Save a tree, buy an e-book

This column was originally published in the Central Western Daily on Tuesday 1st September 2009.

Recent technological advances have seen many pop culture mediums adapt to a digital format. The general public have readily accepted the development of the digital distribution of photography (legal), music (mostly legal) and movies (mostly illegal). However, a stalwart of pop culture, the book, remains mostly locked in a physical format. That is, the book has not physically changed much since the development of the printing press in 1454. Digital book reading devices and e-books are now starting to appear in the market but their uptake so far has been limited and their potential to become the dominant format for written material remains questionable.

The Amazon Kindle, released in 2007, is a portable e-book reading device. Priced between US$299 – $489 and less than 1cm thick, the Kindle weighs around 300 grams and connects to the US cellular phone network to allow the downloading of e-books purchased for about US$10 on the Amazon website. Due to copyright and import restrictions, the Kindle is only available at this time in the US. Despite reasonably strong sales figures (4.4 units predicted to be sold by the end of 2009), the Kindle has been criticised for poor screen contrast, causing eye strain and mild headaches, as well as limited storage capacity.

E-book access is not limited to dedicated devices such as the Kindle, the Sony Reader or the Samsung Papyrus, they can also be read using Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), mobile phones such as the Apple iPhone and laptops or personal computers.

Whilst the majority of Australians may not yet be able to purchase the latest books and magazines electronically, over 30000 e-books are available to download or read online for free from the Project Gutenberg (PG) website. Founded in 1971 by American Michael Hart, PG is the oldest digital library in the world and aims to digitise and archive cultural works. The books available are generally public domain and have been submitted and proof read by volunteers worldwide.

 The affiliated Project Gutenberg Australia website hosts over 2000 titles, also entered by volunteers, and specialises in works about the history and exploration of Australia. Due to differences in copyright law, PG Australia also has available works by notable authors such as Margaret Mitchell, George Orwell, H.P. Lovecraft and Dylan Thomas which are not available on the main US-based site.

As the popularity of dedicated reading devices, PDAs and 3G mobile phones such as the iPhone continues to grow, so too will the interest, distribution and sales of e-books. Personally, however, nothing will beat the feel of turning a crisp new paperback page or the smell of a well-loved library book. Whilst it may be bad news for trees, the physical book looks like it will be here to stay.

http://www.gutenberg.net.au

www.gutenberg.org

Since the publication of this column, the Amazon Kindle has become available to Australian customers.

Published in: on December 23, 2009 at 06:55  Leave a Comment  
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My Holiday Plans

This column was originally published in the Central Western Daily on Tuesday 22nd December 2009.

Every year I look forward to the break between Christmas and New Year. I always have ambitious plans for my holidays but inevitably spend it eating way too much and falling asleep on the couch. In the off chance that I somehow manage to be constructive with my time, I’m making a list and I’m checking it twice.

