The tribal mind: Australofornication

Wednesday May 9, 2007 04:08 PM

Who We Are

By David Dale
This is what seems to happen in many Australian households on Monday nights: Mum goes to bed at 9.30, while Dad stays up to watch Californication. He gets this bit of alone time because he promised to stack the dishwasher on Tuesday night while Mum, the kids and the grandparents watch RSPCA Animal Rescue.

Another household split seems to happen on Sundays. The family watch Kath and Kim together, but at 8.10pm Mum goes off to make the lunches for school and leaves Dad to watch My Name is Earl.

The kids go to their room to watch the end of Australian Idol (being typically Australian, this family has three TV sets). The grandparents get ready for bed. They used to stay up on Sundays to watch Midsomer Murders, but now they store their energy for watching The Force and Border Security on Monday.

Join the game of creating scenarios to explain the way this nation's viewing habits diverge by age, gender and income. Some are easy: Californication is an obvious hit with males in the age group of its (anti) hero played by David Duchovny. It was the number 10 most watched show with males 18 to 49 last week, while it was No 23 with women aged 18 to 49. The guys stuck with last week's 40 minute episode even though the breast count was well down on the previous two episodes. Meanwhile RSPCA Animal Rescue was No 6 with women 18-49 and 24 with men 18-49 -- hence this column's theory about a marital trade-off.

And it's not hard to explain why Summer Heights High is the number four most watched show with people aged 16-39 (after The Chaser, Thank God You're Here and Australian Idol) while it's at No 97 with people over 55 (whose favourite show is The Force, about how the police protect the community).

Where it gets mysterious is with the market segments that OzTAM, the ratings agency, labels "Grocery buyers" and "Occupational Groups 1 and 2" . Why is Summer Heights High the number seven most watched show with OG1-2s (the rich) and only No 33 with Grocery Buyers? You'd imagine the family shopper would have kids at high school and be curious about life there.

Could it be that GBs are anti-ABC? Being the person in the household who goes to the supermarket, perhaps the GB obsessively peruses the commercial stations in search of bargains. Or perhaps all that time the GBs have to spend in checkout lines has destroyed their sense of humour.

No, that theory doesn't work -- their no 12 show is Spicks and Specks and their No. 14 is The Chaser's War on Everything, so they are not altogether humourless anti-ABC consumerist lackeys.

Maybe the answer is simply that they have to go to bed early on Wednesday nights to prepare themselves for Thursday, which is, after all, late shopping night.

Give us your theories here ...

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). His latest book is Soffritto -- A delicious Ligurian memoir. To join a daily discussion of Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

COMMENTS

No Double D, they're going to bed early because they have to stay up late on Thursday night to watch the footy show. Now that's comedy, documentary and lifestyle of the fit and stupid rolled into one. Sort of Summer Heights High with commercials.
So they're a discerning bunch of viewers with a strict timetable of viewing with a budget on different genres. Sort of like buying the toilet rolls at Woolies, the dog food at Aldi, the kids snack at Coles and the meat from the butcher. Gotta shop around to get the best value you know.

by scottforster on September 24, 2007 at 09:58 PM

Californication is one of the only shows I make an effort to watch - and I'm a mum aged 35. There are so many unwatchable and sad shows on - why bother with the other dribble when there is at least one show that is witty, relevant and bloody funny?

by Lis on September 25, 2007 at 01:31 AM

When did dribble become an acceptable substitute for drivel? Apart from that, who actually watches anything live anyway, most people have PVRs which record 2 channels at once while you're watching something previously recorded. All the really good shows, which should be on at 7.30, are on at 1 a.m., shows like Torchwood, SG1, Star Trek Enterprise, Shameless etc. A thinking family would record the shows they like, no matter what time they're on and watch them at a time more suitable with the added bonus of pressing a button to give commercials "the flick". So what if two really good shows are on at the same time, the PVR eliminates the conflict. As for Californication, I wouldn't miss it, in fact I'll watch it at lunch time today! After I watch Enough Rope.

by Jeff Gehrig on September 25, 2007 at 07:14 AM

I'm 68 but I've never watched Border Patrol or The Force. Definitely Midsomer Murders though. And Summer heights High.

by Baz on September 25, 2007 at 07:40 AM

I'm a 32 year old mother of 2. And I'm in love with Californication, it's such a great show, edgy and different. (Plus it doesn't hurt to see Fox Mulder shagging.)

