SYDNEY, Australia – Matchbox 20 frontman Rob Thomas has apologized for saying he was dealing with his jet lag by drinking until he became "a black Australian", after a backlash that left him in tears.
The American Grammy Award-winning rocker made the poorly received comments that many regarded as racist at a gig in Melbourne on Saturday night, February 20.
"What you do is, when you get on the plane on your way here, you start drinking. And then I drink until I think I'm Australian. And I keep drinking until I think I'm a black Australian," he told the crowd, according to news reports.
After a social media uproar, he took to Facebook to apologize.
"Please understand that although it is no excuse, I was completely unaware that in Australia there is a polarizing social issue happening right now involving indigenous people and alcohol," he said.
"When I was made aware of it, the ground fell out beneath me, and I realized that people may now see me as the exact opposite of who I am.
"I'm sitting here in my hotel room completely gutted that a joke that I made was much more relevant to the times in Australia than I realized. I feel like a fool and apologize to all Australians."
{source}<div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/robthomas/posts/10153970454820701" data-width="500"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/robthomas/posts/10153970454820701"><p>After the show in Melbourne tonight while backstage with some of my Australian friends, it was brought to my attention...</p>Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/robthomas/">Rob Thomas</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/robthomas/posts/10153970454820701">Saturday, February 20, 2016</a></blockquote></div></div>{/source}
Aborigines have lived in Australia for at least 40,000 years and number just 670,000 out of a total population of 24 million.
They have long had significantly lower education, employment and life expectancy compared to non-indigenous communities, with drug and alcohol abuse a key problem.
In a further post on Monday, February 21 Thomas, who also performs as a solo artist, attempted to explain the "joke".
"I made a comment about drinking so much on the long flight over that I started to think I was something I'm not," he said.
When he discovered his comments were seen as offensive, "I sat in my room and I cried", he said.
"I have seen people comment that after coming here for so long I should know that there is a connection between the indigenous peoples of Australia and a stereotype involving drinking. Embarrassingly, I truly didn't."
{source}<div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/robthomas/posts/10153972282610701" data-width="500"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/robthomas/posts/10153972282610701"><p>I would like to take an opportunity to further explain the comments I made in Melbourne last night. First, please...</p>Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/robthomas/">Rob Thomas</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/robthomas/posts/10153972282610701">Sunday, February 21, 2016</a></blockquote></div></div>{/source}
Matchbox 20 rose to international fame with their debut album Yourself or Someone Like You in 1996. – Rappler.com