Leigh> The lead of the silly skit was a lot darker skinned than Jackson was after he had finished with the drugs and skin operations.

So what, does this allow the world to be divided into white and non-white and give license to all non-white people to be as racist as they want?

Leigh> Like all American performers who turn up in Australia, Connick is washed up in America - that's the only reason they come here.

Classic. Attack the person and not the issue at hand. He may be a washed up performer in your opinion, but his opinion generated a lot of bad publicity for Australia in the USA.

Yabby> Fact is that if you spend time in the US, or Japan, or China,
or in the Middle East, or India, you start to realise just
how relatively tolerant most Australians really are to
other races.

So this makes it OK for Australia to be racist? Nothing like a toddler argument of "but he did it first waaaah". Could try a lead by example.

Rex

MICHAEL JACKSON WAS AN ECCENTRIC

He was regularly lampooned in the press as wacko Jacko,as such he was an obvious target of comedians. The whole world was in reality very fond of him I think, black and white people really sympathized with his craziness because we all know we live in a world that can make you crazy. And we admire the fact that he dared to be different, but we also liked to imitate him and laugh fondly at his strangeness.

I was at a comedy dinner one night and the comedian suddenly came through a door with a huge curly wig on and an obvious crutch in his 70's trousers and grabbed his crutch while making that loud whoop sound that Micael did regularly whilst on stage singing. The recognition by the audience was immediate and you couldn't help but laugh as the comedian burst into a Michael Jackson song.

I think this comedy routine was just that, a comedy routine to send up Micheal Jackson full stop.

Loosen up, if a black man like Charlie Pride or Kahmal came on stage with their face painted white and dressed like Elvis, a white audience would think it was hilarious. In fact I've aften seen black men impersonating women in movies dressed up in long blonde wigs, I didn't take it as anti-white or anti blonde women and I could have, I just didn't even see it as anything but funny.

I've also heard whites referred to as spooks in black comedys I likewise found that funny too.

At least Peter West doesn't work for a rival television network. If there is one thing more distasteful than racism, it is television networks exaggerating scandals about other networks for commercial reasons.

Here, here benk.
I started a general topic on this and what seems to have been missed is that Harry's perspective/sensitivities in that he's from the deep south where this IS an issue.
To me had he not said something it could have come back and bit him.
Secondly he called it as he saw it so where's his crime?

To me I saw this as 'Hey Hey' as being insensitive over sight putting Harry in such a no win position, he chose a principled stance and good on him.

The argument about the academy awards black face was different context and different place. The attitudes between the deep south and LA are vastly different. Besides two wrongs don't make a right.

It is one thing for Greeks to call themselves wogs but it's another thing entirely If I, non Greek, did the same in a stand up.

Some argued that because it was a trashy show it doesn't matter ....an insult is an insult.

The cheap shot at Harry from a judge on idol about Hey hey was ignorant and boorish at best.

Everyone who has posted a comment on this subject is racist, including me. What a joke, get a life and move on. David

Firstly I have never read a more garbled, irrelevant to the topic load of nonsense article here on OPINION. What a crock!

Secondly it is only racism when a WHITE or CAUCASIAN person does or says something that could be interpreted as having negative references to another ethnic group, isn't it?

So if I were to be verbally assaulted by someone of another race who called me an fat ugly old white c..t, that wouldn't be racist eh!

But if I then replied with the same words substituting 'black' for 'white' the insult would take on a whole new complexion (pardon that bad pun), wouldn't it!

Doesn't matter what your colour or creed, if you don't know you're living in not only one of the safest but one of the most tolerant countries in the world - either start your international travel career or go live elsewhere.

Penny to a Pound - you'll soon find some real issues to whinge about