Dumb Aussies - the Ignorant Australian Syndrome!
SATIRE, Australia - I am for encouraging migration to Australia. Migration is a good idea. Moreso, with all these dumb Aussies around in our cities.
By ‘Aussie’ I mean, in local ‘code’, English-Speaking-background (sometimes white but not always). It’s not often said, but always thought.
Lately I have met and seen the most rude, intolerant, bigoted, moronic, can’t-drag-your -knuckles-on-the-ground-and-chew-your-food behavior from pre-Neanderthal Aussies who inhabit major corporations, and our cities.
Not all Australians (often not those from the country and suburbs), but those from the cities.
I should know, I grew up here. In Australia. As an American, all the local trash used to bash me black and blue. And later, the rich white boys wouldn’t let me in their group, unless I joined in cheating on tests. It’s an equal opportunity dumbness.
It’s not about rich and poor. Boofheads ( a local word for thick, ignorant & parochial ) cut across all classes here.
Because there is only one thing an average Australian city-dwelling male is.
And that is a bully. With a whole bunch of pandering, dumb mates.
Cultural Cringe, Come Back!
Once upon a time, Australians used to cultural cringe. Seeing the lop-sided, misogynistic, mate-y culture of pressure to conform as (rightly) not appropriate for more civilized foreign countries.
When Australians traveled they used to tut-tut the Americans and English, for their cultural faux-pas. ‘Australians were far more sensitive.’ We didn’t intentionally trample others culture (well, except beating them at sport).
That reputation is sadly going. Australians are as disliked as most English-speaking peoples now. And ignorant! Argh!
Aussie boofheads, now think everybody enjoys their ‘letting it all hang out’ act.
But lately….
This week a racist row erupted over local sport, cricket. Irrespective of who said what, they all behaved like a bunch of …well… sports boofheads!
The Indian team may have had equal fault, but quite frankly Aussies would have once shown more cultural understanding. Aussies need to lose at sport for a while.
Cricket used to be a gentleman’s game, more or less….
And if I see another drunk Australian… dropping his trousers and running down a street overseas, thinking that is amusing.
Or an Aussie insisting on imposing his ‘culture’ of all 100-200 years of it on an overseas country with religious beliefs and 2000 years of culture. Atheism is a religion too! It is not ‘equated to open-mindedness’.
The worst thing, is that Australian boofheads now seem to believe they have the right to belittle any culture they don’t understand - even the established cultures of the Americans, French, English or Italians.
What about another Aussie air traveler with smelly feet and thongs/sandals on a long-haul international flight. What about other passengers? Are your smelly feet amusing?
A pack of God-less, culture-trampling alcoholics in a stampeding herd, are average Australians traveling abroad.
Help they are Breeding…
I don’t want to see Australia (where I spent most of my life) become the least-developed cultural nation on Earth..!
And in the streets of Melbourne, boofhead alcohol violence - bottles & knives - has become once the norm in only the last 6 months. We can’t just pretend they are all visitors from Sydney and NSW, any more. We need a national 12-step program.
We’re breeding these morons whose idea of culture is television, cheap beer, screw-cap red wine and a quick misogynistic “how about it?” to the barmaid before going home for some internet porn, kebabs and techno music.
And now on Kyoto, Australians expect the government to ‘do something’ whilst driving SUVs. 5% of the population of Australia bought a new car last year, many SUVs.
And Aussies boofheads love nothing better than cheap. Food poisoning is fine, even amusing, as long as the food was cheap.
Aussies may be nouveau riche, but if only Aussies had any taste. We love buying over-priced ‘cheap-quality’ clothes and disposable goods that destroy the market for anything durable and lasting. (You can’t sell anything other than ‘cheap’ in Australia).
Aussies used to know better. Aussies used to understand Australia was a young culture, and behave respectfully.
Not any more.
What I really dislike, is this notion that ignorant boofheads somehow have the right to judge others cultures.
God can’t have given Australian boofhead males the right to judge others. They don’t believe in God.
Thank God Australia’s new Prime Minister believes in God! And actually prays!
I am surprised all the heathen boofheads allowed him to be elected. Oh, maybe because their house-prices dropped.
(If you’re an Aussie boofhead, and still reading this; go take take a swig of beer, turn on the TV and then get in your RAV 4 SUV to drive 500 metres, and buy The Daily Telegraph from the corner shop. Look at any boobs you see. By then any brain activity will have gone away…)
Still there is some hope , not much, some…
I am an Australian born in the USA, so I have seen the best and worst of both cultures.
And finally we have an intelligent Prime Minister, who is doing something. And a Christian who can actually say it. (believe it or not, fellow Americans, being Christian in Australia is actually a crime in the mainstream.) Maybe he is our last hope!!!
Reality is, since the Sydney Olympics, Australians have behaved like a bunch of boofheads.
All our worst xenophobic, misogynist (watch boofheads on Channel 9) boofhead tendencies are now so rusted on to the Australian national character no one can separate them. It’s un-Australian, jacko!
This applies across all social classes. Rich or poor. Reality is English speaking Aussies are becoming internationally renowned as racist boofheads who like to drink and get nude.