But be damned if I'm going to watch Animal Rescue and Kath and Kim just because I'm a girl.

by Karen on September 25, 2007 at 07:57 AM

I'm a sheila, and a mum as it happens, in my mid-fifties and my fave telly program is "Californication". I love it and it's boldness and I love the Duchovny (sp?) character. David Dale you'e getting carried away with cliched stereotypes.

by Mary on September 25, 2007 at 08:37 AM

It's hardly surprising that the grocery buyers GBs switch on to The Chasers War on Everything and off to Summer Heights High, because the Chaser take the piss out of "everyone else" (that's the Australain way) while Summer Heights High takes the piss out of them. Perhaps GBs, like Americans, don't have the irony gene. Or perhaps the ugly truth is too close to home for comfort.

by Joe on September 25, 2007 at 09:06 AM

I love watching Californication - it gives us something that many shows don't - honest thoughts from people who do think about sex and life situations. And the best part - it doesn't involve some serious and droll murder investigation. As for Summer Heights High - the most unfunny show I have ever seen on the ABC. I have watched two episodes and cannot see how people think it can bring a remote titter!! Yawn.

by Quentin on September 25, 2007 at 09:24 AM

I am a thirty year old woman.
I love Californication.
It's my new favourite.
My male partner wouldn't watch it if you paid him.
Summer Height High was hilarious - and the Chaser - but any of the other shows you mentioned - give me a break!

by Nicole on September 25, 2007 at 09:39 AM

I would never watch any of the junk, as I prefer to feast on that which produces continuing value!

by Robert on September 25, 2007 at 09:44 AM

Californication gave me inspiration to leave the married man I was dating, thanks to the high morals displayed by Mulder, and his caring attitude to his new gf, who was dating a married man for 5 years.

Yeah, and Mulder is hot. I hope now that I'm single I'll meet a man like him.

Pretty funny that the married man I dumped also liked Californication and fancied himself to be like David!!

by smarter on September 25, 2007 at 09:45 AM

I am a 43yo female who buys groceries, who has never watched Idol, BB, Animal Rescue, Border Patrol, the Force or any of the other bollocks mentioned above.
I agree with Jeff - Torchwood, Shameless - the real standout shows are on too too late.
I watch Kath and Kim because I enjoyed it on the ABC. Love Californication. Mon night on SBS - Myth Busters, etc - Wednesday nights has me lock on ABC (same for most of the weekend, I must admit). SBS for the best sports coverage in Aust, ABC and SBS for the News. Hows that for your demographic?

by CJ on September 25, 2007 at 09:58 AM

Why is Summer Heights High the number seven most watched show with OG1-2s (the rich) and only No 33 with Grocery Buyers?

The rich like to watch, laugh and thank their lucky stars for the private school whilst the grocery buyers do not want to think about school until they get the next summons for a conference with the prinicipal or the latest request to contribute to the excursion to the Powerhouse.

by Cat on September 25, 2007 at 10:16 AM

I'm a 30 yo woman and I was reluctant to watch Californication assuming it to be just t&a & Mulder but I was proven to be very wrong :) It's the most laugh-out-loud show I have seen for a very long time that has real live humans in it (yay Family Guy). woo =0

by mariellen on September 25, 2007 at 10:42 AM

I really like David Duchovny, but the whole cultural thing of sex with everything is wearing me down. So I haven't bothered to watch it because it seems so gratuitous.

I miss Midsomer Murders and House and new NCIS episodes. But I've discovered reading for pleasure. Thank goodness Terry Pratchett has a new novel out! Also, reconnecting with friends and family member is also a big thing now that tv has really jumped the shark.

Still, once all my fave shows come back with new eps, I'll be watching them like always. But these days, telly is relegated to maximum 2 or 3 days only and even then only a couple of hours each time.

