FluffieFaerie

Just wanted to put the feelers out on the difference in opinion on this one.

I'm cringing every time I see that Hey Hey It's Saturday clip on TV - seems to be all thats on this morning!

Personally, I'm with Harry on this one. I think it was disgusting. But what I'm really bothered by is all the feedback from Aussies that they weren't bothered by it at all and that it was just a bit of fun!

Maybe I just don't understand the concept of the show but I figure if they wanted to do a Jackson 5 comedy sketch they could have used black artists instead of making 5 white guys look like caricatures. If they had 'whited' up a black guy for Jacko they might have got away with it.

I know Australia is notoriously racist but right now I feel pretty ashamed to be here. I guess you can take the girl out of Britain but not Britain out of the girl (I'm not saying that racism doesn't exist over there but they certainly wouldn't have even considered a sketch like that over there, I'm sure of it!)

I don't know, maybe I haven't whinged enough this week!

copa

most of those in the skit are not "white".

You, and many others, have made an incorrect assumption

bcworld

If it's the blacking up that's considered offensive then what about David Walliams doing 'Desiree' on Little Britain?

kporte

Major cock up. Makes Aus look racist and daft. uK more than considered this type of thing, it was all over the tv in the uk way back and also fairly recently, Matt Lucas anyone?

Well done Harry for speaking out.....

kporte

I was too slow and also got the wrong one!

jad n rich

I didnt see it but had a quick look on utube.

Aussie humour often misses the mark, in a bit crude/slapstick way, just seems to miss that subtle element you need to make it funny not brash - hard to explain.....

kporte

Why were they "blacked" up then? I'm confused....

FluffieFaerie

If that's correct then to be fair it's not something that's being widely publicised. So I guess once again it's the media that are encouraging this to be totally blown out of proportion. I'm sure it will do wonders for international race relations once this goes worldwide.

Wow, absolutely - totally forgot about that. All the same, I know I turned the show off once I saw that. I guess maybe some of us take racism more seriously than others. But, I obviously have too much time on my hands, I'm off to do the shopping!

ABCDiamond

Why does it make Ausies look rasict ?

bcworld

Well both of them also did black and white minstrel sketches in the same series. And it went to air...on the Beeb nonetheless. However I'm sure some rabid Mail reader will be along in a minute to give us a lecture about the UK's PC problem!

FluffieFaerie

Just because he has an Indian background doesn't mean he's not a racist. Same as a black person can be racist, and people can be racist towards the Irish or red-haired people. It's the same thing. For him to say he's not racist because he has an Indian background is a ridiculous excuse.

copa

I guess the indian and lebanese members wanted to look really black.... just a guess.

copa

It's the "white Aussies dressing up as black folk" line that was thrown around immediately... there was an assumption about white racist australians that is rather telling.

Not saying the indian and lebanese participants are incapable of racism, bad taste or ignorance .. just that the immediate attack on "white australia" is not warranted and sadly has a touch of irony.

Devlin

I'm in shock that this was allowed on air. I am ashamed to be Australian at the minute.

ABCDiamond

So because an Indian blacks up, and re-enacts his 20 year old skit, and is then called racist by an American, it is OK to call 'Australians' racist ?

Remember the Black and White minstrels ? That went on for years, which, by the same token, means the British are racist. But are they really ? And are the Aussies really racist ? or is everyone racist ? Or do some people just like to FIND racism, where it isn't actually intended ?