A racist comedy sketch on the revived `Hey Hey` show featuring Harry Connick Jr last night has created an international controversy after the New Orleans singer was appalled and almost walked off the show.
The sketch on the Red Faces segment titled Jackson Jive featured a group dressing up in black face as The Jacksons and the singer in white face as Michael Jackson.
Connick was a judge on the segment and was gobsmacked by the racist overtones of the sketch. When asked for his comments he said “man, if you take the Jackson Five and subtract this five …” and gave them a 0.
At that point host Daryl Somers was still not reading Connick’s anger. “Is there any redeeming, would you give them something just for turning up, a 3?” Somers said. Connick responded “Man, if they turned up looking like that in the United States…” then shook his head, “it would be Hey Hey there’s no more show”.
Jackie McDonald then called the act “cute” and “fabulous” and gave it a 7. Red Symons stayed remarkably short on comment and gave it a 1.
Connick returned at the end of the show to accept an apology from Somers. “When you were very kindly judging Red Faces I noticed that when we had the Jackson Jive on, and it didn’t occur to me until afterwards that we may have offended you with that act and I deeply apologise on behalf of all of us because I know that for your countrymen it is an insult to have a black face routine,” Somers said.
Connick then said, “I would just like to say on behalf of my country I know it was done in humour but we have spent so much time not trying to make black people look like buffoons that when we see something like that we take it really to heart. I know it was in good fun and the last thing I want to do is take this show to a down level, because you know how much I like this show, I feel at home here, but if I knew that was going to be part of this show I definitely wouldn’t have done it.”
He then thanked Somers for the opportunity to explain as an American. “You are a big man for allowing me to do that,” he told Daryl.
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