I thought that I would try something different, I was going to do my whole rant via video, however after realising just how bad my webcam was (and the fact that I am not really a compelling onscreen presence) I decided to let my fingers to the talking for the rest of the rant.

Racism?

This whole shit storm came about as a result of a “blackface” sketch on an appalling Australian television “variety” show that someone thought it might be a good idea to rekindle.

“Hey Hey it’s Saturday“  was a boorish, low grade Australian “comedy” show that ran for 27 years after debuting in 1971.

It was buried in 1999 and should never have been exhumed.

They had a segment on it called “Red faces” in which, viewers would perform skits in an attempt to win prizes of little to no value and generally greatly embarass themselves in doing so.

That said, it was the original precursor to the “Got Talent” shows that now disgrace the airwaves.

Anyway, enough about the history.

Last night, there was a skit on “Red faces” that involved mockery of the Jackson Five with a number of “blackfaced” performers and one “whitefaced” performer.

An American fellow by the name of Harry Connick Junior was one of the judges on this segment and took umbrage at this performance, claiming that it wouldn’t have been aired in the US and that the skit made black Americans look like buffoons.

Some American writers went into overdrive, such as this uneducated shock columnist who advocated violence against the amatuer performers.

She suggested that people who painted their faces black and wore wigs were [sic] “the dumbest things I’ve seen” yet her column suggests that such a performance be rewarded with physical violence… hmmm…

Personally, I thought that the skit was sub par and not in the slightest bit funny -- but not for the supposedly racist overtones.

It appears that Americans are the only people outraged over this pathetic attempt at comedy, yet are they not the supposed creators and guardians of “free speech”?

Political correctness has gone too far, and without apologies to my American friends -- as they are exclusively “free thinkers” -- I have to point the finger of blame for this; squarely at America.

Why is it ok for an African American to refer to a white person as a “honky” or a “cracker” yet somehow outrageously offensive for someone impersonating a black person to don a wig and some facial paint?

There was absolutely no mockery or black people, no stereotyping, no racial slurs, no suggestion of racism whatsoever by the (and it must be pointed out) multi-racial performers. What seems to have caused this outrage is the fact that they painted their faces black.

Personally, I find it grossly offensive that your country has had a history of slavery, oppression of minorities, treating black people as second class citizens -- sending them to the back of the bus, treating them like sub humans long before it happened in South Africa…

… but I take umbrage at you forcing your guilt onto us.

We didn’t force you to forcibly raid Africa, kidnap Africans and then enslave them, so don’t fucking foist your guilt upon us for the history you chose to create for yourselves.

This is hypocrisy at its worst -- even alongside that of organised religion.

It is essentially saying:

“You are free to speak and do as you wish, so long as it doesn’t make reference to our historical shame”

Wake the fuck up. Whilst we in Australia have been guilty of treating our indigenous population terribly, we would never be so arrogant as to foist our domestic shame upon you.

Australia is not America, nor does it share the same culture, guilt or shame for what has happened in your history.

Free speech is free speech, always; not just when you agree with it.

Speaking of hypocrites…

Harry Connick -- hypocrite?

Oh, as a post script -- the performer playing Michael Jackson, adorned with “whiteface” makeup was an Indian.

Where is the outrage from Caucasians?