Ruddy Alabama

This week, the American comedian Robin Williams, having recently returned to the US from the AUS was interviewed on the Letterman show and made a remark that Australians were 'basically English Rednecks'.

Unfortunately Kevin Rudd, our erudite Chinese speaking Prime Minister responded on a gutter radio show (that he was being interviewed on) that Mr Williams 'should go and spend a bit of time in Alabama before he frames comments about anyone being particularly redneck' .

Now the reason this is unfortunate is that;
a. Alabama were obviously going to respond robustly to that kind of comment,
b. Robin Williams has got a point and
c. Most Australians don't give a stuff about being called Redneck, other than when they've been out in the sun too long.

And that's what makes the label both right for them, and wrong for them. Australians (or at least Queenslanders) are not, on the whole, massively sophisticated. But that's not to say that they're stupid so much as not interested in sophistication. It's one of the things I like about Australian life, but it's one of the things that both Daile and I find a little frustrating sometimes. Australians just don't go in for all that (crap). Not that I'd say Daile and I are interested in being 'sophisticated' either, just perhaps a little more open to subtle nuance with some things. Some Aussies, to be sure, are narrow minded, and most of them are to my mind, too interested in hard work for material gain, and not interested enough in alternative definitions of living well.

Alabamans I'm told, are famous for their hickey farmer bible bashing brimstone and treacle, pick up driving heehaw attitude to life. They too don't sound like they're massively interested in being sophisticated, which isn't the same as stupid, unless you're stupid enough to think that sophistication is clever instead of overly complex cultural signalling. I can imagine that, like a few English people I know, a few allegedly sophisticated Californians and in all probability - most of us, they're not beyond entrenched thinking. Perhaps those of us who feel superior enough to proclaim others to be redneck should consider the basis on which we discern 'better than' over 'worse than'. Australians are not likely to exclude on the basis of flag or base ideology - or for that matter take any consideration of it at all. That said Australia is, like the US, a meritocracy. On the face of it, a fair and logical system of administering a nation, the danger is that those who don't subscribe to the general aspirations of the majority are likely to be marginalised and socially dis empowered. Many Australians will discern social worth on the basis of schooling, the car you drive and the clothes you wear. I don't think that's sophisticated, but it's a pretty standard classifier in Western urban cultures isn't it.

It is SO important that we keep a lid on ourselves when we cast aspersions about other cultures. One 'outraged' Alabamian responder apparently said that he was so outraged that he was 'going to go to the Zoo and punch a Kangaroo in protest' Hmmm that's not adding weight to Rudd's argument is it?

There are rednecks in all countries. Williams is reported as having tried to make it up, saying "Mr Rudd, I apologise. I would like to modify my terminology and use the term 'English good old boys' instead". On the face of it, that might seem like a bit of retraction, but Williams is no push over, and I suspect a bit of 'sophistication' is afoot! A good ol' boy raises livestock, a redneck gets emotionally involved!

As a Pommy, I feel this is not really my quarrel, as an honorary Aussie however, I feel compelled to just throw in a couple of racist and badly considered jokes about Alabama:

An Alabama redneck passed away and left his entire estate in trust for his beloved widow. She can't touch it 'till she's fourteen!

Q. Why did O.J. Simpson want to move to Alabama?
A. Everyone has the same DNA.

On the other hand, rumour has it that the reason 'XXXX' is a popular lager in Queensland is that Queenslanders can't spell 'Beer'.

The following could be here just as easily as there... Redneck Yoga: