VIDEO: Harry Connick Jr. Involved In Racial Controversy
Posted on Oct 08, 2009 @ 01:01PM
When you think of black and white in relation to Harry Connick Jr., you probably think of piano keys -- until now.
Connick, appearing as a judge on an Australian television variety show called Hey Hey It's Saturday, was subjected to an uncomfortable stretch of minstrel humor when an act called Jackson Jive -- five white Australian guys in black face pretending to be the Jackson Five -- appeared before him to be evaluated.
An irritated Connick gave the Aussies a zero for talent and taste.
"Man, if they turned up looking like that in the United States ... there's no more show" he said.
"I just wanted to say on behalf of my country," Connick told the show's host. "I know it was done humorously, but we have spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons, that when we see something like that, we take it really to heart."
In light of his comments on the Aussie show, some people are calling him a "hypocrite" because in the mid 90's, Connick appeared on Fox's Mad TV; in the skit, a noticeably darker Connick plays a preacher friend of a black Baptist minister, played by black actor Orlando Jones.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
- Whitney Houston's Life in Pictures — Zap2It
- Rihanna & Katy Perry Get Frisky At The Grammys — Global Grind
- A Look at Hollywood's Hottest Men & Their Adorable Dogs — Celebuzz
- Beyonce Remembers Whitney In A Touching Statement — Global Grind
- Adele at the Grammys: Singer Wins Best Album, Goes Six For Six On The Night — Huffington Post
- Whitney Houston's Daughter Bobbi Kristina Allegedly Rushed To The Hospital — The Frisky
- Click Here & Join Our Facebook Page — Facebook
Aug 18, 2010 @ 07:30
There's a HUGE difference between the MADTv skit and this nonsense. If those idiots had come out in tan makeup, no problem. But they knew about performing in black face - which means they knew of its origins, and of how racially WRONG it is!
Posted Tue, 10/13/2009 - 7:50pm
He handled that very well. I do not think they meant any harm though because they were paying tribute to the J5.
Posted Fri, 10/09/2009 - 6:34am
Harry handled this sensitive matter very well. The supposed hippocratic video of ConnIck compared to what the Jackson Jive did are two different things. They mocked African American's, while Harry played dress-up.
Posted Thu, 10/08/2009 - 2:24pm