Saturday, February 12, 2005

Australia is desperate for attention. As a result she needs, wants, must be in the news. An article in newspapers, magazines or tabloids, or a mention on tv or radio. Anything will do. So desperate is Oz that she goes out to make ‘news’. Or look for ‘news’ to trumpet out to the world. It cares not a jot whether the news is something favourable, questionable, distasteful or whatever. If it’s about Australia, shout it out loud. Australia is way out in a far corner of the world so she must make herself heard.

Like the loads of stories of “our Princess” from Tasmania who married the Scandinavian prince. The Oz media keeps digging for any little thing – she was sick last weekend, she was in the Caribbean with her prince, etc etc. They MUST keep it up till her next birthday, till her marriage anniversary, and then more to shout about her activities during Christmas , New Year’s Day and Australia Day. This topic sprang side stories of her parents, school, neighbours, workmates, etc etc. Something to be so very proud about and proclaim to the world.

Recent stories of English soccer star Beckham with one Sarah Marbeck aka Rebecca a social escort. The Oz media went beserk reproducing the GREAT news that she was an Australian. It was the news for weeks coast to coast. Who cares if she was a born Malaysian? She was international news. So she had to be an Aussie. Irrelevant that she was a hooker. She was a gold medallist hooker.

The subject of gold medal brings up the 2004 Athens Olympics. As far as Australia was concerned, there was no greater Olympics than the Sydney Olympics of 2000. Just because the IOC President said that it was the greatest. So months before Athens, the Aussie Olympics Committee and the Aussie media criticised all Athens’ efforts. Their stadiums would not be ready in time. Their security preparations were a joke. We’ll bring our own security personnel. Blah, blah, blah. Well, they shut up quick when Athens opened on queue.

So Oz changed gear. As expected, the Athens Opening Ceremony was declared dull and flat compared to our Sydney Opening Ceremony. We had Hills clotheslines, lawn-mowers and barbeque sets in our dances and march past, which were much better than Greek gods. The Athens Olympic mascots were ridiculous figures, ha, ha , ha. Nothing like our Aussie koalas, platypus and gang. Yea, right, mate.

How very sad; this Aussie fear, this Aussie worry, this Aussie insecurity feeling.

But it’s this Aussie insecurity of being left out that’s spurring its attempts to be the Best!!