The sad part is the joke has run its course. It was amusing and worked with satirical film Croc Dundee in the 80s. Aussie males still think that trampling others cultures, will get them overseas women. Sorry, not really.
Irreverence only works as a tactic, if you have something decent to say.
And the pointless drifting of “Where the Bloody Hell Are You?” as a TV ad campaign for Australia, really offers no incentive for a 14-30 hour series of flights from the North.
Who are the True Australians?
Since the time I grew up in Australia, most of my friends have been migrants. Reality is we are all migrants.
Or other friends were country people (decent Aussies) from regional Australia.
Or maybe Christians from the suburbs or regional centres.
But you God-less, value-less, culture-tramping heathens who make up the majority of our cities (and overseas cultural representation) really need quieting down.
You are ruining it for other Australians. Or migrants - even Americans like me!
Migration and farmers are the spirit of Australia. And they bring the most to Australia.
And we need more of the brightest and most cultured from overseas. And to re-acknowledge Australian farmers, instead of importing more food from overseas.
But to do all this, we have to stop pretending a lack of cultural values is an achievement.
We do not need boofheads from Sydney, Melbourne & Perth whose TV or overseas antics leave the average visitor dry-retching at Aussie ignorance. Sorry.
In Sydney post 2000, Aussie boofhead culture took over. Sod internationalism. Now, in the last 6 months, even that pearl of culture, Melbourne, has succumbed to Aussie boofhead culture. And it’s not globally palatable.
Where are all the intellectuals going? Other than the ABC? Overseas. Get me a plane ticket.
It’s not amusing, No one cares. It’s embarrassing. And Aussie males need to learn shame again. Or have it bashed into them, which is what they understand.
The shallow, nasty, boofhead Aussie that populate our major cities, really have to learn that the boorish behaviour they exhibit at home and abroad is not irreverent.
It is misogynist. Racist. Ignorant. And pathetically inadequate. You impotent beer-swilling pack-herd of ignoramuses.
Bring on the migrants. Chinese, Germans, French, Greek, Americans, Austrians. Those with stronger, and more valuable cultures, than our own.
Hopefully they will rub off on Australia, not the other way around.
Let’s breed the boorish Aussie male moron out of existence.
Maybe then we’ll stop being the ignorant country.
Why I Wrote this Satire
Because being nice about this won’t work. Can’t. Shock-tactics only. Australia can have a better culture, a grown-up mature place in a global culture. But first the boofhead act needs to disappear.
And to warn you Americans, Europeans and Chinese what you face here in Australia. Sorry!
I want to see a grown up culture, not the cultural regression to boofhead-ed-ness that Melbourne is going through, and Sydney passed through already.
Australia is good at many things. Has many national skills. World leader skills. Mining. Agriculture. Viticulture. Music. Sport. Project Management. Medicine. Defence. Events.
Property prices, big cars and climate-change inducing plasma TVs full of god-less big Brother programming are not the way. Neither is thumbing our nose at other cultures.
Being against everything, is not the same as being ‘for’ something.
In the end, we need to lose the Croc Dundee act. It’s boorish, and no longer appealing.The world got by just fine without Australians, but it would be nice if we ‘caught up’.
This may seem satirical, which it is, but every satire contains some part of the truth.
Quick, now, get me a plane ticket…!
Christopher
Speaker. Author. Editor-In-Chief. Executive Director of Innovation, 2thinknow.
25 Responses to “Dumb Aussies - the Ignorant Australian Syndrome!”
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If you hate Australia so much, then leave. There are thousands of people trying every day to migrate to Australia, and if it’s as bad as you say, go somewhere where you will be happier and make room for them!
I find the rise of the bogan in Australia to be threatening, too. “Reality television” and hip-hop are also sinister influences. I object, however, to your use of the term “god-less” as an insult!
The circles I move through are carefully picked to contain as few of these boofheads as possible. I know a lot of intelligent, sensitive people. Some are several generations Australian on both sides. But it’s not so hard to fall into a pocket of these.
I don’t know what to do about those in the street.
I don’t think it’s a matter of out-breeding the boor. Rise to the top, and change how they are raised, what they become. Or give them free tickets to Indonesia and some complimentary marijuana (Though I do not condone punishments capital or corporal).
I think Australia is progressing, as a whole. This is a highly negative view, contrary to my experiences. Or perhaps we are both right in certain areas, and it is polarising, into a Cosmopolitan/Cronulla dual culture.
I don’t know where you live, Christopher but it’s not any part of Australia I know. I lived in England for many years and I recognised the ignorance and boorish racism you describe. I’ve seen it in the US, too. In fact, the one place it’s rare is Australia. I’ve lived here for 20 years and found Aussies to be like most other people - mixed - good and bad. But mostly they are good, positive people with a country and a culture to be proud of.
You feel the need to tell us all you are a christian. Don’t drag Kevin Rudd into this - do you think he shares your christian views of Aussies? It’s not a crime to be a christian but it should be - ask the Iraqies Bush, Blair and Howard bombed. Christians all.
As Louise says, you can always go somewhere else - but with your attitude you’ll probably get a bashing wherever you go.
Good luck.
EDITOR: FOUND ONE! Boofhead. I edited you… you understand.
Dave, You don’t believe in God and believe bashing people is acceptable. Charming. Oh well. Listen, how about you move to a country where they bash people like you? Iraq jobs are paying well… and in Bolivia, they have a great side business in kidnapping guys like you. Very profitable.
All you boofheads end up working for us intelligent people. So I’ll look forward to sacking you one day. Now put down News of the World and have your wench get you a beer. Ciao.
Christopher
To Dave and Louise
I am an european migrant and have lived in Australia for almost 8 years.
I have noticed that:
1. Aussie males do not like women in general.
but of course do not argue too much with aussie females as they know how to put them where they belong.
2. Many Aussies in Melbourne and Sydney do not like migrants at all.
3.Those aussie male boofheads hate migrant women.
4. Boofheads hate and bully anybody who is intelligent and educated
5.You cannot complain about anything. it’s like communism…
And please ! if the intelligent migrant happens to be a woman….
I have faced all these things myself many times througouht the years here in Australia. So have most of my migrant female friends from Portugal, Serbia, Russia, Macedonia. Some have gone back!
The nicest aussie person to me was a colleague a lovely girl from country Victoria, or many people I met from Queensland. In Melbourne & Sydney they are racist!
One Aussie guy I used the word egalitarrian constantly. On the other hand had to get out the way, “to correct” my spelling mistakes (always in front of the others) and bully others. Many Aussies do this at work. This is one of many tricks dumb Aussies use to put migrants down.
Dave and Loiuse you both seem to like to tell anyone who complains especially to migrants to go back where they came from if they don’t like it!! what about our rghts to disagree with you?
And Dave You can’t even have someone disagree with your opinion. Australia is getting worse! You can’t even take a criticsim any longer. HA
If you both do not like then tough bloody luck to you both!
As a migrant I have been happy call Melbourne home!
My happiest day in my life was when I got married and the second happiest day was when I received the Australian citizenship!
None of you can take that from me!
If there are things we all can improve to make this country better then we all can work on it. If you both don’t like to make it better as don’t seem to be interested on working hard, then let us migrabnts, to do it for you.
Regards
Anna
At this point I’d like to draw attention to the fact that I am only commenting on the boofhead population flooding the cities of Melbourne & Sydney, and leaving trails of vomit in their wake.
The main difference between now and the past, is that boofheads now seem to think it is their right to inflict their version of ‘Aussie culture’ on us, and now the world. Which is generally alcoholic, ignorant, misogynist and racist towards migrants.
There needs to be consideration and promotion of a climate of intellectualism in Australia. And that needs to be acknowledged. Educate migrants and local intellectuals need a fair go.
You become the relationships, media and messages you consume.
Intellectuals will leave, and many don’t ‘get’ the effect that will have.
And if you felt this post was ‘antagonistic’ it was meant to be. Obviously my real position is more subtle and nuanced.
But shock tactics work.
Go read ‘Catherine Deveny’.
Christopher
Chris,
WOW!
Well I can see some people are right in here and some are wrong it’s not Australia as a country it’s all about the people who are living in that country they are not Aussies as they say they are Hozees
if you been to Cali you will know what is that 
but The best thign about is one thing hey mate you know that thing 
plus they know nothing about what they say why ? they are rookies , plus they are d.a.b been to NY you have to know that one as well.
There is one point I have to mention, even if they are d.a.b they have got good women
I would like to say one thing in here that 2 people I did respect they are:-
Chris
Anna
First of all I want to thank you so much Chris for such a thoughtful input you have in here. Personally I haven’t been to Australia but I worked with Aussies over the phone for over 3 years. and I can tell ya that all what you have been sayng is true. Am also with Anna at the point when she says that they hate her cuz she is more smart than her, i can assure you this Anna. They do more than that if you tried to advise, educate, teach, give a tip,etcc to them. there heads have blocks on’em. they dun wanna listen, understand or have ability to acknowledge anything.
All they think of is BEER, MONEY & SEX. what a shame !! they won’t worry if work is not done properly. they won’t care if they lost there job as long as almost everything is covered. They are lazy as shit and on top of that very up themselves. you ask why ..am sorry have got no answer for ya :D. you kno why Lousie want you to get out of her country Chris and Anna? Simply because you r smarter than her and that wud minimize the chance for her to work in her own country cuz she is living the Aussie retarded dream. An she dun wanna give reasons why she says that she just wants u out of her country with no valid reasons.
However ladies and gentlemen If you looked back at the history of Australia (this is if they do have one) you are going to find that white aussies are a bunch of x convicts and prisoners that UK got sick of and didn’t know what to do with so they decided to ship them over to a newly discovered place called AUSTRALIA!! now when they see ya down the street, they wud yell at ya get back to ur country. Now let me ask u mate what is your country !! and if i went back to my original country that am proud to have its nationality what will happen. I tell ya what wud happen .. there will be no country called Australia simply cuz its a large society of migrants !! and if the migrants wud leave those who’d remain are the retarded bunch of society those who call themselves Aussies !!!. DEAR MATES PLZ GET A LIFE FOR GOD’S SAKE :S.
