Re: arise, ye sons of Erin
Camille Scaysbrook (verona_beach@geocities.com)
Fri, 27 Mar 1998 16:35:07 +1100
Hear, hear ! As an Australian, I am all too used to being considered a
second class citizen of the world by some poor unenlightened souls who seem
to think we were a colony 20, not 200 years ago, and that that prevents us
in anyway from being the equals of anyone else. I'm afraid that America
remains one of the greatest perpetrators of the myth that Australians ride
from their outback sheep station to the only school for 500 miles on the
back of a wombat ... friends of mine have even been told `You're from
Australia ? Wow, you've picked up the English language so well! (: Ethnic
stereotypes never go down well (you should have seen the reception that
Australian episode of `The Simpsons' got down here. Does the phrase `lead
balloon' mean anything?) As writers, I would assume we are all dedicated to
the smashing of stereotypes!
One small point of contention :
> Americans, Canadians, or even our coloured friends from the
> Antipodes should feel the smallest sense of inferiority arising
Yes, I'm coloured - it's sort of a pinky apricotty colour. Specifying the
antipodes as `coloured' is a bit of the pot calling the kettle black ... to
coin a phrase.
Camille Scaysbrook
verona_beach@geocities.com
THE ARTS HOLE
@ http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Theater/6442