The Tribal Mind: Do you get Australia?

Wednesday May 9, 2007 04:08 PM

Who We Are

To discuss why the dingo and the octopus should be on our coat of arms, go to Who We Are.

by David Dale
You can judge a nation by the things that amuse it. Thus, to hurry your heart and pump your pride, here's a test of how well you understand your compatriots on their national day.

These questions are derived from entertainments embraced by more than 2 million Australians during the past 10 years. For big hints, and more details on Australia's favourite films, albums, TV programs and DVDs, go to The culture.

If you don't get at least 8 correct, you're unAustralian, and should start packing your bags. But of course, it won't come to that.

1 Name the three children of Julie and Dave Rafter. In what street do they live? (From the most popular Australian TV series of the past five years).

2 Complete the quote: "He endured blistering winds and scorching deserts, he climbed the highest bloody room of the tallest bloody tower, and what does he find? Some ..." (from the highest grossing movie this decade).

3 Who defeated whom in the men's final of the 2005 Australian Open (the most watched TV program this decade)?

4 Complete the verse: "I've learned to love/ Be understanding/ And believe in life/ But you've got to make choices/ Be wrong or right/ Sometimes you've got to ..." (from the best selling music album this decade)

5 The best selling DVD of all time in Australia features characters called Marlin, Gill, Bloat, Peach and Nigel. Name it. And who played Nigel?

6 Complete the quote: "The man who can wield the power of this sword can summon to him an ..." (from the second highest grossing movie of the past ten years).

7 Name the winner and the runner up in the most watched non-sporting television event of the past ten years (hint: 2004).

8 "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are tonight's entertainment! I only have one question ..." Who, played by whom, said this? And what was the question?

9 Name, in order, the 3 most popular Harry Potter movies, as measured by DVD sales.

10 From the top selling album of the past 5 years, "I'm not ... what? .. just floating"; "I'm not ... what? .. just changing"; "I was never looking for ... what? ... from anyone but you". Who sang this?

11 Name the gay renovators in The Block (the most watched series of 2003) and the couple who won that year.

12 Name the daughter of Brett Craig and Kim Day, and the father of Kim.

13 Since 1999, 13 Australians (or people trained in Australia) have won Oscars. Name them and the relevant movies.

14 Who held up a sign saying "Free Th Refugees"? And who attempted to engage in an activity called turkey slapping? In what series?

15 The most successful locally made film of this decade includes products with the brand names Poor Fella, Kangaroo and Boomerang. What were they?

16 Identify the images on this page, which would be familiar to more than 2 million Australians.

Not that you need them, but just for reassurance, you'll find the answers by scrolling down below.

Here are the answers ...
1 Nathan, Rachel, Ben in Packed to the Rafters. Riverview Street, Concord.
2 "... gender-confused wolf telling him that his princess is already married!" (the Fairy Godmother in Shrek 2).
3 Marat Safin beat Lleyton Hewitt.
4 "... sacrifice the things you like." Born To Try, by Delta Goodrem.
5 Finding Nemo. Geoffrey Rush.
6 "... army more deadly than any that walks this earth. Put aside the ranger. Become who you were born to be." Elrond to Aragorn in Return of the King.
7 Casey Donovan and Anthony Callea in Australian Idol.
8 The Joker (Heath Ledger) in The Dark Knight. "Where is Harvey Dent?"
9 Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Chamber of Secrets.
10 dead ... scared ... approval. Pink.
11 Warren and Gavin. Fiona and Adam.
12 Epponnee Rae. Gary Poole (in Kath and Kim)
13 David Lee and Steve Courtley (The Matrix); Russell Crowe (Gladiator); Catherine Martin and Angus Strathie (Moulin Rouge); Andrew Lesnie (Lord of the Rings); Nicole Kidman (The Hours); Adam Elliott (Harvey Krumpet); Russell Boyd (Master and Commander); Cate Blanchett (The Aviator); Dion Beebe (Memoir of a Geisha); George Miller (Happy Feet); Eva Orner (Taxi to the Dark Side).
14 Merlin. John and Ashley on Camilla. In Big Brother.
15 Poor Fella rum, Kangaroo Bitter beer, Boomerang harmonica (in Australia).
16 The final appearance of Sally Fletcher in Home and Away; Hector Barbossa and Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean; Zac Ephron of High School Musical meets The Veronicas; Russell Coight in All Aussie Adventures.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). For daily updates on Australian attitudes, bookmark http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

