull freedom of speech here.

 

[TheRealCJ]

Not really, Australians (particularly young Australians) are just as sensitive to race issues as as other countries (if you count South Africa).

The problem is, that most Australians are a lot less up-tight as a whole compared to most European countries or the US, so stuff that gets under the radar here as 'light-hearted' poking-of-fun gets viewed as 'impossibly racist' in the US.

Thing is the Australians I've come to know or have heard about weren't old farts. These were people in their 20's and 30's. I won't repeat the word I've heard them use for blacks, but it's also pretty offensive. I realize I am basing a great deal on consensus of a fairly small amount of people, but to hear them pretty casually use a variation of "the n-word" rather than saying back or African-Australian or whatever's politically correct... unless of course the Australian n-word is politically correct over there, which I am to understand is the case.

That brings me to something else, btw. I hate being called African-American. I think it diminishes me both ethnically and patriotically. I'm only saying this because when I just now wrote "African-Australian" I felt stupid, because being African-(insert nationality here) sounds stupid.

Also, as for your 'African-Australian' problem, that's one we face a lot too.

The problem is, that Australia is an extremely multicultural society, we've got the Native Aboriginals, immigrants from the local islands (PNG, Tonga, Samoa, etc.), a LOT of Indians, African immigrants, many Middle Eastern immigrants (Particularly Lebanese and other mediteranean countries). It's very hard to lump them all under a euphemism for 'black' like the US seems to have done.

That, and coupled with another trait that most Australians have - If it can be shortened down to one-or-two syllables, it will be. For example, my name is 'Christopher Johnson', I get alternately named "CJ", "chrisso", "johnno", "chris", and "crizza" - often by the same people. Getting someone to use the phrase 'African-American' or 'Lebanese-Australian' is just laughable. That's why you get 'black' and 'lebo', or 'Indy'. Keep in mind that most of the respective races that actually fall under those particular groups use those names themselves, and most don't find it offensive (with the exception of the Aboriginals, whom we have a LOT of ground to catch up on).

 

[TheRealCJ]

I seem to recall a Waynes Brother's move called "White Chicks" that noone seemed to flip out about...
Personally though, I dont think this was meant to mock black people so much as a man who is percieved by many to have been a black man who tried to divorce himself from his racial identity.
If it is only demeaning of a specific person, it is just poor taste, if it is meant to demean a group of people it is bigotry.
The "20 years ago" spot actually got a laugh outta me though...the hop-line did me in.

Well, that's what I thought, which caused me to add the addendum to my original post - They're actually making fun of the Jackson 5 themselves, with their ridiculous choreography and stupid voices.

If they'd done all that without the blackface, and said 'We're the jackson five lulz', there would've been another outcry because 'OMG how DARE they pretend to be a prominent black group when they're WHITE!'

 

[Icehearted]

Not really, Australians (particularly young Australians) are just as sensitive to race issues as as other countries (if you count South Africa).

The problem is, that most Australians are a lot less up-tight as a whole compared to most European countries or the US, so stuff that gets under the radar here as 'light-hearted' poking-of-fun gets viewed as 'impossibly racist' in the US.

Thing is the Australians I've come to know or have heard about weren't old farts. These were people in their 20's and 30's. I won't repeat the word I've heard them use for blacks, but it's also pretty offensive. I realize I am basing a great deal on consensus of a fairly small amount of people, but to hear them pretty casually use a variation of "the n-word" rather than saying back or African-Australian or whatever's politically correct... unless of course the Australian n-word is politically correct over there, which I am to understand is the case.

That brings me to something else, btw. I hate being called African-American. I think it diminishes me both ethnically and patriotically. I'm only saying this because when I just now wrote "African-Australian" I felt stupid, because being African-(insert nationality here) sounds stupid.

Unfortunately, like the US, we have our backwaters and rednecks and idiots.

I live in a town that the more 'cultured' parts of Australia (mostly Sydney and Melbourne) consider a bunch of rednecks, and I've yet to hear that word used in ANY context seriously.