  1. See Avatar at the new cinema: I’ve heard nothing but great reviews for James Cameron’s new film. In a recent Sunday newspaper, the reviewer named it the best movie ever. I’m sure it will be great, but that’s ridiculous, Mariah Carey’s Glitter is the best movie ever. Orange certainly deserves a quality cinema, and considering that we’ve been putting up with poor sound quality and out of focus movies for the past year or so, let’s hope the Odeon is here for good.
  2. Actually finish a book: I love book stores. I love buying books. Do I ever finish the books I buy? Rarely. I’ve had a thing recently for books about cats so the contenders for being read from beginning to end are Under The Paw by Tom Cox, Dewey by Vicki Myron and My Life Outside The Ring by Hulk Hogan.
  3. Play Super Mario Bros Wii: I have a similar weakness (that’s pronounced addiction) for video games. The latest Super Mario Bros game is fantastically fun and made me a little nostalgic for the eighties. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed playing the original Mario Bros on the NES console. Unfortunately, I had also forgotten how terrible I was at playing it.
  4. Determine my Top Ten Films: Have you ever been asked what your favourite films are, but can never come up with a definitive answer? Flick Chart is my latest internet obsession. It is a website that allows you to come up with a list of your favourite movies. Two movie posters are presented to you at a time. If you have seen both films, simply click on the one you thought was better. As you click away, your list begins to take shape and your favourite movies rise to the top. Beware though, once you go to www.flickchart.com, you will stay there for hours and hours. Great fun, and a brilliant time waster.
  5. Organise my diary: Every December I dutifully peruse and then select a diary. I fill in my details at the front and write in my appointments for January, and then ignore it for the rest of the year. I even bought a Filofax this year. At least this year coming, I can pencil in “write column for the CWD” every Monday.
  6. Watch everything on my hard drive recorder: The best thing about HDD recorders is that you never need video tapes or blank DVDs. Just press a button and it’s recorded. The worst thing is that it is too easy to record way more than you can ever watch. If I put 48 hours or so aside I should get it done. I might finally get around to seeing that Hey Hey reunion. I heard there was a fantastic Michael Jackson tribute act that came back to perform on Red Faces.

Happy holidays everyone.

Published in: on December 22, 2009 at 06:37  Leave a Comment  
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Comic Sans: the people’s font

This column was originally published in the Central Western Daily on Tuesday 4th August 2009.

The internet has become the perfect venting medium for anyone with a cause, grudge or axe to grind. What gets your goat? What makes you mad? Simply go online, rant on blogs or social networking sites, and then start an internet petition. You’ll probably feel much better afterwards but will anyone else care?

My favourite kooky but fun internet protest movement is Ban Comic Sans. That’s right, a worldwide movement calling for the banning of the font, Comic Sans, available on almost all word processing software.

The font itself was originally unleashed upon the world in 1995 by Microsoft.  Designed by Vincent Connare, the font was designed to mimic comic book lettering. According to its creator, Comic Sans was not meant to be available as a general use font, but was to be exclusively used in a children’s application, Microsoft Bob. Once added to Windows 95, however, it has become a widely used font despite its suggested use for informal documents, especially those related to children or childhood.

The Ban Comic Sans movement was started by Dave and Holly Combs in Indianapolis in 1999. Their argument is that the font in question is commonly used inappropriately and out of context. An example, they cite, is a Do Not Enter sign, where the Comic Sans font is in contradiction with the serious nature and tone of the message.

 They seek to preserve the sanctity of typography, which has seen the development of hundreds of fonts and typeface, each with a specific quality and context that goes beyond the words it represents. Essentially they are the seed savers of the digital age, but instead of trying to stop purple carrots and Fairie Queen apples from becoming extinct, they are trying to prevent Times New Roman, Courier, Arial and Comic Sans from becoming the only fonts in widespread use.

According to the Ban Comic Sans website, examples of the font’s misuse are safety signs, church information boards, menus and the 2004 Canada Day 25 cent coin.

The website also features Ban Comic Sans merchandise, as well as downloadable stickers that can be printed onto sticky labels.  Supporters are encouraged to place a sticker on any sign or poster they notice that features Comic Sans inappropriately.

 To date there are 4160 digital signatures on their worldwide petition.

Whilst it is highly unlikely that Comic Sans will ever be banned, perhaps a greater awareness created by this movement may result in a decrease in the (mis)use of this popular font but ultimately, it all comes down to personal preference.

So go online and let the world know what you what irritates you. You never know, there might be someone out there in cyberland who agrees with you.

Published in: on December 21, 2009 at 20:33  Comments (1)  
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Import Your DVDs and Save

This column was originally published in the Central Western Daily on Tuesday 29th September 2009.