COMMENTS

Oh... does my joining in the fist-pumping as Jelena Dokic got through to the quarters count in proving whether I "get" Australia or not? :)

You can also judge a Nation by what some people reckon others should be judged by in determining their level of interest and therefore knowledge of the culture supposedly being highlighted.
Knowing about the drivel contained in dozzy soap operas or over-hyped locally made movies and commercialised 'pop' music does not an Aussie make...
Do I get Australia? I sure as hell don't need some quiz of similar breadth and scope to the former Federal Government's farcical poll for migrants to prove my appreciation of this land and the achievements of those who've made it the place it is today.
Why's it necessary to believe that we've got to be a bunch of Barry Jones' (or the latest flavour of quiz show style fact spewing savant) in order to prove our "Australian-ness"? It's like the "Trivia Night" test of whether you "get" Australia or not... Yikes!
Sure - I get that it has a fun element to it... and gosh, golly gee, there's some facts in there that I didn't know ('cause I treat such facts like the ephemera they actually are) - but basing whether someone "gets Australia" upon American style glorification of recent events and personalities strikes me as extraordinarily Un-Australian...

by Steve C on January 25, 2009 at 10:40 PM

So where are the promised answers? I only scored 1/2 an answer out of 10 questions, so I'm curious to find the rest.

Tribal Mind replies: The answers are above this comment.

by Fred on January 26, 2009 at 06:01 AM

I find it strange that a quiz to find out how Aussie you are makes reference to wholly American produced entities in over 75% of the questions.

Tribal Mind replies: The quiz is about the entertainments enjoyed by the majority of Australians. But I'm not sure how you calculate 75 per cent American. Lord of the Rings? Harry Potter? Delta Goodrem? Australian Idol? The Block? Kath and Kim?
For complete data on Australia's tastes, go to The culture.

by Paul O'Malley on January 26, 2009 at 06:31 AM

I failed and proud that I did. I'm with Steve C.

by PommieGit on January 26, 2009 at 07:21 AM

"If you don't get at least 8 correct, you're unAustralian, and should start packing your bags."
More like if you get more than 5 right, get off the couch and get a life.

by Dizzhound on January 26, 2009 at 07:41 AM

And I thought I was True Blue.....but you see I don't watch many American soapies (or even local ones!) and very seldom watch the commercial stations. I'm a True Blue ABC - and sometimes SBS - viewer, but the only 1/2 answer I got was Eponee Rae....because it was on the ABC of course.

by Judy (78) on January 26, 2009 at 08:11 AM

Well, I got half an answer correct also.
Goodness, if these are the things you need to know to be a good Aussie...

by Bhuvi on January 26, 2009 at 08:18 AM

What a load of rubbish. seems that if you don't spend all your time in front of an idiot box you are un-Australian. From the answers I think that the heading should have been " how AMERICAN are you? though even after reading the answers I am still none the wiser as to a lot of the programs mentioned. maybe the author of the 'quiz' ought to pick up one or two objects on history (pref Aust) and after much study then formulate his/her quiz.
** The objects referred to are called books. though one will concede in this day and age the use of a computer and the internet.

by shane on January 26, 2009 at 08:28 AM

So someone who spends their time at the cricket and surfing instead of watching TV, movies and DVDs is apparently un-Australian? That's interesting to know. We ARE a nation of couch potatoes!

by Kate on January 26, 2009 at 08:47 AM

What a load of crap. I am now unAustralian for not watching too much bloodly television.
A typical useless bit of cow dung from SMH.

Tribal Mind replies: Can you consider the possibility that some part of the column might have been written with tongue in cheek?

by Matt on January 26, 2009 at 09:24 AM

Oh I get it...Australians just love American crap.

Tribal Mind wonders: What's American among the questions? Lord of the Rings? Harry Potter? Delta Goodrem? Australian Idol? The Block? Kath and Kim?

by Em on January 26, 2009 at 09:28 AM

Now I tend to like you usually David but tongue in cheek or not, this list is a few sports trivia questions drowning in largely commercial pop culture garbage. I would really hope most people do as abysmally as me in answering them.
TM asks - What's so American about it? I say,nearly all of it is americanised junk food for the mind. Sure, Australia might suck it up but do we have to celebrate it? Frankly it's (largely) embarrassing.