We've been getting a lot of flak the last few years, what with the Cronulla riots, and the 'racially charged' bashings of Indian students (in Sydney and Melbourne, repsectively). One of the problems is, when you've got a major country with about the same number of people living in it as the Greater L.A. area, the crazies and idiots stand out a lot more.

My friend, I so get where you're coming from. I grew up in Long Beach CA.

Melbourne, that's where most of it that I was getting came from. At first I didn't bother taking it seriously, but then I started to see and hear it happening more and more and I started to wonder just how worlds apart our countries were with race issues.

Like I said before though, I don't necessarily think these guys meant any harm, but it was still in poor taste, and I'm still offended by it.

 

[Capt.DeSoto]

People can choose to be offended by a poor joke if that's what they want.

People who are offended by this should really think about their selfs and the issues they themselves have. Be offended by apartheid, famine and unjust wars.

 

[TheRealCJ]

Not really, Australians (particularly young Australians) are just as sensitive to race issues as as other countries (if you count South Africa).

The problem is, that most Australians are a lot less up-tight as a whole compared to most European countries or the US, so stuff that gets under the radar here as 'light-hearted' poking-of-fun gets viewed as 'impossibly racist' in the US.

Thing is the Australians I've come to know or have heard about weren't old farts. These were people in their 20's and 30's. I won't repeat the word I've heard them use for blacks, but it's also pretty offensive. I realize I am basing a great deal on consensus of a fairly small amount of people, but to hear them pretty casually use a variation of "the n-word" rather than saying back or African-Australian or whatever's politically correct... unless of course the Australian n-word is politically correct over there, which I am to understand is the case.

That brings me to something else, btw. I hate being called African-American. I think it diminishes me both ethnically and patriotically. I'm only saying this because when I just now wrote "African-Australian" I felt stupid, because being African-(insert nationality here) sounds stupid.

Unfortunately, like the US, we have our backwaters and rednecks and idiots.

I live in a town that the more 'cultured' parts of Australia (mostly Sydney and Melbourne) consider a bunch of rednecks, and I've yet to hear that word used in ANY context seriously.

We've been getting a lot of flak the last few years, what with the Cronulla riots, and the 'racially charged' bashings of Indian students (in Sydney and Melbourne, repsectively). One of the problems is, when you've got a major country with about the same number of people living in it as the Greater L.A. area, the crazies and idiots stand out a lot more.

My friend, I so get where you're coming from. I grew up in Long Beach CA.

Melbourne, that's where most of it that I was getting came from. At first I didn't bother taking it seriously, but then I started to see and hear it happening more and more and I started to wonder just how worlds apart our countries were with race issues.

Like I said before though, I don't necessarily think these guys meant any harm, but it was still in poor taste, and I'm still offended by it.

Fair enough, I'm white enough that anything I say will be taken out of context (my Mother is a Full-Phillipino, and I've got plenty of her side in me, but I'm still white enough that people don't see it - I look more greek than asian).

I think the skit was in bad taste, and not particularly funny, but that's what you get on a segment like Red's Faces (it's pretty much the equivelent of 'The Gong Show' in the US).

 

[Acaroid]

Hey everyone.

Apparently this is making international News

Spoiler: Click to View

Well, there's a big bit of hoo-rah over it, and I don't personally blame them But I don't think that it was intentionally 'racist' as such - just in bad taste.

And there's clearly a streak of parody, what with the 'Michael' being a white guy in white face.

The real question is, is the world really as touchy as to globally comdemn a comedy act that was clearly not meant to be taken seriously?

Edit: Thinking about it, I get the feeling that people would be MORE offended if these guys had portrayed the Jackson five as white guys.

