fakir,

Quote:


Here's a quote from Michael Jackson's long time friend from that article, regarding whether the skit was racist or not:

Quote:

And look how racists the French are!!! Oh my gawd!!!!


http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/vogue-paris-in-hot-water-over-blackface-...


Must be because of this:


abu_rashid wrote on Oct 13^th, 2009 at 1:38pm:

abu_rashid wrote on Oct 14^th, 2009 at 12:44pm:


he's right.  What makes it racist is Aussies defending it after they've been told it is racist.  But you know, I wrote that in red 4 times, and I think I've repeated it 3 or 4 times after that, and I keep repeating it until I'm bored to death trying to tell you all this.

But I suppose that's a good strategy for getting me to give up! 

fakir wrote on Oct 15^th, 2009 at 8:46am:


Actually that in itself is a very racist remark, and not a very informed remark at that.  Even the performers in this case were not predominately white anglosaxon Australians. White Australians do not have a monopoly on racism.  All people have their prejudices.

You apparently have a prejudice against white Australians yourself.

I can only go on experience elsewhere. The attitude of French ex-pats in Africa disgusted me. The blatant racism in the UK was just as bad.

My experience in Australia is that we are a much more cosmopolitan lot. I have met people of all ethnicities in Australia and overseas. When I was in Turkey, I was good friends with a Turkish Australian who has a good job as a translator. He's as ocker as they come. He obviously didn't have many problems with white Australians - he married one.

Generally if people are outgoing, they will be welcomed into Australian society. OK - there might be some disturbing signs in Sydney with racial disharmony, but they're crazy bastards in the cities. (maybe that's some of my own prejudice showing through). I can never get out of there quick enough, but the food is good in Chinatown - I'll give them that.

Out here in the country, we tend to accept people for what they say and do - not for the colour of their skin.

That latest Qantas ad - the one that starts with the aboriginal boy singing, sends shivers down my spine. He has a beautiful voice. Makes you proud to be Australian.

Quote:


But it's made abundantly clear that the skit in itself isn't racist. Whatever cultural hang-ups America has, is only relevant to their media and their society, not ours. I'm sure if we dug deep enough all around the world, we could find someone somewhere to be offended with every single comedy skit ever produced. NEWSFLASH: American society and culture is not the global society and culture, even though they'd like to think it is.

fakir - Quote:


who officially decided anything is racist ?

so, being told anything is racist makes it so ??

whats wrong with racism ?? perfectly normal, correct and natural.

First of all, I said the "wicked people in Somalia" - I did not say "all Somalis are wicked", I'm talking about the perpetrators of genocide in Somalia hence "wicked people in Somalia".  Sheesh.

Second of all, you must realize that the skit was merely a segue into the broader topic of endemic racism in Australia.  Yes the skit is trivial on the grander stage.  But it's the small little things that highlight a big problem - the fact that no-one at the time even felt it was racist, and second that people keep defending it.

Since the skit was too "light" for some of you, then perhaps this might highlight racism a bit more for you:



The next clip is FUNNY as hell.  One thing I tell anyone, is Australian humour is the funniest in the world.  Australian pisstake is funny when Australians make fun of themselves :





One thing for sure is: I'm not making it up when I say that Australians have a reputation around the world as a racist nation.  The question is: do you want to perpetuate that reputation?  Because your replies to this thread are doing a pretty good job!