Way back in 1983, my father came home from work and proudly presented me with an unlabelled VHS tape. To my delight, as I placed it into our original top loading video cassette player, the words “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” appeared. Yes, dad had obtained a pirate copy of Return Of The Jedi. I was amazed. As a huge Star Wars fan as a child, I wasn’t expecting to see this movie for another six months or so. OK, so it wasn’t a great copy (probably a copy of a copy), and was obviously recorded inside a cinema (someone in the row in front gets up and comes back with popcorn) but to an eight year old kid, seeing (what should have been) the exciting final film in the Star Wars trilogy before all of my school friends was pretty cool.

That was way back when all movies enjoyed a delayed worldwide release schedule. Starting in the film’s country of origin (most often the USA or UK), movies would slowly be released to cinemas country by country. This was generally to allow the film’s stars to travel with it for publicity but also to minimise the cost of producing the thousands of celluloid copies of the movie. As a cinema finished with a particular film’s reels, it could be sent along to the next country.

Nowadays, technology and the ease of spreading a pirated film via the internet has forced the major movie distributors to release blockbusters simultaneously worldwide on the same date. However, smaller and less mainstream films are still following the traditional release pattern for cinema and now DVDs.

Without resorting to illegal downloads, how can you enjoy a movie at home that may be still running in your local cinema and save a few bucks in the process? Here are some ideas.

With a strong Aussie exchange rate against the US dollar, purchasing your dvds and blu-ray discs from Amazon.com, America’s biggest online retailer of books, music and movies, is very appealing. Amazon stock thousands of DVD titles, many of which are yet to be released in Australian cinemas or video stores. For instance, the stop-motion movie Coraline has just finished in Australian cinemas. At US$16.50 (A$19.00) plus postage from Amazon, you can avoid those morons that text in the cinema and watch Coraline (in 2D or 3D) in the comfort of your own home for much less than the cost of a family of four plus popcorn, drinks and sweets at the movies.

Note that US DVDs are not compatible with Australian Region 4 coded DVD players so make sure that your player is multi-region capable.

If you are a blu-ray enthusiast like me, blu-raymoviescheap.com is an Australian website that lists the latest US and UK blu-ray titles which are not region encoded and will work here. Clicking through the website to purchase via Amazon or Ebay gives Alex, the site’s webmaster and blu-ray fanatic, a few cents in commission to continue his good work.

Also worth checking out is cd-wow.com.au, an online retailer based in Hong Kong which sells hundreds of CD, DVD, blu-ray and video game titles. All products from cd-wow include free worldwide shipping and their CD prices are especially competitive compared to local department and music stores.

Whilst the cinema is still the best place to see the biggest blockbusters, buying DVDs and blu-ray discs from overseas retailers ahead of their Australian rental, retail or even cinema release is worth considering, especially for those with a decent home theatre set-up and a few bob to save.

www.amazon.com

www.blu-raymoviescheap.com

www.cd-wow.com.au

Published in: on December 20, 2009 at 10:51  Comments (1)  
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Boxing Day: The Movie

This column was originally published in the Central Western Daily on Tuesday 1st December.

Despite being a Saturday, this Boxing Day sees a number of major film releases. In the past few years, the major chain cinemas have been opening their doors mid-afternoon on the 26th of December and relaxing at the movies has quickly become a new Boxing Day tradition. Let’s have a look at what we can expect to catch at the flicks in a few short weeks.

“Old Dogs” stars Robin Williams and John Travolta as friends and partners in business who unexpectedly have to care for 7 year old twins. This family comedy sounds a little too close to Three Men and a Baby. Two men and two babies anyone? Robin Williams’ track record with comedies has been pretty poor lately (RV, License to Wed, Night at the Museum 2) so I’m not expecting much. And John Travolta starred recently in a similar sounding film, Wild Hogs, also about men coming to grips with middle age. I’d suggest this one to see with your family, if they’re still around on Boxing Day.

Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker star in “Did You Hear About The Morgans?”  This comedy is about an uppity city couple in the throes of a relationship breakdown when they see a murder and have to relocate to small-town USA as part of the witness protection program. The trailer features Grant playing a foppish Englishman and SJP looking glamorous. That must have been quite the acting challenge for both of them. Although not of particular interest to men, I’m sure we will all get dragged along to this romantic comedy if the ladies get to choose the film.

Jason Lee and a bunch of CGI creatures return to the big screen for “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel”. Surely this must be the most unanticipated sequel of the year. This time around, the boys have to deal with the arrival of a female chipmunk singing group. If you found the high-pitched, squeaky voices of Alvin, Theodore and the other one annoying in the original film, then hearing protection is recommended to deal with the even higher pitched voices of the female fluff balls. Take the kids and a few panadol to this one.

The director of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, Kiwi Peter Jackson returns with “The Lovely Bones”. Starring Marky Mark Wahlberg, Susan Sarandon and that creepy girl from Atonement, Saoirse Ronan, this film is based on the novel by Alice Sebold. Ronan plays a 14 year old girl who is murdered and from heaven, watches over her killer and family. Expect this tale of revenge to pack an emotional punch. This would be one of my top two choices for Boxing Day. Peter Jackson is a powerful director and I can’t wait to see him turn his powers to the real world after a long stay in Middle Earth. This film is highly recommended for those who need a break from the feel-good throes of Christmas.

After a run of disappointments such as Revolver (a straight to dvd failure), RocknRolla (too similar to his previous gangster flicks) and the failure of his marriage to Madonna, Guy Ritchie hopefully will triumph with “Sherlock Holmes”. Starring Rodney Downey Jnr in the titular role and Jude Law as Dr Watson, the trailer features explosions, witty lines, bawdy humour and explosions. This is my other top choice for Boxing Day. Expect this one to be the top grossing film going into the New Year.

Published in: on December 19, 2009 at 11:00  Leave a Comment  
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Raising Interest in the Blood Bank

This column was originally published in the Central Western Daily on Tuesday 22nd September 2009.

This past Tuesday evening, I was invited to attend the Red Cross Blood Service Milestone Ceremony. Held annually, the ceremony acknowledges blood donors who have reached 50 donations or a subsequent milestone, and somehow, I had managed to get to my half century over a period of 18 years. Held at the gorgeous Highland Heritage Estate, we were greeted by the smiling faces of the familiar Blood Bank staff. After a drink and some mingling, the event started with a thank you speech from a representative from the Red Cross head office, followed by a presentation on behalf of a mother whose sick son has benefitted from receiving donated blood. When you attend the blood bank, your actual donation just gets whisked off somewhere at the end, so it was really interesting to see the human side of the recipient end of the donation process. Another gentleman also spoke who travels from Lithgow to Orange every fortnight at his own cost, to donate plasma. I apologise for not remembering your name, but we all admired your dedication (over 600 donations and counting) to help other people. I was very pleased to be called up to receive my donor badge and will certainly wear it with pride, most likely for another 18 years or so before I get a new one. The ceremony got me thinking about why people submit themselves to a big needle in their arm every twelve weeks or so. As someone who hated needles, what made me willingly sit in the chair in the first place? Perhaps the attraction is the delicious milkshake that awaits all donors? A fine reward for sure, but for me, being lactose intolerant, a bad case of stomach ache is hardly a prize. The chocolates, juices and cheese and crackers are all nice but I can get them anytime at a shop. Lying back in the comfy chair is great too, but then again, similar chairs can be found at the dentist and that is not fun at all. Maybe people like to participate in the regular challenges that are made between different organisations to make the most donations? I believe that I went to the blood bank for the first time all those years ago (I even needed my mum’s signature being sixteen) because I would like to think that if I needed blood urgently someone would do the same for me. And what keeps hundreds of others and myself going back? I think it is the warm, welcoming atmosphere that is created by the dedicated staff and volunteers. From the moment you walk through the door, you are made to feel important and special. Do yourself (and someone else) a favour and give blood today.