I actually watched Idol on Sunday but only because it was on my sister's telly when I went to visit. I was so shocked that those people were considered the cream of Aussie talent. It was very sad. None of them could sing worth a damn and none of them had any charisma or stage presence. I was actually itching to get up there with a pair of scissors and show those boys what a decent hair cut looks like!

by Killer Bees on September 25, 2007 at 10:58 AM

i LOVE Californication, awsome show, love the sex, swearing and Hank Moody!!!!! so honest and upfront !!

my other fav show is Summer Heights High!!! tooo tooo funny!!!

i LOVE U JONAH!! reminds me of my high school days at St Albans Secondary College .... for those of u who dont kno where St Albans is, it the Sydenham train line, the west side hehe... cant wait for weds night!!!

by Nemo on September 25, 2007 at 11:11 AM

... and i watch RSPCA Animal Rescue too.... its so cute, i hope that labrador can make it as a Border Security dog!! Go puppy!

btw im 20 lol

by Nemo on September 25, 2007 at 11:12 AM

Er, they're not really stereotypes so much as statistical data.

I think maybe Summer Heights high is a tad too close to the bone for the grocery buyers? Skewering, as it does, the bourgeois foibles of middle Australia? Meanwhile the OG-1s can laugh down at the characters from their lofty perch, convinced the joke is not on them. (The Chaser, by contrast, has bite, but it's about the pollies and the media - people we can all laugh at.)

Meanwhile I'm confused about Californication - I'm 24 and female and think it's good fun. Maybe the gratuitous f-and-c-word usage is putting off the mums? Do we know if the gender gap holds for younger viewers, or aren't the stats nuanced enough? (18-49 is pretty broad.)

by Macavity on September 25, 2007 at 11:13 AM

I'm a 39 year old Mum and i've got to say that I find Californication the best show to come along in years.

I laughed last night when once again Hanks character was dreaming and found himself inside a Catholic Church - can't wait for the vilification from the puritans to start again lol (oops Hank wouldn't likt the use of lol!!)

by Jo on September 25, 2007 at 11:37 AM

Anything but the "who/raped/killed/molested bashed to death etc etc etc, tripe that seems to be on every night on free to air tv. Go Summer Heights and kath and kim. A bit of light relief for me!

by lesley on September 25, 2007 at 11:46 AM

But why go to bed early on Wednesday night if you have Glenn Close and Rose Byrne in "Damages" playing from 9.30pm on Ch. 9?

by AB on September 25, 2007 at 11:54 AM

i'm 27, no kids and watch californication. my partner prefers not to watch it and views it as a girlie show. but still happens to hang around when its on.

by cleo on September 25, 2007 at 12:08 PM

I am a 36 yo mother of three (four including the hubby) and I, too, love Californication. The lesser half has never seen it, and is not interested. It is one of my favourite shows along with Kath and Kim, My Name Is Earl, Summer Heights High and The Chaser. I'm also desperate for Top Gear to return.

They are the only shows I bother turning the TV on for anymore, really.

Did the people (Catholics etc.) complaining about the amount of sex and drugs in Californication even watch the show?!

by GC on September 25, 2007 at 12:31 PM

Here goes my theory:
- ABC "brand" themselves as a tv for the elite. That's why they put the ABC news at 7pm (unlike the other channels, which is on 6pm) because they expect their viewers (mostly male from the high income bracket) to be able to watch the news after coming home from work and the gym.
- Those who OzTAM refers to as "Grocery Buyers" love everything instant. Noodles, coffee, TV shows. They couldn't understand the joke behind Summer Heights High and would rather watch shows like Australian Idol, The Chasers, you-name-it.
- And about RSPCA Animal rescue tops the list with women 18-49? Perhaps because these women think those puppies are cuter than David Duchovny (although the comments I've read here proved otherwise).
- What about why The Force is loved by those over 55? Well, the elders need some sense of security, don't they? I wouldn't be surprise if they also love Border Control.

by SN on September 25, 2007 at 12:49 PM

Dear David,

SHH is a corker! Californication is a porker ...

by Professor Ceril Hardpipes on September 25, 2007 at 12:52 PM

Oh, don't worry Nemo. We could tell how old you were by the way you mangled the English language and punctuation.

