Me thinks it stinks how people are making such a fuss over Red Faces last night. Red faces is fun...and makes people laugh. Good on those guys who were once at University together and are still mates after 20years...still having fun and making others laugh. How is it we Aussies are banded racist from this? With the amount of new Australians entering the country we have multi culturalism down pat. I should think it makes us the most tolerant country out there! (Well most of us anyway) And just so you all know, I have aboriginal culture in me..so yeah... call me black..or the kettle black..... names do not hurt me and if I don't require a blood transfusion after someone disses me then well, those words are just not important at all!!
13 comments:
Hey, I can call you sister! lol
Chatted to an American reporter and, for her in particular, it was the style of the wigs and the colour of the face paint harking back to the old boot polish-style blackface minstrels.
What it's highighted for me is the fact that we live in a very lucky country where we don't see racist attacks everywhere, instead the majority of us (innocents)just saw a daggy skit.
Jayne, I hear that..and thanks for shedding some light on what it is that was seen as so awful to some people. Attacks on people of any skin color and of any race is not acceptable in my books.
What is acceptable is to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. And also...tolerant of people from all walks of life no matter their heritage!
Well, I missed it all so have no idea what has gone down! lOl. I think in Oz however any racism is a bit of a joke! For gods sake! We are one of the most relaxed, multicultural places on earth! And I have to say the most racism I have ever copped came from those who were first generation immigrants with chips on their shoulders.
Sure you get the bogan types who carry on but they are far less in numbers than those who have the woe is me attitude while their kids run amok. (yes I grew up in such a suburb where being white was rude!)
Wot eva! LOL! I ran with the pack of mixed bloods who love everyone! I don't care what colour or race someone is, thats no excuse for being an arsehole!
Karisma, I think we must be kindrid spirits, coz you speak just like me :)
Pretty well with you Cazzie. There is a cultural divide between us and the US. It would not be acceptable in the US and a US citizen on the show objected. Fair enough but he forgets he is not in the US now. US cultural imperialism at its best. My mother asked what I thought today, I I said it looked pretty harmless, but I added, but then I am not black and I don't know how I would feel if I was. Neither you nor Jayne walk down the street branded by the colour of you skin. The piece on tv was tacky but harmless so far as I am concerned, but if I was a Afro American, maybe I would think differently. None of us wants to hurt or upset people. Think I have inserted enough wishy washy words above to get me out of anything and saved myself writing a post about it too.
Too right! I don't get what the big fuss was all about. Somebody told me it was only because there was an American present, apparently they're really ultra-sensitive about racism or something?!
Storm in a teacup. Publicity? Who knows.
Well said Cazzie, how anyone could pull out the racist card is beyond me. They just had their faces blacked, it's like old time vaudeville, comedy, they weren't having a go at anyone. Please don't let us get over sensitive like they are in other parts of the world. We love our culture, it's a melting pot of so many nationalities and it's what makes this country great. I can remember when Chinese food and spag bol were considered exotic, now my kids eat sushi!
It was probably pretty harmless though in the U.S. the history of the black painted faces and wigs is quite horrific, surely we can come up with something funny without having to use them.
Andrew, you are only doing what I do to you sometimes, saving myself a post by commenting with a story. Hehe.
I sure do appreciate both sides of the story. Perhaps Hey Hey ought to have thought twice about the re-appearance of this group from 20yrs ago..considering they did have Harry on the panel of judges this time around.
Our society, now more than ever, seems to be so fragile emotionally :(
Stace, I love how frank you are...in a round about way(winks).
Mal, I dunno mate, it seemed to be genuine upset of Harry.. but you know,good news or bad news it is still publicity for the show...you are right there. But, using that content for ratings would purely suck!
Foxy, that is why we love being here I guess, no place like home in Australia :)
Hi IAN, I do appreciate your perspective, coming from the US and seeing what goes on over there. I think, as I did from the start of this controversy, that they (On Hey Hey) ought to have looked at who they had judging, aswell as knowing the content of Red Faces and also the sensitivities of today and made a better judgement.
I do hope they (Hey Hey) make more appropriate decisions post this storm if they are to go on again.
Even though we are a multicultural Australia, more so than 20years ago when this was first played out, I think the public's open-ness has also developed. We the public should be able to have some say in what we think is and is not appropriate to air.
Then again.. the media seem to be a law unto themselves at times :)
Thankyou for visting, and like I said, I do appreciate your thoughts.
The guys dressed up didn't mean any harm and certainly aren't racists, but they just weren't aware of, to an American, how loaded the symbol they were portraying is.
Kinda reminds me of when Prince Harry went to a party dressed as a Nazi, the guy was clueless as to how offensive he was.
IAN, yes, I do remember that with Prince Harry..and my family hale from Germany (On my paternal grandfather's side) so I sure do understand what you are saying.
I am with you totally cazzie - I have just about had a gutful with the rest of the world telling us how to think and act. I hold no man or woman ill will because of colour - a useless bastard is a useless bastard no matter what colour he is. We need to be able to laugh at ourselves -
As Dame Edna said "if you don't laugh at yourself you may be missing the joke of the century.
And how come when an Indian student was attacked and admitted it was another Indian student, the Indians reported it was a hate crime done by white people?
Some countries should look to themselves and their own track records. i am sure the untouchables in India would agree...
If you want to put the effort in here in Australia you can find the job you want no matter your colour.
Well known Aboriginal activist Noel Pearson said as much himself and slammed "the aboriginal industry" because in encouraged dependence with all the problems that brings. I am starting to like what Noel pearson says lately.
Was it right that they coloured up with Vegemite? I heard that somewhere - if so then only Australians would see the joke in that...
Michael Jackson wasn't killed because he was black - he was killed because of all the drugs he took and because he had such a dodgy doctor - and don't get me started on dodgy doctors...gaaagh...
some of my best blog mates come from the US but - how is it that "Americans" call themselves that? They only occupy a part of the North American continent - we don't call Canadian, Mexicans or Argentinean "Americans" - How is it that this happens? I have had my say now and feel better...
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