Mohammed
Editor: This has been posted unedited
Hi All….
I would like to join Mohamed as he is my friend to thank you (Chris & Anne) for each and every single word that was mentioned in here and we have to look at the below:-
Australians, Why are like that and why they feel like they are the chosen on earth?
Australians,Why do they think that they are the smartest people on earth?
Australians, Why they have to treat each and every single one in a bad way, while each and every one didnt do anything that could hurt them plus they hate any other race but not theirs.
Australians, Back to history as Mohamed have said they have got no roots no origins no base, so why do they think that they are the chosen ? or at least the best!!! as they say
They always feel proud of every single thing they do while they are doing nothing.
Many question starts with WHY, but unfortunately they have got no idea behind anything while they are always getting closed all the time with out a word and they disappear just like that once they are closed and ask me about closing Australians.
For each and every one who did work on this I would like to thank them as they have got the courage and open mind to discuss each and every action was taken or any incident that took place with them with such what we call them Aussies
this post has been edited
Louise,
Shut up….don’t tell people what to do you are not the boss of Australia, pull your arrogant aussie head in.
I’m sick and tired of people being as bigoted as you.
Just get on with your life and stop being over jingoistic and Nazi, we got rid of those types over 60 years ago…..
YAY! Yay Yay yay. Did I mention yay? (stop to draw a breath). This is so far overdue I’m still stunned it’s here at all.
Maybe the boofheads filtering into the cities are a product of their time. They don’t have a war to feel proud about (or they aren’t sure they even think it’s great to fight anymore), ‘their’ women are freer to choose from a wider pool of men worldwide than ever because they are better educated and more mobile than ever. And their place in rural/regional agriculture/industry isn’t as certain as in the past. So they’re in the city shaking their feathers like peacocks and crowing loudly til someone pays them attention.
Racism is unique to every culture, just like Baboons never mix with Chimpanzees, or Lions with Tigers, or Dolphins with Whales.
Humans and their best friends, Dogs, are the few dumb exceptions.
I’m severely mix blooded, so I’m denied the right to be a racist?
Cult(Religion/Atheist)-ism and Nationalism is by far a more dangerous thing.
Australia has been firmly segregated since I arrived in 1991, only now have the whites managed to re-group their own tribes as one, based on a Howardian envigorated Nationalist ( Oi-oi-oi!) sub-culture.
The neo-boof head, we all became them, and if we consider ourselves residents on this land then we’re all to blame. The silent of us, as well as the loud.
From my experience, the hard lipped, quiet arsed Aussie female boof-ettes are a billion times worse than their -’mates’.
Hateful career chasing morons they are, to the core. Hateful of anything ‘not quite like us’.
Infact, we find them spurring on their bull-apes like the retarded, brain dead, black rooted blondes they all aspire to be. (Plenty of these ladies are not of white-convict origin, believe it or not)
You all know the ones I’m talking about. They think they’re currently on air time, and that their pics will be on tommorow’s ‘Boof-ette Weekly Magazine’.
I’ve had to watch countless dear friends suckered into the same black Aussie hole that appeared in space since approx. that so-very-forgetable olympic games in Sydney.
Mind you, my friends are Russian, Dutch, Lebanese, Nepalese, French, Indian, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese and so on, as are my famiy.
Q? Who won the first place in the Tour the France? Who cares!
The Aussie Boof-head came second, and that’s all we care about.
Hewitt? Up there with Sampras and Federrer. Seriously, give me a break.
The PURE boofhead is out there, and I know exactly what they smell like, infact last week, in city Melbourne my wife was driving her little car with our 2 little daughters in the back seat, when she made the tiniest of blunders on the road.
Three upstart boofhead Aussies in their arrogant sales costumes felt so obliged to scream with profanity through open Mazda/Toyota/Peugot/ windows at her un-(Aussie)lawful mistake.
The Aussie boof-head is a product of the media and little else.
Three commercial TV channels? Feeding mind-numbing data to home-boys (& girls) arcoss Australia.
Even our biggest neighbour, Indonesia, has at least 8 commercial TV channels to choose from, and none of them are as Nationalist-driven as all three - footy hungry- Aussie TV channels.
Beijing Olympics? Well,
this time around, lets hope ( no, lets pray) that we see a few snippets of other countries doing their thing, instead of getting bomb-blasted with air punching Aussie Boofs every next news hour.
Pfewh, Thanks to Chris,
Dong
Ease off, yeah? Some of these comments are just about borderline bigoted themselves. I don’t like the cities much, I am from regional Victoria. I am well educated, I am not a yobbo. Mohammed, your comments about Australia been founded by convicts are just irritating and a gross generalisation. Visit a place before you make judgement eh? Maybe a lot of the trouble in cities is that ‘white’ Aussies feel as though migrants are not intergrating? A friend from the city said the other day that they only get annoyed with certain groups because they do not bother to learn anything of Aussie culture (and yes, Aussie culture is alive and well in regional areas!) or to learn the langauge. I can understand that, wouldn’t you get annoyed if a large foreign population moved to your country of origin and made no effort to integrate? There is nothing wrong with being patriotic either Kay, I have relatives in the forces. They likely would not agree with a lot of what has been posted here but they would defend your right to say it. With that said, there are different castes in every race, judgements should not be general regarding this. I dislike the feral dole-bludging foul mouthed white yobbos as much as the next person, and I respect those who have made something of themselves whether they were born here or not.
