When Harry Connick Jr. guest judged on Australia’s Hey Hey It’s Saturday and watched as blackfaced “tribute” group Jackson Jive performed, he was, let’s say, perturbed. He then explained, on the show, why blackface is a terrible type of performance. But then there was Connick’s own blackface-y Mad TV skit, where he impersonated a black minister. Oops!
Kind of reminds us when Al Franken was playing flaming gay Stuart Smiley on Saturday Night Live — and the time he laughed about a gay man’s murder — and then turns around when running for Minnesota’s U.S. senator to support gay marriage and trans-inclusive hate crimes legislation and repealing DADT.
Glass houses much?
Mike
Except Harry Connick is NOT portraying a black minister. He’s portraying a Cajun minister.
See the guy next to him? HE’s portraying a black minister.
See the difference?
Giovanni
There is a CLEAR difference between what Connick was doing on Mad TV and the jackasses in Australia. Is the suggestion that Connick should have said nothing?
dk
There sure are a bunch of shit stirrers @ Queerty… Maybe you should just stick to the half naked men…
RomanHans
If Stuart Smalley was flaming, I’m a yule log.
Andrew ex pat Aussie in US
Even though I live in the US I still read the Australian newspaper websites tp keep abreast as to what is happening back home. Let me tell you Harry’s comments have caused on hell of a sh*t storm. The connotations of ‘blackface’ are really unknown in Australia – we all grew up on the Black and White Minstrel Shows and had golly wogs along with Teddy Bears. Insensitive yes – racist no. The people who did the skit were just putting on a costume to have fun, no different to a man dressing in drag.
Michael Letterman
DK: Now that is a comment I wish I made equating gays with shit stirrers. Hopefully it will catch on and will become the new slang term for gays.
James
What I love about reading Australian reactions to the outrage is that they bring out the, “We didn’t mean to offend…” line every time. How many times have dumb straight people made an offensive joke about gays or women or whatever minority, but refuse to just listen to a complaint about the perceived insult? Yet, it’s pretty simple, Connick (and myself) found the Jackson Jive offensive and he mentioned his distaste. Lesson learned? Nope, just more of the whiny “You just don’t understand…” stuff. If Chris Rock or another black person was on that judging panel, I would have loved to see how they would have reacted as Connick’s distaste is pretty civil in what could have happened.
sal(the original)
umm when the Australian government gives a safe,sue proof lawyer written apology to the aborigines when indian students are attacked,frig just go on youtube and you can see a whole bunch of disgustin acts of racism and ya’ll dont got a problem Australia??!!!bs!!!!
sal(the original)
insensitive move queerty
Michael Letterman
James: How do you equate a sexual preference to being a minority. It’s a frigging choice you make not a ethnic or racial decision that was made for you.
No one is making someone put their penis into another man the owner of the penis is making the choice to perform that perversion.
In short, being a gay doesn’t make one a minority it makes them a pervert.
Cam
No. 10 · Michael Letterman said…
James: How do you equate a sexual preference to being a minority. It’s a frigging choice you make not a ethnic or racial decision that was made for you. No one is making someone put their penis into another man the owner of the penis is making the choice to perform that perversion.
__________________________________________
So if I understand you Michael…you don’t actually LIKE women, you just made a choice to put your penis in them. Is that correct? You REALLY like men, but you made the CHOICE to be with women? Because that is what you are saying here.
dellisonly
Re: Michael Letterman
Go Away. Nobody asked me to decide. I am this way.
I think Harry Connick was right to do what he did because ‘black-face’ is racist. The reactions of the Aussies is was crude. To pull what looked to be a funny clip from a show no one watches is grasping at straws.
Jason
Australia is a sovereign nation.
We dont need an uppity liberal jew like Connick saying that Australians cant own slaves.
It’s a states rights issue anyway.
GBM
Oh really Jason so what are you implying by that states right bullshit???
You’re into segregation?
Okay so he’s a liberal Jew,
What are you a conservative Faggot?
