1) http://the-trukstop.com/articles/2008/australia.html
2) http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/wilfred-goes-to-hollywood-20100513-uzpt.html
http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/wilfred-goes-to-hollywood-20100513-uzpt.html
Personally, what I find interesting about Australia are the small underlying differences in daily life. I came across the first article when searching about culture in Australia. It is titled “20 things that culturally define Australia” and I recommend it to everyone in our program! Of the 20 things I focused on comedy, in which it describes Australian comedy being more similar to British comedy where nothing is sacred. When reading the article I kind of got that impression, but I really enjoy the dry humor. Australians are known for being laid back with their sense of humor and what they have available to the public, which is much different than the United States where there is much disagreement on the limits of media available to the public. Like in Jacob’s post titled “Satirical Comedy”, people in Australia do not hold back and directly poke fun at familiar faces and political figures, most likely without much uproar from the public. The second article particularly describes the controversy of the Australian comedy Wilfred piloting on Fox in the US. Conservative politician Senator Steve Fielding criticized the series because he did not believe that the show should be funded by public money. This discrepancy of this show coming to the US makes me wonder if issues like this arise in Australia as often as they do in the US. Do politicians and the public in Australia spend their time focusing on what should be available to the public, or do they spend their time on more pressing issues? The third link is a video of two Australians poking fun at some of the concerning issues in the US, which is pretty hilarious. On one of our free nights, I think the group going to a comedy performance would be beneficial in improving our sarcasm skills to bring back home!
- Shermin Lakha
Australia Day in Victoria: http://www.australiaday.vic.gov.au/
ReplyDeleteOne of the 20 things listed that culturally define Australia is Australia Day. This site gives a lot of information about Australia Day in general and specific ways Australians in Victoria celebrate. There is a list of activities, rules for how to properly fly the Australian flag, the history of Australia Day, and information about the awards that are given on this day. Unfortunately, Australia Day takes place in January so we won't be able to enjoy it.
Hi Shermin,
ReplyDeleteAs an Aussie, the "20 things" article is not a bad introduction to all things OZ. I think you might notice the general irreverence that Aussies have for cultural institutions compared to Americans. We tend not to take things so seriously. This can be both good and bad, but it is one thing I have noticed in my own cross-cultural journeys that is a noticeable difference.
Keep that in mind during your trip, and you may find it refreshing.
Cheers,
Roger
Here's a neat article on different styles of Australian humor as well as examples in film, tv and radio that exemplify the different types.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/humour/