Bridget
So first let me say, the point was to speak and provoke debate. Which this has done.
Bridget: Actually this was written to the major cities. Country areas tend to be better. Yes there is often a drinking culture, but with limited entertainment options who can blame others? But this piece WAS NOT written about country towns or regional areas.
Many city-dwelling bogans are disconnected from the fact meat & milk comes from a cow, not safeway. Country people tend to be more connected to the lifeblood of cities, food & water supply.
And in all fairness to Syd or Mel cities like London are as full of yobbos, of the English variety, as any city.
In general, I do think a few of the above comments went too far, but in understanding each other is is necessary people speak for themselves and say what they feel. That’s the good thing about blogs, people speak in their own voice rather than a media shaping it for them. I have only edited that which crosses the line.
Actually the fault in the ill-feeling partly is the Howard govt, for ‘wolf-whistling’ one idea, whilst publicly proclaiming another, thus creating confusion.
Louise & David: your first ‘critical’ comments actually made my point far more effectively than any rebuttal.
But the general point is this. Australia needs to develop the intellectual flexibility to treat skinny people, fat people, smart people and people of different races without attacking them.
Nationalist jingoism and boofhead culture is not a substitute for recognizing that older cultures have a lot to offer us. And instead of punishing those different we need to accept them, at the same time, there does need to be some equal enforcement of the law on all citizens.
In Sydney, for example, the law is not applied equally to all ethnic groups. We are, and should be, a country of laws. And this causes some resentment.
But beyond this, we also need to allow intelligent people (whatever their bakcground) the ability to get ahead in Australia, and often their is a tinge of socialist anti-intellectualism in Australia culture.
Too often English-Speaking-Background Australians do not like anyone smarter than them, and like to ‘dumb-down’ culture. Regardless of birth or wealth, all citizens should have equal rights to education and employment. Of course, this is delivered in English, and mastery of English is a pre-requisite of any job.
But as Australians we need to stop being racist against people because they have an accent, even after many years here. And this racism occurs frequently and often in workplaces throughout the country.
In the end, this is not a race issue. We have to be proud of, and support, intellect in Australia. Instead of glorifying stupidity & mediocrity in some sort of quasi-socialist attempt to prove that we are a ‘decent bloke’.
Such socialism is less a country phenomenon but prevalent in the urban & suburb areas of our cities.
So, this post is about the idea that Australia should be a meritocracy. Yes English is the language of the land. But, speaking English or not says nothing about intelligence. And the reality is, it is intelligence that threatens the boofhead. So much so that Aussie males are taught to act stupid & self-effacing if they want to fit in.
This anti-intellectualism, pretending to be stupid and dumb, has had it’s day. It’s expiry date is gone. In a world where geeks & technology get ahead, can we afford to pretend to be stupid like it’s a badge of honour? Can we afford Sam Newman & the Footy Show as the cultural voice?
There are actually opportunities here in the market that jingoistic Howard foot-stomping wolf-whistling ratbag nationalists miss. There are many opportunities in the media that both Channel 7 & 9 miss in their patronising jingoistic fashion.
Are we as dumb, Australia as we pretend to be? No. Are we just being dumb so no one will criticise us? probably. Is that the ultimate act of wankery? Definitely.
Let’s reward intelligence wherever it’s origin. Let’s praise creativity. And let’s give up media constructs like jingo-istic nationalism, Today Tonight stories and boofheaded Footy Show patrionising misogynist racism.
Innovation is not waiting for us. Nor is the world. Get it?
Why is it Australians base everything around the game of cricket , how anal retentive are these people?
They beat the poms at cricket and assume the English are useless and stupid in every aspect all over a game of cricket .
It really is a sad race that tries to build it’s culture based on a sport, also the media in Australia are as guilty as your average dumb Aussie on the street.
Open your other eye Australians , grow up , on the scheme of things you are acting like the delinquent teenager of planet earth.
The rest of the world is starting to see this but so far Australians have their heads well and truly buried in the sand .
Editor - The Bogan Aussie is the same as the British Lad or the American ‘White Trash’. It is only part of the population.
Chris, I agree with everything you have written, which I why I now choose to live overseas and not Australia. I was back in the so-called “Lucky Country” last year for two weeks, and in that time, I witnessed 4 episodes of wild, drunken, vandal-like, foul-mouthed behaviour on the street, and even in a medical clinic!!! I was shocked. Having lived overseas in a society that would not tolerate such behaviour in public, to see it again in perspective is shocking. One has to live outside of Australia for a number of years to really see what visitors must see. I cringe at the thought at what they must think!!!!
Just an after-thought. I am a tertiary teacher overseas and I have to sadly report that a high percentage of teachers who are fired(or arrested) actually turn out to be Aussies. The problem is that they erroneously think that what is “normal” behaviour in Aussie-land is accepted in another culture. BIG MISTAKE!!! When they are castigated for acting “normal” by Aussie standards and led to the airport under a deportation order, they are often bewildered. “What did I do wrong?” is what they demand to know. Swearing, bullying, flaunting the rules and civilised behaviour, being drunk and obnoxious in public, etc,. is what they have done wrong.
