Why don't people think things that were funny a hundred years ago are funny now?

The fact that they have let Daryl Somers back on TV is bad enough for our country’s apparent intelligence levels, but the incredibly dated-looking Hey Hey It’s Saturday reunion specials (played on Wednesday nights, obviously) are even worse.

On Last night’s show, nobody thought to stop a ‘red faces’ act going to air where the participants were dressed in blackface and taking the piss out of the Jackson family – a reprise of their appearance on the show more than 20 years ago.

Somers even apologised saying he “didn’t think” the sketch would be offensive to anyone. Where as he’s usually known for his brilliant mind and razor-sharp insights (see Dancing with the Stars, for examples).

Well, apparently not a lot has changed in Australia in the last 20 years. In today’s news forums, public opinion has been mainly concerned with “political correctness gone mad” and people being able to have a laugh at this sort of thing even though our “national identity” is all about “larrikinism”.

If you ask the UN, who tend to reprimand us pretty regularly over our treatment of the indigenous population (not to mention their standard of life) as well as the fact that we like to lock up children who risk their lives coming to our country seeking asylum, they probably don’t think its all that funny.

So, international tourists – Where the Bloody Hell are you?

Here’s a few links that highlight our “she’ll be white” attitude and the way the international community see us:
http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2@paradigm4.com.au/msg00396.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/28/2669997.htm
http://www.nswccl.org.au/issues/hr_violations.php

Talk about Larrikins!