Tribal MInd remarks: Whether or not readers do well in the quiz does not alter the fact that it is based on the entertainments enjoyed by the majority of Australians in the past 10 years. For complete data, go to The culture

by Ren Hoek on January 26, 2009 at 10:02 AM

This quiz made me feel bad because I didn't know the answers.

by Sam Pryor on January 26, 2009 at 10:40 AM

what a lame article - your article should probably be titled "do you get american TV" - over 50% of your references are to material with origins outside of Australia - for example what is Australian about Harry Potter, Pink, The Lord of the Rings, etc...

Tribal Mind replies: The quiz is about the things Australians enjoy. Upsetting as it may be for nationalists, Australians happen to enjoy British and American movies, TV shows and music -- at least as much as they enjoy Australian movies, TV shows and music.
Would you rather not be told that 5 million Australians bought tickets to see Lord of the Rings? And could you tell me which questions in the quiz are about "American TV"? By my count, nine out of 15 question topics originated in Australia.

by Bruce Cartwright on January 26, 2009 at 10:41 AM

I got 1 of them (Safin v Hewitt) and did not even understand most of them. Must stop getting out more.

by a don on January 26, 2009 at 10:50 AM

"it is based on the entertainments enjoyed by the majority of Australians in the past 10 years."
Hmm.. if you define "entertainment" as "TV and Movies", sure. I'm so glad that 'Entertainment' is something that seeks us these days. Remember those horrible days as a kid where you went out and had to find ways to entertain yourself? The Horror!

by Mic on January 26, 2009 at 11:24 AM

Tribal Mind, I for one get the article. I believe you were in some way challenging the idea of what is Australian. I got one right (had an idea on a few others but didn't know) and so statistically I should be packing my bags.
Strange that so many other comments ignore the fact that statistically this is what Australians enjoy, and I'm with you that very few of the questions have anything to do with America.
Sure our perceived national identify involves cricket and surfing and I guess what could have been included in entertainment is the live sporting events that we flock to, but how many people went to watch the surfing at Bells Beach this year?

by anon on January 26, 2009 at 11:28 AM

can someone tell me where the "any" key is?

Tribal Mind replies: Alright, I'll play along. There may be a few readers who have not heard this joke. Why do you ask?

by vicki on January 26, 2009 at 12:20 PM

Dear TM I looked at the quiz,did not know one answer(thank God).
If that was the best shows watched by 5 millions Australians, all I can say is God help us,we are a nation of morons and lovers of 2nd hand junk from the US.

Tribal Mind replies: Nobody ever said they were the "best" shows. The quiz is based on the most seen movies and TV programs and the most purchased CDs and DVDs. I thought readers would be interested to know what Australians enjoy, for better or worse.

by John Ryan on January 26, 2009 at 12:39 PM

I did a little better than Judy, I got three Oscar winners as well. I always suspected that David Dale had a very warped sense of humour.

by Meg on January 26, 2009 at 01:38 PM

Tongue-in-cheek it may have been but in my opinion just more evidence that "popular culture" is an oxymoron and the SMH is finally a tabloid in all but size.

by Richard on January 26, 2009 at 01:59 PM

Well, I failed that spectacularly. Now I have an excuse to move to New Zealand. :D

by Nick on January 26, 2009 at 02:01 PM

I understand the concept of the article, get that it's a "joke" (hmmm...) but what is the point? There doesn't seem to be any value to it. What is it supposed to prove?
Maybe rather than this sort of irrelevant "quiz" (use the term loosely), you could use your time and really earn your paycheck by writing a commentary on WHY Australians are watching so much drivel.
Your article appears to be just a rehashing of somebody else's work to get people stirred up - not really that hard, it appears.
Can you please put some effort into your writing, and show some respect to your audience (what's left of it).

