Mandy Martin, Puritjarra 2, 2005. For further information on MANDY MARTIN, refer here: http://www.mandy-martin.com/
If there are diverse kinds of knowledge and ways of knowing place, then we need to learn to value the different ways each of us sees a single place that is significant, but differently so, for each perspective.
adrift on a sea of information at a time when the world's night is a destitute time. In the age of the world's night, the abyss of the world must be endured.
--Adelaide is home. Relaxation is Victor Harbor. I'm a frustrated photographer who has lost his way in life.I have trouble coping in the technological mode of being of our complex digital world.
The Jackson Jive on the recycled, nostalgic ridden Hey Hey Its Saturday show -- a Channel 9 TV show--- was meant to be a humorous tribute to Michael Jackson. The show had a very long run – on for 28 years which in TV time is as long as it gets. They then had a 10 year break and were brought back for 2 “reunion” shows – bringing back all the key performers from 28 years into the one show including the Jackson Jive crew.
What made this skit offensive was that the people involved had black paint on their faces. In America "making black" means making looking black people look like buffoons. The skit reinforces negative racist stereotypes associated with blacking up:
In Australia the routine is interpreted as good fun and "taking the piss" out of people and it expresses a better ability to laugh at themselves. Yet it was about black musicians in America. The cultural context is that blackface was a traditional trope of minstrel shows in the U.S. that dates to the 19th century. Whites playing stock black characters — usually offensive stereotypes meant to demean — rubbed coal, grease or shoe polish on their faces. Blackface is stepped in history and considered offensive.
In the reunion show, a group of 6 performers reprised their “act” from about 20 years previously where they did a Jacksons tribute with what is termed “black face” – wearing dark makeup to make them appear as African American. They won with the skit the last time they performed.
The show “chose the ‘Jackson Jive’ revival act in full knowledge of what it represented: a relic of the past (classic blackfaced minstrels) in which black people were mocked. The performers would not have dared perform that skit on American television. They knew that there had been a cultural change. Hence the apology after the show and the damage control.
| Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at 9:23 AM | Permalink
Gary,
Again, it never ceases to amaze me how thin-skinned people can be in a world of pointy objects. You referred to the act in question as "a relic of the past...in which black people were mocked" yet I'm sure that many people, myself included, never made that 'minstrel' connection whilst watching the Jackson Jive perform. Forgive my ignorance but didn't the original 'black faces' have exaggerated white mouths and eyes and wear white gloves? Methinks my memory serves me correctly. I must have missed that detail of the Jackson Jive's costume. Nope. Just checked. No exaggerated lips or big white gloves.
So Gary, let me get this right. If this group of men who were dancing like and singing like the Jackson 5 actually made more of a concerted effort to appear less black, all would be good again in the world? So they should've chosen less-black face paint? Smaller wigs, perhaps? Should we pass a law that prevents caucasians from not attempting impersonate a member from another race unless they can ensure that they will remain caucasian-looking. Hmm... There's an interesting thought. Let's not stop there though. What about males who impersonate females? Can't do it unless they still look male. Don't want to appear sexist now, do we?
The bottom line is that these guys did not demean African-Americans in the way they acted during their performance. They were African-American impersonators attempting to look the part.If they had legitimately villified African-Americans with their act, I wouldn't be writing this now. I, like you Gary, would be thoroughly disgusted.
People, least of all D Somers, don't understand the bad connotations black face has in the US.
Strangely enough, Issi Dye has performed an Al Jolston tribute show in black face for ages without anyone taking offense, whilst Sam Newman got in trouble for doing a Nicky Winmar impersonation that way on the footy show.
Graig
my point was that there is a historical cultural context to making black in the US. It this context that provides the perspective for how many in the US would judge the skit. It had to be pointed out to the performers and to Hey Hey its Saturday Night, both of whom appeared to be suffering from some sort of historical amnesia.
Gary,
Again, it never ceases to amaze me how thin-skinned people can be in a world of pointy objects. You referred to the act in question as "a relic of the past...in which black people were mocked" yet I'm sure that many people, myself included, never made that 'minstrel' connection whilst watching the Jackson Jive perform. Forgive my ignorance but didn't the original 'black faces' have exaggerated white mouths and eyes and wear white gloves? Methinks my memory serves me correctly. I must have missed that detail of the Jackson Jive's costume. Nope. Just checked. No exaggerated lips or big white gloves.
So Gary, let me get this right. If this group of men who were dancing like and singing like the Jackson 5 actually made more of a concerted effort to appear less black, all would be good again in the world? So they should've chosen less-black face paint? Smaller wigs, perhaps? Should we pass a law that prevents caucasians from not attempting impersonate a member from another race unless they can ensure that they will remain caucasian-looking. Hmm... There's an interesting thought. Let's not stop there though. What about males who impersonate females? Can't do it unless they still look male. Don't want to appear sexist now, do we?
The bottom line is that these guys did not demean African-Americans in the way they acted during their performance. They were African-American impersonators attempting to look the part.If they had legitimately villified African-Americans with their act, I wouldn't be writing this now. I, like you Gary, would be thoroughly disgusted.