Chris, mate, if you want to engage Australian “boofheads” in debate then you need to lighten up a little - on the whole, what these “booofheads” disagree with is the self-righteous moral pandering that litters your otherwise misguided and snide remarks.
Although your tone implies that you know more about Australian culture then anybody else on earth - please allow me the indulgence of enlightening you on a couple of simple matters:
First, our love of sport is nothing more sinister than the natural consequence of perfect weather and plenty of space to run around outside - kids don’t stop playing outdoors in Australia just because they grow up! - they keep having fun outdoors throughout their entire lives. It is true that the school library runs a distant second to the playground at lunch time - and yes, this leads to a culture of sporting excellence at the expense of intellectual capital. But it’s not because we’re stupid or lazy - we just love running around outdoors - it’s good for the bones. Sorry if this explaination fails to offend anybody but you’ll have to excuse me, I’m a sucker for the facts.
Secondly, Australians certainly do like to drink beer. To be specific, they like to drink it in stupidly large amounts once or twice a week (binge drinking). This variety of drinker accounts for a relatively small percentage of the adult population and they’re mostly males under 30 but they appear to have much greater numbers because of the attention they attract via loud and obnoxious behavior in public places and their affinity with TV cameras. There are just as many pot (marijuana) smokers in Australia but at least they stay off the streets for fear of leaving their loungerooms! - maybe we should add pot to the beer?).
To find out why this culture of binge drinking exists we need to look at where it came from - namely our British and Irish ancestors. Like the cain toad and the fox, binge drinking was introduced to Australia with good intentions by northern settlers but like most medicine it has its side effects - anti-social behavior. As a white Australian male, I am as offended by the crude behaviour of binge drinkers as much as any other decent human being would be. Though I’ve never been the subject of racial abuse or ethnic sterotyping in this country (for the obvious reasons), I have been assaulted several times over the years by alcohol fueled agressors - one of whom was a good friend!
But this drinking culture is not unique to Australia, it goes back well over five hundred years in Enland and further in Ireland (the egyptians were the first binge drinkers of beer - during sacrificial religious ceremonies).
Australia’s drinking culture is ingrained in our national psyche because it came here with parlimentary democracy, freedom of speech and free market economics.
Consider this: America has its ‘right to bear arms’ which we don’t understand here in Australia; England has it’s ridid class structure which we don’t understand; Saudi Arabia has one family that owns the nations oil? Iran has Sharia law which is incomprehensible in a nation borne of the European secular tradition that saw affairs of the Church and State seperated a few hundred years ago?? Many justice systems around the world still use capital punishment when it does absolutely nothing to deter or diminish violent criminal behavior?? When there is so much that our nation finds obsure in other parts of the world then is it any real surprise that some might find our own Australian culture a bit strange?
A thorough and balanced reading of history will take the ‘boof’ out of most ‘heads’ - if you read American history it’s not hard to see why many US citizens take their right to bear arms as a profound symbol of personal freedom… and if you understand the core doctrines of Islamic faith then it is not hard to see how they can live under the rule of Sharia law. If you read Australian history (not the 6pm news version!) you’ll soon find it easy to see why we are a nation of sports loving, binge drinking people.
But that will only explain the sports and the drinking - not excuse its excess and the problems therein. If you really do want to help build a more tolerant nation then you can start by refraining from using stereotypes and stop blaming others. Australians are not lazy - this idea comes from the amount of time we spend indulging in liesure activities. Australians may drink hard and play hard but they also work equally hard. Four percent unemployment is hardly a lazy nation! If it looks like we’re lazy from the view of an immigrant then don’t worry - you’re not alone - new migrants arriving in any country, anywhere in the world, usually work harder than their fellow citizens on average - this superior work ethic is not unique to Australian immigrants!! It’s unique to all immigrants starting a new life - how hard do you think our convict/farming/sailor ancestors worked? Bloody hard.
In my own seasonal business I currently work around 70-80 hours a week for six months of the year (autum/winter) and then work less then 40 hours a week for the other six months of the year (summer/spring)- during the summer you might find me sitting in boat out in the bay or painting water colours… or you might find me reading on a bus on my way to uni so I can claw my way through another subject… I don’t get benefits of any kind from the government and neither do any of my mates that look just like any other ‘boofhead’ when they’re out surfing a wave or having a beer at the bar and watching a game of footy.
In conclussion, Chris, I’d like you to realize that you’re back-handed compliments are a flimsy facade for your insulting generalisations about Australians and Australian culture. I sincerely hope that you can see that you are using small minded tactics to denigrate others for being small minded - hardly clever stuff. This dumb Aussie, for one, sees little difference between yourself and those ‘boofheads’ you so passionately oppose. As far as I’m concerned you could all do with a little more time in the school library!