Tribal Mind replies: The only part of the article that is a joke is the notion that the term "unAustralian" could have any meaning in this diverse society. The rest is based on research into Australian entertainment patterns.
I'm fascinated that this week's column seems to have made so many readers so angry, when it is simply an attempt to summarise the films, TV shows and music which have been preferred by millions of Australians in the past decade. Why is it "irrelevant" to speculate about what people enjoy -- even if what they enjoy is different from what you enjoy?
The quiz does not require you to be a fan of Shrek, Packed To The Rafters, Kath and Kim, Delta Goodrem, Finding Nemo, Batman or Lord of the Rings -- merely to have some interest in what kind of a nation Australia is. Sadly or happily, those are the things Australans like. The "point" is the same as for any sociological research -- to provide evidence upon which people can theorise. The extra point, because it appears in a newspaper, is to entertain people.
Go to The culture for more of the data this column has gathered in 15 years of appearing once a week in the SMH.

by Alex on January 26, 2009 at 02:17 PM

Tongue in cheek it may be but tongue in cheek says it should be funny! You are just highlighting your unaustralian direction in life along with all those others who happen to have the time to waste their lives on this lovely unaustralian crap. The thing is .. Now with all the recent and soon to come sackings there will be more people like you enjoying their lives on the couch just like you! How you people get paid I dont know....

Tribal MInd asks: Could you kindly clarify: Are you complaining that so many Australians spend their time consuming material you don't like, or are you complaining that the behaviour of Australians is being reported and discussed in a newspaper?

by Vaughan Williams on January 26, 2009 at 03:09 PM

Boy some people have taken this way too seriously also how is Packed to the Rafters, Delta, Sally Fletcher, Anthony Callea, Casey Donovan, Leyton Hewitt, Kate Ritchie etc... considered American? It was all in good fun, lighten up.
Thanks for the quiz David.

by Susie on January 26, 2009 at 03:12 PM

OK.. You write for a NEWS paper, do you consider this NEWS? or just useless information? To me its an absolute waste of time, money and brain power all of which could have been spent doing something better .. Like mowing the lawn! The only people who would find this interesting are those writing crappy scripts and making those same crappy scripts into shows, movies etc... so go tell them your findings not us! Earn your money and tell us something NEWS WORTHY!

Tribal Mind remarks: It's not intended to be news. It is a column. Newspapers contain many columns on many different topics. Mine happens to be about what Australians do in their spare time. The Tribal Mind column has been appearing every week in the SMH for 15 years, and has tracked many social changes over that period.
Some readers may find the topic interesting. You clearly don't, and I'm sorry you have had to waste so much of your time reading about and writing about information and ideas that do not interest you.

by Vaughan Williams on January 26, 2009 at 03:28 PM

The highest grossing film of this decade is not Shrek 2. Its "The Dark Knight"
Pathetic quiz.

Tribal Mind replies: Shrek 2 came out in 2004 and sold $50.3 million worth of tickets. The Dark Knight came out in 2008 and sold $46 million worth of tickets. Do you have a source different from the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia?

by Australian on January 26, 2009 at 03:31 PM

I am very proud to be Australian, yet find myself quite disappointed at these ridiculous attempts to tell us what Australian is . . . I don't watch a lot of rubbish on tv, though appreciate people may for entertainment purposes. What I do find disturbing, is that half of Australians probably would not be able to tell you anything about own history, how government works, what a verb is . . . or even how to pronounce the bloody name of our own bloody country!
I'm sure this quiz was just a bit of fun, but I believe it highlights some of the problems with our nation . . .

by Brenda on January 26, 2009 at 04:22 PM

To Vaughan and Brenda, take a chill pill :) Whilst I agree, for the most part, that it is seems that my fellow Australians seem to on the whole watch "bad television", it is sadly a fact. Looking at the ratings chart, the consistent top rater is Two & 1/2 men? A repetitive formulaic American sitcom. As for being faulted for being in a newspaper, let's face it, most newspaper have become tabloids these days where the top story is Paris Hilton visiting to promote something. At least, David is giving us stats on popular culture and remember folks, he actually does this blog for free. It is not part of his paid article gig. If you don't like it, you don't have to read it. Simple really.

by kate on January 26, 2009 at 04:52 PM

Fair enough, point taken. But it seems you missed the mark with this one and lots of people didnt like it... Maybe us un australians should find ourselves some where else to call lucky!