Michael Letterman
Cam: I like women and if we’re making distinctions, I love one woman above others, I do not understand how you got the idea I don’t bassed on what I said however I think this clears it up for you. I like men too. I like people in general. However who I have sex with is my choice just like it is yours. I choose to have sex with a woman, for all I care you can choose to have sex with a moose, you see whoever you have sex with is up to you and your partner. Being gay you could also choose not to live a gay lifestyle the point is that it is a choice and therefore not eligible for minority status.
Delli: Um, no. You choose who to have sex with just as they choose to allow you to have sex with them. If you choose to have sex with another man (assuming you are a man) then your choosing so of your own free will. That doesn’t make you a minority it makes you a pervert (see my prior post) as opposed to Jason who is just an idiot.
Republican
Michael,
Still up to your usual BS I see. I didn’t choose to be attracted to men. I didn’t go, “Hmm, man or woman, man or woman.”
And you raving, rabid homophobes should really try to get some new arguments. Having sex with another consenting man is nothing like having sex with a poor, innocent moose.
Michael Letterman
Republican: still using your penis to stir other men’s shit? Yes you did choose to be attracted to men you could have easily have decided to not have sex at all if you were not attracted to women. The fact that you don’t get it’s a choice doesn’t surprise me. As soon as you accept that it is a choice then you’ll have to realize you made a poor one.
Yes gay sex is just as abnormal as beastialty or pedophilia or any other act of perversion. It is far from normal and as such should not be tolerated by decent members of society.
Republican
Michael,
I am a decent member of society. It’s people like you who will be looked down upon in the future.
transmit
blackface was popular in england and its territories long after it was popular here. australians already have questionable humor tastes, so im not surprised here, except that I am because its about Michael Jackson and his bros. Connick did the right thing.
transmit
what connick did on snl was clearly not the same thing.
Michael Letterman
Republican: Your jokes just keep getting funnier. You can’t seriously think the acts of perversion you partake is decent. If it was even remotely decent there wouldn’t need be laws to protect it, society would just accept it.
Republican
Michael,
Just like people were so accepting of all matters racial (especially relationships, lol) that we didn’t need to do anything about it? Yeah, sorry, that argument doesn’t fly either. Try again.
Michael Letterman
Hiya Again Republican: Yet another amusing post from you. Whatever your profession is your wasted your true calling is in comedy writing. I know a few people I could hook you up.
You now want to equate homosexuality with racial injustice. If someone ridicules someone for something they cannot control such as their race it is wrong and should be stopped by all means. If someone is assualting someone (for ANY reason) they should be stopped by all means. If someone is ridiculing someone for a choice they made, such as to use their penis to stir another man’s shit, that is perfectly fine with me, oh and perfectly fine within the law as well.
Lux
Why is Al Franken’s growth and maturity around the issue of homosexuality and equal rights painted as a bad thing? The term “glass houses” doesn’t even apply here. SMH
tjr101
Michael… your comments are littered with ignorance. You CAN’T CHOOSE YOUR SEXUALITY. Get it through your thick skull.
What gay person have you spoken too that gives you this nonsense of an idea?
When did you wake up and decide that you’ll choose being attracted to women over men?
Educate yourself.
will clemens
Michael, I hope some one rapes your mother in an alley and your homeless because your mother is no longer there to keep you living in the basement that you have become so very used to.
nikko
MICHAEL, you are truly a lying, ignorant, offensive idiot. YOU are the pervert,, not us.
Anthony
That black face routine was just dumb and offensive. The Al Franken skit is quite funny. I know some guys like that.
Ian
Queerty,
What happened to the ability to flag an offensive comment feature?
Ian
For those who don’t know Australian history, the country has a long, violent and genocidal problem of dealing with its indigenous black skinned population. For glimpse into government sanctioned racism, view the film “Rabbit Proof Fence.”
Chris
I realise there is a lot already said on the topic, but please try to temper your offence and understand that this wasn’t intended for American audiences.
Please don’t apply your American values to this performance.
Believe it or not, Australia’s cultural perspective is quite different from yours,
despite us both being majority white, first world countries.
Red Faces is a segment from a long dead Australian variety show called Hey Hey! It’s Saturday. It was designed to showcase odd, weird and wonderful Australian talent.
As such it’s not supposed to be Al Franken, it’s supposed to be amateur acts on par with the weird pan flute band you’d see performing in malls, or that guy who can light his farts on fire – yes, it’s strange, but we’re Australia, we’re different.