Editor- In Conclussion (sic) why is it you boofheads can’t spell, read or write? Too lazy to learn I guess. Australia is a nation that likes dumbness, and rewards dumbness. Our national heroes are footballers, not intellectuals. This is a satire to make the point Australia needs to become an intellectual meritocracy. Most of the points you raised are incorrect interpretations of what I write, as satire. Intelligent civilized society, democratic society, is progress. And Australia needs to drop the boof head act & grow up. It stopped being amusing. Now, maaaattteee, go & get a beer and watch Channel Seven or Ten.
Thanks mate - but bugger seven or ten! channel nine is the only decent sports station on Australian free to air tv - your grip on Australian sporting culture continues to impress - but this is understandable given that you think a civilized society is built on the virtues of good grammer rather than good people. I think it takes all kinds to make up a vibrant and progressive society - and here we all are!
All I’m trying to say is that stereotyping Aussie sports fans and drinkers as being racist/bigots/lazy etc… is just as base as those who stereotype all people of Arab desent as being God-intoxicated terrorists… we may have very different cultural outlooks but that doesn’t mean we can’t live in peace with each other.
A mate at the local Mosque believes in God and doesn’t drink but he owns a chain of retail tobacco stores - I drink, am agnostic and don’t smoke - does this mean he or I can’t engage in conversation, discuss politics and share community events? Of coarse not.
But he has one or two within his group that don’t like to mix with those outside of the group and I have similar people in my circle of friends (the reasons for exclusion are the same in both groups - fear and ignorance). The bulk of both groups though realize that they have so much more in common - paying bills, raising children, staying healthy, deriding politicians etc… that they don’t have the time or energy to wage a cultural war against the other - the only people that seem to do this are politicians looking for that perfect wedge to get them over the line or media outlets chasing ratings by making provocative assertains about the ‘average Australian’ (whatever that is? Aborigine perhaps?? third generation migrant???)…
If ‘boofheads’ on both side of the fence want to buy into sweeping generalisations about the other then let them - I can assure you that the vast majority of Australians couldn’t care less (some via intellegence but most via apathy) and those that do will remain on the periphery of our political landscape - as evidenced by the quick rise and fall of Hansonism. Yes, her supporters still exist, and I meet them at bbq’s from time to time, but they are by far the minority and often are quitely told, in no uncertain terms, to shut up, sit down and switch to light beer and let the moderates have a say.
I am all for an inclusive, progressive society and yes, I would love to see our nations intellectual capital increase to equal that of our sporting capital - but this will happen over time through increased information sharing and increased population (basically, internet and immigration) and the way forward does not need to involve base generalisations about any particular segment of Australian society be they bludgers, rednecks, arabs, asians, loony lefties, god botherers etc.
We should just see ourselves as human beings and try to make Australia an example of how different, even polorised, cultures can live in peaceful existence… scratch the surface at your next Aussie bbq and you’ll find this is the sentiment of the vast majority of Australians.
Our sporting culture is evidence of the inclusiveness in this country - try and find me an all white and all christian football team in any code in this country - you won’t. You’ll find the average footy team made of all colours and creed and they compete under the same rules for the love of their chosen sport. Our political, artistic, business and media cultures are far less inclusive.
My advise is, in this country, it may be best approaching some of these sensitive issues through the paridigm of sporting culture rather than blaming that culture for the problems we face in society.
Re all dumb aussies:
This was first written in January 08. It’s got better since John Howard has become the subject of an ABC documentary, not leader of Australia. Howard absorbed Hansonism policy, hence the blunting of her influence.
Subtle racism exists throughout all media in Australia, if you examine how many white bogan-aspirationals fill TV adverts. And if you ask migrants who work in call centres, as I have done, they will tell you of the overt racism of many 30 to 50 something Aussies. Especially females 50 something.
Generationally trends do support a 20something diminishing of racism in Australia & USA.
The irony is that Australian migrants of high education often face far worse racial discrimination, than migrants who own shops or restaurants. This means many educated European migrants become hairdressers or brick layers to stay here.
Bogan Aussies have a decided anti-intellectual streak, which many of these comments serve to prove more effectively in their own words. They dislike intellect, and often threaten violence towards it.
Anti-intellectualism is continually prevalent in the media and in Aussie society. With overt ‘don’t get above your station’ messages.
Finally, there is a ‘don’t tell me what to do’ streak. It’s when you interrupt a drunk Aussie bogan party after midnight, the meaning of the response is - how dare you?
I’m interested in responses to this provocative satire. Many responses proved my initial point, but in the end this article is a satirical p***take.
Which is the best way to change Australian culture, and part of Australia’s long tradition of p**take comment.
“They dislike intellect, and often threaten violence towards it” - what utter rubbish - and I thought that Howard was good at peddling fear!
I agree with your sentiment but I do not accept your exagerated claims about Australian culture for the reasons I’ve posted above.
As for your initial point:
“there is only one thing an average Australian city-dwelling male is. And that is a bully. With a whole bunch of pandering, dumb mates”
EDITED OUT DUE TO PERSONAL NATURE. At some point ESB Aussies get nasty. Bob, tsk tsk…
They lack the intellect to argue any other way. I can hear the gears grinding over there. Slowly.
Not for the last time since writing this post the comment get’s down to “personal physical” remarks.
