Way Off The Mark

Some of you may have seen the recent Chaser skit about Make A Wish.

It's been several days since the segment ran on Chaser's War on Everything however I wanted to wait until I'd seen the dust settle before commenting. In particular, I was interested to read the letters (on/offline) about the ABC's decision to run the piece which the producers & Chaser Team referred to as "satirical" and "black humour".

Having lived through the experience of watching my own son on life support along with other children and parents who've been faced with equally (or worse) experiences, I have to say, I've found it pretty hard to understand why The Chaser team thought this subject could ever be appropriate.

It's not remotely comedic to parody children who are undergoing extremely painful, traumatic treatment for potentially life-threatening health challenges.

Assuming The Chaser's team have never set foot in a kids' hospital nor known anyone who has.....perhaps they should check one out.

Even the most insensitive twat would have to agree that there are subjects which should be no-go. Creating a parody about kids who are ill and/ or dying is one of those.

I am truly disappointed by The Chaser.....I think they've really overstepped the mark. And it's not me who thinks this - only last night was the topic raised whilst out with friends....all of them (independently of my opinion) felt that the segement was in extremely poor taste....it certainly wasn't funny.

I truly hope The Chaser hit the drawing board and start working again on ideas which entertain rather than offend.

Society's New Status Symbols

For years, the outward sign that someone had "made" it used to be a Ferrari.

I'd like to suggest a new status symbol: The lawnmower.

Why? Quite simple really. To own a lawnmower means you've gotta' own lawn. Lawn in Sydney is expensive. The bigger your lawn, the more expensive your mower, the greater your success*

As follows:

1st place: RIDE ON MOWER
Made it big time. The bad boy of lawn mowing.
Significant lawn maintenance.



2nd Place: REGULAR PETROL MOWER
You've made it. Enough lawn to require
a decent hour or two at the helm.



3rd Place: HAND HELD MOWER
Either: environmental darling OR wish to use mowing lawn as stay-fit exercise OR (more likely) starting out and are otherwise completely broke from trying to pull togther every last cent for your home deposit (which included, lawn). Nonetheless, to be congratulated.

* And yes, I am happy to admit that for the purposes of this entry, I am choosing to define success in purely materialistic, possession based, ego-centric terms.

Supersize My Trolley?

As I wheeled around my local supermarket doing some shopping tonight (because hey, it's fun right?) I couldn't help but make the observation....why the hell are shopping trolleys so bloody big these days?

I can remember a time when average folk would pile up the groceries but somehow manage to do so using a contraption that didn't resemble a small Hummer.

As I rounded another corner, trying hard not to swipe an elderly couple looking for packs of pasta, I started to wonder.....Is the humble shopping trolley (now complete with airbags, cruise control, side impact protection and separate compartments...or at least it would seem) a metaphor for our obsession with consumption. Do we really *need* all the stuff we buy? What psychological ailment is the big trolley placating? Is it all a dirty conspiracy? Or a practical necessity born from research by the marketing dudes upstairs?

Whatever the case, I have to admit, for a Friday night, it was starting to get quite philosophical....why the heck had my trolley been supersized?

As I rounded another corner, I realised I was experiencing a mild yet growing sense of anxiety. As the shopping piled up ("organic butter or regular?...") I began to calculate the cost of my increasing supersized pile. Yes, I was out to buy a fair amount (weekend BBQ.....I hope the weather holds) but boy was I dreading the checkout experience (despite best intentions, does anyone else's trolley ever equate to a small nation's GDP ??). Have you ever noticed how (post check-out) everyone glances down at their receipts with a resigned *sigh* muttering "there goes another $200" (as they trudge out with 3 bags of groceries).

Coles are obviously onto this with their trolleys & their latest campaign ($10 meals + gift card promotion...note to coles: I have picked up the gift card promo brochure twice but haven't made it to the online sign up yet...). For a nation whose birth rate is either stalling (or in decline); where more people are beginning to live on their own; where we shop more frequently but buy less (average basket vs trolley shop I believe is $27...another obscure fact randomly filed in my brain) we have a bizarre obsession with the supersized tanker trolley. Supermarkets want us to browse more, stay longer, buy extra (but you can't fit all that extra choice in your little 'ol red basket).

Hmmm....perhaps I've just found the answer to my curious question??