When you watch the video, you see something racially offensive, a reflection on decades of American racial tensions.
As Australians, we just see some guys dressed up as the Jackson 5. They’re not mocking them, it’s just as offensive as a guy in a fat suit doing an Elvis routine.
It’s NOT intended to be racist. It’s nice to see the majority of you understand, minus the typically offended 24/7 news types. Please don’t take their out of context, reactionary remarks as anything more than, for want of a better word, shitstirring.
The joke wasn’t that they were Jackson 5, it was the context – it was a 20 odd year old act, being re-performed as part of a reunion show. It wasn’t supposed to be cutting edge social satire. Everyone is, unfortunately, overreacting.
Michael Letterman
You fags are so funny, insulting people and their mothers, do I need more proof your worthless human beings?
You choose your sexuality with your actions. If you choose to stick your penis in another man that was your choice. Just as I choose to sleep with a woman. You can prevent yourselves from having gay sex there is no imperative for you to do so.
Why can you not accept that you choose the lifestyle you live. Who is forcing you to commit acts of perversion? Some of you may blame some childhood incident or perhaps your upbringing. I don’t know but it is still your choice each and every time you commit the act.
I can understand the venom you must feel, if I was like you and someone was pointing out to me that I was doing so of my own free will I’d be pissed too.
Michael Letterman
Will Clemens: Brave words and ones I assure you, you would not have spoken to my face. I may not agree with voilence toward someone for their sexual choices but I would have taught you the manners you sorely lack.
Where I come from speaking out of turn about someone’s mother was an act of the lowest of the low and worthy of a sound and through beating which I would be more than happy to adminsiter to you. I will be sure to run your name through Lexis/Nexis and see if I can zero in on you. If I can I will make you my personal manners project.
AlwaysGay
Michael Letterman = typical haterosexual = always causing trouble, always threatening people, always ignornant, always bullying, always domineering
This Michael Letterman needs to be banned.
Ryan
Michael Letterman enjoys going to gay websites with pictures of half naked men, and then he tries (successfully, unfortunately) to trick gay men into verbally abusing him. Michael has serious issues with sexuality and his ability to relate to other human beings. He obviously gets off on having gay dudes flame him. Don’t give him the satisfaction. Let him go to the airport restrooms like the rest of the pathetic closet cases.
pugnut97
Hi all. Long time lurker here. Haven’t posted in a very long time. First of all as an Aussie I’m embarrassed to see Daryl Somers back on TV full stop. He was as a cringe inducing stale piece of toast 20 years ago. Who the hell decided it was fit to pull him out of the bin?
And what is this Michael Letterman’s obsession with anal sex? I mean seriously, there is more to being a gay male than anal sex. You are such a miserable human being Michael. And no I’m not taking your bullshit personally. I’d just like to point out there is such a thing as existing in a relationship with the love of your life (as I have for the past 14 years.) We both work very hard in our occupations, we have our home, our mortgage, our beagles, our loving families & our happiness. We support charities, we lend a hand where we can, we do our best for the environment… and we are happy. We look forward to the future. Will we see cars leave the ground and take to the sky? Who knows, but one thing is certain.. We will grow old and we’ll be together. You can post all the hateful bullshit you like Michael Letterman, but unfortunately for you some of us are too busy enjoying this one stab at life we get to give a flying fuck. Have a nice day.
Michael Letterman
You gays are really funny and not just in the funny strange way. I’m the hateful one? Who exactly did I threaten? Was I the one who brought mothers into the conversation?
I go to websites that show news stories that are of interest to me if they happen to be on a gay website then that’s where they are and if I think some wrong thinking needs correcting then that is what I’ll do. You don’t have to agree with me my goal isn’t to upset you or to insult you. I only hope you keep your perversions to yourselves and not flaunt them where I or my family have to see it.
As for threatening someone I don’t threaten I inform people of my intended actions I find that is always better than a threat which is often never intended to be carried out.
You truly are a pathetic bunch of cry babies and if you’re going to make the choice to commit acts of perversion then you should be adult enough to take the ridicule such acts will come as a result of your choices.
