Impacted?
But I think your boss using the word “impacted” is more likely full of shite
<img src=
width=400>
3 Likes
A new high (low?) for weasel words! Huzzah!
1 Like
Heh, the video isn’t available in the USA.
Oh, how the tables have turned, Australia.
2 Likes
HA! TAKE THAT MURRICA!!!
O_O
(It’s adorable we think our publically available televison is worth hiding from the rest of the world 
)
4 Likes
It’s adorable your government thinks it’s even possible to hide that television from the rest of the world.
3 Likes
They put a filter on the internet tube running out of the country. That’s how it works, right?
1 Like
I feel sorry for the poor bugger that has to clean it out every few months.
1 Like
I got at it with my super sekrit VPN connection that has an exit node in Sydney as one of its options.
Is mad as hell based on the Daily Show? Or was it the other way around?
I’m going to assume Micallef used it as one of his models, sure - The Daily Show started long before Mad as Hell. But we’ve had a long history of our own satirical news programs down here, as well as UK imports.
I gotta say, there’s just not enough satire in the world.
1 Like
Shaun Micalef (the host) has been a consistently funny TV sketch comedian for many years. Mad As Hell is the most on-point, fearless political comedy Australia is producing at the moment. I think what it has that differentiates it from most TV is its absurdity, for which Micalef is well known.
Here he is in the 90s with one of his classic sketches, David McGahan’s World:
1 Like
I hate to off-handedley compare David McGahan to Monty Python, but I just really sense a sort of Pythonesque feel to his humor.
It’s much more likely saying something about me, and the fact that I’ve seen practically no Australian movies or TV (while I have seen a lot of Python and some other British comedy), than him and his style.
In any case, he’s delightful, and I’ll have to look up more of his work.
That’s a fair comparison since confusion, absurdity and psychedelia are all part of their oeuvre. Here’s a 40 minute compilation of his 90’s work for sketch show Full Frontal.
Mad As Hell is great because his comedy has become far more analytical and clever than usual. He absolutely destroys our politicians - which is what our media scene needs more of.
2 Likes
All politicians need to be destroyed. Otherwise they might start thinking that they can do a satisfactory job.
If that were possible, we wouldn’t have term limits.
We don’t have term limits 
I actually don’t think that’s a bad thing but our government, being the Westminster System, works quite differently to the USA and I prefer it this way. It takes the candidate’s celebrity appeal and obscene campaign spends out of the picture a bit better IMO.
PS: I am a weirdo, though. When I was happily unemployed I watched Question Time pretty much daily. It’s immensely entertaining… our politicians are brutal to each other.
PPS: I just realised that probably makes no sense… Question Time is basically where the government and opposition sit in the House of Representatives arguing about the topic du jour. The government’s guys get to ask questions, which are usually directed to the government and are basically an excuse to talk themselves up, then the opposition and independents get a chance to ask questions of the government that are supposed to make them look bad. It’s basically flamewars, but in a fancy room and with an adjudicator.
3 Likes
I think the US could definitely use something like a question time as well. Also more than two viable parties.
One of these days, I’ve got to sit down with a set of high school level Australian history and New Zealand History books and just read them through.
I interact with too many Aussies and Kiwis to have an excuse for knowing so little about your guys’ countries. Working the night shift, most of my friends are over on your side of the world anyway.
If the Australian version is anything like Prime Minister’s Questions, it’d be ludicrously infantile. Especially when the questions come from the main party.
Would the Prime Minister agree that he is awesome and the leader of the opposition smells of poo?
1 Like
I’ve seen a few English QTs and from what I’ve seen it’s hilarious and useful in showing how our elected representatives are mostly colossal tools.
It’s hard to be a rabid supporter of someone when you get to watch them act like an elementary school child.
1 Like
For the Kiwi perspective, Michael King’s “The Penguin History of New Zealand” ( http://amzn.com/1459623754 ) is about the best starting place out there. He was a brilliant writer and had a real sensitivity for his subject, particularly when writing about Maori matters as a Pakeha.
1 Like
Yeah I think we scare the British with our parly. Here is our ex-PM Paul Keating absolutely destroying the opposition of the day during question time. Keating was one of the best at this.
2 Likes