Peter Young is type O positive and no longer afraid of needles.

Published in: on December 16, 2009 at 10:14  Leave a Comment  
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Bah humbug! Your Christmas Album sucks.

This column was originally published in the Central Western Daily on Tuesday 15th December 2009.

It must be Christmas. In the record shops, a plethora of greatest hits albums now adorn the shelves. Within this week’s top 50 albums, eight are greatest hits compilations. And there are plenty more now available, just in time for Christmas, many of them from artists who are no longer commercially or creatively active, such as Enya, Seal and Fleetwood Mac.

However, it is not just the ever expanding array of Greatest Hits albums that indicate the imminent arrival of Santa. There is a much more insidious threat to your wallet in the record stores each December. Beware of the Christmas album.

Usually recorded to fulfil a contractual obligation, or cash in on fleeting fame, by definition, the Christmas album is only useful for one month a year or so.

With money too tight to mention, here are some Christmas atrocities to avoid.

In 1989, Neighbours was the biggest show on television, both here and in the UK. With Kylie Minogue riding high in the charts with The Loco-Motion the year before, the cast of Neighbours at the time warbling their way through a few carols was going to be a sure-fire hit, right? Wrong. Christmas With Your Neighbours features Anne Charleston (Madge), Ian Smith (Harold), Alan Dale (Jim) and others massacring all your Christmas favourites. It will make you wish for a Silent Night.

Tiny Tim is best known for his ukulele playing and high falsetto which he used to great effect in his 1968 hit Tiptoe Through the Tulips. In 1993, he recorded Tiny Tim’s Christmas Album in Sydney. Backed up by a terrible heavy rock band, Tim rushes through an hour of Christmas standards in 30 minutes with his trademark looney tunes approach. Now a collector’s item, this cd is particularly hard to find on the second hand market, probably because no-one bought it at the time.

Cashing in by following your first (and perhaps only) hit album with a collection of Christmas songs must be one of the golden rules for boy bands  as this is exactly what ‘N Sync, New Kids on the Block and Hanson did. Merry, Merry Christmas by New Kids features the rather tedious original song This One’s for the Children which was obviously referring to their fans. Hanson’s Snowed In bubbles with youthful effervescence. Unfortunately, with this high energy comes very high pitched vocals which mean the album could easily be mistaken for a Christmas record by Alvin and the Chipmunks. And for the record, there have been 8 Chipmunks Christmas albums.

Happy Holidays by Billy Idol was released in 2006. With a stripped back sound, Idol croons his way through such fare as Frosty the Snowman, Silver Bells and, of course, Jingle Bell Rock. Sporting a cheesy grin and a suit and tie on the cover, Billy sets out to confuse his fans, who I’m sure would prefer he wear leather, growl the songs and then punch Santa in the nose.

Other notable Christmas albums to avoid include such dubious fare as A Romantic Christmas by John Tesh (of Entertainment Tonight fame), Christmas by Jim Nabors (of Gomer Pyle fame), These Are Special Times by Celine Dion, This Is The Time by Michael Bolton (of big mullet fame) and Mr Hankey’s Christmas Classics which features carols sung by an animated poo from TV’s South Park.

If you must buy a Christmas CD, may I suggest you purchase the annual Myer Spirit of Christmas album which raises funds for The Salvation Army or Phil Spector’s A Christmas Gift For You which features his famous Wall of Sound and is considered the greatest Yuletide album ever.

Published in: on December 15, 2009 at 08:01  Comments (2)  
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Segway Tours

This column was originally published in the Central Western Daily on Tuesday 27th October 2009.

In 2001, the Segway Personal Transporter was unveiled to the world by its inventor, Dean Kamen. Since then, over 50000 of these electric two wheeled scooters have been sold and now the opportunity to ride these fantastic machines is available in Sydney.