You can cry about what I say you can hurl pathetic attempts to insult me and you can make outlandish claims about what I do in my personal life, these are all the actions of a weak argument and while Pugnut97 at least makes a valid and interesting statement he too resorts to insults which invalidate his point.
I’m immune to your insults because to give any credence to your diatribe would be to validate your opinions in general and so far I’ve seen nothing that justifies that.
Ryan
“I only hope you keep your perversions to yourselves and not flaunt them where I or my family have to see it.”
You mean like on a gay website with pictures of half naked men? Is that where you “have” to see our “perversions”? Yeah, it must be so horribly *HARD* for you to keep coming back here. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
Michael Letterman
Ryan: No not like on a gay website… I was referring to my neighborhood, my schools, my workplaces and my shopping stores in other words IN PUBLIC.
I return here to correct comments made that are emailed to me. If you want me to stop returning then stop making stupid comments. Somehow I think that is beyond some of you.
scott ny'er
@ryan and all others…
please, don’t feed the troll.
Ryan
You’re right, Scott. My bad.
Merv
You know who disagrees with you Michael? The US military.
Under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the military will kick you out if you have a homosexual orientation. It doesn’t matter if you ever had gay sex, or even play to have gay sex while in the military. Believe it or not, many 18 year old recruits, gay and straight, are virgins.
Conversely, if you have a heterosexual orientation, they don’t care about your past behavior. You could have experimented with gay sex many times (summer camp?) and they don’t care.
If the gay-hating US military accepts that being gay is about orientation and not behavioral “choice,” why can’t you?
Michael Letterman
Merv: Let me understand correctly your saying the U.S. Military doesn’t agree with moi?
The U.S. Military actually does agree with me we both hold homosexuality at the same level we hold all perversions, bestiality, pedophilia, etc. all of which will get you kicked out of the U.S. Military faster than a sniper hit.
Going on the national sexuality reference database less than 1 in 10 youths are virgins (either male or female) by the age of 13 so your claim of “many 18 year old recruits” are virgins the statistics, while far from perfect, don’t bear out.
It is also untrue that if your heterosexual, they don’t care about your past behavior, they don’t care how much heterosexual encounters you’ve had, but they do frown on rapists and practitioners of other “non-normal” sexual behaviour.
Happy to clear that all up for you.
Orpheus_lost
LOL! Why are so many here trying to argue with a guy who’s so perverted he needs to spend hours each day on gay websites getting his rocks off then bashing non-closeted gays to assuage his guilt? Let the sick fuck spit his bile at the wall. The best way to hurt his kind is to leave them alone with their guilt and frustration.
nikko
Hear that, MICHAEL? Oh, MICHAEL…..MICHAEL, COME OUT COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE, STUPID LITTLE HATERSOSEXUAL
Michael Letterman
Poor pathetic creatures, you’re mistaking pity for hate.
rudy
Who is this sick pervert Michael Letterman?
Michael Letterman
Rudy: You have sex with men and for all I know you had sex with boys, not claiming you have but also not saying you haven’t. And you have the audacity to call a clean cut upstanding member of society like me a sick pervert.
I’ve been happily married to the same woman for close to 30 years. How many of you gays have had a partner for that long? I thought so.
But perhaps your standards are impossibly high and to you I am a sick pervert frankly Rudy dear boy your opinion is hardly relavent. So the next time you wipe some man’s shit off your cock remember heterosexuality is the norm and homosexuality is an act of perversion by the very definition of the word.
RaymondKevin
I think this post should have been pulled. Harry Connick Jr. was not playing a Black minister in the “Mad-TV” Sketch. As any Southerner could tell you — white preachers have made fortunes for years incorporating African-American worship styles into their services.
Also — Stuart Smalley’s sexuality has never been defined. Like another SNL character, Pat, the audience has to fill in the blanks. To label him “flaming” is a bit disingenuous. Stuart is clearly a serial consumer of self-help (and other) therapy. He is a wee bit fey, but he would never do anything that would let his slip show.