by Vaughan Williams on January 26, 2009 at 05:11 PM

"my fellow Australians seem to on the whole watch "bad television", it is sadly a fact."
* by kate on January 26, 2009 at 04:52 PM
Can't argue with that, given I just spotted David Dale on Today Tonight.
What was I thinking for watching such errant tripe... The depiction of the "real Aussie" as a lard ridden, 3 cups of coffee swilling laptop junkie seemed pretty accurate, although I'm surprised there wasn't a female counterpart.
I guess we all know that Aussie blokes can laugh at that image of themselves, but it'd be just plain provocative to have a self-absorbed female whale swilling "chai-lattes" whilst texting like crazy as the feminine counterpart wouldn't it...
Please note my tongue firmly in cheek. ;)
I guess the thing that might be hardest for some of us to fathom is how much import "Tribal Mind" is placing upon research that is not only populist, but largely based around figures that are as malleable as moist cow-dung on a warm spring morning.
TV show ratings and charts for 'popular' music are about as reliable a source for determining social trends as a greasy log is for maintaining balance.
Why would anyone in their right mind put such faith in "marketers" research? Why even consider that what might be superficially implied in figures based upon sales figures (many of which must fit certain criteria that precludes contenders that may show quite a different trend BTW), has a direct correlation with something as complicated as whether particular individuals understand enough about the character of this land and it's people, that they "get it"?
It wasn't that long ago - not even a flamin' year; that "researchers" data showed that the World economy was undeniably "robust" beyond 2010... You want to put your faith in how much we get it as Aussies based on info from much the same sources? Yikes!!! :)
Getting a feel for whether your fellow Australians "get it" or not should surely come by directly engaging with as many of them as possible. That usually entails getting out and about and meeting some of them...
I for one, would hate to think that we would stoop so low as to use "entertainment" as the single determinant factor for "Australian-ness"...
So what if we like our entertainment!
We are lucky enough to live in a country where we can indulge in doing so.
You might find that a quiz that looks at finding the reasons why Australians are able to indulge their love of entertainment would be much more enlightening if the real search is for insights into whether we "get it" as Aussies or not...
Crikey, if it wasn't for the standard of living we have, the results might be quite different! If kids didn't get the cash from their parents, Harry Potter wouldn't be anywhere near the hit... and if it wasn't for our standard of education, "the Lord of the Rings" trilogy would also have been much less successful. Tolkien scmolkien!!
What about the possibility that there's plenty enough foreign stuff in the data because our home grown product has essentially become navel-gazing politically correct borefests?
Maybe it's our very own entertainment and media industries that have failed us by believing it's we who must conform to their perceptions of what it means to be "Aussie".
BTW, it's not so funny to tell someone they should pack their bags 'cause they obviously aren't Aussie enough if they don't get enough answers right; even with the rather flippant follow up sentence included as a butt coverer... it's not very Australian.

by Steve C on January 26, 2009 at 06:36 PM

What a crock of shit. I can't answer any of these. Is this for people who watch TV 24 hours a day, or for real Aussies?

Tribal Mind asks: So real Aussies don't watch TV, go to the movies or listen to music? What do real Aussies do?

by Not Impressed on January 26, 2009 at 06:55 PM

I've got no problem with cheap TV. It's just a disappointment that the quiz wasn't diverse, funny, or even 'a bit of fun'. I think most people got so worked up because they were expecting something even a little witty, or something that made some comment about anything!
I think it would have been ok to have some of these questions in, but there's more to do with culture than just the superficial topics covered here, and it would have been more interesting to see that reflected.

by SJ on January 26, 2009 at 07:53 PM

Here is how Australian we are.....of all the movie chanels etc we have NOT ONE ran an aussie movie marathon today. No sign of Crocodile Dundee, The Castle, Muriels Wedding, even back to They Are A Weird Mob, Puberty Blues, Evil Angels, Wolf Creek, etc. Maybe becuase the network is owned by an ex Aussie now American? What a disgrace!

by Greg on January 26, 2009 at 08:43 PM

I agree with a lot of the other posters - what a lot of rubbish. To me they are true Australians - people confident enough not to need dodgy "tests" like this to prove their Australian-ness. Thank goodness for our individuality if what is supposed to unite us is drivel.

