The account found at Genesis Chapter 9:20-27 shows us that while Noah was asleep in his tent Ham, and perhaps also his son Canaan, became implicated in some sort of disrespect for Noah. The account reads: “Finally Noah awoke from his wine and got to know what his youngest son had done to him.” Generally Ham is understood to be designated here as Noah’s “youngest son.” However, in the Bible, the expression sometimes refers to a grandson, who, in this case, was Canaan. Whatever the situation, Canaan’s father Ham went telling it to his two brothers instead of himself covering Noah as they did. On learning of the episode, Noah cursed Canaan and blessed Shem’s God Jehovah.

disrespect...Shem and Japeth did the respectful thing... the curse was put on Noah's grandson, Canaan, the Canaanites, Ham's descendants...Noah was hurt and ashamed of his youngest son's actions and maybe he thought in cursing Ham's youngest, would be more painful to Ham than cursing Ham himself...you know how we feel about our kids!!..Ham was shameless in his actions or it could of been the pleasure Ham took in his fathers humiliation,he could of been laughing when he told his brothers...obviously...He brought shame to Noah... "A curse upon the Canaanites," he swore. "May they be the lowest of slaves To the descendants of Shem and Japeth." we know about the Canaanites....right...?

1) "Genesis 9:20-27 (New International Version) 20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded [a] to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father's nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, "Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers." 26 He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. [b] 27 May God extend the territory of Japheth [c] ; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his [d] slave."" Source and further information: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%209:20-27&version=31 (on this page, you can also read this passage in a lot of various versions in different languages) 2) "The Curse of Ham (also called the curse of Canaan) refers to the curse that Ham's father Noah placed upon Ham's son Canaan, after Ham "saw his father's nakedness" because of drunkenness in Noah's tent. It is related in the Book of Genesis 9:20-27. Some Biblical scholars see the "curse of Ham" story as an early Hebrew rationalization for Israel's conquest and enslavement of the Canaanites, who were presumed to descend from Canaan. The "curse of Ham" had been used by some members of Abrahamic religions to justify racism and the enslavement of people of Black African ancestry, who were believed to be descendants of Ham. They were often called Hamites and were believed to have descended through Canaan or his older brothers. This racist theory was widely held during the 18th-20th centuries, but it has been largely abandoned since the mid-20th century by even the most conservative theologians." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_Ham