Hey Hey it's offensive... Blackface on Saturday night!

In a land far, far away known as Adelaide, Australia, a small group of five comedians, known as the "Jackson Jive" resurrect an art form which they have been entertaining people with literally since, 1971. The only problem with this little show, the use of Blackface and Afro wigs in the presence of an American artist. Harry Connick Jr. was a guest judge on "Hey, Hey , It's Saturday," when the performance trope came out to perform. With a immediate and visible offense, Connick, rated the performance a zero. His reasoning for doing so was, "If they turned up looking like that in the United States... (at which you hear a low, ow)... It would be like Hey Hey, there's no more show." The rest of the judges went on to rate this a combine score of 8 (out of a possible 30). Blackface? Making fun of the newly deceased Michael Jackson? No pitch whatsoever? You tell me, what you'd rate it.

I think on of the biggest take aways from this performance is the focus on the "American Insult" of Blackface. Let's complicate the issue more; where did the insult of blackface first originate from? Blackface was originally put on by white individuals who were attempting to make fun of blacks,by donning charcoal on their face, and highlighting the features which were distinctly black, such as the lips, actors would then perform outrageous acts, typically with slurred speech and dumb movements to stir laughter from the crowd.

This is the very obvious difference between Australian, or not American audiences, and Harry Connick Jr., or the United States representative present, all of what was done was not necessarily a mockery of blacks as much as it was an attempt to be the Jackson family. In America it would have incited the same type of anger a burning cross does for blacks because there is a direct historical significance tied to this representation, where as in Australia, its something to do, but nothing which there are people who will be upset by this representation. I honestly believe there should be some level of reprieve for individuals with pure intent. I know there is no way to no what the intentions were but I feel like if there is something of significant destruction of aesthetic, especially when it changes from place to place and country to country, there should be some way to educate individuals without putting them down.