Just curious, was anyone actually amused or entertained by the act, setting any feelings of offensiveness aside?
I showed it to a couple people at work on my iphone and we all agree the act was just plain stupid. Is this an actual runnign act that is asked to come back again?
I was both amused and entertained. The segment is called Red Faces. An anomaly of ordinary people, perform all manner of party tricks or badly construed acts, for a lowly sum of money. Any real talent is not likely to be seen, as there are other segments for that sort of thing. I think the guy who won on that particular show burped his way to the $50.
The actual show started out as a children's program, starring a guy and his talking ostrich, later dominating Saturday night television, and ran for 27 years. Which is why it's an institution in Australia. It finished about ten years ago and the cast and crew came back for two shows as a reunion tribute. It's fun, light hearted and totally live entertainment. Things always went wrong, which added to its appeal.
The only reason that particular act was on, was because they performed the same act over a decade ago when they were medical students. They are now all medical specialists. It was more about were they are now. The entertainment and amusement I obtained from the particular act was nothing to do with blackened faces, nor their singing or dancing ability, but their lack of it, and the comments from the regular judge. The enjoyment derived isn't from any one particular act, but the segment as a whole. Everyone can think it's lame, but that's part of it's appeal. Nothing is taken seriously and it's a live unscripted and unrehearsed unpredictable show. It's quite understandable that any uninitiated person, seeing this blinkered view of the segment, wouldn't understand what there is to see in it, leaving the viewer perplexed and offended.