Thoughts :: Archive

ANZ/us?

Originally published April 19, 2006

Now what? Good question. I'd like to start with some observations about the fundamental differences between Kiwis and Australians, as I have observed them over the last 2-3 years.

First, it is important to note that while Australia is a big part of NZ's consciousness, featuring in the news, in peoples conversations and functioning as a sort of mythical land of plenty to which many Kiwis aspire to escape, Australians do not reciprocate this level of interest. In fact, apart from during the Bledisloe Cup (which is apparently some sort of big deal in Trans Tasman relations), most Aussies couldn't give a shit toss about what is happening here in Godzone.

I don't think that this is any sort of reflection of the importance placed on the relationship by the West Islanders, nor should it be interpreted as a slight or snub by the Kiwis; think of it more as a reflection of a fundamental part of the Australian psyche (a part that has, incidentally, been the reason Honest John has been running the country for the last 10 years), their narcissistic self-absorbtion.

Australians, and I am not sure why but I suspect that a combination of the landscape and the penal code that underpins the formation of the modern state, have an almost unhealthy interest in themselves, to the exclusion of almost everything else. Not in the sense, I should add, like Americans who believe that anything outside the good ol US of A is some terra incognita that is either insignificant or simply non-existent, rather in a way that any consideration of other nations is always framed as a comparison with Australia.

Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. It strikes me more as a sort of adolescent response to the world. Other nations, events and cultures are only ever appreciated as a foil for all things Australian. New Zealand, consequently, is not like Australia in so many ways that it really warrants little consideration at all. On Anzac Day there is a sort of focus, but again it is through the lens of the Australian mythos and disproportionately skewed to the A, at the expense of the Z.

Second, and this is related to the first, Kiwis are -by and large- especially earnest compared to most Australians. Perhaps the self-absorption lends an element of deprecation to the Australian self, and the penal background (that and the influence of the Irish) certainly gave Australians the larrikin character that seems sadly absent here in NZ. In fact their one notable larrikin, John Clarke -who is a cerified comic genius, has been living in Melbourne for the last 30 years, which has to tell you something about the national sense of humour over here.

I am not saying that Kiwis lack a sense of humour (entirely), I mean the Topp Twins are ample evidence of their penchant for a knee-slapping good time, and I am sure I could locate other examples of the comic streak that runs through this nation...

Comments?

Hi Jason, Dat was one brilliant essay. My $.02 worth, being a yank who married a sheila and then traded up for a wahine: firstly, I second the notion that there's a huge cultural difference. Where I come from, they don't know the difference, and usually make some crack about shrimps on barbies or some such in relation to my adopted homeland (referencing an Aussie tourism ad in the 90's with Paul Hogan; nevermind the fact that no one I know ever saw a shrimp [or prawn for that matter] on a barbie).
I like your comment about the "adolescent" attitude, but I think that's more American. Youth is definitely wasted on us. Australians to me always seemed more *child*like - fun-loving, high-spirited, devil-may-care... The other thing I was always struck with was the fluidity of social class. In Aus, there seemed to me a pioneering capitalist spirit where regular joes could make it rich (and name the business after themselves -- 'Dick Smith' is 'Radio Shack' in America). Britain is the exteme of stratification -- cf. 42 up. NZ I think is somewhere in between. Also, NZ is unique as far as I know in its tolerance to the indigenous people. Probably because we couldn't kick their asses the way we did in Aus & US. Is it geographical? Historical? Climatic (people in warmer places usually seem less serious)...
Also, never got the Topp Twins; but there are some funny Kiwis. Sione's Wedding made me laugh(do Samoan Kiwis count?). Yeah, I guess you're right -- *earnest* (does that explain John Campbell?). Anyway, I'll put up with JC and the T twins anyday to stay snuggled in the long white cloud.
Jon

where to start..........certainly victorians dream 'of that other place' to escape to, queensland or london, i certainly made it to both, sydneyites seem content in sydney, its a very confident city.queensland seems to exist as world to itself, and as for the rest of oz there are possibly perceived better places, but no, not nz. very strange. certainly sydneysiders are self obsessed but im not sure about the rest of australia.
is the term'west islanders' a reference to australia, have never heard it before. i voted for howard,(and do take pleasure from materialism, but the two are not connected) it was sad but there was no other option, messiahs exist only in fiction,so i could not vote for latham. americans seem seem quite content being americans. it is quite unwieldy, like a drunkard with its faculties still, brazen, self indulgent, wasteful, nothing-can-go-wrong, sealevels wont rise just throw your trash in the street, 'a nation addicted to cheap labour', just buy a new one, must have, the world is all ours. this is all a bit serious....[edited]
Ian

Well, it is certainly gratifying to get such substantial responses. Jon, you are right: Naked Samoans are freakin hilarious, but they are a little outside the mainstream (but maybe SW will put paid to that). Ian, Sydneysiders are self-obsessed, & the rest of the country is, IMHO, only marginally less so.
/J