Based at Olympic Park, Segway Tours Australia offer two hour tours and last Christmas, I purchased gift certificates for my family. This year, we got together at Homebush for a fun-filled ride around the Olympic site. Until that moment, I had no recollection of seeing my parents ride a bike, let alone a self-balancing high tech Segway. The pictures alone were worth the tour fee.

Homebush is ideal for Segways as there are multitudes of ramps, bridges and footpaths, all installed as part of the development for the 2000 Games. Starting at the Visitors Centre, we all had to practice getting on and off the Segway, supervised and instructed by our friendly tour guide.

Without the electric servo drive motors, gyroscopes and tilt sensors on, the Segway is pretty much like a push lawnmower, however, once initiated, the footplates remain horizontal and the steering column is magically held sturdily upright.

To make the Segway drive forward, you simply lean forward and off you go. To brake, just apply pressure through your heels and it slows down. Steering is performed by twisting one of the handlebars, forward for left and backwards for right.

The Segway is speed limited via a series of coloured keys, and as we became more proficient, we were allowed to increase our maximum speed, although we never got close to the machines top speed of 20 kilometres per hour.

We certainly turned heads riding around Olympic Park. I’m sure we were quite a sight, speeding past the picnic areas and playgrounds in formation.

In Australia, the use of Segways on roads and footpaths is illegal. Even within the fairly safe and generally car free Homebush precinct, we were required to disable our machines and push them across the road.

I’d certainly recommend a Segway tour for a fantastic morning or afternoon of entertainment. With a helmet supplied as part of the fee, I never felt unsafe and the driving technique is extremely intuitive and easy to pick up. Practically anyone can have a go.

At $99 for a two hour tour, I think the tour fee is reasonable when compared to other unique Sydney experiences such as Oz Trek or Bridgeclimb. Why not shout someone you love a Segway tour? The photos alone will be worth it. Once you are onboard, I guarantee that it will be pretty hard to wipe the smile off your face.

Published in: on December 13, 2009 at 14:40  Leave a Comment  
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Blasts From The Past

This column was originally published in the Central Western Daily on Tuesday 6th October 2009.

This year’s A Day On The Green sees the return of seminal US New Wave rockers The B-52s to Australian shores for the first time since 1990. I attended their Hordern Pavillion show way back then and to date, it is still my all-time favourite concert. I already have my tickets to their gig in Bowral in November, supported by Mental As Anything and Scottish two hit wonders twins, The Proclaimers, and I can’t wait to shake my “cosmic thing” to Rock Lobster and Love Shack.

The prospect of seeing one of the groups I loved in the 80’s got me thinking about other bands from that era who may no longer appear in the charts but are still alive and kicking.

The B-52s: Forming in 1976, in Athens, Georgia (also the hometown of R.E.M.) and named after a beehive hairstyle which was similar to the nosecone of the titular aircraft, the B52s had early hits in their trademark call and response vocal style with Private Idaho and Planet Claire. They then gained mainstream success with their 1989 smash Love Shack from the album Groove Thing. Interest waned following their follow-up album Good Stuff in 1992 but they continued to tour. 2008 saw the release of their fantastic comeback album Funplex which the group will feature on their Australian tour. Despite the death of original guitarist, Ricky Wilson, of AIDS in 1985, the band’s other four founding members continue to tour and record.

Boney M: Assembled by German music producer Frank Farian, Boney M had major chart success between 1975 – 1985 with memorable disco hits such as Rivers of Babylon, Rasputin and Ma Baker. As with the later Farian creation, notorious lip-syncers Milli Vanilli, only members Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett actually sang on the records. After splitting in 1986, a subsequent 1990 court ruling determined that all four members of the original line-up were entitled to perform under the name Boney M. Currently there are two different Boney M bands touring the world. Liz Mitchell fronts the Frank Farian endorsed Boney M, whilst iconic male dancer Bobby Farrell also leads a touring group. Despite never singing a note on a Boney M record, Bobby sings live on stage.

