Not sure if you heard, but Harry Connick Jr. had to check some Australians about a blackface routine. The video’s right here.
First, who knew Harry was the fifth Hot Boy?
(Well, I knew, but still…)
Second, points for having the heart to take the needle off the record. Most people won’t. I know I’ve let lots of things slide in situations like that, just to keep the party going. Nothing like that, mind you, but let’s not pretend as if it didn’t take serious nerve to assert himself there.
Here’s where he got me to thinking.
“I just want to say, on behalf of my country, I know it was done humorously, but we’ve 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.”
Now, there’s some hyperbole in this. There’s still lots of money in making black people look like buffoons. The trick now is to find real-live buffoons to do the job. They can do it better than actors, anyway.
He’s right about one thing, though — that nonsense would NOT fly here. Maybe the response would be disingenuous, but the American public, generally, wouldn’t let that slide. Some folks would be OK with it, lots would think it’s funny…but someone would get fired and/or beat down behind that.
I’m one of those people that doesn’t have much patience for people that defend America’s current state of racial affairs by saying things are better than other times and places — as if that’s got a gotdamn thing with here and now. I can, however, say there was truth in what Connick said.
And that does say some good things for America. Doesn’t matter if people want to act right. Just matters if they do. And, at least when it comes to putting shoe polish on your face to look like Tito, we have some things right.
For better or worse, there’s something to that.
4 thoughts on “Harry Connick Jr. gives us something to consider”
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Cause for Harry, he wasn’t defending “black people” because coming up as he did, everyone from New Orleans is his people.
Good on him.
Evan, google his father’s name and “death penalty.” That’ll show you how complex New Orleans is. Trust, he knows the difference. He just rolls a little different.
First, I’d read about this, but hadn’t seen the clip. Very troubling. This is worse than just blackface. They seemed to aim to be as offensive as possible all at once.
What’s sad is this season’s Mad Men featured a central character performing in blackface. I had to read and hear white people discuss how it was authentic for the time period despite the fact that the show is aired NOW.
Big ups to Connick for “taking the needle off the record” as you say as often folks are silent and it is “the appalling silence of good people” that can do the most harm.
It’s the nostalgia for racism that’s especially weird. Its like Bomani’s earlier post about racist jokes not being funny anymore. Going back to black face as period authentic is just an excuse to slip it in. NEWS FLASH “still offensive”. Maybe 500 years from now after 300 years of perfect racial harmony there will be a time when all people will look back and have a chuckle together but I’m guessing it will still be sad and pathetic.