}

Friday, April 27, 2007

AmeriNZ Podcast #5 – The Lands Downunder

Episode five of my podcast is now available, and it's free no matter where you get it from. You can listen to it or download it through the player at the bottom of the post here, or subscribe for free through iTunes here (you must have the free iTunes player installed). You can also listen to it for free through the player on my MySpace page (options, options)...

This week I talk about New Zealand as it relates to Australia. This was motivated, in part, by Anzac Day bloggage.
Australia and New Zealand are very different from one another. Some people want a common currency, others want total union. Neither is going to happen. I follow up on that survey about gay neighbours, and I’m even more suspicious of the numbers. JoeMyGod responds to my comment. Can’t avoid mentioning racism.
Australian dubbing of TV commercials is goofy.
There are some changes in my life ahead, which don’t really affect this podcast. But should I add another show?
Mentioned on this show:
Slap Upside the Head story on gay neighbours


Get AmeriNZ Podcast for free on iTunes

8 comments:

Adam said...

Brad was telling me that in the 50s the Australian gov't took aboriginal children from their parents and placed them in "white" households at an attempt to dilute the culture. That is right out of the good old U.S. of A's playbook where we took the children of native americans from the reservations and "educated" them at the Indian School in Phoenix. The school still stands to this day although I think its vacant. Every time I would drive by it when I lived in Phoenix I would shudder.

I think it's very interesting that you discussed race relations and class struggles in this show. When we were in Sydney I made an observation that it appeared to me like everyone had a fair chance. That is in stark comparison to the US where we are force fed an idea of "equal opportunity for all" but you can see the reality of that by simply walking down the street and observing homelessness and pan handling. One of the things that immediately struck me about Sydney was that we were never approached by pan handlers, in fact I never even saw one. From my observations, I agree with you whole heartedly that Australia's problems are much less than the problems here in US.

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh...I loved the opening and closing music...my 80's roots. Great discussion how NZ and Australia are different. I didn't realize just how different they were. We will miss you on our group shows. I would love to hear you one more time each week. If you need a guest, I volunteer! I can get you on Skype other days besides the ones you work. We'll work it out.

Kalv1n said...

It's funny how I've been thinking about that song and was evening singing it to JR this morning before I listened to your show. How dare you use a double superlative! It was interesting to hear about how Australia seemed to have the desire for "white" immigrants, and I wondered if it was actually so explicit, or if it was done through quotas like in the United States.

As to other the procedural issues you've raised about the show, I think that you should do what you would like. I feel like you might still be defining your terms in a way for us listeners. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's easy for me to remember the larger points you've made about society than some of the more personal feelings you have shared, but that in no way means that I have a preference for the former over the latter. Keep up the good work, and I would love to hear the podcast even more than once a week. All that of course, is mostly importantly, up to you...

Arthur Schenck said...

Krebs: The concept of everyone being entitled to "a fair go" is inherent in NZ and Aussie culture. They don't always succeed, of course, but there's a predisposition toward it. In both counties, poverty is often hard to see, especially in the cities, and both countries have worked hard to make sure there's no homelessness except by choice. Which isn't to say that there isn't sometimes inadequate housing, but no one needs to be homeless.

Brad's quite right about the Australian government essentially kidnapping Aboriginal children. They've moved way past that now. In NZ, at one time Maori children were forbidden to speak their language in school; now, it's also an official language (our passports are in English and Maori, not French like passports of other countries, like the US). The point is that it IS possible to move beyond the past if the will is there.

Archerr: Love of 80s music is another thing we share. Thanks for the feedback on show plans. I'm looking forward to having you as a guest!

Kalvin: The "White Australia Policy" was official, but I don't know the details of how they did it. I believe that, among other things, they offered subsidised passage to Australia (on ships in those days), and huge assistance in finding jobs and housing. Quotas may have played a part, too.

Thanks, too, for the feedback on show plans.

CondoBlogger said...

Another interesting show. I particularly enjoyed the info about the dubbed TV Commercials. It's been a few years, but I'm FAIRLY certain that when I was in London on Vaction I saw something similar on TV there... an American Spot dubbed with an English (British?) accent.

Could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard my "name" on your show. Very cool.

As for podcast #2... if you have a specific direction you want to go, different than your current show, I say go for it. Your poor partner, he's going to become a blogger/podcast widow.

The NZ accent... my last word on this... I only hear it in "AY" words: Day, Way, Say, May. Even then it's slight.

Arthur Schenck said...

Condo Blogger: Thanks for the feedback on the show. Later today, I'm posting the first episode of the midweek version, which will be different from the existing show.

Interesting about the commercial: Maybe, then, it's some ad agency thing, where they decide what consumers want, and not some sort of nationalism at work. Mind you, ad agencies do focus groups and such to death, so there must be some sort of social connection to the practice.

I do most of by blogging/podcasting stuff during the day (I mostly work from home and have some extra time), so it's not as bad as it seems, except when I get carried away, of course.

The accent--a subject that will not die. I probably haven't yet said my last word on the subject, but I think those words will be less frequent.

Anonymous said...

Hey, maybe Mr. B will sing a Frappr Map theme song for you too. Maybe even with a NZ accent. :-)

Arthur Schenck said...

Michael: I wouldn't want to take away from the extra specialness of QCastCT, so I'll have to manage somehow...