I really think peter that you need a new career choice as you obviously have to much time on your hands and, I just hope this dribble you wrote wasn't done during 'tax payer' funded time.

Remember, slavery, as you stated was during the 1500's, so he and others were well aware of the issues 20 years ago.

There may well be far reaching concequences of this 'over reaction', by someone who in fact did a simmilar skit some 20 years prior.

I can imagine judges of future shows like Aust idle and dancing with the stars will think twice before making comments on any coloured persons performance in fear of 'media backlash'.

You and your supporters have just dropped a potential 'bombshell', take a bow you fools!

I understand this skit was performed 20 years ago. I would ask people to remember a certain Logies night 30 years ago when Bert Newton said of Muhummad Ali "I like the boy!" with the great man standing right beside him.

We all gasped in nervous horror then relief when the situation was diffused.

Why could we all understand then that this caused offence even though the phrase meant nothing to Bert nor most other Australians. The quick, though untrue, response was to claim Bert had said 'Roy' not boy.

So why the different treatment of Mr Connick, is it because he is white? If it were a negro guest instead who had reacted as he did I'm sure the story being now being told in our media would have been different.

So the question needs to be asked, do we think if Muhummad Ali, or a more current example, Mike Tyson was the guest judge on the Red Faces segment, that the producers would have had second thoughts about asking these guys to perform?

My guess is they certainly would have, to claim otherwise is disingenuous.

Therefore doesn't it follow they were either racist, insensitve, or unthinking to have an american GUEST on and think everything would be okay.

Surely they are to blame, not Mr Connick nor the rest of the world reacting negatively

I just posted a comment that is also pertinent to this discussion in the thread on this topic in the 'General' forum section:

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3118#73754

*So this makes it OK for Australia to be racist?*

Sorry Rexy, but it wasn't racist. Was any hatred of race expressed?

Yes it was a bit of a friendly dig at the Jacksons, who just happen
to be black, but anyone who has watched CNN or similar, and seen
how seriously they take every single fart let off by Michael,
would have to admit its over the top stuff.

Was it friendly? Yes. Was it based on humour? Yes.

Untwist your knickers Rexy, for no racism was involved.

If the Americans don't understand our humour on Australian tv,
that is their problem, not our problem, for it was screened here,
for a local audience

What I saw of this controversial show was in atrocious taste. I doubt the creators had any racist intent, just as The Chaser had no intent to cause distress with its awful kids' cancer ward skit. But both instances reveal terrible jugement. Now if we are honest with ourselves, all of us will admit that we too are occasionally capable of showing terrible judgement. The difference is, though, that mostly our lapses aren't for broadcast to the whole country and indeed, the whole world.

To me this says that people who create broadcast content need a test or filter on their judgements. Has it ever occurred to broadcasters to test their concepts beforehand, not just within the creating team but more widely? Certainly something like this is needed. The alternative is some kind of official censorship, and I would greatly regret it if dumb judgemental errors like that under discussion led that such an outcome in Australia. But nor can we afford to keep reconfirming the impression that at heart we're racists. Despite the persistence of a small racist troglodyte minority, It isn't true.

Seems the Indian Dr (he described himself as Indian) and his Multicultaural friends are quite racist. Why are we blaming everyday Australians when this has little to do with them?