If we’ve learnt anything from all this hoopla about people painting their faces black and performing on stage, it’s that yes, we’ve changed.
An obvious statement, of course – but one that probably should have been considered before airing a skit featuring 6 people painting their faces with boot polish.
To be fair, 5 of the 6 performers were ethnic Australians – so it wasn’t some kind of ‘white vs black’ statement, nor was it as much a consideration for them if a group of Anglo-Australian performers did it, but the point remains that whilst that may have been acceptable even 20 years ago (as was their explanation for doing the skit) it isn’t necessarily acceptable now.
Ginger Meggs reminds me of this all the time – if you look through the back catalogues of Ginger Meggs circa 1924-1993, you’ll find almost weekly mentions of Mr. Meggs giving Ginger ‘a flogging’ or ‘a strapping’. (Similarly, the musical written some 20 years ago was performed in Canberra this week – and runs the line “After work, Dad hits the pub, then he hits the road, then he hits me!”)
If I were to write John Meggs beating Ginger in a strip today, I’d be drawn and quartered, and pilloried for promoting domestic violence. -I even get emails from readers now, giving me grief about how Tiger Kelly and Jugears Johnson still bully Ginger, even though (apparently) “bullying has been abolished in the school yard.”
The image above is from a famous Martin Sharp painting of Ginger Meggs from the 40’s. (titled: “Ginger Meggs sings Mammy at School Concert”). The original image (top) was re-drawn (bottom) as the logo for a contemporary Australian Actors Guild.
The image is clearly of a white, Anglo-Australian boy painting his face black to perform as a minstrel. Perfectly fine for the time, the social context, and the culture. Were it published now, many people would be shaking their fingers in disgust.
There are strips right up to the 80’s where Ginger Meggs pokes fun at Asian tourists. Again, completely unacceptable in 21st century Australia.
Needless to say, I think it’s obvious for any kind of humour – written or performed – to consider the contemporary social context in which it’s being published/performed/broadcast.
It’s not rocket science – I wouldn’t get on stage now and do a bit about ‘niggers’, much less use the word, but there was a time when that was perfectly fine for a white man to do so. (Michael Richards found that out the hard way.)
All of the above said, all I’ve read, heard and seen in the last 24 hours has been from incensed Americans saying “That would never have gone to air in America”.
But let’s not overlook the blatantly obvious fact: it didn’t. It aired in Australia. And wasn’t intended for the US audience. That doesn’t mean it won’t offend Americans, nor does it mean it won’t be deemed ‘racist’, but we don’t take ourselves as seriously as Americans, nor do we adhere to the same degree of political correctness.
With the greatest of respect for our allies across the pond, we have a different culture, so that’s why the audience were laughing. That’s always a pretty good gauge.
If they were booing, or worse, silent; different story.