As for me, I don't watch commercial TV except for the Chaser. I tend to download the more witty shows from the US so I can watch them when I like.

Oh, and Summer Heights High has to be the least funny thing on TV. After Kath and Kim that is. Ridiculous.

Oh, & im like, 25 n female, like, lol!!11!WTFBBQ!!one!111

by Jen on September 25, 2007 at 01:50 PM

I think SHH is ignored by GBs because GBs read NW, and NW gives FA attention to shows like SHH :)

by Veronica Hope on September 25, 2007 at 02:05 PM

What's a PVR?

by Shelby on September 25, 2007 at 02:08 PM

"Californication is an obvious hit with males in the age group of its (anti) hero played by David Duchovny."

David, you have completely underestimated the interest that females in the same age group (and other age groups) have in Duchovny. And in reasonably good writing. But even more so, in Duchovny.

by Lulu on September 25, 2007 at 02:35 PM

I am a single male 40, so definitely the target audience for Californication. We all like to think we are individuals but guess what commercial TV is all about delivering target audiences for advertisers, so it is no surprise this show ends up on Channel 10.

PS I am surprised Channel 10 didn't pickup Entourage

PPS If you don't llike the adds you can always download from the net, Channel 10 is two weeks behind US

by mnjp on September 25, 2007 at 03:01 PM

Last night's episode sent me to bed early, not because of raunchiness - there was none - but because of boredom. Yawn!
Hank gave a lecture to a group of schoolgirls while wearing sunglasses in the classroom - how cool.
Hank's agents' g/f stuck her finger in his date and he wasn't impressed
Hanks ex's daugter's music teacher flirted with his pupil's mother. I think - I was nearly asleep by this stage.
Yawn!

by righteous on September 25, 2007 at 03:18 PM

We are a family of 4 and we do not have a TV at home. Mine and my husband's age is around 40 and Our daughters are aged 16 and 11. In the evening we sit together on the dining table have our dinner and we talk to each other. Believe me we do not miss TV at all.

by ND on September 25, 2007 at 04:31 PM

I also had the misfortune of watching Idol on Sunday and i agrre with Killer Bees. None of them can sing and the guys need a haircut. They also need to stop wearing their girlfriend's jeans. Only tuned in to see the judges shut them down, but was disappointed with their responses.

by Simo on September 25, 2007 at 04:31 PM

Guys
Best show Ive watched in a long time "Mad Men" . Its 1960 and about the sexist guys in a add agency. Just fantastic. And with no adds and I can watch it when i want to.
Download from a P2P site all the new TV shows from the US / UK and watch them when you want. To hell with the free to air and pay for channels. A pox on both your stations

by slowhand on September 25, 2007 at 04:34 PM

Summer Heights High really divides people.
A lot of the haters are very vocal about it on the ABC tv message board, and enjoy shouting down anyone who declares that they like it!
Whatever group these people are in, it is really 'sad' to decide:
a) I don't like a show, therefore
b) it is a bad show and therefore
c) I am going to attack people who like it.
(BTW, I Love SHH - best show of the year!)

by andy on September 25, 2007 at 04:37 PM

The family sit down together to watch Kath and Kim, and the end of Idol. The youngens go to bed and the mother watches twenty minutes of Californication, to see what all the fuss is about, before realising that it is boring.
The mother thinks why can't all tv be as good as Deadwood or Curb Your Enthusiasm.

by jO on September 25, 2007 at 04:39 PM

I'm 31 yr old mum and I love Californication but my husband can't stand it!

by me on September 25, 2007 at 09:38 PM

GB don't watch Summer Heights High because they are all poor bogans who cant even afford like free to air TV.

Most GB are povo wife beating rapists anyway who hang out at like train stations and molest people.

by Ja'ime on November 28, 2007 at 10:51 AM

The Sun-Herald

Who We Are

The tribal mind: Australofornication

COMMENTS

POST A COMMENT

Comments Terms & Conditions

RECENT ENTRIES

ARCHIVES