by Allan on January 26, 2009 at 09:03 PM

What's been illustrated is the reflexive use of cliches by those who sniff a chance to sound sophisticated.
If this is the Herald, imagine how dense Telegraph readers are.
BTW, there's nothing wrong with several of these movies/series/events.

by Hindo11 on January 26, 2009 at 09:47 PM

Personally I see "getting" Australia more as understanding shared values such as mateship, and keeping an appropriate laid back attitude, especially on things like the data behind this quiz. Sales and TV ratings have shit all to do with being Australian.
I understand that you'd like to share the data, but a quiz on getting Australia? Really?
My problem is that the article insinuates that this information is what makes one Australian, when that couldn't be further from the truth.

by Elliot Mills on January 26, 2009 at 09:48 PM

Didn't get many of the answers, although i can't say i'm ashamed that i don't: know Delta Goodrem/Pink lyrics, watch Big Brother etc..
Sorry TTM, but the quiz wasn't very well put together - too much emphasis on lists and most popular/highest grossing blah in 200x...
Secondly, the questions were a bit too complicated and formulaic - if i got 3 oscar winners do i get 3/14ths of a point? And is that less valuable than knowing the street where the Rafters family lives?

by Rae on January 26, 2009 at 10:07 PM

TM, I'm not saying that this entertainment is irrelevant if I don't enjoy it (I've watched Shrek many times, repeats of Kath and Kim, I listen to Delta, was okay with Finding Nemo, and am a MASSIVE fan of both Batman and Lord of the Rings - cry everytime I see Return of the King).
The irrelevance is your article, and the way this information has been presented to the audience. Whether it was intentional or not, you've surmised that if you have no interest in pop culture then you are unAustralian.
It's offensive. And that's why there is so much backlash.
And on another subject, if you are intending for this to be socialogical research (as you've said that that is "The 'Point'") then I wonder how you collate your data. How large is your sample size? What's your hypothesis? And what's your conclusion? It's a census, that's certain, but don't pretend that your article is pertenant to formulating theories on why we are who we are. It's number crunching, and not much more.

by Alex on January 26, 2009 at 10:43 PM

What is interesting about this article is that different demographics dominate different kinds of entertainment in Australia.
Kids obviously dominate the DVD market, with sales of Finding Nemo and Harry Potter dominating, while adults, of all different ages, rule the TV, with sporting and reality TV coming unsurprisingly high.
Most of the results are not amazing if you think about it: there is a significant British and American influence, while home-grown productions still rank very highly.
What I think I learnt most out of the quiz was how poor my memory is! Watching a movie or tv series does not necessarily mean you remember the characters, or even the title!
We are defined by what we do, including what we watch on tv. However, if the highest watched program had 2 million viewers, that meant there were 20 million of us doing something else (a majority of whom were probably tucked into their beds).
If you were out surfing, then that's great! Or maybe you were out cooking kofte or shish kebab over a bbq. Challenging our perceptions of who we are as Australians with statistics is a great way of getting us to think about who we are and how we perceive others.
For example, many people who responded couldn't answer most of the questions on the quiz. Does this make them any less Australian? Of course not. But perhaps we are out of touch a little with what a lot of other Australians are interested in. I've never surfed, but a lot of Australians love it.
Statistics about the favourite foods: most cooked at home, favourite type of restaurant etc. might challenge who we think we are as well. If the most popular take away food is now kebabs, does that make us Turkish, when 10 years ago it was McDonalds and we Americans? Or does it just make us unhealthy ;).
One thing I love about Australia is diversity and our constantly changing attitudes and tastes. Try the citizenship quiz: you might be surprised if you don't do so well on that: then we should thank the 40,000 who are taking the oath of citizenship across the country today: they are more Australian than we are (at least by the gov't's definition).

by Stuart on January 26, 2009 at 10:50 PM

did not even get one right....if I had, I feel that I should be able to become an American citizen.

