Australian host apologizes for blackface Jackson Five parody

Hey Hey, it's about time for an apology.

From The Associated Press:
"An Australian variety show host apologized for a skit in which singers parodying the Jackson Five performed in blackface. American singer and actor Harry Connick Jr., who was serving as a guest judge on Wednesday night's "Hey Hey It's Saturday," was visibly shocked by the skit, in which four men with afro wigs and blackface sang and danced behind a Michael Jackson impersonator wearing white makeup."



It truly was a horrendous performance. It was even more troubling to find out the blackface performers won the variety show 20 years earlier with the same lame skit.

Connick gave the troupe a zero and told them if they had performed in the states: "Hey Hey, there would be no show."

Blackface performances are not common in Australia, The AP reported. "Some Australians said they were embarrassed such a racist sketch had been broadcast, while others said detractors were too politically correct and that the skit was funny," according to news coverage.

Host Daryl Somers apologized to Connick at the end of the live show. "I know that to your countrymen, that's an insult to have a blackface routine like that on the show, so I do apologize to you,'' Somers said. Connick said he would not have appeared on the show if he'd known about the skit, according to The AP. "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,'' he told Somers after his apology.