OK, so, I’m 6′3″ and 100 kilos btw. So no that’s not the issue.
Nor should it be. But it always is, because Bob, like all the rest, you turn to insult & bullying. Keating? Bankstown tactics are the only thing that work with you lot. That’s why I wrote it. Mmm. Interesting people always show their level.
So no apologies Bobby boy. Being intelligent doesn’t require apology. You’re yet another 500KW mouth powered by a 200 KW brain, so I think it’s a given I have a tad more intellect. I can even spell Cronulla. And conclusion. The ability to express yourself in one language well is a sign of intellect. mmm. And quite frankly migrants can express themselves in 3 languages.
In the end this is just an article. You respond because it contains uncomfortable home truths about Aussie culture.
So guess, I’ll love you and leave you, sunshine. Reality is, you made my point, yet again. When I see some signs of a decent intellect I’ll be sure to respond.
Reading this blog and the comments made I would like to make a few points myself.
As an immigrant I agree and sympathise with Anna about the attitude some aussies have towards immigrants. Being a well educated person from Eastern Europe, I have faced and still do at times, uncomfortable moments since I migrated here almost a decade ago.
Sometimes aussies look down upon me for no reason. I didn’t understand it at first, as coming from a different culture and polite by nature, as well as raised up to be a good person, I blamed myself even though inside my heart I knew I had done nothing wrong.
Throughout the years I learned the hard way, this is the attitude some aussies like to have and they really take pleasure on doing it, as sad as it sounds, it is the sad truth. My friends think the same.
I had been here in Australia only for 2 months, attended AMES back then and one day went to certify my degree and some other papers to the chemist in the corner of Queen and Bourke St in Melbourne. The chemist was an aussie female mid fifties and she threw the papers on my face and refused to certify them.
I left in tears as couldn’t understand what was that I did wrong. That crushed my confidence into pieces and it took me a few year to get it back. Another time an aussie landlord of the same age did the same thing.
Later I started working in the call centre.During this time I have been told things on the phone from aussie customers such as :
1.I can’t stand your accent!
2.There is a language barrier so can I speak to your supervisor?
3.I don’t understand what you’re saying and lots more.
My english is very clear and often I get compliments from customers who really appreciate my dedication to the work. Not the dedication I see coming from aussies.
So, to Dumb Aussie, you and some of your aussies comments, talk a lot about accepting other migrants, but you do not. Talking about it and treating us with disrespect, as cunning your style might be, we migrants understand it.
This is what aussies like you, don’t like, to be criticised. The only thing you are good at, is being nasty and I know how proud you feel about it.
And yes, some of you, don’t like inteligent people at all. You all pretend to be dumb, even when some of you aren’t.
I have travelled quite a bit in the recent years throught Europe and everywhere there inteligent people are higly valued. While here in Australia, footballers are the only ones valued. Some of them are really “good examples” to be followed by the young ones aren’t they? Do I have to mention names?
I love soccer but where I come from soccer players do not behave anywhere near your footy players, as in my country that kind of behaver is not acceptable and none of them will be ever offered any high role in business. Why? They are good at soccer and proud of it and it stays there!
And one more thing I would like to make regards working hard you mentioned in your comment:
Some of you are very lazy and have no proffessionalism at all at work!
Where I come from, we worked from Monday-Saturday, long hours, didn’t know the word “overtime” and on Sunday forced to do volunteer work. Unlike you “Dumb Aussie” having “a seasonal job” whatever that means.
I know sometimes the truth is bitter, but you can’t fight the truth.
If you like Australia to go ahead as we do, please let us contribute and put this country between the best in the world!
So an epilogue to this post written in January 08.
2thinknow’s role is to cast light on influential trends and analyse them. Sometimes, as in 19th century Vienna or fin-de-siecle Paris, satire is the best method. Sometimes thoughtful analysis.
The trends that supported the rise of the city bogan, the Aussie hooligan are entering early-stage decline. Howard, gone. Falling wealth. Change in media. Multi-cultural Australia. Rise of Gen Y, who don’t share the same bogan manner, nor often the same racial or misogynst beliefs.
My point in this post was to shock & attack the worst aspects of bogan Australia. A technique that has a long history in Australia. But, now, rightly the time for attacking erroneous beliefs is over. This is the spirit of the times.
The future is ahead of Australia, and that is a creative future as a major player in Asia. And that new nascent trend has started, and that is the positive trend we should now discuss, along with the rise of creativity & ideas.
This post will be archived in 7-14 days, it has served its purpose in promoting debate. However, the bogan-Australia trend is in decline.
This bogan Australia trend has declined in influence in the last 11 months, and now the popular media are discussing the story. Which is where the impact is.
Christopher Hire.
Also happy to lay down my sword.
This blog has been my introduction to the rest of your site and after reading a few other articles/comments here I have to say that your work in promoting innovation and creativity is nothing short of inspirational.
Thanks for allowing all relevant comments to be posted - I’m used to battling the Murdoch press for their censorship of all things cognitive - unfortunately we don’t have much choice here in Queensland when it comes to local news media.
I’ll be letting anybody and everybody know that your site exists.
Kind Regards,
Dumb Aussie.