Kiwi Humor
Becomes a cult hit in the U.S. Who would have thought. The latest Flight of the Conchords episode about Kiwi-Australian relations, “Unnatural Love,” is like a shocking docudrama on this tortured relationship.
“You slept with an Australian? Did she mock your eccent?”
“Yeh, I think she mocked my eccent. Subtly.”
…
“Your ded, was he Australian?”
“I’m full-on Aussie, Jermaine. My great-granddad was a famous rapist and was sent to Australia, where he met me great-grandma. She was a famous prostitute. Well, by ‘met her,’ I mean he raped her, of course.”
If you’re familiar with Kiwis, you know they are like an uptight, introverted version of Australians, whose accent is similar to the Aussie one, only they speak without moving their lips. NZ is also too small to accommodate the full range of vowels, so dispensed with the long ones. They view Australians with horror, Aussies view them with amusement. It’s like Canada-U.S. relations writ small, only funnier.
Entertainment Weekly sees the blatant anti-Australianism as a guilty pleasure.
Full disclosure: Australia and New Zealand are both among my ancestral islands. It’s like my loudmouthed, drunken, boisterous genes are mocking the uptight introverted ones, which don’t want to be seen with the loudmouthed, drunken, boisterous ones.
Topics: Australia, NZ, mockery
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 12:14 pm on Sunday, February 22, 2009
2 Responses to “Kiwi Humor”
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February 22nd, 2009 at 4:13 pm
I have to take issue with you over Kiwi Aussie relations. Aussie spend a lot of time worrying about what New Zealander will do today to undermind the fragile aussie ego.
Having the Americas Cup taken off them by NZ, beaten at both Rugby Union and Rugby League and Cricket, the Aussie wander around in a state of bewilderment as how a country of 4 Million can do that.
Quick Question, which country did you need a criminal record to get into???? :)
February 22nd, 2009 at 11:43 pm
New Zealand?
Cheers