26 January 2009

Happy Lamb On Australia Day


It's Australia Day. Dee has been talking about what she loves about Australia in her recent posts, and Heather loves the idea of our weather so much that today she asked me to wear a t-shirt and shorts outside and soak up some sun! She's just saying that because it's (in her own words) "freaking FREEZING" where she lives right now, and I do sympathise with her. But I didn't go outside and soak up rays today because I feared my body would dry up, go crackly and burst into flames.

For my Australia Day Post, I will show you a series of TV advertisements that keeps us laughing every Australia Day.

The actor is Sam Kekovich. He was an Australian Rules football player and is now most famous for being the spokesman for Meat and Livestock Australia, promoting the lamb industry.

His ads are the most politically incorrect pieces I have ever seen broadcast on Australian TV, but most Australians love them. He takes brazen swipes at people, groups and situations which knock the air out of your lungs and make you wonder how long it will be before the ads are taken off air. But each Australia Day, he's back with more.

I want to share them with you. If you're easily offended, feel free to leave now. Sorry if you feel you need subtitles, they're not available. He talks faster as the years pass and something tells me you're not as used to our accents as we are to yours! We see all your TV, and all you get is Bindi the Jungle Girl. And maybe The Wiggles.

2005 I believe this is the original ad. He takes a swipe at thongs (flip-flops) and anyone who eats vegetarian or chicken.




2006 Sam shocks again. in 2006, our news was full of pretty (but stupid) Australian girls jailed for drug posession in Indonesia, riots and violence on the beaches at Cronulla and bird flu threatened poultry all over the world. The Australian Cricket Team lost the Ashes and one of our famous cricketers suffered the breakdown of his marriage after news that he had multiple affairs with English models while away on tour, transcripts of his text messages to them appearing in tabloids all over Britain.

And Sam blamed it all on us not eating enough lamb:




2007 In 2007, Sam produced an epic 3-minute ad. I'll let it speak for itself:




2008 He suggests Australia Day is replaced by Australia Week. We'd come through the horse flu epidemic, the appalling behaviour of our footballers which got far too much publicity, and there was a lot of controvery surrounding the way refugees to Australia were kept in detention on the island Nauru. Sam mentions all of these, and drew criticism for being disrespectful about the appearance of Helen Clark, the then-PM of New Zealand.




2009 Were we surprised to see another Eat Lamb On Australia Day ad from Sam? Yes we were, given the controversy that's followed his previous ads. But we still laughed. The situation of the world economy was his focus, but he also reminded us that our Olympians probably did better out of their sponsorship deals than the actual Olympics.




Where can he go from here? We have to wait another year to find out.

Please nobody tell Sam that I have planned to cook homemade pizza for dinner on Australia Day.

15 comments:

♥ Boomer ♥ said...

Oh, how I miss hearing that accent!!

Do you still say things like, "Struth"? (for Americans, that means "Is that the truth?")

Swift Jan said...

Struth isn't quite as common as it used to be... crikey is still up there though!

Oh Givinya, swift Jim & I have been in stitches! Thank you for your tribute to the Australian way!!

I wont tell Sam you will be eating Pizza, so long as you put Lamb on the pizza! hehe

We will be throwing some Lamb chops on the barbie today.

"... hairy legged, sandle wearing, lentil eaters...." how does he get away with that? LOL

Dee said...

I love Sam, he's such a crack up.

Hippomanic Jen said...

Just to let you all know, OUR lunch is lamb mince hambergers. Not quite a lamb chop, but got to get us SOME brownie points?

Allegro ma non troppo said...

I must listen to those on the broadband at the town library! I can't believe I've never come across them, and I'm the TV watcher between us!

We've had lamb twice in a row this week, surely I'm allowed beef tonight, no matter what the date is.

Sassy Britches said...

Did he say "target your middle stumps" in 2006? Holy crap, that's hysterical!

Long dark hair, blue eyes said...

Oh how I love those ads. I actually hadn't seen the 2009 ad yet - so funny.

I love seeing the National Vegetarian Council on the news being enraged by the ads.

CynthiaK said...

Wow, that's crazy. I hope he's not representing the majority of Aussies? Yikes!!

Pretty funny, though. And, some of us Canadians have had a bit more exposure to the accents than just those Wiggles and Bindi. (although, I must admit I've been exposed to far more NZ accents than Australian!)

Mum-me said...

I saw two of these at Samster.com so it was great to click over here and find the first two as well!

I hope you're feeling a bit better. Pregnancy nausea + toddlers = no fun at all, but when you add moving house into the mix ... well ... just know I am praying for you.

DiPaola Momma said...

You had me at, "Lamb on the bbq"! Stopping by from SITS this morning.. Oi, Oi, Oi!

I want to come to your place and have a proper holiday... I tell ya, when I lived in Spain the world's fair was held there. I spent a good 3 of my first 6 hours at the Australia exibit.. loved it so much I came back for a second day!

I need to bribe you for some Lamb on the barbie recipes.. want anything from Maryland, USA?

The Blonde Duck said...

It's so cool how different the countries are...

tinsenpup said...

We had vegetarian tacos. Don't tell anyone. I don't want to get deported.

Anonymous said...

Did he say "wanker?" Being a Yank, I admit I don't understand most of what he is saying, but he still made me laugh!

Nana Tantrum

Nauntie Lush said...

I can't eat lamb...it gives me hives. But I TOTALLY Want to marry Sam...HE SAID WANKER with a straight face.

And I know that you put lamb on your pizza...any thing less would have been un-Australian!

AdriansCrazyLife said...

Are you Australian? I had no idea! I'm a huge fan of McLeod's Daughters. I was just watching a few episodes last night. I have to go to great lengths to find it over here though. It's worth it though - Nick and Alex are gorgeous!