Tribal Mind wonders: How many questions related to American material?

by russ collins on January 27, 2009 at 02:31 PM

Wow... heated issue. I think I might weigh in.
I think your audience were just hoping for something a little bit more 'Good Weekend' in their quiz as I know I was. While I appreciate the stats on what floats Australian's entertainment boats, I think it's fair to say that some of your quotables are a little less than iconic. Not a 'you had me at hello' or a 'they may take our lives...' amongst them. Sometimes I didn't even know what possible format the answer would come in in order to take a wild stab... and I DO watch crap TV.
And then the poor little high trivia achievers that we are all had to come here to find the answers to try and feel a little less stupid.
Kind of takes the fun out of it.

Tribal Mind wonders How would a Good Weekend popular culture quiz differ from a Sydney Morning Herald popular culture quiz? Some readers seemed to be objecting to the whole idea that there is such a thing as popular culture (as in, mass entertainment).

by Jess on January 27, 2009 at 07:48 PM

Tribal Mind wrote: "Some readers seemed to be objecting to the whole idea that there is such a thing as popular culture (as in, mass entertainment)."
I'd respectfully disagree that some responders objected to the idea of such a thing as 'popular culture'.
The contention I discern as being most prevelant in the responses, is that using 'popular culture' as the 'yardstick' upon which to measure our "Australian-ness" is not only superficial, but highly irrelevant.
"Getting it" comes in many forms, and often takes a while for those who don't immediately "get it".
All I'm seeing is the sort of failure to accept that "the joke went wrong"... Not every Australian is going to laugh at every attempt to pseudo-humorously lampoon our mentality and sense of 'belonging' to this bewildering to some entity we call Aussie society.
Being offended by one particular Australian's attempt to demonstrate a personal theory regarding his fellow Australians isn't a sign of how those who are offended don't "get it", or that they must be rabid Nationalistic fascists for not laughing uproariously at themselves for being the sort of superficial individuals that the quiz sets out to prove they are - it just proves that they know when a line has been crossed that they don't appreciate being crossed and they'll say what they have every right to say in such circumstances...
BTW: I agree with Jess about the style in which the questions were posed. As a teacher, I'd be expecting some 'heat' if I posed a test that was couched in much the same "obtuse for all but me" way.

by Steve C on January 28, 2009 at 08:45 AM

And I thought only Americans missed out on the irony gene. Taking this pisstake seriously -- now that is unAustralian! ;-)

by Greg on January 28, 2009 at 02:12 PM

And I thought only Americans missed out on the irony gene. Taking this pisstake seriously -- now that is unAustralian! ;-)

* by Greg on January 28, 2009 at 02:12 PM

Not only the "irony gene", but also the "gene that warns us that bending over to get our Aussie butts kicked by self-infatuated tools who just love the opportunity to kick some dumb Aussie butt will lead to being respected about as much as what issues from the kicked butt", has been removed as well!!

You didn't notice that? Must be evidence that not every Australian 'gets given it'. :)

Can't miss what one doesn't have in the first place.

by Steve C on January 28, 2009 at 06:48 PM

Touche, Tribal Mind. I thought these would all be crappy Aus Idol-type fluff, and I would happily admit my un-Australianness and be reassured thereby that I was still unabashedly Geek-Australian. I was even getting ready to write my own quiz, to exclude those that I happen not to share tastes in entertainment with.
BUT, you bastard, you had to slip in a question regarding the Dark Knight, any true geek's favourite film of all time! (until the new Star Trek film, of course.)
I missed it. You shame me, sir. What am I now? My self-image lies in ruins. WHAT AM I???

by Russell on January 29, 2009 at 05:06 PM

I agree with Kate, take a chill pill.
What kind of quiz would make you feel more Australian, 25 questions in the Qantas magazine?

by Ian on February 01, 2009 at 09:58 AM

David. I've just skimmed through the comments and your responses. It seems you were required to explain the tone of your article and defend its intent. IMHO that tells me that as its author you simply failed to communicate.

DD replies: You're right. I should not have responded and left readers to sort it out amongst themselves. What's puzzling is that I've done these sorts of quizzes several times before, and also made jokes about the foolish term "unAustralan" several times before, and this is the first time I got such an angry response.

by PommieGit on February 01, 2009 at 04:41 PM

This is a pretty shoddy test, I'm too busy playing cricket, soccer and going to my mates place to know any of this. I'm with Kate.

by Shane on March 17, 2009 at 04:04 PM

The Sun-Herald

Who We Are

The Tribal Mind: Do you get Australia?

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