The Village People: Assembled by French music producer Jacques Morali in 1977, and aimed originally at a gay disco audience, The Village People soon crossed over to the mainstream with camp hits, Y.M.C.A, In The Navy and Macho Man. A feature film, You Can’t Stop The Music, starring the group, alongside Steve Guttenberg and Valerie Perrine, was released in 1980. By that time, disco had died and strangely the only place the film was a hit was here in Australia. Milkshake anyone? Original leatherman, Glenn Hughes died of lung cancer in 2001, but the group continues to tour to this day, with founding members Felipe Rose (Indian), Alex Briley (Soldier), David Hodo (Construction Worker) alongside lead singer Ray Simpson (Cop), who joined in 1979. A new cowboy and biker round out the group. The Village People last toured Australia in 2005, supporting Cher. Prior to that, they toured Oz in 2000 supporting Culture Club. I hate to admit this, but I actually attended that gig, and it was great fun.

Published in: on December 12, 2009 at 23:59  Leave a Comment  
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Hey hey, is Yellowface the new Blackface?

This column was originally published in the Central Western Daily on Tuesday 13th October 2009.

The recent controversy surrounding the Jackson Jive sketch on the revival of Hey Hey It’s Saturday has certainly ignited a fierce debate regarding the appropriateness of racial stereotypes in modern entertainment and media. Whilst a Michael Jackson or Jackson Five tribute is itself not offensive (the question of taste is another question), the choice of the backing performers to wear blackface makeup and frizzy wigs is really the heart of the matter. Blackface is a theatrical style using makeup, usually greasepaint or shoe polish, to blacken the skin and accentuate the lips, and, combined with a shaggy wig, is based on the American stereotype from the 1800’s of the cheerful plantation negro. Originating in the United States in the mid-1800’s, this theatrical traditional was an extremely popular form of entertainment for over a hundred years, and quickly spread to the United Kingdom. The Black Minstrel shows of that era represent the heyday of blackface. Performed by white, and then later, black performers, the shows varied in content and tone between wildly comic buffoonery based on racial stereotypes and serious interpretations of spiritual songs. By the time of Vaudeville in the early years of the 1900’s, blackface was a live entertainment staple, and remained so until it became taboo in the US in the 1950’s with the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, although it carried on in the UK until much later, even appearing on primetime television variety shows up until 1981. Al Jolson, Judy Garland and Bing Crosby were among famous film stars who appeared in blackface in movies from the 1930’s. Blackface was not limited to the US or UK either. In Orange, a local group of performers staged a Black Minstrel show at Amoco Hall as recently as the early 1980’s. In the modern world of theatre, blackface is generally no longer acceptable. Actors unions certainly would not allow a black character to be portrayed by a white performer. An exception to the rule would be the musical Jolson, which starred the late Rob Guest in its Australian run, and features blackface during its portrayal of the early years of the titular singer’s career. As blackface was historically part of Jolson’s life story, it would be very difficult to leave it out. Licences for theatrical productions of musicals such as Showboat or Porgy & Bess are subject to the condition that blackface is not used. Until recently, Miss Saigon could only be performed on condition that a black actor played the role of American G.I. John, although this has been lifted for amateur productions. Interestingly enough, the same taboo for racial stereotyping in theatre does not apply equally to all races. The King & I is still performed regularly in amateur circles with a predominantly white cast, made up to look Asian. Controversy erupted in 1989 over the original Broadway and London productions of Miss Saigon when Caucasian actor Jonathan Pryce was cast as the Vietnamese origin character, The Engineer. Whilst there is no easy answer to the question of the appropriateness of the Hey Hey sketch, it must be remembered that the performance originated from an episode 20 years ago. It may have been entertaining and acceptable then, but is it now?

Published in: on December 11, 2009 at 07:50  Leave a Comment  
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