I’m disappointed that you would take a 30+ year-old quote from a second-hand source posted on a right wing-nut site as evidence of Franken’s homophobia.
nikko
MICHAEL, let’s see now, you “natural” act of sticking your penis in a vagina runs the risk of getting urine, yeast secretions, and blood discharges from the the double duty of a vagina’s functions. In other words, an anus needs to be clean and prepared just as a vagina for safe, healthy sex straight or gay. So your perversion insult is nonsense.
Michael Letterman
Nikko: I have no idea what your talking about I’ve had sex with women my whole adult life and have never worried about urine, yeast or blood none of which will affect a health male organ.
Gays however are fairly limited to use of their mouths and anus’ as sexual receptacles and trust me swapping from the anus to the mouth will cause you more problems then any vagina I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying.
Now I understand how you may not understand how clean and healthy men and women have sex but there is nothing natural about a man sticking his penis into another man’s ass/mouth. Might even be the reason there are two distinct sexes and not three or five.
nikko
Vaginal discharges(blood), waste(urine), yeast infections. Don’t know that?!
Josh
I am so embarrassed to be Australian right now, people just don’t understand the substantial different between being made up as African-American and going out in public in ‘blackface’.
Michael Letterman
Nikko: You poor pathetic faggot, I have no idea what kind of skanky unhygienic women you know, but no woman I’ve ever been with had a yeast infection or urine in her vagina during sex, as for the menstrual fluid (what you’re mistaking for blood) it is a natural and beautiful reminder of what sex is really all about, namely, the continuation of the human race.
I kindly suggest you get those women you refer to immediately to an OB/Gyn and have them learn about hygiene.
nikko
You’re vile, you heteroshit.
Michael Letterman
Nikko: Me vile? and you who engages in acts of perversion are normal? When you’re done visiting Bizzaro world try visiting other planets, we don’t want you back here on Earth.
nikko
MICHAEL, stop flying off the handle with your shrill homophobia. Two males sexually pleasing each other is perfectly normal and natural. To demonize this is what has caused all the pain, suffering, and self destructive behaviour of many gay men. Enough already!
Michael Letterman
Nikko: You keep saying I’m a homophobic, which implies I fear homosexuals which cannot be further from the truth. Two males sexually pleasing each other cannot, by an stretch of the imagination, be considered either normal or natural. It is not normal becuase sex was designed (again either by creation or evoloution) to be between a male and female. As for nature I believe the same to be true. If it was normal and natural the species would have died out long ago.
What has caused SELF destructive behaviour and pain and suffering of gay men and women is the realization of how unnatural and abnormal they are. Those that seek help are often quite happy with the rest of their lives. To live in shame is the problem.
Having said that I also want to say that what you do in the privacy of your home is your business, not mine. It is when you bring it out into the world that I and others will get involved.
Duke
Josh – They were being made up as African-American men. They were impersonating a specific group of people, the Jackson 5. They were not doing “black face” to portray themselves as African-Americans in general.
Duke
Giovanni could you please explain the difference between what Harry Connick Jnr did and what they did on Hey Hey?
I Smell Poop
Isn’t it about time that Connick Jr fesses up to the facts: 1.)He’s not a native of New Orleans. He’s a native of Weston, Connecticut, where he attended public school from 1970-1982. His picture is in all the yearbooks for those years. 2.) His father isn’t the DA of New Orleans. Connick Sr is or was one of the presidents of Sony Music and a stockholder in Sony Pictures. Hence we have his son on our television sets. Connick Sr himself had a career in show business and even appeared in the film ‘Let’s Make Love’ with Y. Montand and M. Monroe.
In such facts, Connick Jr’s attention-getting antic on Australian television should be viewed as just another of his stunts to gather interest in his lackluster music and otherwise less-than entertaining show business career. Ask yourself: After twenty odd albums, what’s your favorite Harry Connick Jr song?
Cat
Harry Connick is a whiney brat.Please do Australia a favour.DONT COME BACK.The Australian skit was not funny,just dumb.Racist…no way.Americans need to get a sense of humour.I seriously hope that we never ever become like America.Maybe he should protest some of the crap that comes from his country.
Cinesnatch
So according to Queerty, Drew Hammond doing Jesse Jackson is blackface … Fred Armisen doing Barack Obama is (half?) blackface … etc …
Why was this posted by “Editor Editor” … it has Daniel Villarreal written all over it …