You know what, I dont think that it was really that racist, BUUUUUT i think this is a good wake up call for australia to see how the rest of the world views us.
Australia likes to think we are multi-cultural, but the general anglo community are very racists and it is about time methods are put in place to curb this!!!

and what is the deal with america being all high and mighty about this...

when this is one of thier biggest comedy acts at the moment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOXCAKL9ESc

pot calling the kettle black much

 

[Icehearted]

I don't think people on average are as eager to flip out as the media over things like this. For every 1 White Chicks, there are dozens of old Buggs Bunny, Popeye, and Disney Cartoons, old 30s-50s films, etc that do the same, only without caricaturizational humor.

We don't actually call Indians black... we call them Indians. We're pretty keen on making sure everyone else is aware of what makes them difference (to my chagrin). Hell, it's so bad my country gave us a language, because apparently basic English is not worth teaching our black children in schools.

I'm sure most of you guys are alright. I just don't think our mutual majorities understand the differences in how they perceive the issue of race.

 

[Altorin]

Hey everyone.

Apparently this is making international News

Spoiler: Click to View

Well, there's a big bit of hoo-rah over it, and I don't personally blame them But I don't think that it was intentionally 'racist' as such - just in bad taste.

And there's clearly a streak of parody, what with the 'Michael' being a white guy in white face.

The real question is, is the world really as touchy as to globally comdemn a comedy act that was clearly not meant to be taken seriously?

Edit: Thinking about it, I get the feeling that people would be MORE offended if these guys had portrayed the Jackson five as white guys.

You know what, I dont think that it was really that racist, BUUUUUT i think this is a good wake up call for australia to see how the rest of the world views us.
Australia likes to think we are multi-cultural, but the general anglo community are very racists and it is about time methods are put in place to curb this!!!

and what is the deal with america being all high and mighty about this...

when this is one of thier biggest comedy acts at the moment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOXCAKL9ESc

pot calling the kettle black much

Ah, you're allowed to make fun of Muslims, because they're BAD PEOPLE. :|

wasn't really making fun of muslims..

making fun of muslim extremist terrorists.

it's an entirely different things. Laughing at terrorists makes them lose their power, do you want them to win?

 

[TheRealCJ]

Hey everyone.

Apparently this is making international News

Spoiler: Click to View

Well, there's a big bit of hoo-rah over it, and I don't personally blame them But I don't think that it was intentionally 'racist' as such - just in bad taste.

And there's clearly a streak of parody, what with the 'Michael' being a white guy in white face.

The real question is, is the world really as touchy as to globally comdemn a comedy act that was clearly not meant to be taken seriously?

Edit: Thinking about it, I get the feeling that people would be MORE offended if these guys had portrayed the Jackson five as white guys.

You know what, I dont think that it was really that racist, BUUUUUT i think this is a good wake up call for australia to see how the rest of the world views us.
Australia likes to think we are multi-cultural, but the general anglo community are very racists and it is about time methods are put in place to curb this!!!

and what is the deal with america being all high and mighty about this...

when this is one of thier biggest comedy acts at the moment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOXCAKL9ESc

pot calling the kettle black much

Ah, you're allowed to make fun of Muslims, because they're BAD PEOPLE. :|

wasn't really making fun of muslims..

making fun of muslim extremist terrorists.

it's an entirely different things. Laughing at terrorists makes them lose their power, do you want them to win?

Oh get out of it, You can make fun of terrorists without bringing their religion into it.

The fact is, saying ONE thing is racist, while ANOTHER thing isn't, based on the fact that the two different things are making fun of seperate cultures, is Hipocracy.

 

[Icehearted]

Fair enough, I'm white enough that anything I say will be taken out of context (my Mother is a Full-Phillipino, and I've got plenty of her side in me, but I'm still white enough that people don't see it - I look more greek than asian).

I think the skit was in bad taste, and not particularly funny, but that's what you get on a segment like Red's Faces (it's pretty much the equivelent of 'The Gong Show' in the US).

I'm kind of in that same boat too. My father was black, my mother white, which means I get to be both, like it or not. Racism is racism, and if a person says or does something racially offensive it doesn't just upset my "black side" it upsets me altogether. I look French/Italian more than anything, but still get lots of flack for being black.