It is not cool to black up. Most Aussies seem to dismiss this.....

20+ years ago and taken off the air because it was racist......

Is that a lazy assumption?

Generally, you wouldn't see a white (or whatever colour if you're going to be picky about it) actor black up to play your everyday regular black guy, would you? You'd hire a black actor for that. The only reason I can imagine anybody needing to 'black up' would be to exaggerate racist images, attitudes and perceptions.

What part of it shocks you ?

I haven't seen the clip properly, but people are talking about one nationality or race, colouring themselves up as another colour, and saying it is racist.

I suppose the film "White Chicks" with black people colouring themselves as white people is also racist then ?

Is it something else other than that, which actually shocks people.

Or is it that blacks are allowed to do it, but whites, and non-negro blacks aren't ?

A bit of clarity as to what is allowed, might be interesting.

Or have I got it wrong, and it is only relating to Micheal Jackson, who tried to turn white himself ?

That blacking up isn't cool? No, pretty much accepted.
That Aussies are dismissive of it? No, all the feedback thus far seems to suggest that it should be regarded as a bit of fun....

Its made the news all round the world read about it below:
www.heraldsun.com.au

I have seen clips of the Black and White Minstrels more recently, in "looking back" programs, and this "Hey Hey Reunion" is also one of those looking back programs, isn't it ?
I haven't actually watched it, but did get that impression, especially as they are re-enacting those old skits etc. I would agree if it was something NEW being done, but it isn't. It is reminiscing about the past.

Maybe that part is being overlooked ?

Not the same. For years black people were subjegated and treated as inferior purely because they were black. By, largely, white people.
Their race suffered racism historically, whites didn't.

Actually, yes, it's incredibly racist and offensive. Two black guys dressing up as white dumb blonde chicks?!!! As a blonde who isn't dumb (I'm not of a higher intellegence either) I do take offence to that - but I even take offence to Legally Blonde.

MJ grew up in a period where blacks were still widely considered second class citizens in the US. All he ever wanted was to be accepted and loved. You can't blame the guy for taking things a little too far but you can blame the people who made him feel like that. I do anyway. I hope to god that no non-white person feels they need to whiten up to feel accepted in todays society (although I'm sure some of you smarty pants will come along with an example any minute!).

So you're basically saying it was celebrating something that we used to do which is now considered racist?? Bizarre!!! Why would you want to celebrate the fact that we used to be so backward.

There poll currently shows:
Some people say that would make 77.38% of the voters racist, yet only 22.62% saw racism in it.

This comes down to knowing what racism actually is...

Some people consider racism as one thing, others consider it as something else.

But there was no fuss about that.. Even though it was racist, (and blondest) it is perfectly acceptable to the vast majority.

I knew there would be a statistic in there somewhere

My own opinion is that 22% of voters finding it racist is 22% too many. If there was even one person on the production team who considered the sketch to be remotely racist they should have pulled the plug on it immediately. I'm sure there would have been plenty of other sketches to choose for and 'reminisce' over.

I think you're stretching the reunion point a little far - it wasn't a clip show showing old stuff, it was a new show where the producers had free reign what acts they put in front of the judges. They put this in front of Harry Connick Jr, someone from the deep south of America - that was just plain stupid and thoughtless - not because they should've pandered to him, but what kind of reaction did they expect - unless they wanted this reaction. The act was rubbish anyway.